First off, this is not merely an attempt to suck up to theboss lady. Rather, it’s a confession that, once again, I fail miserably at “getting” hockey. Even during theUS/Canada match the other night, I was more interested and amused by the online response of the faithful who were live tweeting it than I was in the actual game. (I wonder, do “real” hockey fans even use Twitter?)
I don’t know, maybe I should try more than just every four years, or actually attend a live game. Meantime, in my defense, I can offer that two songs I absolutely love areabout hockey. Below, the dearly departed Warren Zevon’sHit Somebody:
Of course, Zevon was no slouch; still I can’t help it — Jane Siberry’sHockey is my favorite of the two. Surely, we can all agree that this is a lyric for the ages:
“This stick was signed by Jean Beliveau
so don’t fuckin’ tell me where to fuckin’ go”
In the spirit of full disclosure, the folks I’ve shared the song with who actually are hockey fans find it far too twee. One of them even said the use of the word “benched” with respect to Richard’s historicsuspension was downright revisionist history that completely invalidated it as an artistic effort.
See? You guys arehardcore! I’m gonna stick with figure skating…
I actually DO have a hockey stick with Jean Beliveau’s signature. During a short rehab stint in the minors in the early 60’s, my father, a pharmaceutical salesman was closing a sale with the team’s trainer, and the trainer got the team to sign the stick. It’s one of my most prized possessions.
You hockey puck. I don’t get it either: ice people hitting one another. It does, however, bring out the Rickles in me…
i used to watch badger hockey. never watched pro. sort of grazing olympics.
Following the puck is much easier in person than it is on TV (though HD helps).
I (cough) *met* (cough) Jean Beliveau at a signing event when I was something like 3-4 years old. I know he signed something for me but I have no idea what, or even if I still have it. What I *do* remember very distinctly is someone else at the table asking me if I was a “fan” of his. I was a bit alarmed, since I was pretty sure I didn’t have blades that went in circles to move air around. But then someone explained the other meaning, which made more sense (and which I hadn’t heard before).
And if we’re talking hockey songs, I think the quintessential one has to be Stompin’ Tom Connors’ “The Hockey Song”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZWxErEbQkY (slightly non-standard lyrics, maybe)
Perfect to play while the health care forum plays in the background…
Ice Hockey is a great game played by over paid immature idiots.