Our hero chosen to bring her dopey boyfriend to the Caps game instead of her father. Now, we learn how Shinny, an avowed superfan, prepares for a big game — just like tonight’s Capitals bout with the Jets. There are rituals, superstitions, and traditions that must be honored. Everything must be just right or else it will surely spell disaster for the team.
I (Peter) try not to socialize with fans of other teams, so I can’t understand how Shinny could date one. And yet there he is– wearing a crisp, new, powder-blue Penguins jersey to the Caps game and smiling like a goon.
Shinny’s own preparations are something sacred. Whether or not you truly believe your special socks will affect the game’s outcome, we all fall into habits. Maybe it’s a certain beer or a preferred posture– maybe it’s the number of times you clap (four, any more and the cosmic vibrations might disrupt the Caps). You might know it’s meaningless, or you might not even know you’re doing it. But you are. We all do.
Tonight is a big game, and fan anxiety is high. Nothing is certain right now, and in times of uncertainty we retreat to ritual. That’s good– it’s one of the things that bonds us to each other. But there’s always one doof like Shinny’s boyfriend who spoils it.
Huge game tonight. Go CAPS!
