Well...tonight was a heck of an experience for me...I finally made it to a DEL hockey game. My wife bought me tickets to our local team (Die Adler Mannheim), and we went to tonight's game agains the Hannover Scorpions. Unfortunately, Mannheim lost in a shootout...a shame, since they dominated the 3rd period and would likely have won if they played OT instead of going to penalty shots. Anyway, aside from the amazing fans, who are raucous and together throughout the entire game (much like Cornell, except with cleaner language and actually more unity in the cheers...think European soccer games), I noticed the coolest thing that some of you likely already know.
Hanging in the rafters are the championship banners for the Adler Mannheim...including a runner up and 3 straight German Championship banners from 97-99...with "Coach: Lance Nethery" underneath. Some of you may have known that he coached DEL hockey, but it was a hell of a cool surprise to me.
Anyway, I was going to stay up and listen to Hahvahd tonight, but since the game starts past 1AM, and I've been up since 5...I'm dead tired and I'm going to have to retire to bed.
LGR!!!
DEL = Delaware ?
DEL is the German Elite League.
One of my fondest hockey memories -- we were driving back from the 1983 Lynah East game (after being snowed in and before totalling our rental car in Central Bridge on my 20th birthday), and spinning the dial listening for hockey we picked up the Hershey Bears. About a minute later, we heard Lance Nethery's name -- and he scored.