I feel guilty about my happiness

So a bunch of millionaires finally figured out how to divide their pie after months of name calling, pandering, pouting and finally “negotiations.”

Personally, I have no use for a bunch of whiny millionaires complaining that they’re not making enough money playing a game that every kid I knew growing up would play for free. And yet … I’m looking forward to watching them play.

Personally, I have no use for a bunch of whiny millionaires complaining that they only get half of the revenue made by the product of the previously mentioned millionaires. And yet … I’m glad they got it resolved.

I want to boycott hockey. In fact, I had decided to boycott hockey shortly before the New Year. I decided that I would not wear any NHL paraphernalia until the league got its act together and there was actually some hockey being played. I feared I would have three less t-shirts, two less long sleeve shirts, one less jersey and about a dozen less baseball caps to wear until at least the fall.

But then the stark realization apparently smacked all those millionaires in the face that if they don’t bake a pie, there’s nothing for them to split. As such it looks like I’ll be wearing Buffalo Sabres garb come mid-January.

And I’m quite pleased about that.

That said, I hope there are people with better resolve than me. I hope there are some hockey fans out there with the discipline to make this league and the players pay for robbing us of three months worth of joy.

There have been many news stories about NHL fans potentially boycotting the rest of the season. Or at least the first week. Or first game. Maybe they’ll just show up late. But probably not. The arenas will be full. Because we’re lemmings. And that’s why they knew they could get away with their shenanigans.

As a side note, I had a thought that I feel almost silly for thinking: This will be the year the Sabres win the Stanley Cup. And I don’t want them to.

Sure, you could make the argument that we’ve been longing for a Cup and this community needs a win. But the 2013 Stanley Cup will come with an asterisk. It will come with the notation that it was a shortened season. And as such, whoever wins it will be branded and “kind of” NHL champions.

I’d hate to see that sort of a mark on the Sabres record. Especially with it being their first Stanley Cup win ever.

Of course, I’m getting ahead of myself. They still haven’t dropped a puck.

Scott Leffler is a hockey fan who is looking forward to watching millionaires skate around on perfectly formed ice rinks. Share his joyful disappointment on Twitter @scottleffler.