The 67th in our 118-part series.
Sergei Brylin
It doesn’t seem fair to write a post about Pando and Madden without giving some love to Sergei Brylin. It seems like our unsung trio has been slowly but surely sung. Madden had his day in the sun when he won the Selke, and PandoNation has grown in such numbers that he came close to winning it this past year. That means that Sarge’s sung year must surely be upon us. There’s lots to celebrate when it comes to our snack-sized three-time Cup winner. Seriously, he’s the interchangeable-est part on a team that prides itself on interchangeable parts. No matter where the coaches ask him to go, Sarge is there, putting in yoeman’s work and never complaining. Need a fill-in on the top line? He’s your man. Need a wee guy to put in a few hard-driving fourth-line minutes? Ask Sarge. Want a stalwart to stand in with Pando and Madden on the checking line? He’ll do it well. Left wing, right wing, center, he doesn’t care. He just plugs himself into whatever spot needs him, and carries on.
Sarge is like that perfect cardigan sweater that somehow manages to dress up enough to wear to a nice dinner, but it also the best sweater for wearing to movies. You’d never pick it as your favorite article of clothing, but when it finally starts to come apart of the seams, you realize you can’t imagine your wardrobe without it. Due to his insane durability (Sarge’s knee problems get resolved faster than some guys can get stitched up after an errant high stick) we can’t imagine Sarge unraveling anytime soon, but when he does, sung or not, we’ll all realize there were never be another like him. (Plus, what would a retrospective of Stanley Cup celebration footage be without that always-delightful shot of Sarge tripping over the boards on his way out to the ice in ’95?)
Once again, you guys center on someone who HAS to be a Devil. Like Pandolfo, Brylin just makes no sense on any other team then New Jersey.
By the by, my company is a key player in the new arena (I’d say more, but I don’t want to be fired just yet…). I was poking around there last week…very swank. You lucky fans you!
Brylin really is, probably even more than Pando, the quintessential Devil. As much as it pains us in PandoNation to admit that! :P But seriously, it’s hard to imagine another player who has been as integral to the sustained success of his team for so many years, but whose defined role with the team remains that he basically has no defined role. Other than that he can and will play everywhere.
As for this swanky arena… I’m not so sure about that. After all those years at CAA, I’m not positive it will still feel like Devils hockey if there are, like, comforts and amenities!
I have adored Sergei ever since he earned the nickname Fidget on the old Crasher Line game recaps (did anyone else here read those?). Alternatively, I call him my little Russian chipmunk because he has that adorable eastern-Russia sorta Asian-looking thing going on (another example: Kovalchuk) and he looks about 13.
Also, his heart is bigger than the state of New Jersey.
One of the reasons I love Brylin is that he was (perhaps still is?) Morgan’s favorite player. So whenever he scored when we were at games with him, it was always fun to shout “SARGE!” In writing this just doesn’t seem very interesting, but in practice there was just something incredibly dorky and fun about giving Brylin this celebratory, gutteral triumphal yell. SARGE!
(And yes, it’s hard to believe sometimes that he isn’t 13. Or an elf.)
I do love Sarge it is true, but it is my dad who is the truest of true believers when it comes to Sarge. Not only does he have the Brylin jersey, but he’s got one or two of the Cup patches on it, and an “A”. He almost put a “C” on it because Brylin was the captain for a preseason game a couple of years back.
I love Madden and Pando, New Jersey’s own Tenacious D!, but I’ve been with the Devs since they moved to the Garden State and nobody fits the mold of a New Jersey Devil better than Sergei Brylin.
As for my favorite Devs it is still Marty 1, Sarge 1A.
Right! I forgot it was your dad who was the Sarge man! Sorry to misrepresent your Devils fandom, Morgan… (I love that your dad almost put a C on his Brylin sweater. That would have been hilarious.)
Morgan, I remembered your dad was a big Sarge fan! In fact, I wanted to put a dedication on this post: “To Morgan and Bill, Sarge’s Fan Club”.
Hee, did you guys see this?
Dallas Stars article
I like the NFL, “N is for Nancy” one. It’s still not quite as good as the Islander’s “The game is at 7:00. Which, for all you Rangers fans means the big hand is at the twelve and the little hand is at the seven,” but it’s good!
Those billboards are HILARIOUS! I really, really love that the Stars did that. (And I’m cracking myself up trying to imagine what it would take to get Lou to do something like that for the Devils…)
Hee, did you guys see this?
Dallas Stars article
Yeah I did. I keep thinking about it and chuckling.
It’s still not quite as good as the Islander’s “The game is at 7:00. Which, for all you Rangers fans means the big hand is at the twelve and the little hand is at the seven,” but it’s good!
That is fabulous! I want my team to have funny marketing too, damnit.
I might have said this before, but this is just another example of why the Dallas Stars should be a model franchise for non-traditional markets.
I might have said this before, but this is just another example of why the Dallas Stars should be a model franchise for non-traditional markets.
You’re so right. They have decent attendance, right?
but this is just another example of why the Dallas Stars should be a model franchise for non-traditional markets.
It really can’t be said enough! They constantly impress me, even as I (no offense, Patty) have a tendency to (really, no offense, Patty) ignore them.
They have decent attendance, right?
According to ESPN.com they seem to range from 96%-100% capacity (yearly averages). So yeah, consistently good attendance.
According to ESPN.com they seem to range from 96%-100% capacity
Well good on them. Even though I tend to not notice they exist… (Sorry Patty)
And on that note I’m off to go play a game of pre-season hockey. I’ll see y’all in 4-5 hours.
Have fun, Mags!
I mentioned those billboards in a previous thread, but I’ve since seen a .pdf of all of them. Does that article show them all?
I really like their main tagline: “Blood Drive”
Sometimes these campaigns can be lame, but I like it so far.
(My fave is the “N for Nancy” one, too.)
No offense taken, by the way.
Because I’m such a great ambassador for them, the Stars will be everybody’s second favorite team by the end of the season!
Does that article show them all?
You have to click a link, but yes.
Because I’m such a great ambassador for them, the Stars will be everybody’s second favorite team by the end of the season!
Good luck with that, Patty. :D
Because I’m such a great ambassador for them, the Stars will be everybody’s second favorite team by the end of the season!
Just the way we’re making great inroads with the Devils… :P (I will say that the Stars have risen in my estimation, at least, since your ambassadorship started. So that’s something to be proud of. Baby steps, right?)
The Stars are totally the John Kruk of the NHL. Fans don’t find us as as disgusting anymore!
Thanks, Pookie, but I think we got enough billboards now.
Hee hee.
On the other hand… it was fun last week when we were doing taglines, so I take it back. I think we do need more suggestions.
Thanks, Pookie, but I think we got enough billboards now.
Aw, there’s always room for more! I mean, the NHL doesn’t know what it’s missing not using the slogans we were coming up with a few weeks ago!
And on that note, lunchtime!
Woo hoo! It’s time to head out of the office for a long weekend! I’m off to meet Pookie for lunch, and then to nap up before our big night out at the Open. If I don’t check back in again, have a great Friday, everyone. If I do check back in again, well… hold that thought, okay?
Y’all have fun at the Open! Say hi to Boris Becker for me!
What? Really? Shoot. Guess it’s been a while.
I just missed you, Schnookie, but I meant to ask how the doctor visit went. Nothing serious, I hope.
Have fun at the Open, -ookies!
Enjoy the Open! If you get bored, remember I’m only one borough away.
Schnookie, your post about Sergei was spot on and the responses to your post, concerning Sergei, were are all true and well taken. All that we would add is that Sergei is a remarkably intelligent player, who almost always places himself in excellent defensive position. He is a selfless player, who does not hesitate to move the puck to better-positioned teammates. Sergei also often makes quick, short passes that are things of beauty. He will give up his body, if by so doing, he can make a play. Nobody takes more thundering checks — and then gets up and skates on as if nothing had happened. Here’s hoping that he gets the best possible treatment and conditioning for his knees this year, and that MacLean teaches him how to shoot the puck up, consistently. Then, maybe he’ll score 20. Let’s go, Sergei. Let’s go, Devils.