"Well hockey fans, it looks like Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby is out indefinitely for the remainder of the 2010-2011 season. Crosby suffered concussions in both a game versus the Tampa Bay Lightning and in this year's Winter Classic game against the Washington Capitals. Sources confirmed this information earlier today following the Penguins' morning skate," the ESPN reporter explained from the TV in our apartment's living room.

"That's rough," my roommate Nelly piped up from where she's planted on the couch furiously typing away a paper on her laptop. "He's supposed to be really good right?" she continues.

"The best," I reply folding the top corner of the page I was reading in my textbook and calling it a night for homework tonight.

"We're still going to Ts tonight, right?" Nelly asks.

"Yeah, definitely. I'm just going to heat up some left overs and hop in the shower. Then I'll probably start to get ready."

"Want to get there for 11?" she suggests.

"Sounds like a plan!"

Ts Pub, "the place to meet." Simply mention "Ts" to any BU student and they'll know exactly where you'll talking about. Ts is the sports bar/dive bar on Commonwealth Ave. where you can go and know you're in for a great time. If you're 21 (or had the privilege of having a decent enough fake I.D.) you are golden. Or if you are a BU athlete. If you are a BU athlete you always got in no questions asked (well, if no questions asked meant no need to show anyone your I.D.)

But Ts is the one place you'll go and know you're going to see at least ten people you know either drunk on a Saturday night dancing after the hockey games or doing terrible karaoke renditions on Tuesdays.

Nelly and I made the short walk from our building, across the street and around the corner to Ts. A line was starting to form by the time Nelly and I had arrived. It was 11:00 on a Tuesday and all the usual suspects were here.

"Hey Rich!" Nelly greeted the bouncer at the door. He was a senior on the track team and had been "bouncing" at T's as long as we had been going which was before either of us had been 21. I think he had stopped carding either of us once second semester of freshman year came around.

"Hey Nelly," he greeted, "Mariev," he acknowledged me with a head nod.

We headed inside and it was already pretty busy. The liquor was flowing, nineties music playing, and the karaoke sign-up list was already half full promising a night of bad singing was in store.

"Where should we put our stuff? " Nelly spoke up over the music.

I scanned all of the tables. I spotted some familiar faces.

"Hey some of my sorority sisters are over by the windows, I'm sure we'll be good if we put our stuff there," I half yell over the music and Nelly nods in agreement.

"Hey guys!" I greeted.

"Mariev! How are you?!" Nora got up and struggled to lean across the table to partially hug, but mostly fall on to me.

"I'm good," I laugh. That's the other thing about T's , everyone who comes in is usually three sheets to the wind upon arrival. Oh college. Case and point, Nora. "Do you mind if we leave our stuff here with you guys?" I finish.

Nora slumps back in her seat and is already texting away.

"Yeah, it's cool," Abby, one of my other sisters replies from down the other end of the table where she, Brit and Lexie, some of my other sisters, are sitting with some of the guys on the hockey team. You can tell they're also very much enjoying the fact that they're earning death glares from half of the girls in T's for having half the hockey team, basically B.U.'s closest thing to rockstars or celebrities, at the table as well.

I head back past the entrance - where Rich is rejecting some frat boy at the door. It would be fine, except for the fact that the kid's whose ID he's trying to use is not even ten feet away - to head to the bar to get a pitcher.

It's about an hour later and I'm drunk. Not falling down out of control drunk. Nice drunk, I'm feeling pretty good. Nelly and I had had about 2 pitchers each, Nora had ordered some fruity drink she didn't like and insisted I finish it, and I saw one of my roommates from the year before Jackie who had asked if I wanted a shot because they ordered to many. Who over orders shots? I wasn't about to argue or turn down free booze.

This time when I head to the bar to get a beer, there's considerably more people there now than there were when Nelly and I had first arrived.

After twisting and turning through people with a push here and there I finally make my way up to the bar, "Ugh, all I want is a beer! That's it," I half laugh, half sigh out of frustration.

"You just want a beer, that's all you want? I'll get it for you" A male voice speaks up.

I turn to my right and recognize Chris, one of the Terriers forwards. I'm pretty sure he was at our table when Nelly and I had arrived.

"Oh yeah, but, I mean you don't have to, I'll just-" I begin.

"No, I'm getting a bunch of stuff. It's no big deal," he explains.

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

"Don't mention it," he smiles and signs the credit card receipt.

"At least let me help you bring some of them back to the table. I'm not taking no for an answer," I insist.

Chris and I manage to have a pretty decent conversation going on once we're back at the table, at least I think so judging by how difficult it is to hear one another over the drunk girl that's butchering the Ke$ha song she's supposed to be singing karaoke along to.

"So who's your favorite player?" Chris asks. I think I impressed him when he found out I knew a lot about the sport and could carry on a conversation about it.

"Crosby." I answer matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, he's good. He's a nice guy too."

"You've met him?" I ask obviously a bit more intrigued now.

"Yeah, I played with him for a bit in high school. We both went to the same prep school for a while, Shattuck St. Mary's back in Minnesota. "

"He seems nice. I mean, from what I hear and see on TV and stuff. It doesn't really seem like anyone ever has anything bad to say about him. It's too bad he got so hurt," I reason.

"Yeah, real nice guy. Good head on his shoulders. What you see is what you get with him. No one likes to see anyone get hour like that, it's rough. But he's actually going to be coming here next semester for a while."

What?! Somehow I manage to not spit my drink out all over the place when Chris drops that little bomb on me. So I put on my best 'oh, Sidney Crosby's coming to B.U. no big deal' face on.

"Really?"

"Yeah, me and him still keep in touch a little bit. Since he's out for the rest of the season his people are having him come out here so the doctors at B.U. Medical Center can keep an eye on him. He mentioned some stuff about trying to maybe take some classes while he's here too, maybe he'll be able to start working out again too if he's lucky," Chris explains.

Is this real life?

A moment later I feel a tap on my shoulder.

"Hey, I'm heading out, you want to head back with me or are you gonna stay for a bit?" Nelly asks.

I glance down at my watch and it's already 1:38 am.

"Yeah, I'll head out with you. I didn't realize how late it was."

"I'll let you girls get going. It was nice meeting you Mariev," Chris says as I get up from my chair.

"Yeah, you too! See you around!"