Angry Robot

above and beyond

Sports bar, prime seats. We watch the game like a panel of royalty. A few hours early the bar is sold out. TV crews. Lots of red. Fan paraphernalia. Lineups to the men’s washroom. Men adjusting their red-leaf makeup therein, keeping an eye on the washroom TV.

You couldn’t have scripted a better game. Lemieux is a supergod. Some say he sees everything slower than others. It seemed that way as he watched the puck as it slid through his legs and onto the stick of Mr. Kariya, baffling Richter and everyone, as well it should have… Oh my!

The bar temperature shot up 20 degrees after the win.

Yonge street. Every manner of horn abuse. Rocking cars, hood riders, high-fiving strangers, smiling cops blocking the street. The shirtless BMX riders came out of the woodwork. All the way down we went from St. Clair to Dundas, following a trail of fan pheromones. Like a bomb had gone off at the flag factory – Canadians in such a state. A grinning frenzy.

And Gretzky, the other supergod, behind all of it. My favourite bit of hyperbole, from the hockumentary Above and Beyond: Like the winged messenger Mercury, he soars above us all. Some say his gift is from the gods. Others say he is just a man.

Mount Olympus threw us a great party last night. Thanks.