Raw Emotion At Its Finest...

As I sat, staring at my TV, anticipating NBC's newest video montage of the NHL playoffs - to help build even more excitement for the game to come - I wasn't prepared for the commercial break amazingness to be.

The montage came and went and I was even more jacked up now - It's the Cup at stake...1 more series before I get to look forward to the Entry Draft and the greatest day in all of the NHL, Free Agent Signing Day July 1st.

My emotions were high because I, to some degree, understand the heartpounding excitement and knee-shaking nervousness the players were feeling (more on that in a second). "It's just another game" is a line coaches tell you to take your mind off the butterflies nesting in your stomach walls.

The first commercial break began and to my disbelief, a non-"History will be made" NHL commercial came on. It was better. It was humbling. It was raw.

About that feeling I knew. I won a National Baseball title back in 1999. Those were the days. "The Boys of Summer" we were titled by the local media. But when we won, we were interviewed by various outlets to describe the feeling. The only thing I could muster, through tear-filled eyes, was "It's amazing!" Because it was. It was better than amazing, it was Superamazingawesomeness to be exact.

This "There Are No Words" ad re-established those feelings I felt back in the 20th Century. The thing is, every man, woman or child, who has ever won anything - be it a spelling bee, cook-off or a national championship - felt the same thing I did.

These men are held at the same level as superheroes. Cities can be crushed, or resurrected by them. I know some of them personally and am astonished at two things; 1. They were one of the "less than 1%" of hockey players worldwide that made it & 2. Their job is to play something they love.

Regardless, they are human in the end. To see Mark Messier drawn to tears -after he crushed the city of Vancouver's dreams in '94 - allowed me to think of him not as a villian, but a hockey player humbled by a trophy he'd won before...then I snapped out of it and cursed the Rangers out.

This has been a hell of a playoffs for the NHL's marketing team. Well done to you and to Young & Rubicam for offering guidance into an eternal place in NHL advertising history.