Hockey is a real sport

So in reading through some tweets and Facebook updates tonight during the USA vs. Canada hockey game, I find it amazing that all of a sudden everyone likes hockey. Now, I’m actually a bit bitter about this. Hockey is easily the most underrated professional sport in existence. I like the hard-hitting, high-impact, energetic atmosphere. I like that it’s a tough game to grasp, and that those guys are incredibly talented to do all that they do while wearing ice skates. If you think about it, it really requires a lot of coordination. However, professional hockey teams also have really low salary caps, and it’s the only professional sport ever to cancel its season due to a labor strike.

I think it’s great that folks have jumped on the bandwagon, though. I’m glad the Olympics have opened the eyes of a lot of folks as to how awesome of a sport hockey truly is. But listen -- if you watch it more regularly, you’ll see these awesome guys playing more, and you’ll get to see them play in games where there are hardcore rivalries, and everyone in the league is vying for one thing: the Stanley Cup. Folks like Crosby, Malkin, Staal (and other Penguins players), Ovechkin, Brodeur, and many many more talented guys hit the ice 3-4 times per week -- and each game is awesome.

So I’ll leave you with this thought. I can’t remember a basketball team, a tennis match, a Bowl game, a baseball game, or any other sporting event, for that matter, ultimately giving hope to an entire nation in despair, as one specific hockey team. I leave you with, the “Miracle on Ice.” Enjoy, and in the words of Penguins commentator Mike Lang, “Get in the fast lane, Grandma -- the bingo game’s ready to roll!