In light of tonight’s game 1 playoff match-up between the Washington Capitals and the New York Rangers, I felt it was time to come clean. I am a confused Rangers fan trapped in the body of a Capitals fan, or maybe the other way around. Yes, it’s confusing, trust me I know.

Many of us in the DC area are transplants from other areas of the country, and likely with that most of us all are fans of different teams. When it comes to the NFL you have everything from Broncos fans to Raiders fans to Giants fan (cough cough). College football and basketball is spread across the board, along with baseball even. Heck, the fact that you can find a bar in the District dedicated solely to your individual sport’s team proves the array of sports allegiances in the area.

Four years ago I moved to the DC metro area, a New York-loving team transplant (sorry Redskins’ fans, I’ll write about your team but still going for my Giants, you’d do the same vice versa). I hadn’t really gone to many Capitals games, other than one back in 2009 where I walked in with a Rangers shirt on (yes, tisk tisk I know). Everyone in the family roots for the Rangers; it’s what you did and what I knew.

But then, a year or so later, I started to write about the Capitals for some assignments and began to “have to” follow them for work purposes. I went to fan-appreciation events and games, and found myself not just analyzing the statistics and games that I would later have to write-up about, but starting to actually enjoy the fact I was writing about the Capitals at all.

I can’t tell you when it happened, but slowly and surely, I found myself not secretly rooting against the Capitals when they played the Rangers (sorry brother).

Maybe it’s the crowd at the Verizon Center that gets me going (Madison Square Garden is not so bad either folks). Or maybe it is the fact that I finally feel at home in the DC metro area after four years, and truly just want to go for the home town team.

Don’t get me wrong, it certainly pushed one to go towards the red, when EVERYONE around you wants to have the Capitals game on. I even know people who arrange their work and sports league playing schedules around Capitals games. Try going anywhere near the Verizon Center on the day of home game and it’s a sea of red. Clearly the DC area has a love affair with the Capitals.

For those die-hard hockey fans that feel I’m turning too easy or “not a true fan”, I’ll admit hockey was not exactly on my top list of sports. I was more a fan by association when it came to the sport (it’s a family thing).

But in person, hockey games are by far one of the most entertaining sports to watch. Where else do guys throw a punch at each other and the referees actually let them fight it out? I’m more hard-core about my college basketball, professional football, and baseball, but I guess when it comes to hockey I’ve been somewhat of a free-agent lately?

I still have my Rangers shirt that I lounge around in, and don’t plan on throwing it out anytime soon. But something changed and I find myself with this urge to wear some red tonight.