When the Stanley Cup entered the Sears...

When the Stanley Cup entered the Sears store at South Coast Plaza, a

loud cheer went up. Hockey fans from Canada to Florida were wearing

their colors proudly.

Some families were encouraged by the crowd to put their small

children in the bowl of the cup for a photo, but NHL reps were quick

to say ... well, no.

Fans were given a few seconds to touch the cup, get a photo of

themselves in front of it, and move on. The line snaked outside and

around the building -- an hour wait for 10 seconds of glory.

One man proposed to his wife in front of it, hockey teams posed

around it, and others kissed it. Scot Ross did what other dads didn’t

have the guts to do. He put his boy in the cup for quick photo as the

crowd cheered him on. Ross was reluctant, but peer pressure was too

much. His boy was the perfect size. And the mini-hockey jersey was

too cute.

Luckily, I moved away from the cluster of people for a better look

when the moment happened, and it made the perfect picture.

-- Don Leach