Thursday 9 January 2014

Putting the Language to a REAL Test


I understand that back in the US, there has been a period of terrible cold recently - images have made their way to France of frozen people trudging through mounds of snow.  One can imagine the howling winds.  My teeth begin to chatter just by looking (almost).

What a perfect backdrop for the mail that landed in my inbox this morning, from Stub Hub.

Lauded as "Old-school hockey" returns.

Matches are set for play later this month in outdoor venues.  When I was younger, I can remember playing pick-up hockey on a frozen pond in Hanover, New Hampshire, so I can appreciate to a degree the appeal.

The matches will be played at Yankee Stadium (New York Rangers and Islanders) and Soldier Field in Chicago (Blackhawks will welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins).

While "Yankee Stadium" is no longer the House that Ruth built, the original having been torn down and replaced in 2008, and while the Islanders and Penguins are not from The Original Six, there is a sort of old-school feel to a battle played in the cold. And incidentally, what is more of a "tough guy" image for a hockey match than playing in "Soldier Field?"  Perhaps the best name for a stadium in professional sport.

But then, one sees the final matchup.  The Los Angeles Kings will take on the Anaheim Ducks.  At DODGER STADIUM.

Hmmm...

To call that "old school" strains credulity to the point of breaking.

Incidentally, I hope the fans in Southern California remember their cotton pull-overs.  Winter in Los Angeles can be quite nippy...

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