Percy Paris resigns, and Liberals clamour for Premier Dexter to call an election.
by Stephen Kimber
So… did Percy really pop Keith? Is the premier going to pull the plug? Can I get back to you?
I’m still in the Metro Centre. A fun, frenzied Friday night. “The Cup is in the House,” and the house is bursting. Ten-thousand-five-hundred-and-ninety-five fans, media, scouts, officials, parents, friends of friends. Expectant, ready to implode, explode.
“We want the Cup!”
Will this — finally — be the night?
Percy Paris? An election call? Oh, right, I’ll get right on that.
Ron is grinning. Dave is worried. We’ve been coming to Moosehead games for 19 years. Ron knows how good this team is. Dave knows how often defeat has been snatched from the jaws of victory.
“Battle on the boards and the puck comes loose…”
At 5:32 of the first period — Stephen MacAulay, a 20-year-old from Cole Harbour whose mother recently died of cancer — wrists a hard shot from in front of the net… 1 – 0! We’re on our feet. Over in the next section, the “Pom-Pom Lady”– she’s been a fan as long as we have — shakes her pom poms.
By the end of the first, it’s 3 – 0, the 50-50 pot is $30,000 and counting (who has time during a period to buy tickets?) and the line-ups for the men’s washrooms snake like conga lines around the lower level. Heard inside the washroom: “Meet you back at the beer line.”
Ron is still grinning. Dave is still worried. “Don’t sit back,” he implores mid-way through the second period. “Skate!” He only looks like he’s not enjoying himself.
“We will… We will… rock you!” For once, arena rock isn’t necessary. The crowd is into this. With 10 minutes still to go in the third period and the Mooseheads only up by two, the we-are-the-champions chant starts in the upper bowl above. “Olé. Olé. Olé-olé, olé…” No one remembers it’s a Spanish football chant.
Some guy from Prospect wins the 50-50 draw, takes home more than $39,000!
Two more goals, including a second MacAulay goal into an empty net, and it’s over. Ron is still grinning. Dave smiles. Finally. High fives all around our section. See you in September.
Percy Paris? An election call? Oh, right, I’ll get right on that.
About Stephen Kimber
Stephen Kimber is the Rogers Communications Chair in Journalism at the University of King's College in Halifax. He is an award-winning writer, editor and broadcaster.
His writing has appeared in almost all major Canadian publications including Canadian Geographic, Financial Post Magazine, Maclean's, En Route, Chatelaine, Financial Times, the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star and the National Post. He has written one novel — Reparations — and six non-fiction books. Website: http://www.stephenkimber.com.
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