Steve Lopez: Garcetti's F-bomb born of political calculation?

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The Kings’ Anze Kopitar, left, and Dustin Brown, center, with general manager Dean Lombardi during the rally at Staples Center. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Kings players Jordan Nolan, left, Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown watch a video of their championship run during the rally at Staples Center. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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The Los Angeles Kings and their fans celebrate their Stanley Cup championship at a rally inside Staples Center. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Kings Coach Darryl Sutter, center with cap, and his son Chris watch a replay of the Kings’ championship run during a rally at Staples Center. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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The Kings’ Justin Williams carries the Conn Smythe Trophy into Staples Center during the championship celebration. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Kings captain Dustin Brown gets some help carrying the Stanley Cup from his son Mason. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Kings Jarret Stoll, Matt Greene and Willie Mitchell revel in the crowds in front of Staples Center during the Stanley Cup parade. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Mason Brown, son of Kings captain Dustin Brown, picks up confetti next to the Stanley Cup during the Stanley Cup parade. (Wallly Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Kings goalie Jonathan Quick hoists the Stanley Cup in front of a crowd at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Fans wave from a bridge as buses carrying Kings players pass below them in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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As the parade confetti falls, Kings defenseman Drew Doughty revels in the team’s Stanley Cup triumph from atop a bus. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Thousands of fans crowd 11th Street at Figueroa Street to get a glimpse of the Kings’ victory procession. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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Kings players wave to the crowds from double-decker buses as the victory procession makes its way down Figueroa toward Staples Center. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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An LAPD officer takes a photo of parade buses as they pass by in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Kings fans reach to touch the Stanley Cup as captain Dustin Brown carries the trophy from the parade bus to Staples Center for a ceremony. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Fans cheer along Figueroa Street as players pass by during a parade for the 2014 Stanley Cup champion Kings. (Jabin Botsford / Los Angeles Times)

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Kings captain Dustin Brown, left, hands the Stanley Cup to Anze Kopitar as they celebrate during the parade. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Kings captain Dustin Brown holds the Stanley Cup in downtown Los Angeles during the championship parade. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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A fan takes a photo from a rooftop along the Stanley Cup parade route in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Kings players Trevor Lewis, left, and Drew Doughty hoist the Western Conference Trophy before thousands of fans as they celebrate their Stanley Cup win during a parade in downtown L.A. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Fans cheer as the Los Angeles Kings celebrate their Stanley Cup championship during a parade and then a rally at Staples Center. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Goalie Jonathan Quick raises the Stanley Cup over his head while confetti pours down in front of Staples Center. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Confetti fills the air at the Kings’ championship rally in front of Staples Center. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Kings fans take pictures above the buses carrying players during the Stanley Cup procession through downtown. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Confetti cannons erupt outside Staples Center as the buses carrying Kings players arrive for their Stanley Cup victory rally. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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As it rains confetti, Kings captain Dustin Brown hoist the Stanley Cup as they celebrate their NHL championship outside Staples Center. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Kings captain Dustin Brown carries the Stanley Cup into Staples Center as fans celebrate along the parade route in downtown. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

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Kings players Alec Martinez, left, Drew Doughty and Trevor Lewis hoist the Western Conference trophy as they parade along the one-mile stretch of Figueroa Street in downtown L.A. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

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Kings fans wave and cheer as the double-decker buses carrying the team players proceed along Figueroa Street on their way to Staples Center. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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Fans wave from a rooftop as buses carrying Kings players pass by. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Fans celebrate along the Stanley Cup parade route in downtown L.A. The Kings have won two NHL titles in three seasons. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

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Cellphone cameras snapping, fans exult along the Stanley Cup parade route on Figueroa Street in downtown L.A. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

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Kings player Justin Williams waves to fans along the one-mile stretch of Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

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Holding signs, banners, cameras, jerseys and Stanley Cup replicas, fans celebrate along the parade route downtown. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

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The Kings Ice Crew lead one of the buses carrying the players along the one-mile stretch of Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

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Kings fan Jayden Rivera, 3, takes in the excitement with his dad, Eric Rivera of Rosemead, as they wait to see the team players parade through downtown Los Angeles. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

By Steve Lopez

June 16, 2014 5:52 PM PT

Did the mayor just say that on live television? Yes, I’m pretty sure L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti let one slip. I wasn’t at today’s bash celebrating the L.A. Kings’ Stanley Cup victory over the New York Rangers, but I’ve now seen the video.

“They say there are two rules in politics,” Garcetti told the Staples Center crowd while holding a beer. “Never, ever be pictured with a drink in your hand and never swear. But this is a big…day.”

The missing word?

Take “puck,” slap a different first letter on it, add an “ing” and you’ve scored the winning goal.

Garcetti is, after all, a U.S. Navy reservist, and I guess part of the training involves learning how to cuss like a sailor.

You’ve got to love the way Kings legend Luc Robitaille took the microphone after Garcetti and said, “Well, we told our players not to curse. Thanks.”

I’m sure the mayor will take some heat over this, especially since school is out for summer. I heard one woman on the radio flick a backhand at the mayor for using such language with so many kids in the stands.

Who would have guessed they’d need referees on hand to escort Eric Garcetti, of all people, to the penalty box for misconduct?

But Garcetti’s PG-13 speech got what might have been the biggest cheer of his career, so don’t be surprised if he starts sounding like Andrew Dice Clay. This is not a guy who takes a lot of risks, so maybe the F-bomb was a political calculation. You thought he was wonky and stiff? No flippin’ way.

And now if Garcetti ever figures out how to pave the streets and fix the sidewalks, we’ll all know what to say.

This is a big effin’ day.