Joey Porter’s Pit Bulls happened upon the following note posted on these here Internets by a Philadelphia-based hockey writer who visited the Civic Arena early this season. Sorry for the lack of attribution, but sometimes we’re just not very smart. Anyway, it’s his take on the Igloo and the Burgh: “I know the Igloo needs to be replaced, but I honestly love this kind of building. It has a ton of personality. Lots of odd angled overhanging sections of seats that you can tell were added to try and keep it up to snuff with the newer 20,000 seat monster buildings. To get to the press box you need a map. The building itself feels like you are in an actual Igloo. The giant dome, that used to be able to be opened until they put the big scoreboard in, plays havoc with perspective if you are not careful. It would have been so awesome if it still did open I thought. Nights like this past week, the Pens could have played their game in the open air.
“The room where the media eats prior to the game is the same room that the team holds their postgame press conferences. So you can have leftover chocolate cake while asking Evgeni Malkin’s interpreter if he ever shattered glass with his slapshot. It is all part of the cool, intimate feel of the Igloo.
“Malkin on the ice absolutely blew me away. He may become known as one of the most complete players to ever play the game. Skates like Sergei Fedorov, stickhandles like Alexander Ovechkin, drives the net like Cam Neely, passes like Mario Lemieux, hits like Scott Stevens, and shoots like Bobby Hull. He is one of those guys that I’d pay to see play any night. Sidney Crosby is another, of course.
“After the game I was famished, and the Steelhead was mobbed, so I hopped a cab to ‘Southside’ and had some pancakes at Tom’s Diner. The place was filled with young hipsters, and a few with Pens jerseys on. A group of girls at the table near me were having a funny discussion about the last men they were ‘with.’ That kept me entertained.
No comments:
Post a Comment