Wednesday, June 15, 2011

There’s no crying in Hockey

by J. Scott Moore

Well, yes there is. Once a year on the last game of the season, grown men cry. They do it with millions of people watching them on television. Some do it openly. Some hang their head, their stick forgotten in a limp hand as they slump on the bench.

Gloves that were previously used to agitate an opponent are now used to dry their own tears. The first ones to cry are the losers. The clock ticks down the moments before the end of a dream. From role players to superstars, sometimes you only get one shot at the Cup. Grown men sit on the ice with a stunned look on their face when it’s over. It’s the end; they know it could be the end of the dream.

Eventually they gather themselves and do what good men do, they suck it up and congratulate the opponent. The handshakes come in all varieties. Heartfelt congratulations with just a hint of sadness, the stunned handshake, and the guys that used to play together really are happy for a former teammate. It runs the gamut.

The winning team is the polar opposite, screaming, cheering and celebrating. But when that Cup is brought out the mood changes. This is it, this is what they have worked so hard for. A trophy that players refuse to touch unless they’ve earned it will bring the toughest guys on ice to tears. Tears of joy.

Whether it’s game four or game seven, this is how it plays out. But the suspense that has been building for game seven makes it all the more exciting. It’s gonna be a good one.
The last ones to cry are the fans. When the Cup is off-camera, all the analysis is over and the excitement finally wanes. It’s over. Another season of hockey has come and gone. The tears well and the sniffles start. What to do all summer? The empty feeling gnaws at our souls.


Tapeleg and the Dead Blog Challenge

I just want to say a few things about what’s been going on here on the blog these last two weeks. James “Tapeleg” did a great job getting a lot of bloggers off their duffs and blogging again, including me. Thanks dude.

Today is technically the last day of the challenge but with game seven tonight I’ll likely have a post tomorrow. Very quickly it will be draft day and free agency too; I will probably make some words about that stuff as well this month. Also, I’m working on a post that will probably surprise a few of you; it’s not quite ready but in a few days.

Not only did James put in the work on his blog, he also provided links and bonus content that was very cool. There was the Twitter pep talk he gave me when I was about to bail on posting every day. That was good for two posts right there. That was good stuff. Overall, a successful endeavor.



Yes Lappy, I’m serious! It was great!

 

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for taking part in the challenge. I found
    it inspiring that so many people were writing and writing quality posts. It forced me to write more and (try to) write better.

    In a weird way, it also made me some friends or potential friends and reconsider my ideas of networking and blogging.

    Good stuff btw. I especially liked the Duchene piece. I'll keep following.

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  2. Nice post, Scott! Thanks for including a pic of Lappy!

    ReplyDelete