Still in Mourning

It's Tuesday night, May 4, and I keep thinking "a week ago... I didn't know the Caps would lose... I thought we'd be watching the Caps beat the Flyers... I still had the Caps in my life! And now, they're gone."

It's totally pathetic, but I really, truly miss the Caps. Not just them, but I miss watching the games with Max. I miss getting excited about the games with Max. I miss talking about the game, the players, and the potential with Russ. I miss wearing my retro Caps tee that I got used to wearing every other day. I miss the excitement of watching our favorite team win, or at least come really close to winning. I miss talking to random strangers in the grocery store about how the Caps are definitely going to win it all. I even keep sports talk radio on longer than I should in the car, hoping for some Caps post mortem.

Everyone who knows me knows that I am a huge reality TV fan. When reality TV came along, I thought nothing could ever replace it, or grab my attention the way that it does. But honestly, this was better. Ovie became my Boston Rob - a game changer and a leader with great abs, a gold chain (which on any other guy is totally a turn off), and a cool accent. My heart raced more when I saw Caps goalie Jose Theodore than if I saw Chris Daughtry. This weekend when I ran in the Race for Hope downtown, I didn't even reach for my camera phone when David Cook went by, but just a few weeks ago I was taking paparazzi shots of Mike Green from across a dark parking garage. I wanted to be friends with the Caps wives and girlfriends more than the Housewives, or the PR girls People's Revolution. By the end of the season, I had stopped updating my status with discussions of Survivor, and only focused on the Caps.

It was reality at it's best, and it was on A LOT. In the summer, I am locked into the 3x/week schedule of Big Brother (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday) and while it's a major commitment, I love it. That's how I felt about the Caps, but more so. I welcomed the commitment, especially during the play-offs. It was 2-3 hours of totally captivating television. And, unlike BB, I had someone (or someones, when Russ was home) along side of me that loved it just as much.

Not that there aren't some reality shows that Russ and I both absolutely love. We have always loved Survivor. We love to break it down and analyze the big playmakers. We have our favorites to root for, and we get bummed when Jeff puts out their torches. But the season lasts a few months on TV, once a week. The Caps got us hooked in October and kept us captivated during a regular season that lasted until mid-April, with games several times a week. We even got to go watch them play in person - none of us are invited to the Tocatins to actually sit in for a live immunity challenge - but we were there when Ovie scored a hat trick, in OT, to keep a 14-game winning streak alive.

Tonight, I am not watching Access Hollywood, but the Penguins/Habs game. The Habs beat my beloved Caps, and if you're good enough to beat them, you're good enough to win the Cup. I recognize a lot of their names after watching them play seven games straight, so I know who the big players are, and who might score a goal. I certainly know that Halak can save anything shot at him. Plus, I hate the Penguins. They won last year, the Caps beat them handily this season, and they are led by Ovie's arch nemesis, Sydney Crosby. Arguments are had by hockey fans everywhere about who is better, Crosby or Ovie (like Rob vs. Russell; Spencer vs. LC; Team Jill or Team Bethenny). Crosby won the Cup last year and won the Gold Medal this year. He needs to be upset, and the Habs can do it. But, the point is, I am watching teams that I don't root for, playing in a game that doesn't matter to the Caps. I am an addict, and a heartbroken one at that, who probably needs to just "get a hobby."

I miss the Caps. But, just like reality tv, there aren't reruns. There isn't even a Reunion special. But I do wish there was a 1-888 number where I could text or call to vote for my favorite to win. By the way, I turned off the game to watch Idol, and I think Casey James just might be facing the second biggest "collapse" of the month. What was that? Luckily, I wouldn't stalk him in a parking garage, Max doesn't root for him, and my heart won't ache when he's gone. Now, if only Ovie, Brooks Laich or Nick Backstrom could take the summer off from hockey and jump into the Big Brother house, I'd be one happy TV watcher.