UP Wings Fan

I currently live in the UP. That is the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for those of you not from this area.

I began watching the Red Wings about 18 years ago. Sure, some of you will say I jumped on the band wagon when the Wings started getting good. That would be incorrect. When I was young I didn't have a care in the world about hockey. It was all football and baseball for me. I fell in Love with hockey while watching the Michigan Tech Huskies play while I was a student at MTU. My wife and I took my young son (2 yrs old) to a game, "just for something to do", he fell in Love with the game. In fact, he slept with the player of the game poster for weeks afterward. Before this, I knew nothing about the game. I couldn't figure out why they blew the whistle all the time, take the puck over there, drop it again, etc. etc. It was confusing, but man was it fast. And was it ever crazy when the puck went in the net, horns blowing, people screaming, players celebrating! It was a blast every game we went to! Growing up in Michigan, and being a Lions and Tigers fan, it was natural that I would start watching the Red Wings. And I have been watching them and Loving them ever since. It's great.

I now have 7 children, 6 boys and 1 girl. I have 4 that currently play youth hockey. I have been coaching at least one of their teams for the past 14 years, and it is always fun. In addition to coaching, I have been reffing youth hockey for about 5 years. I really enjoy reffing because you don't have to deal with the parents, other than an angry one at times. Reffing is not an easy thing to do, but I always try and maintain fairness to both teams. I do know one thing, I could do a better job than Brad Watson does!

Hockey is about the highs and lows of a game, of a series, and of a season. Without that, the game would not be what it is!

GO WINGS!