Playoff Scramble Without Cable

Captain Dave and Kenny to the Radio Rescue 

Said F.U. to my cable lords right before getting assignment to cover all NYR home games through the playoffs.  Have had to scramble to follow these playoffs, consuming media in various forms and places...

* Twitter feeds via smart phone on midnight train from MSG

* Appointment viewing of NBC mothership on weekend afternoons at the bachelor pad

* Watching tops of players' heads from Chase Bridge at MSG, a good angle for coaches.

* Watched 2 Ranger overtimes in crowded MSG press room, waiting to dash to press holding area for post-game sound bites.  TV was on :10 delay, so we all heard the cheering of Martin St. Louis' OT thriller in ECF GM 4, but had to ask strangers who scored the goal because we couldn't wait around to see it on delay.

* Listening to Kenny Albert calling NYR road games with Dave Maloney on radio. Full stereo on ESPN radio allows for spectacular puck and skate sound effects to come through, better than TV.  Full disclosure: When the Rangers came back from a 4-1 deficit in Montreal during ECF GM 5, I had to jump in the car to catch barnburner on TV in outpost listed below.

* Watched majority of the games away from MSG at favorite neighborhood watering hole, most times without audio, some times with a live band playing at my back. Monday viewing always better than Friday. There were times I was outside the bar standing on windowsill viewing the big screen while being radiated by neon. It was a pretty good view, and it seemed to make sense at the time.

* Invited myself to a coaching colleague's home in the suburbs, who transferred us to a friend's house with a NASA like viewing area, the 4-recliner semi circle around the monster screen with surround sound audio, complete with cup holders. Thought I was in viewing heaven until the two right wing Christians started complaining about U.S. liberal politicians funding international abortion clinics.  I carefully stated the position from the People's Republic of Cambridge and then felt the hospitality dry up.  I made it out unscathed, but it was a One-Time-Only affair.

* Family issues brought me into deep south during conference semis.  Found a sports bar in South Carolina to watch Pitt-NYR GM 7.  Watched with transplanted Pittsburgh couple that knew the sport very well, knew their team even better.  They predicted immediate dismissal of coach Bylsma after game; there was a dismissal, but it was good guy GM Shero who got the quick axe instead.

* Found myself in family celebration dinner in Atlanta next night for B's-Montreal. As soon as last morsels from the leg of lamb were carved off the bone, my cousin helped locate the remote. He was a former season ticket holder of Tampa Bay Lightning, and was my co-conspirator.

* In the midst of road trip, found myself in Ann Arbor, MI, big time hockey town, but women's college softball ruled the sports bar, as Lady Wolverines were advancing in NCAA's. Booths at the Anchor Bar had individual monitors with their own audio control...got to hear Doc call NYR.

* In Downtown Detroit, at the official Illitch Hockey Town bar/restaurant, had to fight off the NFL draft lovers to get a single monitor of Bruins-Habs, no sale on audio.  The first 15 minutes they put on NHL Network with its month-old highlights from reg season.  Hockey Town undersandably understaffed: it was evening in downtown Detroit and they closed up before the end of the game.

Quick roundup from the Penny Wise/Pound Foolish Division: All told, I probably spent between 2 and 3 times my inflated cable bill on food and drink at various establishments keeping tabs on the most exciting Cup run in recent memory.  The last three games of Chicago-L.A. were pure Nirvana, and worth every penny! And seeing that cable bill come in with a decimal point lopped off it is as close as I'll ever get to the feeling of scoring on a penalty shot.