A Kid's Hockey Moment
Being the Buffalo sports nut that I am, both my kids have had the fortune (or, to their mother, the misfortune) of being indoctrinated into Buffalo sports at a very young age.
I remember as if it were yesterday the first time SonOne and I went to Pilot Field. He wasn’t even two years old, and on a cold April night we hopped on the Metro to buy tickets to a game on Father’s Day. The Bisons were playing Columbus that night, which at the time was the Yankees farm team. We bought our Father’s Day ducats, and we had to pass by the front gate on the way back to the Metro.
So I took a shot.
The ticket-taker and I made eye contact, and he smiled, as most Dads or Grand-Dads are wont to do when I cute kid like SonOne goes strolling by holding his Daddy’s hand.
So I took a shot.
“Excuse me, but we just bought some tickets for Father’s Day. Would it be alright if I showed my boy the field”?
His eyes lit up when he said “try to keep it to one inning.”
I have no idea who that usher was, but I guarantee he has a place in Heaven. He should also have a permanent job with the Bisons, as he made a kid a lifetime baseball fan that night. Sure, SonOne didn’t know what was happening in front of him, but he sure enjoyed his inning. And the old men and diehard fans near me enjoyed him as well. It was his first sporting moment, and while he’s not likely to remember it, I know that I’ll never forget it.
Since then, both my kids have had their fill of Buffalo sports moments. They both saw their first Sabres games at age three. SonOne’s was with me, SonTwo got to go with his brother, his Poppy (rest his soul) and me. They have been to dozens of Bisons games, and I even sucked it up and took them to a Bills preseason game.
But they have never had an “it” moment. As in, they’ve never shown me during a game that they get “it”, with “it” being the ability to watch a game and recognize what’s happening.
It happened for SonOne last night.
Sabres power play, losing 3-2. The puck gets cycled around for what seems like forever in the Pittsburgh end. Lots of chances, and SonOne is groaning right along with the crowd as pucks go wide or are stopped by the goalie. Sitting in the second row of the 300’s, right behind the net, we had a great view of the play. The puck goes back to Pominville at the point, and he lets a slapper go that beats Fleury over the left shoulder. And SonOne, my son, beat me out of the seat to cheer. And we’re clapping and high-fiving, and he turns to me with a look of absolute wonder. “Did you see it Daddy? He (makes the motion of swinging a golf club) hit it right past the goalie!” And the joy – the absolute happiness I felt at that moment – was indescribable. He gets it! The magic moment happened when the hockey tumblers clicked into place.
And although I’ve been laying the seeds for a while, it feels like Saturday night, a hockey fan was born.
No Comments
-
Advertisement
-
About the Authors
-
Kevin
-
Chris
I am a born and raised Buffalo fan since my birth in Niagara Falls in 1977. For reference, my first communion gift from my parents was a replica Sabres Home White Mike Ramsey jersey. I still have that jersey. After stints at Georgetown and the U.S. Army, I have settled in DC where my Sabres, Bills and Hoyas passion runs unabated (I have season tickets to all 3). I believe that while supporting my franchises is good, I believe supporting them with data and statistics is better. -
dave in Rocha
-
Mark
-
twoeightnine
I live in a van.
-
-
Latest
-
Alan Bedenko
Latest: Flame Bait: Statler -
The Answer Lady
Latest: Making Widgets at the Corporate University -
Christina Abt
Latest: Feb. Family Diet Challenge Day 7 -
Olympics 2010
Latest: Norway: Norwegians desperate to erase Torino 'fiasco' -
The Goose's Roost
Latest: On Unbased Rumors -
Broadway Fillmore Alive
Latest: Two with B-F connections are part of AM-POL Eagle’s Citizens of the Year -
Chris Smith
Latest: Worst Politician Ever? -
Pink Bflo
Latest: Schumer to Nominate First Openly Gay Male Federal Judge -
College Corner
Latest: Coach Beiter Named to AVCA’s Thirty Under 30 -
Colin Eager
Latest: County Child Care Rally
-
Kevin,
That’s definitely worth the price of admission. My son hasn’t decide whether he wants to be the next Roy(he wants to trash his Briere jersey), or the next RJ. When that goal was scored he stood up and let out a big “Pommer the Bomber!!”. My smile was a helluva lot bigger for the call than the actual goal.
Kevin,
I’m jealous…. in the best way imaginable.
I had something close to that when I realized that my 14 month old daughter liked Rush’s “Far Cry” enough to use the remote to make it come on the stereo.
Then she started dancing.
Ahh… my child ‘gets it.’
Congratz.
Ta,
Awesome.
My dad was about my age when I was 10 years old, so I understand why it was probably more fun to go to two or three Sabres games a year with his friend instead of me. But he would take me once every couple of years while I was growing up. Kevin, don’t misunderestimate how much it means to your boys.
Kevin,
Awesome, now what do you do when he wants a new $170 jersey every season?!
On other totally sweet awesome news, did anyone else read this:
http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/262121
I came here to post that too, saw it on Mirtle.
Totally sweet awesome? I wish I could agree….
Not a Harry Neale fan then?
Kevin,
From one dad to another, congrats. My kids really “got it” for the first time last year. My kids are 5 and 3 and they’d sit and watch Sabres games on TV with me… they could pick Danny Briere out when he was on the ice, (He was my daughter’s favorite… I know… we’ll work on that… they get that he left, they don’t get why) they’d cheer like crazy when they scored, and during the Sabres/Sens series, I made the mistake of saying “Stinkin’ Canadians” when the Sens scored one time, and now, to this day, I’m trying to teach them that we don’t hate all Canadians… just the Senators. (Well, and the Leafs. And most of the Canadiens, which are different stinkin’ Canadians altogether…)
It’s pretty cool when your kids catch on and start getting the same passion you have for something.
Now that they have a solid hockey foundation, we’re working on why daddy cries when the Bills have the ball.
Didn’t Mark do the same thing just last year?
Not really. Although it could be worse..
*looks at John Tucker and Barnaby*
Ugh first off a half hour of the Coach was all that I could handle. Even worse the people that call that show. Who are these people and why didn’t they move away?
The hiring of Harry Neale, I’m alright with that. But what happens on saturdays when he does HNIC? Who is the backup?
Aww. This is such a sweet post, Kevin. It makes me miss my Dad. *sniff*
Great story. I think about moments like this while I sit with my 10 month old son…I hope he loves sports as much as I do.
Matt S,
I am a Neale fan, but I agree, the thought of Barnaby picking up the broadcast this year was a little scary…
Jonathon,
HNIC is changing their routine. Neale is going to do very few Leafs games and they are going to rotate announcers around more.
Thanks for the nice story Kev
Kevin, not to get all sentimental (you started it!), but yeah, don’t underestimate how much these nights mean to your kids too. They may not realize it now but they will. I didn’t get nearly enough games with my dad so I love hearing stories like this. Glad there’s another Sabres fan in the world!
Great post Kev, I’m not even a dad and that was a wonderful story.
Great story, Kevin; I bet there are a lot more good memories to come.
Good post Kevin…to this day my dad calls me a ‘wasted ticket’.
Thanks for the props everyone. Honestly, if I didn’t have a sports blog I would have a parenting blog, because as so many of you have pointed out, these events have great meaning for the kids as well.
It’s all about creating moments. Moments they can draw upon when they are presented with difficult choices and they have to pick between peer pressure and common sense. I know I avoided some bad shit in my day by realizing how my actions would affect my family or my parents. So some day, when my kid’s ready to drive his buddy’s car home and he’s half in the bag, he knows he can just call me instead.
Or I can hope it works that way at least.