Hockey Good; ESPN Stupid
The city of Vancouver continues preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympics. The games will be spectacular, and hockey will again feature professional athletes.
Not that ESPN will care.
The worldwide leader in sports divorced hockey years ago. When football is out of season, you’re stuck with basketball–great to play, useless to watch.
Oh sure, such statements are heresy during the March run to the Final Four, but that’s college. In a few days, the student-athletes will be traded in for NBA players. If Kobe Bryant and stars played a game in my backyard, I would close the curtains. Yet that’s all the “worldwide leader in sports” wants to talk about.
Many commentators believed the network snub would destroy hockey. They were wrong. Hockey is resurging in popularity as a result of a few key factors.
- Excitement–Have you ever watched hockey? Find an arena and go to ONE game. Watch it live. Then tell me what sport is the best live. That includes football.
- Starpower–Evgeni Malkin, Alexander Ovechkin, and Sidney Crosby. Imagine a sport where world class athletes could compete at the highest levels and display class and character off the ice on a consistent basis. They’re not perfect, but they’re also not very scandalous.
- Alternate media outlets–The NHL television network is fantastic. Satellite radio offers the NHL Home Ice (XM 204) so fans can listen to good sports talk with never a mention of the NBA or any other sport. ESPN has legitimate competition.
- Did I mention Sidney Crosby? The world’s best player is able to do things other humans can’t even think of. Some of Crosby’s greatest plays have resulted in no points, but the acrobatic brilliance, the coordination and skill can not be denied. Sure I’m biased. I had a bird’s eye view yesterday to another day in Crosby’s office. He took a pass, exploded past two defenders, and beat New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, one of the best goalies in the world.
How good is Lunqvist? He led Sweden to the gold medal in the 2006 Olympics, the last time the world saw the best players in the world compete for their nation. Next year will be even better.
Until then if you stick with ESPN you’re stuck with basketball and baseball, the latter has it’s own issues. So watch the NBA if you like scandal, arrests, and allegations of referees who fix the competition.
Or you can get to know hockey, the greatest sport on earth.
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Life. Culture. Education.
Life as Pop Culture Professor Clay Morgan
In The Matrix, Morpheus tells Neo he can take the blue pill and go on believing whatever he wants to believe. Or he can take the red pill to stay in Wonderland and find out how deep the rabbit hole goes.
This is a red pill type site that provides information in an entertaining way. It’s about clear thinking and good writing. It’s about finding meaning amidst the absurd. It’s about humor and truth.
I’m a writer / speaker who teaches history and political courses at a couple of local colleges. Where is local, you say? Well, that would be Wonderland of course.
On topics ranging from pop culture to the meaning of life, my brain’s always poppin’. Take the red pill and unplug.
This blog’s great!! Thanks
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Do you think the Pens can make a push this last week of the season and finish as high as the #4 seed? I think they can because of Crosby.
Check out this awesome link: Sidney Crosby
It’s definitely possible. This Wednesday night game against New Jersey is the key. If they beat the Devils, playoffs should be a lock with possible #4 seed. Once the playoffs start, who knows? That’s why hockey’s playoffs are the best.