I think I am going to try to do a loser update for the NHL. (Hattip: Angus McThag.)
However, looking at the NHL schedule, I think I should hold off on doing this until Friday. While the regular season has started (as I understand it) it looks like most of the games are Thursday night.
This might become a regular Friday thing.
Ah, at last. One of the two sports that I have no cares about at all, the other being basketball.
I guess it is because in High School, I could do every part of basketball except make the ball go in the hoop. I was actually more accurate throwing a baseball or a football. I could throw a baseball from almost 300 feet and hit the catcher nearly every time. The catcher being my twin brother.
I could throw a football over 50 yards hitting the receiver about 60% of the time, with better results at less distance.
So in the winter sports cycle, instead of playing basketball, I wrestled. That being said, while football might seem the more physical of all sports, the fact is that wrestling was far and away the hardest one. Both due to the intensity of those 3, 2 minute periods, and mostly due to the training required to prepare for those things.
My senior year was 1978, which was one of the former president Carter years. We were dealing with a hug recession and our school decided to not sponsor wrestling that season because of the cost. So that winter I just trained for baseball in the spring.
We had a thing called the Senior Athlete of the Year. My twin brother was a very good athlete. Yet I was given the award. He was angry, since we both were probably the best athletes in our class, and he thought that he was much better than I. The thing is, I was the first one who was voted on by the teachers and staff unanimously. The reason being that character was what mattered to the adults. And I was the “popular guy” who always looked out for those who were always picked on, or marginalize, etc. And I not only respected my teachers, but I was friends with many of them.
I have always felt that character was the most important thing in High School athletics. Once you hit higher levels, it was still important, but more emphasis was placed on winning.
I actually played what could be called the very, very low minor leagues in baseball for a couple of summers. That was what taught me how to be a better hitter, batting against guys of college age who could throw in the upper 80’s which at that time was pretty good. I even got to play against a guy who spent a year or two with the Tigers in MLB. His name was Howard Bailey, and he was drafted out of our own Grand Valley University, at the time called the GV State College.
I miss the early 1970’s, when I knew the star players on all the NHL, NBA, MLB and NFL teams. There were many fewer and I had more time as a 10 year old.
Now, I don’t care much, in part because of hype and all the money and mostly because there are too many of them.
Division III football with a local college and a few minor non revenue sports are fun. Bad Bunny free.
Jimmy,
I was born in 1960, so I am right at the same age as you. And I love DIII football. Here in my area, my daughter lives with her husband and son less than a mile from the Tigers minor league team, the West Michigan Whitecaps.
They have always been a fun outing to go and watch them play. Prices are still reasonable and the only difference I see in the level of play is the pitching at the MLB level is something that I could not hit while I was playing both high school baseball and a few years of fast pitch softball. I could likely have hit what is High A baseball.
I batted .400 my senior year of high school baseball, but I only batted about .250 in fast pitch softball. Funny what 15′ closer can do to you.
Hockey is the most demanding sport.Physical stamina is un matched.
Pigpen: As always, glad to see you posting.
Det. McNulty, always a pleasure when you grace us with your presence as well.
Mr. Lafluer: Delighted to see that you’re feeling better!