Sad Day / Happy Day as a long distance fan

On Tuesday I actually faced a predicament I'm not usually faced with... Bulls were playing in a playoff game, the White Sox were on TV and the Blackhawks were in a game seven situation with Vancouver. How could I possibly watch all these?!?! My solution: go to Grevey's Restaurant and Sports Bar. This was an easy decision because they offer outside seating, a large variety of TVs and food that can be considered better than normal pub food. Tuesday held temperatures in the mid 80s, and sitting outside was a priority. My wife, Meg, isn't as enthusiastic as I am about sports, and less more so about sports from the Windy City, but she is willing to accommodate and let me be the goofy sports fan I really am.

Upon getting to the restaurant, I saw a large variety of fans because of the hockey playoff games that night. Some were Philadelphia Flyers fans, some were Buffalo Sabres fans. Some people had no clue hockey was even still played in late April. I caught up with Lindsay Scott, a lifelong Sabres fan and asked her a few questions about what it's like being a long distance fan.

Long Distance Fan: So Lindsay, you came out to the D.C. area about a year ago, but you moved here from L.A. How are you a Sabres fan?

Lindsay Scott: I actually lived in Buffalo almost my whole life. Everyone loves hockey up there and you just grow up following the Sabres. when I moved to L.A. after college, I still followed them even though we were on different coasts.

LDF: So what about the Buffalo Bills?

LS: Well, personally, I'm not a huge football fan... plus the Bills haven't really had much to cheer about in a long time.

LDF: That's true. So what do you do to still feel connected to the team, even though you're in a different part of the country?

LS: I do have the NHL TV package Center Ice but I also try to go out to some of the sports bars in the area. I feel like I always run into a Sabres fan and we can hit it off and before you know it, we're cheering for the team and becoming fast friends.

LDF: Thanks Lindsay. Good luck to your team.

As the night wore on, I witnessed Lindsay cringe and shriek in horror as her team fell to the Flyers 5-2. I couldn't help but think of my own trials and tribulations as I spent many long hours witnessing the tremendous wins and crushing defeats my teams have endured. The difference here is that the people I can share my triumphs with are few and far between in the D.C. area. My puddle of self-sorrow seems so much larger after a heart wrenching loss when you can't wade in that puddle with a group of fans. This became more painfully apparent as I watched the Bulls advance to the next round of the playoffs, and discovered I was the lone Bulls fan at the bar.

After driving home, I flipped on the White Sox game I had recorded and witnessed them rob the evil New York Yankees of another win. Brent Lillibridge made an amazing catch to end the game, and I was more than ecstatic to watch my home team win as I silently cheered in my livingroom.

Finally, the moment I had been waiting for, the Blackhawks game, finally started. After exchanging a few texts from friends in Chicago, I was set to watch the game. I had my jersey on, popcorn in hand and...no one to watch it with. Meg doesn't care for hockey and apologetically said she would watch the game with me if I wanted. I told her it was fine and to go to bed. That's another frustrating thing about living on the East Coast. All prime-time games start at 8 p.m. In this case, the Blackhawks were in Vancouver and it didn't even start until 10 p.m.

With less than 2 minutes left in the game, Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews made a heroic goal to tie the game and further solidifying my man-crush. I jumped up and down and high-fived my imaginary friends, but managed to keep quiet, so as not to disturb my slumbering wife. The Blackhawks lost in overtime and as I turned off the TV in disbelief, a surprising sense of relief came to me. I realized when I actually lived in Chicago I never rooted for the Blackhawks like that. Even though I was alone, I was able to picture thousands of like-minded fans surrounding me in my own living room. I guess what they say is true: distance does make the heart grow fonder.