To most people that know me they know that this sentiment it true. Since Leah has given you some insight as to what brought her to live the life of hockey I figured I would take some time and share how my passion came to be.
So having spent a chunk of my childhood in Arizona (where we all know ice has to be made) I never knew that hockey existed until we moved to Portland, Oregon. Now I know what you are thinking Portland is RIP City (Portland is basketball town). My first hockey game was when I was about 8 and man let me tell you I was that crazy kid in the stands screaming and yelling; simply wanting a fight to break out. After that one game hockey fell out of my life until about four years ago after living in Boise for 6 years. That’s when Life truly became hockey!
All I did was simply answer an ad in the campus paper asking for “fun” people to be part of a Coors Light promotions crew that would be part of each home Idaho Steelheads game. Why the heck not? I know I didn’t know anything about hockey but I remember how much fun I had at the one game I had gone to years before. Well the season went a long and I had fun at the games; meeting new people and making new friends with the “boys.” Playoffs changed everything though.
As the team made it through each round everything kept getting more and more exciting; learning more and more about the game. “What is a match penalty?” “Playoffs don’t go to shoot outs but just keep playing. Really?” Who would have thought that this first season of working for the Steelheads would end with the “boys” taking home the Kelly Cup Championship? Now getting ready for my forth season to start and still working for the same group of great people I can’t imagine life without hockey. I have meant some of my closest friends in this time and have a huge extended hockey family.
There is something about walking into the arena before doors open. Watching the “boys” walking on the freshly cut ice, the smell of that ice and walking through the tunnel with the “boys” playing their usual soccer/hacky sack game.
The last couple of seasons life hasn’t ended quite the way it did that first year, but the intensity is there. A couple weeks after this season ended I promised one of my non-hockey friends that I wouldn’t mention hockey until October. Yeah that lasted all of a day. There are times that I often can’t have a conversation were hockey isn’t mentioned.
So after sharing both of our stories’s and kinda how Leah and I came to the conclusion as to the necessity of sharing our hockey lives you may be wondering why though. Well, we both have different perception on the hockey world. Both of us are fans first yes but we want to educate those who don’t know or understand why hockey is life. So in this blog we are going to chat up about the upcoming season and then also discuss a slew of subject that concern hockey. No subject is set in stone and no skate will be unturned.
Until next time….remember HOCKEY IS LIFE AND THE REST IS JUST FILLER.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
In the begining and why I love hockey
Ok, let’s get it out of the way. I’m a woman and I’m a hockey fan. Admitting it is half the problem, right?
A few years ago I read that women make up a larger percentage of the fan base for hockey than any of the other major U.S sports (football, basketball, baseball). I’m not sure where I read it and an online search turned up nothing but a bunch of other people writing about it. This tells me that I’m not the only person who read it and I didn’t dream it up.
Why do I mention this? I’ve found myself repeating this nugget of information many times over the years, most recently to a couple of strangers over after work beers. After seriously amazing this couple of guys with our hockey knowledge, Monica and I started tossing around the idea of this blog. Actually, during the drinking of the beer we were talking about how someone should blog about the Idaho Steelheads from a fan perspective. It wasn’t until the next morning that inspiration truly struck.
And so, here we are. Well, right now it’s just me so I might as well tell you what’s on my mind.
Those two guys in the bar that night keep popping into my mind. They weren’t that memorable in themselves. What really stuck with me was their shock that the two women knew so much about hockey.
Why is it so astounding?
I blame football.
Why football, you say?
Do I have to have a reason?
Ok, fair enough…It’s quotes like this: “Female fans do love the game, but most started watching football because a cute player caught their eye”.
I admit is a stereotype. It leads to assumptions that woman can’t possibly be “real” fans. It leads people believe women are too busy watching Peyton Manning’s tight end to know what a real tight end is.
Back to hockey. Every woman probably has their own story of why they love hockey. I’d be willing to bet that every story involves going to game. Maybe their dad took them when they were little girls. Maybe it was an ex-boyfriend or a husband. My story involves cheap tickets and my friend Charlie.
The Steelheads came to Boise just about the same time I arrived for college. Even with the close proximity of hockey, and my slightly peeked curiosity about a sport my father and brother knew nothing about, it was still a few years before I would see a game. I grew up in Nevada where our ice “rink” was a 10x20 foot hole in a seedy park that the fire dept. would fill if the ground froze (big “IF”, it’s Nevada remember). The ice usually lasted till about mid-morning at which time it became mush. In my town, baseball was the big sport until you hit 9th grade and then football was life. I had absolutely no knowledge of hockey. Gordie who? So spending my hard earned money on tickets was hard to justify.
I graduated college and landed that fabulous entry level job all recent grads dream about. I was toiling away in oblivion when out of nowhere I get an e-mail announcing employee group night tickets at low price. I jumped, what the heck, it’s something to do. But there was still a problem. I didn’t know the first thing about hockey.
That’s where Charlie comes in. Charlie grew up watching the Avs play when Roy was in goal. He’s my hockey Wikipedia. I called him, he agreed to go. A decision I’m sure he regretted later. The first 5 minutes of that game went something like this:
Me: “Why did they blow the whistle?”
Charlie: “Crosschecking”
Me: “oh, what’s that?
Charlie takes both hands and makes a shoving motion.
30 seconds later…
Me: “Why did they blow the whistle?”
Charlie: “Elbowing”
Me: “Oh. How can you see that? I don't know where to watch.”
1 minute later…
Me: “Why did that guy get to come out of the penalty box, his two minutes aren’t up?”
Charlie: “Because we scored”
Me: “So because we did something good the other team gets him back early? That doesn’t seem fair.”
20 seconds later...
Me: "Why do the players switch out so often? How do they know when to change?"
30 seconds later…
Me: “What was that whistle for?”
Charlie: “Offsides. I’m going to get a beer, this is going to be a long game”
After I shut up long enough to actually watch the game, I noticed a few things. The game is pure excitement and brute physicality, but it is also smooth and graceful. It takes a lot of coordination to guide a rubber puck with a wooden stick at 20 mph on ice while 5 guys with blades on their feet and their own wooden sticks want nothing more than to take you out and steal your puck, and maybe punch you in the face just because. Sometimes the crowd gets so quiet that you can hear the swish of the skates on the ice. And sometimes the crowd is so loud that you can’t help but get swept away. And get swept away I did.
I love that moment when I first walk in the arena and smell the crispness of the ice. and the contrasts in the ice when the zamboni has half the rink cut. I love watching the agile coordination of players coming on and off the ice (I did figure out why and how they know when to change). I love a good fight, a big hit into the boards that makes the glass ripple, a quirky goal, the tense moments when it's down to the last minute and the game is tied. Now, I hardly miss a Steelheads game. When I do, it’s usually because I’m watching my son play the game that he’s also grown to love.
When it comes to hockey, I have to agree with this comment that I found on this blog… “I love hockey because it's a combination of unparalleled skill, unquestionable toughness, machine-like precision, supermodel-like beauty and grace. If given the choice between oxygen and hockey, I'd make sure my final blue-faced minutes were spent watching the greatest thing known to man.” Yes, I know what team that blogger likes, no I'm not proud to be referencing it, but you have to admit, the quote nails it.
A few years ago I read that women make up a larger percentage of the fan base for hockey than any of the other major U.S sports (football, basketball, baseball). I’m not sure where I read it and an online search turned up nothing but a bunch of other people writing about it. This tells me that I’m not the only person who read it and I didn’t dream it up.
Why do I mention this? I’ve found myself repeating this nugget of information many times over the years, most recently to a couple of strangers over after work beers. After seriously amazing this couple of guys with our hockey knowledge, Monica and I started tossing around the idea of this blog. Actually, during the drinking of the beer we were talking about how someone should blog about the Idaho Steelheads from a fan perspective. It wasn’t until the next morning that inspiration truly struck.
And so, here we are. Well, right now it’s just me so I might as well tell you what’s on my mind.
Those two guys in the bar that night keep popping into my mind. They weren’t that memorable in themselves. What really stuck with me was their shock that the two women knew so much about hockey.
Why is it so astounding?
I blame football.
Why football, you say?
Do I have to have a reason?
Ok, fair enough…It’s quotes like this: “Female fans do love the game, but most started watching football because a cute player caught their eye”.
I admit is a stereotype. It leads to assumptions that woman can’t possibly be “real” fans. It leads people believe women are too busy watching Peyton Manning’s tight end to know what a real tight end is.
Back to hockey. Every woman probably has their own story of why they love hockey. I’d be willing to bet that every story involves going to game. Maybe their dad took them when they were little girls. Maybe it was an ex-boyfriend or a husband. My story involves cheap tickets and my friend Charlie.
The Steelheads came to Boise just about the same time I arrived for college. Even with the close proximity of hockey, and my slightly peeked curiosity about a sport my father and brother knew nothing about, it was still a few years before I would see a game. I grew up in Nevada where our ice “rink” was a 10x20 foot hole in a seedy park that the fire dept. would fill if the ground froze (big “IF”, it’s Nevada remember). The ice usually lasted till about mid-morning at which time it became mush. In my town, baseball was the big sport until you hit 9th grade and then football was life. I had absolutely no knowledge of hockey. Gordie who? So spending my hard earned money on tickets was hard to justify.
I graduated college and landed that fabulous entry level job all recent grads dream about. I was toiling away in oblivion when out of nowhere I get an e-mail announcing employee group night tickets at low price. I jumped, what the heck, it’s something to do. But there was still a problem. I didn’t know the first thing about hockey.
That’s where Charlie comes in. Charlie grew up watching the Avs play when Roy was in goal. He’s my hockey Wikipedia. I called him, he agreed to go. A decision I’m sure he regretted later. The first 5 minutes of that game went something like this:
Me: “Why did they blow the whistle?”
Charlie: “Crosschecking”
Me: “oh, what’s that?
Charlie takes both hands and makes a shoving motion.
30 seconds later…
Me: “Why did they blow the whistle?”
Charlie: “Elbowing”
Me: “Oh. How can you see that? I don't know where to watch.”
1 minute later…
Me: “Why did that guy get to come out of the penalty box, his two minutes aren’t up?”
Charlie: “Because we scored”
Me: “So because we did something good the other team gets him back early? That doesn’t seem fair.”
20 seconds later...
Me: "Why do the players switch out so often? How do they know when to change?"
30 seconds later…
Me: “What was that whistle for?”
Charlie: “Offsides. I’m going to get a beer, this is going to be a long game”
After I shut up long enough to actually watch the game, I noticed a few things. The game is pure excitement and brute physicality, but it is also smooth and graceful. It takes a lot of coordination to guide a rubber puck with a wooden stick at 20 mph on ice while 5 guys with blades on their feet and their own wooden sticks want nothing more than to take you out and steal your puck, and maybe punch you in the face just because. Sometimes the crowd gets so quiet that you can hear the swish of the skates on the ice. And sometimes the crowd is so loud that you can’t help but get swept away. And get swept away I did.
I love that moment when I first walk in the arena and smell the crispness of the ice. and the contrasts in the ice when the zamboni has half the rink cut. I love watching the agile coordination of players coming on and off the ice (I did figure out why and how they know when to change). I love a good fight, a big hit into the boards that makes the glass ripple, a quirky goal, the tense moments when it's down to the last minute and the game is tied. Now, I hardly miss a Steelheads game. When I do, it’s usually because I’m watching my son play the game that he’s also grown to love.
When it comes to hockey, I have to agree with this comment that I found on this blog… “I love hockey because it's a combination of unparalleled skill, unquestionable toughness, machine-like precision, supermodel-like beauty and grace. If given the choice between oxygen and hockey, I'd make sure my final blue-faced minutes were spent watching the greatest thing known to man.” Yes, I know what team that blogger likes, no I'm not proud to be referencing it, but you have to admit, the quote nails it.
Why do you love hockey?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
