Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Best tradition in sports
I just finished watching the Anaheim Ducks defeat Detroit 4-3 to win the Western Conference championship and go on to the Stanley Cup final. Man, that was fun! I have to write this little love letter to playoff hockey.
In the playoffs, the games are rarely interrupted by mindless and often pointless fights. Players are more focused and intense. This allows the fan to appreciate the speed, flow and continuous action. Hockey is a beautiful sport in ways that no other team sport can approach. It also has much better tv announcers than pro football, baseball or basketball. Mike Emrick expresses the excitement and energy of the game. His voice actually gets excited at the right moments - imagine that. And best of all, since hockey is on the obscure network Versus, there are no annoying crowd shots of celebrities! No bands, no dancers. Again, imagine that - the camera stays focused on the action.
There was a lot of action to enjoy tonight too. The Ducks playing at home roared to a 3-0 lead in the 3rd period. It appeared that they would cruise into the Cup finals. Then the Red Wings relentlessly pushed the attack for the final 20 minutes. They put 16 shots on goal. Three went in. But the Ducks scored a 4th goal with 14 minutes to go and held on for the win.
Following the game, I got all goosebumped as I watched my favorite tradition in sports - the players line up at center ice and shake hands. This is not like little leaguers idly slapping their opponents hands and saying "good game, good game" as they look the other way and rush through the line. The players firmly grasp the hand of each opponent while looking into his face and saying a few words of congratulation or consolation. After several seconds, he moves on to the next player in line. I witnessed intense competitors clearly showing respect for each other. That is the pure essence of sport. And it reminded me that even adults paid a handsome salary as professionals can embody the best amateur spirit.
In the playoffs, the games are rarely interrupted by mindless and often pointless fights. Players are more focused and intense. This allows the fan to appreciate the speed, flow and continuous action. Hockey is a beautiful sport in ways that no other team sport can approach. It also has much better tv announcers than pro football, baseball or basketball. Mike Emrick expresses the excitement and energy of the game. His voice actually gets excited at the right moments - imagine that. And best of all, since hockey is on the obscure network Versus, there are no annoying crowd shots of celebrities! No bands, no dancers. Again, imagine that - the camera stays focused on the action.
There was a lot of action to enjoy tonight too. The Ducks playing at home roared to a 3-0 lead in the 3rd period. It appeared that they would cruise into the Cup finals. Then the Red Wings relentlessly pushed the attack for the final 20 minutes. They put 16 shots on goal. Three went in. But the Ducks scored a 4th goal with 14 minutes to go and held on for the win.
Following the game, I got all goosebumped as I watched my favorite tradition in sports - the players line up at center ice and shake hands. This is not like little leaguers idly slapping their opponents hands and saying "good game, good game" as they look the other way and rush through the line. The players firmly grasp the hand of each opponent while looking into his face and saying a few words of congratulation or consolation. After several seconds, he moves on to the next player in line. I witnessed intense competitors clearly showing respect for each other. That is the pure essence of sport. And it reminded me that even adults paid a handsome salary as professionals can embody the best amateur spirit.
