Comedy·SPORTS

As a die-hard Las Vegas Golden Knights fan, I have been waiting over 8 months for this day

Sports fandom can be as painful as it is joyous. There are many agonized fanbases who know the ache of thwarted glory.

On Monday, the Las Vegas Golden Knights took the ice in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Washington Capitals, winning 6-4. As a long-suffering Golden Knights fan, I have been waiting for this day for over eight months.

Sports fandom can be as painful as it is joyous. There are many agonized fan bases who know the ache of thwarted glory: The Maple Leafs famously haven't won a cup in 51 years. The Cleveland Indians haven't won since 1948.

I don't dare jinx it, but maybe the pain of waiting 235 long days will soon come to an end for this Golden Knights superfan.

I think of my childhood bedroom, covered in pictures of Marc-Andre Fleury and James Neal (I still live at home).

I think of my father, a dyed-in-the-wool Knights fan from way back (October of 2017). If only he were here to see this (He's in Arizona for the week).

And I think of the children who were born then, who may be beginning to crawl and eat solid foods now.

The world was a very different place when the Golden Knights first took the ice: Robert Mueller was only seven months into his investigation into possible Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

A New York rapper named Cardi B had the number one song on the Billboard Hot 100.

I've become very superstitious, and when the puck drops for Game 2 tonight I'll be watching as I've done for so long (34 weeks): Wearing my faded, tattered Golden Knights jersey (Mom put it in the dryer), and eating my lucky meal of a grilled hamburger with ketchup I purchased the day of the Knights' first game (it has not expired yet).

And the last thing I want to hear is whining from Capitals fans about waiting for a Cup. Grow up. 44 years isn't that bad.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paul Beer is a Toronto-based comedian, actor and writer.