SWEET AND SOUR

SWEET! Hey, remember that attractive, single woman I met at church?

Well, how do you like them apples?

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SOUR! The Colorado Mammoth's season is over. They fell Saturday to the Calgary Roughnecks 13-11, losing in the conference finals of the National Lacrosse League Champion's Cup playoffs for the fourth year in a row.

The crucial moment came late in the third quarter, after the Mammoth stormed back to erase a four-goal deficit and tie the game 8-8. Then Jamie Hanford committed a stupid slashing penalty after the whistle (one of many dumb penalties committed by both teams that day -- c'mon, guys, even hockey players know not to fight during the playoffs!) and went to the box for five minutes. Calgary reeled off three goals (including two breakaways) in the next 2:27 to take an 11-8 lead, and Roughnecks goaltender Curtis Palidwor sealed the upset, stopping 21 of 24 shots in the fourth quarter, including several glorious scoring chances for the Mammoth. Palidwor, the game MVP, played brilliantly all game and racked up 41 saves on 52 shots.

Colorado finished the regular season 13-3, winning the NLL's Western Conference by two games. The Mammoth had the best offense (most goals scored) and the best defense (fewest goals against) in the league. They ranked first in penalty-killing, faceoff percentage, and shots attempted. The already legendary Gary Gait led the NLL in goals scored and tied for first in the scoring race. Gavin Prout finished second in assists and third in points. Goaltender Gee Nash led the league in save percentage and finished third in goals-against average. Jamie Hanford ranked first in faceoff percentage. Loaded with talent, the Mammoth entered the playoffs expecting -- and expected -- to win the Champion's Cup.

I'm surprised at how disappointed I am. I watch a lot of sports because I like sports, and I usually don't care who wins. Sometimes I'll root for a team, especially if a Colorado team is playing. But I still don't care very much. For example, it looks as though the Avalanche will lose their Stanley Cup playoff series to the Sharks, and while I hope they pull off a miraculous comeback, it doesn't cast much of a shadow over my life.

But I cared about the Mammoth, dammit! I had season tickets. I went to every home game except one and hollered myself hoarse -- I was famous in Pepsi Center section 349 for yelling "WHO WANTS IT?" when the players battled for a loose ball. I knew all the players' names and adopted as my idol Dave Stilley, the veteran defenseman who always looked like he might soil his shorts when he actually got the ball in his stick. "SHOOT IT!" we screamed whenever Stilley touched the ball, and one day Stilley did shoot it, and scored only the second goal in his NLL career. Awesome.

Mammoth in 2005!

(Discussion Question: Is "Champion's Cup" the most generic, gutless name for a championship trophy you ever heard?)

+posted by Lawrence @ 4/26/2004 11:00:00 PM