ajzepp Posted October 6, 2009 Posted October 6, 2009 I love watching plays develop. I remember you feeling that same way about soccer in some of our Gringo threads
Chef Jim Posted October 6, 2009 Posted October 6, 2009 I remember you feeling that same way about soccer in some of our Gringo threads Let me rephrase. I like plays that develop into something.
ajzepp Posted October 6, 2009 Posted October 6, 2009 Let me rephrase. I like plays that develop into something.
BuffaloBill Posted October 6, 2009 Posted October 6, 2009 I disagree too. I fell in love with hockey on the floor with a sock nearly 40 years ago. Are you confusing hockey with the start of your sex life?
Chef Jim Posted October 6, 2009 Posted October 6, 2009 Are you confusing hockey with the start of your sex life? Sabres hockey....sex.....I've been getting !@#$ed all these years either way.
ExiledInIllinois Posted October 7, 2009 Posted October 7, 2009 I disagree too. I fell in love with hockey on the floor with a sock nearly 40 years ago. Also playing the table top games. And in the summer we played street hockey for hours and hours. Hockey is elitist? Not talking street hockey... And I said outside of Canada and of course the other niche American/border markets... The game is far from elitist. Having a team greatly promotes the children to play pick up. But, really I was talkign about ice hockey outside of the non-traditional areas. Will some communites even let children play in the street anymore... Most won't even let people hang a clothesline. If a family has a 100 bucks in their pocket and looking for a game for little Jr. to pick up on... They are not going to say: "Ice hockey!"... The: "Mum, can I have a quarter for hoekey?" Only floats in Canada. Don't get me wrong... It is very much a skilled game... And ice skating needs the constant practice at the skill or one tends to lose a little skill. The game just takes a ton of equipment. And for growing bodies that sucks... Not to mention finding ice-time, which is practically impossible even where I live!
ExiledInIllinois Posted October 7, 2009 Posted October 7, 2009 He's about half-right when it comes to the sports acceptance. The reason hockey is so big in Canada and the northern states is that its ingrained in our culture as a winter activity. When its cold enough out, every kid in that region rushes to a pond or an outdoor rink and plays hockey til the sun goes down (or even longer if the rink is lit). In the southern US, where is a kid going to play the game without having the money and resources to afford playing at one of the two or three rinks their city has? My job was thinking about sending me to San Fran to work there. I looked up the price of hockey registration for myself and it came to $2000! For ONE SEASON. I pay that much here in Ottawa for two years of year-round hockey! Exactly. Even here in Chicago it gets tough. The later years under old-man Wirtz didn't help. But, going back you can visit my village hall and see old pictures of a local team of children that played for my village... BACK IN THE EARLY 1970's... Any conincidence that the 'Hawks were doing well that time with say Mikita and Esposito... Made the finals against the Habs in what? 1973? You look at the pictures and the children are wearing nothing but their skates and winter clothes... No helmets, shields, or fancy Esposito/Hall/Makita jerseys. Just a simple rink set up on the baseball field. Do you think my village would even muster up a team now! You would have to go into the more affluent suburbs (in the south suburbs) like Homewood or Flossmoor to find an indoor rink... The only FREE outdoor rink in Flossmoor can get very sketchy during the winter. You guys thinkt hat would float nowadays... God fordid a child lost a baby tooth! Some children are already wearinf braces with baby teeth!
ExiledInIllinois Posted October 7, 2009 Posted October 7, 2009 These games are still played on a surface conducive to being able to bring the skills they attain to the real field. I love street hockey as much as the next guy but the ice surface is what distinguishes the game from every other sport in the world. Sure kids in the south can play street hockey but just playing street hockey makes it very hard for kids to relate to the stars of the game. Kids want to emulate their favorite athletes as much as possible and not being to skate or getting access to ice makes that very difficult. I agree Heels. Please people, I am not dissing the game. I believe I am speaking the truth. And if the game wants to address the truth, then things will change for the better.
olivier in france Posted October 7, 2009 Posted October 7, 2009 I loved it seeing I hate announcers. I've been watching sports for about 45 years I don't need someone telling me what I just saw. it's even maybe a hidden reason why i love american sports : I don't understand a lot of the bad jokes and comments the announcers make and if i do not want to listen them i can , you can not when you hear people talking in your mother tongue.
olivier in france Posted October 7, 2009 Posted October 7, 2009 If we had an NHL team here we might care. if i lived in that Paradise you live in i'd not care about hockey either!
ExiledInIllinois Posted October 7, 2009 Posted October 7, 2009 if i lived in that Paradise you live in i'd not care about hockey either! Ya, quite a paradise that Willamette Valley and other places of NW OR is! ...Until Mount Hood blows it top!
olivier in france Posted October 7, 2009 Posted October 7, 2009 Ya, quite a paradise that Willamette Valley and other places of NW OR is! ...Until Mount Hood blows it top! it's the price to pay when you live in some paradises... amazingly a lot of the greatest places on Earth are under a Damocles Sword... the Bay area, the Naples Bay, Iceland, the Pacific NW valleys, many Pacific paradise islands, big parts of Hawaii , New Orleans...
Dante Posted October 7, 2009 Posted October 7, 2009 Ya, quite a paradise that Willamette Valley and other places of NW OR is! ...Until Mount Hood blows it top! Not sure if your being sarcastic or not but damn, I love it up there. My brother lives in West Linn and I think its a beautiful area.
ExiledInIllinois Posted October 7, 2009 Posted October 7, 2009 Not sure if your being sarcastic or not but damn, I love it up there. My brother lives in West Linn and I think its a beautiful area. I do too! It is like Olivier sums up. Some of the most awesome places live under such a cloud (probably why they are great locations). Like the ancient Minoans found out!
Chef Jim Posted October 7, 2009 Posted October 7, 2009 if i lived in that Paradise you live in i'd not care about hockey either! You talking about Oregon or her bedroom?
Spun Posted October 7, 2009 Posted October 7, 2009 NHL hockey includes a small circle of passionate cities and fans. Honestly, I could care less about the cities or people that don't care about the sport. Some people have never played the sport and some don't relate to hockey in it's most well known version - that is, ice hockey. It is a great sport to play (anywhere) and watch. There are other great sports that people don't turn on to (lacrosse comes to mind). Try gauging the popularity of surfing in say... Kansas? Not as passionate for surfing in Kansas as California. A lot of kids today are inundated by so many other options. Choices that stood out for some of us as kids do not have the same impact for kids today. And kids have a lot of sway as to whether a sport is popular or not. The X-Games is one example of what is different and the passion for games such as Wii is also different. Baseball was more popular in the past. Boxing was more popular also but seems to have been bypassed by MMA. The NHL has lot of exciting stars today. If people don't care to watch, they are missing some great times. John Tavares should be an interesting addition for the NHL and 6 foot 7 Tyler Myers should be interesting for the Sabres. I do enjoy the sport and I am glad the season has started. I too wish the Sabres could win one. But if not, I still enjoy the season.
drinkTHEkoolaid Posted October 7, 2009 Posted October 7, 2009 hockey isnt on espn. hockey isnt as fantasy friendly as football. hockey schedule is all over the place. people who aren't brought up in the sport think its those "silly northerners" with complex rules and intricate strategy that is not explained to them and they dont understand... but people who are hockey fans are fanatical over it. just my .02 cents.
olivier in france Posted October 7, 2009 Posted October 7, 2009 You talking about Oregon or her bedroom? lol i was talking about NW Oregon ...I do not know Lana but it looks like you do... how's that bedroom?!!!
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