Badlands, Sabres, dignity
Wednesday, the morning after a bitter loss to the New York Rangers, and today's song is "Badlands" - Springsteen's defiant and proud declaration of intent, pure rage against the dying of the light.
I made the trek to Madison Square Garden for game three last weekend, with my 6 year-old son and two friends of ours. There, we were subject to aggressive abuse from Rangers fans, who proved themselves to be a foul-mouthed and angry lot. Apparently, the common view of upstate New York, and Buffalo in particular, is of uncultivated farmland populated by mountain men. That's fine, if completely ludicrous. But who curses like a sailor in the face of a 6-year-old who had the audacity to wear his home team's jersey into enemy territory? No wonder we drift so easily into war. Team colors are a lot like national flags, in some people's eyes.
"Badlands" is a song about dignity, something Sabres coach Lindy Ruff displayed quite stoically during the post-game press conference after Tuesday's "loss." That makes the song a perfect chaser for today's bitter pill. Anyone out there singing a similar tune?
