Totally Real Photo: R.A. Dickey Hoists the Stanley Cup

As a Canadian, who at any given moment in time has at least one right-handed hockey stick and a pair of hockey gloves in my car, the above image — totally, 110 percent real — pleased me. Quite a bit, actually. More so than it probably should have.

My first thought was: “This might be the closest I get to seeing a professional athlete who plays for Toronto win the Stanley Cup.” My second thought: “R.A. Dickey is celebrating the Blue Jays winning the offseason.”

And, make no mistake: the Blue Jays won the offseason. Last year at this time, we in Toronto were worried about who would play left field, Travis Snider or Eric Thames. This year, Ricky Romero, the Blue Jays’ Opening Day starter in 2012, is at the back of the rotation. Everything’s changed. The offseason of my dreams is over. Now comes the hard part. I’m both very excited, and, frankly, worried. What if it all goes wrong?

Image credit: My man @james_in_to.