The Anti-Hockey thread

[Hecubus]

Don't be a playa hata, Lou...

Those guys are tougher than football players....

A typical football play is about 5-7 seconds, a hockey shift lasts 45 secs to a minute.

Football Season is 16 games, Hockey is 82.

Football players play once a week. Hockey players 2-3 times a week.

Football hitting is fierce, but so is hockey and they're skating 25 mph when they collide, plus they have a small piece of frozen hard rubber shot at their bodies at 80-100+ miles per hour. That leaves a mark.

Generally, football players are all about chest thumping & 'me', hockey players are always about the team.

Don't get me wrong, I love football. Grew up watching it & playing it in high school & college, and the pro team I root for has 5 Lombardi's in the trophy case (even tho 2004-05 is a rebuilding year), but it's become pretty classless with all of the showboating & trash talking.

[Lou]

See that's the thing.

I am in no way doubting how hard hockey players have to work. I know the sport is violent, I know their conditioning has to be exceptional to make it in the NHL. Like Jeremy Roenick had his jaw shattered and came back a few weeks later and is playing without a mask. I am in no way questioning that you have to be a tough motherfucker to play hockey.

All I'm saying is that I don't like the sport. I don't hate the players, I hate the game itself.

[Lou]

Alright gang we have Philadelphia/Tampa and Calgary/San Jose.

I am PRAYING for a Tampa/Calgary Stanley Cup finals to take away a market in the US and screw ESPN/ABC, and for the one market that they do have (Tampa) to be as small as can be.

Then I hope Calgary wins so they won't be doing much merchandising and profiting off that in the US.

[Bob_R]

I hope it turns out totally the opposite of what you wish. Just so something so trivial pisses the shit out of you.

[Lou]

See here's the thing--if the Flyers were to win it all, it wouldn't count in my mind as breaking the streak of no championships in 21 years. Just wouldn't count. My reaction would be this:

"So THIS is our championship?"

[Bob_R]

Originally posted by Lou
See here's the thing--if the Flyers were to win it all, it wouldn't count in my mind as breaking the streak of no championships in 21 years. Just wouldn't count. My reaction would be this:

"So THIS is our championship?"

Please explain.

[Lou]

Because the media will all be saying that the streak of no championships in Philadelphia since 1983 is broken, but it's gonna be a really empty feeling for me because I consider it a minor league sport. Sort of like how a guy who never gets off the bench on a team that wins a championship gets a ring. But it feels hollow.

It just doesn't count. A hockey championship to me is the equivalent of a lacrosse championship. Yeah it's a professional sport but it's not the same as MLB, NFL, or NBA. Believe me there are many people who feel like me here, including a radio talk show host for WIP (sports station).

[Bob_R]

Yeah, OK, whatever.

[Lou]

Well it is, and there are a LOT of people around this area and the country who feel that way. Why else are the ratings in the toilet? There is VERY LITTLE excitement here on the radio about the Flyers. Part of it is that the Flyers have done this before, but also a part of it is that people just don't care about hockey. It's a minor league sport.

[Bob_R]

I understand exactly where you're coming from Lou. In this country for sure hockey is No. 4. In Canada it's by far #1.

I'm just passionate about hockey Lou and I don't want you to be all upset over this. It's all cool bro.