Monday night at the Saddledome

[Jimby]

My next door neighbour got tickets from work for the Flames - Red Wings game on Monday night so she asked me and another friend of hers.
First we had dinner at Olives. It was jam packed with Flames fans and really noisy but we enjoyed our meals and I would go back again on a quieter non-game night. The tickets for the game were $235 each!
The pics of the actual game were crappy and blurry and there was netting in the way, so these are pics of what goes on during the game.






Oh, say can you see...




The Flames goalie looks small because he is 10 years old! No he didn't get to play.





Sumo hockey - they had a hard time staying upright.




The Fire and Ice Girls shovel the ice while Mikka Kiprusoff heads to the goal crease.




Goal! Calgary scores first and maintains the lead, beating our Stanley Cup nemesis Detroit 5-3.




Sea of red and pills of blue






Iginla (Flames captain) fan




make some noise!




one of the Zambonis





Hi Harvey! Yahoo we won!

[bulliver]

Yaarrr! As a Canucks fan I was counting on Detroit to win...
Thanks for the pictures.

[Jimby]

Thanks Bulliver! The Flames are almost like the Canucks now that we have Bertuzzi! Aren't you afraid of Oilers fans in Edmonton?

[rs913]

(Warning...long tangent ahead)

Calgary always struck me as a town that really stands behind its NHL team. The whole thing reminds me of an article I saw before the Calgary vs. Tampa Cup finals in 2004 comparing both cities' fans. The author pointed out that games in Tampa feel like "gatherings of enthusiasts", kind of like a comic book convention - plenty of enthusiasm in the arena, but when the game ends, they dissipate into a mostly apathetic city - in sharp contrast with Calgary, home of the "Red Mile" and a place where the team is a constant topic of conversation.

Anyways....I like hockey, I like places that like hockey, and I like your thread!

[Jimby]

Thanks rs913! We love our Flames!

[DLLB]

Very good pictures Jimby. I wish I had a neighbour like that!

rs913, you are right. I remember seeing a picture from above of the crowd(?) lining the street for the parade in Tampa Bay after they won. It was about 2 or 3 people deep and I believe the parade was only a few blocks long. Kind of pathetic. Here, or any other Canadian city, the people would be wall to wall on the side walks.

[Jimby]

Thanks DLLB! I always appreciate your interest and comments.

[bulliver]

Originally Posted by Jimby

Thanks Bulliver! The Flames are almost like the Canucks now that we have Bertuzzi! Aren't you afraid of Oilers fans in Edmonton?

Well, when in Rome and all...I do cheer for the Oilers unless they are playing Vancouver, though I do take my life in my hands and wear a Canucks jersey in Rexall when they come to town.

I must admit the Flames are much more enjoyable to watch play than the Oilers from a general 'fan of hockey' perspective. Oilers are too hit-and-miss and disappointing most of the time...