The Opening Face-Off

Believe it or not, that title was the best thing I could come up with for my introductory post after several minutes of my stare boring a hole through the back of my monitor.  I’m guessing that my lack of headline creativity can be attributed to the fact that the caffeine that has addled my bloodstream all day has finally abandoned me.  At least, that’s the excuse I’m going with.  In the meantime, I assure you the rest of my content will be slightly more witty.

That being said, it’s probably time for a proper introduction, isn’t it?  My name is Rich Manning, and I am a life long Los Angeles Kings fan.  Ever since I followed this team as a wee lad, when the famed Triple Crown Line rocked the purple and gold sweaters, I have endured an endless barrage of bad teams, horrible trades, unfathomable free agent signings, and unprovoked ridicule by other hockey fans who ardently feel that the game can’t be appreciated by anyone who lives south of Colorado.  What’s worse, I saw the former Disney-owned franchise down the freeway get their name etched on the Stanley Cup before the Kings got the chance, which is a tremendous shot to the gut, considering they’ve been in the league a fourth of the time my I’ve rooted for has.  Yet I have somehow persevered, endured, and carried on, probably because I have masochistic tendencies (which may explain why I’m also a San Diego Chargers fan).

So, what should you expect on this blog?  To be honest with you, I’ll be figuring this out with you along the way.  One thing’s for sure, though:  I promise to use this blog to treat the Kings and the National Hockey League with respect and dignity, even during the times where I use the site for purposes of written smackdowns.  Now, I know that may sound kind of corny, but such merit is oftentimes not rendered around the Los Angeles area, where the newspapers don’t have a beat writer covering the team and some people still find it hilarious to bust out the stale “they still play hockey?” joke.   Hockey deserves better than that kind of garbage, and I suppose that’s what has kind of driven me here.

At any rate, if you’re still reading this, I’m glad that you found me, and I  hope that you come back and see what kind of silly stuff I have to say next.