So the Anaheim Ducks have purchased a bunch of the local hockey rinks in Orange County and re-naming them "The Rinks" to give them a common brand. They have 3 rinks right now: Anaheim Ice (where the Ducks practice), Corona Inline, and Huntington Beach Inline. I play at Huntington Beach (formerly called Coast 2 Coast), and used to love the place. The rinks are kind of short but otherwise they're excellent and always make for fun, exciting games. I lived in that place. I knew every dimension in that rink, every dead spot in the boards, what I could and couldn't get away with for each referee. It was my home.
Then, a couple weeks ago, I walked in to a horrific site. My once proud rink was now littered with banners, giant banners of Anaheim Ducks. Right when you walk in the first thing you see is a huge picture of the Ducks celebrating their Cup victory and Wild Wing doing a poor Bailey impression. In between each locker room there is a picture of a particular Duck (Perry, Ryan, Scott Niedermayer, etc.). They've taken my home rink and turned every game into an away game.
The worst change, though, is that they've put up a large backdrop of cheering Ducks fans right behind one net. They're all celebrating, like they're already enjoying the misery I will soon feel. Whenever I play on that side, I can feel the Ducks fans jeering me. "Ruuuudy. Ruuuudy. You suck!" It's haunting. Since that backdrop went up, I know I've been giving up twice as many goals on that side as I do in the opposing net. People think I'm crazy, but I swear the backdrop changes the lighting in the rink and messes with my angles. I can't get comfortable. I might have to switch rinks. I can't prove that the Ducks did all this just to screw with me, but I'm not ruling it out.
Goddamn you, Anaheim Ducks.
Loading comments...