re pens fans reactions terence rokop writes richard j coyle writes that s not inner calm it s boredom and it s being spoiled the arena s been as quiet as a church on many nights this year too many of us just take winning for granted it s been seemingly forever since the team lost and we ve forgotten what it s like to feel real excitement and surprise at victory i don t really agree with this but it is an entirely different high at any rate the first cup the pens won i didn t think about anything else i just watched mario and all skate the thing around the ice now it seems to be more of a question whether or not thirty years from now young hockey fans may there be millions will still ask us what it was like to watch this team that s what they are playing for now but i was still as nervous as ever when the devils were blasting shots at barrasso in the final seconds of game three so the fun is far from over yet i m not bored either most people i know say that winning the second cup was better than the first but to me nothing will ever top that first one but i m every bit as excited this year and i am experiencing that inner calm to which susan originally referred inner calm is not boredom as far as the arena in general being boring well richard s got that right it s been that way all season i attribute it to a lot of new fans who just don t have the same spirit and knowledge as long time fans at last tuesday s game i overheard a man express surprise that a goaltender can get an assist anyone who follows sports with regularity knows that anything can happen at any time i m confident in the pens but i m also not stupid enough to think for one minute that it s impossible for new jersey to blow them out of this series i doubt that will happen but it s possible bored uh uh spoiled not in the least forgot what excitement is like living through that amazing streak wasn t exciting i don t take a darned thing for granted god look at chicago and i see no problem with quietly savoring all of this anyway it isn t gonna last forever and i intend to enjoy it while i can mom
