HP Pavilion, San Jose

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The HP Pavilion, also known as the "Shark Tank" is not really a pavilion...it has walls and ice, more like a hockey arena. Plus, this so-called pavilion even has seats, some 17,000 of them, unlike your average pavilion. Yes, it has a dumb name, but it's a very nice venue for hockey.

We went to the November 4th, 2006 game to see the Sharks play the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Sharks won a hard-fought battle 3-2 after Cheechoo had a cheap-shot, blindside hit on the Penguins best defenseman (Eaton) in the first period breaking his wrist and knocking him out for a few months. The Sharks fans then continuously booed the refs for kicking Cheechoo out of the game for the cheap shot, despite the fact it was obviously the right call. They also showed their poor sportsmanship by booing the greatest player on the ice that night -- young Penguins center Sidney Crosby -- every time he touched the puck. They'd probably boo the Pope if he came to town.

The team's only been here a few years, so I guess the fans seem to need lots of distractions and gimmicks to keep their attention such as the giant smoking shark head that flies over the ice and their Tomahawk Chop imitation.

None the less, the Sharks have a great core of players, and continue to be a great team!