The Cuppa Joe Grinders

BURNABY (Green B) — I hate teams like that. Arrive at the rink in classy uniforms. Looking cocky and sure. No stress during pre-game warm-up. Skating around in good spirits, chatting and laughing amongst themselves like they’ve got not a care a world. OLA Knowstars never had a chance. I hate teams like the Grinders. Come in and win 6-2. They don’t know what hard times is.

They don’t know what it’s like being someone like me, Green-B at 8-Rinks. Last rink in the far corner on the old side of the building. The rink nobody wants to play on. I can hear the groans of disappointment from here when players read off the white-board that their playing on %*&#ty Green-B. Even the bad side of the pub faces my direction. Lest they forget.

For years I was there for all the kids. I was ready for the 4am practices. I stayed up late for the old-timers. I’ve hosted tournaments and play-offs when any other rink would crack under the pressure. I stayed cold and hard throughout every summer so they could practice and get better. Many a youngster practiced hard on me trying to fulfill their dreams of making it in the NHL. Cliff Ronning, Joe Sakic, Cam Neely. They all honed their skills on my back, and where are they now? In the lap of luxury probably laughing at ol’ Green B. How the ice had a 2 percent slope and if you laid out a soft pass down the centre how it would drift to the corner. Laughing and joking about how if you stood at one end of the rink you couldn’t see the skates of the players at the other end. Well I’m sick of it man! And if Agent Bradley tells that story about the sub-floor one more time I’m gonna crack open and swallow him up. Its in the past okay! Leave it alone, gimme a chance!

But guess what guys, I’m still here. Putting in 20 hours a day for beer-leaguers and what do I get? Laughed at. Ridiculed. Taken for granted. Its been a hard knock life but at least I’m not spoiled like GM Place who gets pampered and preened daily and complains if there was a concert the night before a game. It’s probably in his contract to get flooded with Evian every night. Its rinks like GM Place and teams like the Grinders who don’t know how good they got it.

I bet the Grinders never had a losing season. I mean, how could they? Look at their lineup. From crease to crease they’re solid. The goalie was stellar, the defense allowed less than 18 shots on net, the forwards were confident and poised. And that one guy, 13, with a goal and an assist, it was probably an off-night for him. You can tell just by looking at these guys that the only reason they’re in this league is it to prove once again that they’re better than someone else. All those advertisers clambering to get their name the jersey. Cuppa Joe Coffee, Associated Labels, Revs. Revs is probably some trendy upper-class lounge that serves slush-tinis and Cuban cigars to dot com millionaires. I wonder how much they pay to have their logo on there year after year?

Well you don’t see any big name advertisements on my boards do you? No. Because I’m not in this for the glory, like THEM. I do it for the love of the game. Something teams like the Grinders just wouldn’t understand.