Once-in-a-lifetime classic for true fans

Reading the letter from Bob Buczynski (Have Cubs Play at United Center, Jan. 18), I'm reminded of the adage, "Don't talk about what you don't know about." If you watched the Winter Classic on TV, you have no idea what it was like in person. It was probably the most fun I've had with my three sons.

Six of us started the day at 8 a.m. at Sluggers, where we met Rocky Wirtz, John McDonough and Tony Esposito. We headed to Wrigley at 11, got situated in the bleachers (the bad view you're alluding to) and proceeded to have a ball. Seeing two Original 6 teams outdoors, where the game originated and is played in Canada, Minnesota, the Dakotas, etc., was a thrill that won't come around again soon. If you are a real fan of the sport, it was the best.

Were the sight lines the best? No. Did it matter? No.

Forty thousand hockey fans from here and Detroit gathered to see such a spectacle was genius. It was everything promised, regardless of the outcome. Old time hockey, pond hockey, hockey as it was originally meant to be played. To compare it to the Cubs playing indoor at the United Center and calling it a farce is just dumb. If you still don't get it, I'd suggest a viewing of "Mystery, Alaska."

Pat Harte

Elk Grove Village