I watched the playoffs on television at home, with my mother. I have been following the Blues since I was young. My parents took me to my first Blues game at the Arena in early 1970, when I was 6 years old. That Spring, my family and I watched on TV as the Bruins swept the Blues in the Stanley Cup Final. Through the years, I hoped the Blues would return to the Cup Final, but it would not be until this season that they would finally do so.
I went to a few Blues home games over the years, including a late season game this year against the Tampa Bay Lightning. I got the impression that night that the Blues--which had been in last place back in early January--would do so well in the postseason. By this time, the team had adopted as its victory song "Gloria," the 1982 hit by the late Laura Branigan. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HGaJHhUJR4). (I loved that song then, and still do.) The Blues finished the regular season strong, then began winning their playoff series one at a time. That's when I knew they could possibly win the Stanley Cup.
When the Blues won Game 7 last week and took the Stanley Cup, I was so happy. (So was mom.) I had hoped I would see this happen in my life, but was still shocked when it actually occurred. The Blues were Champions of the NHL, and claimed the last of the Big 4 pro sports trophies missing from St. Louis' mantle. (The Cardinals have won 11 World Series Championships, most recently in 2011; the Rams won the 2000 Super Bowl some years before returning to Los Angeles; and, the Hawks won the 1958 NBA Finals a decade before relocating to Atlanta.)
The team arrived back in St. Louis before dawn on Thursday, and began plans for a victory parade. While I was at work on Friday (14June), Mom got me an official Blues Stanley Cup Champions cap and t-shirt. Both look great on me.
The parade was held yesterday afternoon in downtown St. Louis, followed by a rally under the Gateway Arch. I was at the Missouri Professional Communicators planning meeting in Clayton that morning, and heard the first part of the parade on the radio as I drove home, where I saw the rest of the event on TV. (I recorded the whole event on my DVR.) It was quite a scene with the players interacting with the many spectators along the parade route. This was not something you normally saw in sports team victory parades, where the team members just waved from their vehicles. It was estimated that 1.5 million people were downtown that day to honor the Blues. Best part, though: No riots or other violent acts by anyone right after the Game 7 win or during yesterday's events. That's a great tribute to St. Louis sports fans.
This has been a great few days for the Blues and their fans--among myself.
Later.
