The Sunshine Empire

It’s hard to admit in the Sunshine Empire and the Sunshine State that you are a closet hockey fan, but I’ve been a loyal Tampa Bay Lightning fan since the team’s origination in 1992. My father took me to see the Lightning play the defending conference champion Chicago Blackhawks at the old Expo Hall on the Florida State Fairgrounds. Ten years ago they were the worst team in all of professional sport, yet just four years ago they won the most exciting Stanley Cup Final that I have ever watched.

Yet on the night of my birthday my beloved Lightning found themselves in the Draft Lottery. I really follow three professional teams and the Jaguars have never had the number one pick. I’m sure the Marlins have but I find the Baseball draft as confusing as baccarat. With 7462 rounds it’s just not worth keeping up with. The lottery went the way the boys in black wanted and the number one pick will be Tampa’s. But having the number one pick is a truly bittersweet experience. The promise of a superstar is wonderful, but it’s like finding the beautiful woman in your bed after a drunken bender when you got beat up.

Tomorrow will be another day for the Lightning. They can watch an old tape of the parade in ‘04 to ease the pain.