BGWG: Los Angeles Really Hates Boston

As many of you know, the Bruins won the Stanley Cup earlier this week. I'm not a Bruins fan (though I was ecstatic for goalie Tim Thomas, the MVP of the playoffs and a former Vermont Catamount), but Game 7 is a must-watch just about any sport, and I allowed myself the luxury of having the game on in the background as I made some Remedies flashcards.

Well after the Bruins' 4-0 victory, once all the pageantry had ended, the local NBC affiliate switched over to the local news. In teasing the top story (the game), the anchors spent a solid half-minute bemoaning the fact that Boston, and not Vancouver, had won.

Now, it's true that Southern California does have hockey. LA's Kings were a marginal playoff outfit this season; Orange County's Ducks were the fourth seed in the West. (I had to look all this stuff up.) But as far as I can tell, no one really cares about hockey here -- certainly not the way folks do in the Northeast and Midwest. And I'm pretty sure there's no on-ice Kings-Bruins or Ducks-Bruins rivalry to speak of. I suppose Angels-Red Sox contributes some, but it's interesting how history on a basketball court can define a relationship between two cities in so many other aspects.