Something is missing from my sporting life. If you know me, that may sound confusing. After all, the Patriots are hitting their yearly second half stride and looked poised for a deep playoff run, the Syracuse men's basketball team is once again ranked in the top 10, and the new look Celtics are showing small glimpses of the team they will be down the stretch.
Why so sad then?
I miss hockey.
There, I said it. The same guy who ranted in a previous post about how the NHL was, and always would be, a AAA sport, misses it. Actually, I don't miss it. I need it.
Somewhere in the last five years, they got me. I tasted the forbidden fruit of a game I never played as a kid, and couldn't get enough. Now I consume everything related to hockey that I can get my hands on, watch every Bruins game, play NHL on XBOX nightly, and even bought an authentic Bruins jersey. I am on the stuff, hardcore. And now that it has been taken away from me, I am losing my shit.
I need the ability to sit down in front of the TV and watch an exciting sporting event in less than 3 hours that is not constantly being started and stopped by commercials and instant replays. I need a sport where big hits are still greeted with praise rather than scorn, one where the players police themselves rather than an overbearing league office sifting through game film, and celebrations are saved for accomplishments actually deserving of exuberance. I miss the insanely over the top television commentary of Jack Edwards and the smooth baritone of Bob Beers on the dial, as well as the edge of your seat tension during the end of game flurry of a close game.
No other American sport can offer these things. Watching football is a lesson in commercialism and committee meetings, the NBA is a elaborate jump shooting contest, and soccer is well, soccer.
I have intentionally kept myself away from the details of why the NHL season is in serious jeopardy of being erased for the second time in 7 years. I honestly don't care. In my head it is like any sports strike or lockout -- a bunch of greedy owners and a bunch of players getting advice from a greedy leader arguing over minutia of just how rich they will all be.
I refuse to take a side or pretend to care. Just get it done. Make nice, shake hands, compromise, change leadership, whatever. Do what you have to do to start playing hockey. At this point, it really is that simple.
Just give me my hockey. I won't wait around forever.
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