Is You 'Appy?

Here in Newfoundland, the wonderfully funny band Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers sing a song called "Is You 'Appy?" The lyrics go, in part, "I now how hard it's got, And your guts is gone to rot, And yer life is all upsot, And yer flashin' cold and hot, But suck back yer nasal drip Stiffen up yer lower lip Yer not goin' to be missed So 'tis just as well to be 'appy."

It kind of reminds me of this "glorious" (more like goriest) Centennial season. Everything that could go wrong...losing streaks, devastating long-term injuries to virtually every player on the team, player slumps, a coach firing, unsubstantiated rumours about disgraceful off-ice behaviour, confirmed reports of players associating with unsavoury characters, the flu...has happened. Now that the team has been finally emerging from the fog and darkness that's shrouded this season, the lousy leafs have cut the legs out from under it by hurting Markov and Schneider.

So now that there's nothing else that can possibly go more wrong than it has already, we can sit here at rock bottom and feel sorry for how it's all turned out. Or we can decide to cheer for them anyway and hope for the best. If they make it into the post-season, it's a victory over the odds. And in that situation, funny things can happen when a team plays with absolutely no expectations or pressure. If they don't make it, well, it's not like they had any help from any quarter.

I'm going to cheer. It's been a hell of a crappy season, but I like the team that came out of all that adversity. This latest blow may be the killer, or it may not. I'll give them all the moral support I can though, because there's one thing I've learned about being a Habs fan in the last twenty-five years, and that is that no matter how rotten the season has been, you miss the team like crazy when it's over and you're waiting for the next one. Right now, it's just as well to be 'appy.