Playoff Fever- Los Angeles Style

After taking in the excitement that is hockey in Canada, I thought nothing would match the Calgarians excitement and passion for their Flames.

I must have lost my head for a minute there and got caught up in the moment. I forgot where I live -- Los Angeles.

No more seeing Jarome Iginla jerseys everywhere. Now it's those Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant jerseys.

It's happening for the fourth time in five years -- the Lakers' show is back in town with a new cast of characters, which this time includes Karl Malone and Gary Payton.

In Calgary, I saw car after car with Flames flags on their hoods and windows.

Copy cats.

Lakers' fans have "Been there, Done that," with the purple and gold flags on their car windows and hoods.

They even have a new flag, one which simply says proudly, ".04"

Speaking of Derek Fisher, while every Calgarian has that Craig Conroy or Martin Gelinas Flames' t-shirt in red, nothing beats that "I Love D Fish" t-shirt in every color under the sun.

Calgary goaltender Miika Kiprusoff may be "the man" in Alberta, but everyone in Los Angeles knows "Kobe Rocks."

Forget about all those Mike Commodore red wigs that are such a big hit in Calgary.

How silly would that wig look while you're "stylin' in your "Kareem Rush is da bomb" t-shirt or giving high fives to your boss on casual day while wearing your brand new Slava Medvedenko Lakers' uniform.

Did I mention that your boss is wearing a purple Lakers' jersey, the one with Rick Fox's name on it?

That "Go Flames Go" chant that was so popular in Calgary has been replaced by the popular LA chant of "Let's Go Lakers."

Who said Angelinos are laid back when it comes to their sports teams?

Surely not when it comes to the Lakers.

Everyone says Canada will be happy and will go crazy if the Flames win the Cup. They may even riot.

PLEASE!

Lakers fans know all about riots and mayhem after the home team has won a championship.

Heck, LA wrote the book and can send the videotape to the good people of Calgary. We've had a lot of practice.

Only people in the hockey world know the coach of Calgary and possibly the Lightning coach, but everybody knows Phil Jackson.

Flames fans were surprised the Flames were in the finals.

Not Lakers fans. We expect them to be in it every year and nothing less than a championship will do. Anything else is a bad season.

Lakers fans believed that this season had more twists and subplots going on than "All My Children" and The Young and The Restless" put together.

You know how LA sports fans are notorious for showing up late and leaving early for a sporting event? Not when the Lakers are in the finals.

The only time they leave early is because the team is getting blown out and there's no way any Laker is going to make the winning basket with precious little time on the clock.

For three days I was living every hockey fans dream -- seeing the Stanley Cup finals in Canada.

I thought nothing could beat that feeling.

I was wrong.

NBA finals fever has struck Los Angeles again.