April 30, 2004

BOLTS FEVER

Okay, now it's serious.

The Tampa Bay Lightning swept the Montreal Canadiens in four games with their 3-1 win last night.

That means the Bolts are now headed to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time.

I know we're still a long way from the Stanley Cup finals, much less from winning the Cup. But I'm not sure Tampa would know how to react if they did. We lost our collective mind when the Bucs finally won a Super Bowl after 26 years. God knows what would happen if we had two title winners in one town.

That's not to say that this playoff run is anything like what happened in 2002 with the Bucs. You don't see an endless forest of flags whipping through the breeze from car windows. Some people are wearing Lightning jerseys on game day, but not many.

Still, there are some outward signs that the bandwagon is starting to fill. I took some photos on the ride home the other night of all the Lightning-related stuff I saw:

Bolts1.jpg

This banner is hanging in an open gap in a condo that's being built across the river from downtown. It showed up during the first round of the playoffs and was the first sign to go up.

Bolts2.jpg

This sign looks more state-sanctioned. Especially considering it's nailed to the side of the convention center. It hangs just above the road that runs to the Forum from Bayshore Boulevard.

Gotta love a hockey banner hanging in front of a grove of palm trees.

Bolts3.jpg

This was the only bumper sticker I saw. Looks fresh. I've seen Bucs bumper stickers that are older than my son.

Bolts4.jpg

Please excuse the photo quality of these next two. They were shot at dusk and my camera doesn't do well at dusk.

Anyway, there are two attorneys in Brandon who have signs along Lumsden Road. This guy, whose sign is garnet and gold because he's a damn FSU Seminoles fan, nonetheless put up a Lightning message on his board.

I love the chutzpah of his claim to being the oldest law firm in Brandon. As if Brandon was Jamestown or something. It's like bragging about being the tallest midget.

Bolts5.jpg

This is the second attorney sign on the road. This guy is a Florida Gators fan, so he and the first dude go at it signwise during football and basketball seasons, depending on which team is kicking the crap outta the other. It makes for an amusing drive home.

As for the Bolts stuff, that's about it. Lame, I know, but I expect things to increase, now that there's almost a week until the next round starts. That provides plenty of time for people to gear up.

Posted by Jeff at April 30, 2004 08:27 AM | TrackBack
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