Faster than a New York Minute
The pinnacle moment for sports franchises and their fanbase is when “El Capitan” of their respective team hoists the championship trophy over their head cementing the teams place in the history books. As a New York sports fan, these memories live on forever. Moments such as the slick-fielding shortstop from Kalamazoo, Michigan Derek Jeter also known as the “bi-racial angel” to Martin Brodeur who was such a maestro in net that he forced the NHL to create the “Brodeur rule” and even Joe Willie Namath, better known as “Broadway Joe”, for his extravagant lifestyle off the gridiron and his famous championship guarantee.
Attending a New Jersey Devils game with the boys and my brother.
As a fan, these are the moments we dream about every year as it provides a feeling like no other. We experience emotional peaks and valleys, trials and tribulations in the quest for a championship so we often reflect on the moments of pure joy and jubilation. As sports fans fantasize about what could be, we often forget the origin which entrenched our fandom and solidified our blind but fervent loyalty towards the franchises we root for.
Every fan has a unique origin story to explain their lifetime commitment, but these untold stories are the bedrock for every great fan base. Some of these sources may be traced to geographical purposes, a special player, familial lineage or a specific moment. The origins of my hockey fandom began with the latter, as a specific moment captured my love for the game.
I was about seven years old when I went to my first hockey game with my Dad and a family friend who was a huge Rangers fan. The game was on a Friday night with a 7:30 PM puck drop. As one can imagine I went through the entire day jittery and antsy with only one thing on my mind: Rangers hockey! Unfortunately I had no Rangers gear, but I made sure to prepare by getting decked out in Rangers colors so I could blend in with the “Blue Shirts”.
Once my Dad arrived home from work, we made our way to Madison Square Garden, otherwise known as “The Garden”, “The Mecca” or simply put “MSG”. Still a young lad at the time, I hadn’t had many prior experiences at the Garden but I heard plenty from my Dad and from watching on TV. Once we stepped out of the train station the presence of MSG left me in a state of awe. I instantly felt the aura of the Garden; the bright lights, the large banners fluttering, and the mass amount of people flocking to the entrance was a sight to behold. Entering the stadium, I was immersed in the rich history of the franchise as memorabilia and photographs painted the walls. I vividly remember seeing a picture of one particular player wearing #11 and holding the Stanley cup over his head. At the time, I was clueless as to who this was, but later learned that it was Mark Messier, one of the greatest players to ever wear a Blue Shirt.
As we continued to peruse through the stadium, I caught myself looking through the entrance at every gate eager to get my first glimpse of the rink. As I first laid eyes on the ice I felt giddy with excitement, looking from the top of the staircase the cool air radiated from the sheet of ice and flashing lights whistled by, creating an electric atmosphere. Considering it was my first game, I was unaware of a lot of the rules or any of the players on the ice, however, I found the game fascinating because of the pace of play and physicality.
As I observed the game I focused on identifying players that I liked and the one number that kept flashing was #2. Unaware of who he was I asked the fan next to me who he was and his response was, “Brian Leetch, a Ranger legend”. From then on, my eyes were glued to the legend. His skating ability and vision were particularly eye-opening. In the waning minutes of the game the same person next to me tapped me on the shoulders and asked, “Hey kid, who do you think is going to score the next goal?” I looked at the ice and saw that Leetch had the puck behind the net and I only had one answer in mind, “Number 2, Brian Leetch.” Seconds later, Leetch made his move and the magic ensued. The talented defender mounted his horse gliding towards the opposition's net, and he moved elegantly through the neutral zone displaying that impressive skating ability, zooming past defenders effortlessly on his way towards the net. At this point he had one man to beat, the net minder, and he pulled off a nifty double deke and roofed a backhand shot to win the game. The crowd went wild and the celebration was on, “Goooooooooal, gooooal, gooooal… Hey, Hey, Hey!” It was a moment like no other and that was when I became a New York Ranger fan, but more importantly, an ardent Brian Leetch fan.
From that point forward I was hooked. I watched every Ranger game because I wanted to see my favorite player take the ice. I hung posters of Brian Leetch all over my room and coerced my parents into buying me a jersey. I was convinced that I was the biggest Leetch fan in the entire world and was so happy that he was on the New York Rangers. That was until March 2nd, 2004 when the inconceivable happened. Brian Leetch, my favorite hockey player, was traded by the New York Rangers to the Toronto Maple Leafs. I was devastated and furious at the same time that my “favorite team” traded the player that was the original inspiration for my love of the game. After that decision, I made it my mission to find a way to get back at the Rangers but I didn't quite know how I would do it. My eureka moment occurred during a Sportscenter top 10 highlight segment that would forever change my allegiance. The highlight was courtesy of a young Marty Broduer who played for the New Jersey Devils, the Rangers biggest rival, making one of his patented acrobatic glove saves. This was the moment that I knew just how I would get back at the Rangers for trading my favorite player - it was decided that my allegiance was going to cross the Hudson River and I was going to become a New Jersey Devils fan. To this day I root for the Devils after the Rangers heartbreak from my childhood.I realize that many may consider me a renegade, however a young Matt Batista saw the trade as an act of betrayal which I could not stand for. This unique and complicated experience crafted the beginning of my loyalist sentiment to the Devils. I know that my childhood decision may be controversial, but my fandom for the Red and Black has stayed true since that fateful night as a young hockey fan watching SportsCenter and has never wavered since then, so embark along the New Jersey Devils journey with me!