END OF THE FIRST SEASON

When I was a kid, we used to spend part of the summer visiting my father’s family in Newburyport, Massachusetts. This always included at least one day at the amusement park at Salisbury Beach. My uncle worked there, so we kids had free reign of the place. The boardwalk had one of the most majestic wooden roller coasters I’ve ever seen and I loved it.

Waiting in line I got butterflies in my stomach, increasing as the screams drifted down from the top of that mighty beast. The click-clack of the cables pushing up the cars slowly, slowly to the top and then rushing down so fast with hands in the airs, screaming at the top of our lungs were what we lived for! And once off the coaster, we got back in line and did all over again. And again!

San Francisco Bulls games are like that for me. I start to get excited as I leave work or home and get more ancy waiting for the slow shuttle drivers to leave Balboa BART. It crescendos to a high when the Bulls players come out for warm-ups and I can get pictures, and maybe, just maybe snap a great one with my cheap little camera.

The tick tick of skates to ice are like the clicking of the coaster as it jettisons to the first peak. The puck smashing against the boards is the knocking of the coaster cars as they abruptly turn corners.

And taking my seat, I await Rawhide’s Intro and the National Anthem. And then it begins….

The season ended too quickly last night for the Bulls. In a 5-3 loss, San Francisco fell to Alaska in the final game of the first round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs. They fought hard and well. Taking one of the games, the Bulls surprised many by keeping most of the other games close and battling the entire way. I've included a few pictures from last night at the end of today's blog.

The whole first season was an amazing one. Surprising to some, but not to those of us who went to all or most of the games, who got to know the Bulls’ staff, went to Bulls’ events to meet the players and supported the team in every way we could. The Bulls passion of the game captured a city’s heart. They are now part of San Francisco and we love them.

Next year, expect Coach Curcio to work his brilliance and get the Bulls even farther. Big things will happen.

The Bulls Sheet will be working hard this summer, not just in covering the Bulls, but we will be expanding, covering the minor league hockey world in a way that is not currently being done. Keep reading for more news in the weeks ahead.

In the meantime, I’m still going to cover the Kelly Cup Playoffs. I’ll write an update about the games tomorrow night. Until then, you have six months to save your money for Bulls tickets next season!

GO BULLS!

Kris Belan from Friday night but had to include it! (Leeanne Ruegg)