Jersey Show

Ta da! The new jerseys have arrived! Sweatshops across Asia are racing into action as we speak. What does it all mean? It means that all the pomp and ceremony leading up to the season is almost done and we can start talking about wins and losses. The boys now have a logo and duds to put a logo on, so lets play hockey. I for one am starting to tire of announcements, proclamations and feel good news stories. I want to see this team in action, and it can't come soon enough.

True North, to their credit has done an excellent job of ratcheting up Jets mania to a fever pitch. I would imagine by the time October rolls around Jets fans will be spontaneously combusting in the street due to the pure, sweet frustration of anticipating the first game. I for one am eager to see the effects of how a team goes from basically zero fan support, to religiously zealous fan support in one year. The key players seem to be relishing their new found role as local heroes and so the question that has been lingering in my mind is; will this translate into a bump in on ice performance? As a Jets supporter I'm banking on it, but as an observer of the sport it will be interesting to see how the mythical extra man really does affect a team.

Now for a bit of cold water. One thing nagged at me as the boys stepped off the Herc with the new jerseys on; whats going on with Bogosian? Training camp starts in two weeks, players are in town attending press conferences and working out, so where's our defenseman of the future? We've heard rumours of him holding out for stupid money, so I can't help but wonder, will this team hit the ice without him? I for one certainly hope some sort of deal is in the works to either sign him for a reasonable price, or move him for a good forward. I can see this being a potential distraction if it plays out through training camp.

Ok, now all the pieces of the puzzle are in place. Hopefully this is the last big media show, until the big show in October. Like all fans, all I really want to do is watch hockey. Lets get on with it.

Notes On Swaggerville

I had the pleasure of being in Regina for a wedding on the labour day long weekend and I can honestly say I felt as though two hurricanes had collided. Every cashier, bellhop, and server was wearing some form of rider gear. Everywhere I looked, I saw rider green. As impressive as that was, leading up to the day of the game Blue and Gold started to dot the landscape, and swaggerville came into full effect. My hat goes off to the fans of both cities for showing impressive CFL fanaticism. I sincerely hope the Jets will catch some of that swagger this winter.