Stalker........????.............

                  

Tonight I made complete sure I was home by 7 PM and in front of the TV.  My boys were playing the NY Rangers this evening but that is not the only reason I HAD to be home.  They were retiring jersey #18, Danny Gare's jersey.   

Danny Gare was drafted by the Sabres in the 1974 draft and played in Buffalo until the '81-'82 season when he was traded to Detroit, and then in '86 he was traded to Edmonton where his career ended.  In his career he had 354 goals and while with Buffalo he was a force to be reckoned with.  For being only 5'9" and 175 pounds (small in hockey standards) he walked away from no one.   

When he arrived in Buffalo I was already addicted to the game and it didn't take me long to become addicted to him.  By today's standards I would be a stalker.  I attended a lot of games back then and after each game we would wait by the locker room for him to exit.  Always getting his picture and or autograph.  Embarrassing as it is, if I had to leave before he came out I would actually get upset.  Not bawl, but I would be a bit teary eyed.  There were even times we would stand outside the garage door for the underground parking area waiting for his yellow corvette to make it's exit.  Any PR event he was at, I was at.  If there was a chance for me to see him, I did.  At all costs!  Everyone knew my addiction and 'lust' for him.  Not one person teased me, but looking back they had to be so irritated!  Friends would get pictures, keep scrapbooks (that I have to this day) and give me anything related to him.  One or more of my friends would be with me at all these events and stand tall beside me as we waited for me to get a glimpse.   

Of course I grew up, but there has always been a place in my heart for that man.  Years later.  I mean years!  My son was about 3 or 4 my entire family attended a benefit for a friend of my Mom's.  It was a spaghetti dinner and there were tons of giveaways.  Danny Gare had long since been retired from hockey but actually made his home in the area.  He owned a restaurant south of the city.  And, yes, you guessed it, he was at the benefit.  He stopped at our table as he made the rounds around the room and my brother in law took upon himself to comment on my 'stalking' back in the day.  I wanted to die and I know my son wanted to slide under the table.  We all had a few laughs and that was that.  It was so many years prior there was no possible way he could or would remember, but it was funny just the same.  

Shortly after that dinner I started my job at the local cable company in the sales department.  I worked the 1-9 shift managing the inside sales force.  Um.. yes those pesky telemarketers that try to sell you additional channels.  Like you need more.  You already have 175 channels and there isn't crap on, you don't need one more to find that out.  Anyway, there was a sports talk show that was filmed right in the building I worked in and Gare was part of the staff.  On more than one occasion I would pass him in the hall and as soon as we saw each other we would laugh.  Cracked up the first time, actually.  He did remember me then, and affectionately called me stalker.   

They did a beautiful tribute for him this evening and I watched with tears in my eyes.  As he started talking, my phone rang.  I was stunned, and couldn't help answering the phone with 'You have a lot of nerve!'  I didn't know who was on the other end, but it did not matter.  Anyone who knows me should have known better.  As it turned out it was my brother calling to tell me to turn it on.  DUH!  How did he not know I was already on it????  He is so deserving of having his jersey hang from the rafters at the arena and I was thrilled to remember each and every highlight they showed.  Congrats Danny!  

On another note, please say a prayer for Jiri Fischer of the Detroit Red Wings.  Jiri collapsed on the bench last night during the game having a seizure.  His heart stopped and they had to use a defibrillator to bring him back.  Reports today say he is doing great, and still testing to see what happened.  Even so, a few extra prayers won't hurt.