Tuesday, June 20, 2006

The Miracle of Canadian Professional Sports


It has been fun watching the Oilers and taking my Edmonton walk down memory lane. It has been a great series.

Although, I must say my biggest disappointment was not losing, but the fact that the Skyyreach Center in Edmonton (cool name for a cool product and it worked for an arena name), is now the Rexall Place (a drugstore where you buy linament and tonics).

Let me leave you with this thought- this is something that blew my mind when I lived in Edmonton and a another reason why I love Canadians:

Philadelphia (my hometown)
Population within 1 hour drive: 5,951,797
Seating Capacity at Wachovia Center where flyers play:19,519
Percentage of Population required to fill Center: 0.3%

Edmonton
Populaton within 1 hour drive:1,016,000
Seating Capacity at Rexall (argh) Place:16,839
Percentage of Population required to fill Center: 1.9%

It doesn't seem like much- but think about how often Flyers games are sold out vs. Oilers games. Even when they were losing, the place was packed full.

And to think of the numbers you have to pull in just to keep the team there and paid for.

Life stops on Hockey Night in Canada. And it was a lot of fun.

You should visit Edmonton, it is a beautiful place. But go in the summer. But not when the bugs are out... Hmm.. That leaves June 1-3. You missed it this year. Definitely go next year!

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