Monday, April 24, 2017

Yup, I'm talking hockey again. Cuz I can...

I've been watching hockey for a year now...I came in somewhere in the middle of the 2016 playoffs. The Stars lost in the second round to the St. Louis Blues who are making a run for the Cup again this year. The Blues won this past Saturday in overtime, sending them once again to the second round...

But that's not the point of this. :0)

Last year, I knew nothing about hockey except that the team that scored the most goals won the game. And that's pretty much the easiest thing about hockey to understand.

Now lest you think I watch hockey to watch the hot athletes, let me disabuse you of that notion right now--those men wear so much padding that there's nothing to ogle. In fact, I went to a Stars open practice a while back and saw some of the players in street clothes after the fact and, quite frankly, I was shocked at how skinny a couple of those guys actually are.

Let's compare...Tyler Seguin in street clothes...


Tyler Seguin in hockey gear...


As lovely as he is, I digress...

So over the course of the last seven months (hockey season starts in October), I've watched games and listened to announcers and I've learned a bit about the strategy of the game. I've learned things like why a player slides across the ice...it's not because he slipped, although sometimes it happens. It's because he's trying to block the puck. I've learned that sometimes players pick fights just to rouse the crowd. Of course, sometimes, they're just pissed off. And I've learned why players chuck the puck down the ice without there necessarily being a teammate waiting for it...to clear it away from their goalie/net.

I still have a lot to learn, but I don't think hockey's going anywhere for awhile.

Now if only learning about writing was as easy as watching and listening...



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