Tampa, Florida					Monday, September 06, 2010

Lord Stanley Takes A Little Detour
Saturday, June 12, 2004
TAMPA--There was a brief downtime on the travel schedule of the Stanley Cup, the world wide symbol of supremacy in hockey Monday. It had been in Tampa for claiming by the National Hockey League champion Lightning a few days ago. The Cup, perhaps the world’s best known silver trophy, was then shipped in its distinctive blue trunk with handlers to Toronto for a more ceremonial presentation at the NHL title dinner, and returned late that night to Tampa for Friday before accompanying Lightning’s senior star Dave Andreychuk to Disney World across Florida to Orlando for a championship parade. That allowed for a few hours in Tampa this past Friday noonish before being trucked to Disney. A friend of the Lightning from the start asked about the possibility of the Stanley Cup being displayed for touching and hugging and photographic opportunity for a couple of hours for those who could be quickly rounded up for the look and the love-in on Davis Islands, seven minutes from the arena where the Lightning had won it all. Done. Phone calls went out from wife Linda and for me for those who could be found—it was a Friday afternoon and it was hot, but there was a wonderful wind—and could make it by. A call went to baker-promoter Phil Alessi for the Cuban sandwich bites, soft drinks and sweets and that was done by Phil and Phil, Jr.,. the food arriving moments before the Stanley Cup. And so, by golly, by the luck of the Scotch, there was the silver Cup shimmering on a dock out over Hillsborough Bay towards the Bayshore in the brightest of Florida sunshine, the head moderated by the pleasant northwesterly wind, and the grand moment, there on the dock amidst Florida seagrapes beneath Chinese elms and waterside in the home of its present keeper, the Tampa Bay Lightning. And there beside it for every photograph, for visiting, admiring, notably by the lovelies who came, and congratulating was Brad Richards, the handsome Prince Edwarder who was voted the best of the playoffs for that great cup and surely had to be so acknowledged. Richards, a handsome fellow, just scruffy enough for these times, and a fine and courtly young man. Richards has just turned 24, and is an accurate shooter whose quick wrist shot is quicker than most eyes who try to follow it and stop it. Throughout the hour and a half that would follow, he posed for all photos, with the youngest of kids and the oldest of fans, answered questions, and remained patient and courtly throughout. A special photo op came when the twin babies of Laurel and Bob Grammig were centerpieces with Richards, the mom, her bother-in-law (Richard), the Cup and a speedboat that rushed up to the dock’s end near the Stanley and yelled, “Go Bucs. . . Yeah Stanley.’’ Like New York Yankee public relations man Rick Cerrone said of the Stanley Cup, “Why, it is almost like a person. The NHL has done that,’’ and it is wonderful. The Cup, though large weighs less than 35 pounds, allowing the holding of it on high, as did every Lightning player after victory, as have all NHL champions in nearly 50 years. It is indeed, almost like a person, and a tribute to the NHL marketing people for that mystic. Now, with the Cup in place on a table, beside Richards, the Bayshore skyline in the backdrop, the picture taking began and went on	and on and on. Why, aside from the invited, and Lightning officials Ron Campbell (Mary Jane) and Bill Wickett, well, there were welcomed walkons from the neighborhood, even a coupel of painters from a job next door, who went and bought a disposable camera. And there and glad to be were those involved along the way in one way or another in the Lightning being in Tampa. Former Tampa Mayor Sandy Freedman under whose watch the NHL franchise was awarded Tampa, and who flew with us to Palm Beach to lend a hand to Phil Esposito when he made his pitch for the franchise before the NHL owners. “I knew when we went into that room—I was the only woman, and they probably thought I was a waitress—when they started chanting, ‘Espo! Espo! Espo!’ That franchise was ours to lose. And we didn’t. How great it has been!’’ Her support and visit that day to the NHL was vital. Yep, she had her picture made with the Cup this day. And so did former Mayor Dick Greco and wife, Linda. His support was vital too, for the franchise, for the Ice Palace that is now the St. Pete Times Forum, and so many of the great development to this great place in which we live. “Just see what the Lightning and that arena have done for us. . . for Channelside,’’ said Greco. Not there was David LeFevre, the first Lightning governor, who found the early money to seed the project and other money to sustain it and who fought all the good fights for the arena. LeFevre had been in Tampa for all the Stanley Cup final series games, and others, and asked wife Linda and I to sit with him in his section on the ice, beside the penalty box. There are no seats like them. No feeling like being there, so close to it all. LeFevre predicted at the ice-breaking these things: 1, the Lightning will be here forever; 2, the arena will fuel grow around it (some favored the Tampa Stadium area), 3, the Lightning will win the Cup. He repeated those by phone at the Cup’s visit to Davis Islands but admitted, “I didn’t think it would be this quick.’’ Also at the Cup’s visit the other day, was Ed Turanckik, who so pressed for the Lightning, then for the Forum, and Leonard Levy and Bruce Samson, who was the sports authority chairmen at critical times of progress made and both of whom have been so visionary, and Bill Geisking, of Pepin Distributing, and Peter Hobson, an attorney present from the beginning with Esposito, whose firm Anheuser Busch, has been so supportive of matters expanding growth management, staffs of WFLA-TV and of George Cornelius’ Tampa Digital Studios, to record the historic visit. And there early for the picture taking were Jennie and son Steve Swindal, terrific Lightning fans, and the Yankees. Steve is the grandson of Joan and George Steinbrenner, Jenny their daughter. Finally, was Bob Sanders of the Hunt Construction people who built the Times Forum, as well as Tampa progressives Jim Overton, Snow Martin, Bob Griese and so many more, including all the kids in running distance, to meet the trophy Cerrone said is almost like a person. When someone noted that there was only room for inscription on the present Cup of the Lightning that won, Richards said he and his pals would just have to win another and will make another trip to Davis Island with a new Stanley Cup. ##
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