Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Two months of insomnia
| As you probably already know, I am a bit of a hockey fan. I have been for about 10 years now. I started by watching the NHL and then was lucky enough to get a minor-pro team dropped in my lap here in Macon. Sadly, local hockey is gone and I must drive long distances for live games. And I get the occasional game on TV. Last season I coughed up the money for NHL Center Ice on digital cable. I learned then that there is such a thing as too much hockey. For 8 straight months, from about 7pm until 3am there's anywhere from 2 to 5 hockey games on TV at any time. Three weeks into the season I was a zombie. Well you don't have to order Center Ice to overdose on hockey for the next 2 months. That's right, it's Playoff Time! Playoffs in hockey are often called "The Second Season" because the regular season lasts roughly 7 months (82 games) and the playoffs last up to 2 more months. Playoffs start tonight. Thankfully the NHL gives a 3 day break between the end of the season and the start of playoffs. I need the time to "prep" and also stock up on much needed sleep and laundry. I wont have any more time til June. If you think I am blowing this out of proportion you should take a peek at This article. All of it is more or less true. When I say I "prepare" for the playoffs, it can be an extensive process. I scout the teams and match ups online. I print up required documentation for tracking all of the teams and series. If you want to join in the fun you'll need to print up the following and hang it on the wall at home and at work. (Like I did.) First Round Schedule Playoff Brackets Don't bother trying to fully understand the brackets. The NHL changes how they run the playoffs every few years. Just remember this: the first round of the playoffs makes sense (first place plays last place, etc). After the first round it is chaos as all teams are re-seeded. It's a big mess. But that's half the fun: never knowing exactly who your second round opponent is until almost the entire first round is done. It really came into play last year when the brackets were utterly busted apart. Half the series in the first round were upsets. This included the #1 team in the league, my beloved Red Wings, being knocked off by one of the lowest ranked teams. It eases the pain a bit to know the team that knocked the Wings off, Edmonton, made it all the way to game 7 of the finals. If you choose to start watching hockey this year, a few items you may wish to look into. To see the early stages of greatness, tune into Penguins games to watch Sid Crosby Sidney's name has been tossed aroud in hockey circles for years (that means since he was about 15). Three years ago i was watching video clips of him from juniors making several "impossible" goals. The kind of goals that forced the referee to have to stop play and check the rule books because no one had ever done them before. I am wary of players who are dubbed "great" before they ever touch the ice. Players in juniors often lack real competition since the abundance of teams causes a diluted player pool. However, once Sid hit the NHL, he gained skilled team mates to match skilled opponents. He has thrived ever since. He is absolutely worth watching. For the not so pretty side of hockey, I discovered this afternoon that Don Cherry will be covering some NBC games this year. If you have't ever experienced Don Cherry, you should give him a peek. He's loud. His clothes are louder. He's quite obnoxious. And yet he's beloved in Canada. If you can't stand him and feel you must change the channel, I am sure you're not alone. I can only take himin small doses. As for me personally. I have been a Red Wings fan since I first started watching hockey back in 1995. I was lucky enough to have joined the Red Wings Nation prior to them winning their back to back Championships. However that also meant I suffered the years they lost the heart breakers. Those seasons taught me you shouldn't hang all your hopes on one team. So i started watching Buffalo because of a goalie named Hasek. Often refered to as the goalie with a slinky for a spine. Oddly enough, Hasek now plays for Detroit. I still watch and root for Buffalo. And coincidentally, Buffalo is now the best team in the league. (Detroit is right behind them in the standings). I also got hooked on Pittsburgh a few years ago. Partly because Mario Lemeux (the player Sid Crosby is compared to) came out of retirement. He was also amazing. I can only imagine how amazing he was in his uninjured prime. Pittsburgh hasn't made the playoffs in a while, but Sid Crosby (yes the same Sid) has single handedly pulled the team from the bottom of the league back to the playoffs. Yes, he IS that good. So what does this mean? Well it means that almost every night for the next 2 weeks there is at least one "must watch" game on TV for me. Needless to say this means my meals and sleep will have to adjust to the new schedule. For some reason, work remains inflexible and insists I come in and work "normal" hours. I suspect my VCR will also be getting a work out as well. (What do you mean, TiVo?) With all of that said, for the next couple of weeks, you may see and hear much less from me. If/when you do hear from me it's likely to be a confused conversation from lack of sleep. And the few bits that do come thru will likely be hockey related. But I wouldn't have it any other way. I love this time of year. |
