Over on Puck Daddy, Greg Wyshynski has a feature that runs occasionally where he invites some blogger, celebrity, etc. to give their top 5 reasons why they love hockey. I'm not a celebrity and I'm certainly not well enough known to ever be invited to partake in this but I would like to make my own list. So here, I would like to explain the top 9 reasons why I love hockey. Why 9? I could try to be really creative and say it's 9 to commemorate Johnny Bucyk's belated half-birthday (which was last Thursday, I suppose) but I'll just admit that it's 2 a.m. and I'm out of answers.
9) Fighting: Yep, it's number 9. That means that this list is going to get even better than pugilistic truculence! I had this discussion over the weekend with a friend. I really have no desire to watch boxing or anything of the sort. (As I write this, I'm watching wrestling but I'm also drinking so that makes it okay.) Yet, when a fight breaks out in the middle of a hockey game, I find it horribly entertaining, as does everyone else. There are two things that bring an entire stadium to their feet: goals and fights. People cheer for fights just as loud, if not louder, than they cheer for goals.
I love that there's still a place in hockey for a fight. While I am all about the Europeanization (yep, it's a word now because I said it) of the league with faster skating and more finesse players, I don't ever think that fighting should not be a part of the game. (Hence, I love the Wings and the truculent Leafs. Duh.) There is nothing better than two guys throwing their gloves down and settling their differences with some haymakers. For example:
8) Alexander Ovechkin: I love him. I think he is the most gifted goal scorer in a very long time and, with the right marketing and placement, could be the new Wayne Gretzky in terms of a relationship with the non-hockey world. Because that's who non-hockey fans think of still when you ask them to name one hockey player. And he hasn't played in 10 years. Doesn't anyone else think that's an issue? Just me? Oh, okay.
No matter how much the NHL wants everyone to accept Sidney Crosby as the "face of the NHL", it's just not happening. He's not personable, he's not charismatic, he's not the kind of person that grabs attention. But Gretzky wasn't that kind of person either and surely most wouldn't describe him as charismatic, right? The 80s were a different time. Pre-youtube, pre-internet, pre-instant gratification for ADD. Something has to grab your attention because if people don't find something interesting, they can and will just find something else to entertain themselves.
This is why, even though some people get so upset with Ovie's over the top celebrations, it is exactly what is needed in order to expand the NHL. People want action and emotion and entertainment and he provides that. As I will later talk about, it's all about keeping hockey accessible. The things that a player like Crosby does, or even Datsyuk and Malkin and Zetterberg and a host of other top names, is something that is almost too far under the radar for the novice hockey fan, for the casual fan, for the person flipping by on the remote who accidentally passes by Versus to appreciate. The casual fan or the "Sportscenter" fan can appreciate Ovechkin, his moves, his goals and his celebrations with absolutely no knowledge of hockey. He sells it better than anyone else has in a long time and I truly believe that Ovie is the way to market the NHL. (Dear NHL marketing department, Please give me a job. Thanks. Sincerely, MGdB)
It took me 20 minutes to narrow down the pictures of Ovechkin celebrations and only select one. Seriously. Google Image Search "Ovechkin celebration". I'll see you in at least 20 minutes.
7) Family: Hockey is family event for me. Some of my favorite memories from the past few years with my fam has been driving up to Joe Louis Arena, having dinner in the Olympia Club, going to playoff games and debating about what went right and what went wrong the whole way home while listening to 97.1 until it gets too static-y when we cross the state line out of Michigan. We even sit down at dinner and talk about what happened in the hockey world that day, comparing rumors we heard, who signed with what team and what teams are playing that night. Hockey is a serious family affair in my house.
6) Minor league teams: As I've explained before, I think that minor league hockey is amazing. It doesn't suffer from the corporate clientele like the NHL does. It's always easy to get tickets and tickets aren't expensive at all. Minor league games are fun because the players aren't superstars; they're all just regular guys trying to make it. A lot of minor league teams have a rabid fan following that almost resembles the atmosphere of collegiate hockey where there are chants and traditions. I highly suggest going to a minor league game. You'll have fun. I promise.
5) Accessibility: I love that I can take anyone to a hockey game and they'll have a good time. Whether it's their first game or their thousandth, there is always something new and enjoyable. There is the novice hockey fan who really enjoys the fights, always waiting for a big check or a scrum to break out in the crease. The intermediate (for lack of a better word) fan will notice a good save or a nice goal. The experienced hockey fan will point out a good penalty kill, blocked shot or set up pass. No matter what, there is always something more to learn about the game and always something more to enjoy. I love taking people to their first game because I can't think of one person who I have introduced to the sport who hasn't become at least the slightest bit of a fan. I can't think of anyone who was like, "No, I don't think hockey is for me."
4) The Fans and Community: Perhaps I'm just unaware of other communities because I'm not a part of them but seriously, hockey fans are the best. I look forward to going to work and sitting on Twitter just to read what all the hockey people are talking about. I love the heated debates on LetsGoWings and I love the game day discussions on Pension Plan Puppets. I wake up every morning and read the morning links on Puck Daddy. I have talked to great people all over the world as a result of hockey. I love that the majority of hockey fans can have intelligent discussion and be so passionate about their team, their players, their organization (pronounced organ-eye-zation) while still being respectful of the other's viewpoint. There is a certain respect among most hockey fans because we've all experienced wins and losses, highs and lows, playoff success and terrible failures. And we all endure under the reign of Gary Bettman so there's that unifying factor.
3) Playoff Beards: While I am not a fan of the Islanders, we can thank them for one thing- the playoff beard tradition. Let's just state the obvious that I think that it is a favorable attribute if a man plays hockey. (That's quite an understatement, by the way.) So take these already attractive men and send them off on a two month journey that takes strength, courage, dedication and heart that ends with handshakes and tears of joy and of pain. That's just sexy right there. Now, let's put beards on them and make 'em look really manly and scruffy and testosterontastic. (I'm just inventing words all over the place!) It's a wonder women all over North America aren't being arrested left and right for jumping players' bones during the playoffs.
I miss the Shanny beard.
2) The Playoffs: April, May and June are my favorite months of the year. The hockey post-season is incredibly intense and exhausting for me and I'm not even playing. I literally spend every day thinking about the next games that are going on. I have a betting pool with some friends and family that involves picking winners and the number of games for the series and there's a complicated point system that I have perfected over the last 10 years. I have to print up a calendar for myself just to keep track of what teams are playing each night, at what time and on what channel. I watch every game. Every single game. Because I don't want to miss a moment because it's all history in the making. It's quite incredible and it really is the greatest time of year.
The Stanley Cup is the hardest trophy to win in all of pro sports and I say that with no hesitation. The score in a hockey game can change so quickly. One shot, one goal, one save can change the momentum and the outcome of an entire series. That means that every single moment in every game in every round matters. There are no meaningless wins when it's do or die in a best of 7. For the fans, that gives us two and half months of nail-biting, anxiety-inducing, stressful games and there's only one thing that can top that...
1) The Stanley Cup: There is just something about this shiny hunk of metal that just makes me absolutely in awe in it's presence. I have a poster on my bedroom door (because I'm still 12 years old apparently) of the Stanley Cup. The first time I saw it in person, I almost cried thinking of all the people that have touched it and held it, all the people who have lifted it in victory, all the people who dreamed of lifting it and fell short and all the people who will one day lift it. It's more than just a sports trophy; it's a piece of history.
Shanny's beard, as much as I love the guy, was a total cop-out. As a guy who grows a beard for the Wings, trust me on this one. There is a LOT of itching, clumping, and other annoyances that go on well outside the goatee area by the end of the second round or so.
ReplyDeleteEven worse are the Mike Green-inspired fauxhawks. Those will be cool until someone figures out a way to show even less investment in the cause.
Other than that, you really nailed everything; I won't take away from it by commenting.