The Fish are in the Finals.

This year the Winnipeg Goldeyes are going to the championship. On Friday night the Goldeyes won their third game in a row against Fargo in the first round of playoffs. It was a 4-1 win and in a best out of five series, that means a sweep.

Shaw Park. This is my home.

As the last two batters of Fargo went up to the plate in the ninth inning the crowd was on their feet. You could feel the suspense in the air, the excitement spilling from everyone in the building every time a strike was thrown.

A pop up was caught and the final out was on the board. Eruption.

And eruption of noise coming from the crowd, the players, and us the office and game day staff. Cheers and tears were about the only thing I could make out for the next fifteen minutes. Everyone was more than overwhelmed with the fact that we'd just swept Fargo considering many people doubted we'd even be able to win one game against them let alone three.

The Winnipeg Goldeyes have had the best attendance in the league for the last three years and if it wasn't for the Winnipeg sun, free press, metro, and other coverage many people wouldn't know about them.

Ace Walker painted this on the field free-hand. He does
a piece every season, he is an unreal artist.

The sold out crowds that keep coming back and packing the house for more independent baseball are all thanks to not only the loyal fan base Winnipeg has- but the journalists that come to every game to produce an interesting story for the next days paper.

Without the journalistic evidence that the Goldeyes are worth watching- I wouldn't have the best job in the world.

Five years working for this franchise and finally we're in the finals. This has been a long time coming. I hope my boys can pull out a championship this year. They deserve it.

Is it hockey season yet?

For some people and players, yes it is.
Although some people may not consider pre-season games as "the season" for me, it really is. Exie's are being played throughout many of the junior hockey leagues already, giving coaches the chance to bring some last minute assets to their teams as well as fine-tune them until they are at their best. Exhibition games means for some first-time players that its time to kick off their flip flops in exchange for skates and hopes of a permanent spot on the team they're trying out for.

If you're an intense Winnipeg Jets fan like I am, you've been avidly following the team's every move since the announcement of their return home.

If you're not as intense as me, but still a fan nonetheless, you'll be happy to know 3 things:

1. We have a new logo!
Yes, the retro look is still available in store, but the jerseys that our boys will be playing on the ice with are "new and improved." Designers have added a little military feel in there by putting a fighter jet over top of our beloved maple leaf, as well as a few different shades of blue.

This is what the new logos look like.






2. The logo has been placed in centre ice!
I seriously hope I don't have to elaborate on that one. If you don't know what that means then stop fooling others and mainly yourself by trying to convince people that you're an avid hockey fan. If you're not an avid hockey fan and have no idea what I'm talking about, it simply means this;
There is now a big, pretty, oversized version of the Jets logo beneath the ice surface in the MTS Centre. Best thing ever.

legitimate logo in centre ice

3. Our Jets have landed!
For the most part, the team has arrived in Winnipeg, bringing their off-season to a halt. The boys in blue had their first skate this morning at the MTS Ice-plex. The sooner they are on the ice practicing means the sooner they will be playing games which means THE SOONER WE GET TO WATCH THE JETS PLAY! (Yes, I'm a season ticket holder, nananana poopoo)













Even though I cried like a baby when I found out the Jets were coming back home, and cried even harder when we achieved our goal of attaining season tickets, I will say one thing:

Don't forget about the other kids playing hockey around here. They may not get paid to play, but they still play, and its because they love it. Boys and girls play all different divisions of hockey. Minor hockey, rec hockey, and even some get the chance to play in the Junior Hockey Leagues and Western Hockey Leagues. They may not make it all the way to the Show, but still give them your support!

In upcoming blog posts I will be interviewing boys and girls that play this loved sport and we'll get their point of view on some of the on-going issues, so stay tuned!