What I Learned from Hockey...

What I Learned from Hockey...


We live in a sports-crazed culture, where idol-worship is encouraged and reality frequently ignored. People take this stuff way too seriously at times. That being said, I was raised to be a rabid hockey fan. My first exposure came during the Calgary Olympics -- I had no interest in sports, but my dad worked the night shift, and had asked me to "keep an eye" on the hockey games for him. It only took one game -- I was hooked.

After the Olympics, I was introduced to the sound of the game on the AM radio -- Wayne Messmer rattling the rafters with his national anthem, Pat Foley yelling "He Scores!" Of course Slick Willy was cheap back then, too, so I didn't see my first game until my dad took me out to the old stadium.

Our first game --I forget the year -- was against the Maple Leafs, I believe. There I witnessed the unfortunate accident which ended Darren Pang's career... and the entrance of a bumbling Eddie Belfour.

Sitting next to my Dad during the games, I was being coached by a realist. Many life lessons came from watching our beloved Blackhawks. The atmosphere was one of cogency -- there was no idol worship, no exxageration. Some things I learned as a Hawks fan, then:

1.) You have to commit. When a Hull or Macinnis slapshot was leveled your way, did you give up the body, or just "pretend" to try to get in the way? It may not seem like it matters much in the 20th game of the season, but it creates an attitude that can make or break you when a playoff game is on the line. Commit right away, with everything you have, or get off the tracks.

2.) There are no excuses. My dad is a hard-working Polish immigrant... a "grease monkey" as he jokingly refers to himself. He always pointed out: "If I take a night off, I get fired. And I'm not making 2 million a year." These guys had a job to do. In the end, the fans love the hard working consistent grinder more than the streaky goal scorer. Perseverance wins recognition.

3.) If the head is rotten, the body must follow. Even as child, I quickly recognized that something was "not right" with my beloved franchise. The man at the top was corrupt and uncaring, or so it seemed. No matter what efforts were made to improve his team, everything would eventually backfire. Look at recent misfortunes: you overpay to get stars to actually WANT to play in your rotting franchise, and they drop like flies with various freak (Tuomo Ruutu) injuries. Fate has its own way in the end: you can't pay your way out of bad character.

4.) As a kid, I was amazed when Chris Chelios arrived into town. Belfour was streaky, Roenick entertaining with his hot-headed approach. But Chelios always kept calm, kept his head up, and played hard every damn shift. Within a handful of games, he became a great leader the franchise since to equal. What did I learn? Stay calm, play hard. Success will come. (Unless your owner is Wirtz, of course, who will trade you for a seventh round draft-pick.)

5.) Humbleness is key. When a rookie like Eric Lindros refuses to play for the team that signed him, something is wrong. Since then, the Nordiques have vanished (sad, sad...) and the game seems hell-bent on punishing him. What did I learn? What goes around, comes around.
(This brings up a side rule: Keep your head up at all times, or you'll get run-over.)
(side note: For more examples of selfish play, please check out the NBA.)

6.) Respect people, from the highes to the lowest. Bill Wirtz does not televise home games. He runs his team as if it were a tax write-off. He has the best uniform, the most rabid and Cup-Hungry fans in all of sports, yet he scarcely seems to care. He gets called every name in the book -- his reputation (already tarnished) gets run through the mud for the umpteenth time, he is in the twilight of his life without ever have brought a cup to his city -- and still he doesn't seem to care. I can almost imagine his fat, bloated carcass being buried in a pile of gold -- gold that he won't be able to take with him. What did I learn? Greed is an all-consuming disease. It will ruin your life, turn everyone against you, and still you'll be blind beyond the fiscal bottom line. At some point, it goes beyond money.

7.) Coming from a solid Polish Catholic family, being a Hawks fan has given me a taste of what its like to be from a dysfunctional family. Dad is an abusive drunk, big-brother is afraid to open his mouth, and the neighboors hate you. Yet, you still stick with the family. I am comforted by the fact that I will likely outlive the old ass, and live on to heckle his sons -- let's hope that their father's greed has not sunk too deeply into them, as well.

Another season comes to an end... the Hawks, in their tenth year of rebuilding, already have the slogans in place for next season. They'll claim to "be back", and I'll be back to give them another chance (at least, in spirit.) I would love to see the old fart redeem himself before the end. Forgiveness is key. All the fans want is to be treated fairly: televise home games, make the games affordable, and give a product that we can put our emotions behind. It may only be a game, but it's one that we can very easily invest our emotions into, especially when fandom becomes a family affair. In the end, nobody likes some old rich guy to waste their time, emotions, and money.

In the meantime, I will once again pick a team or two to root for in the postseason, and hope that the Hawks management is taking notes.

One final lesson, learned from slick-Bill himself:

The Golden Rule: The one who HAS the gold, MAKES the rules. For a long time, this has been Billy alone. Fans have begun to grumble, and the lack of attendance (and overall interest) has begun to finally cause alarm in the Hawks upper-echelon. I'm going to try to stay away from the United Center, until I see a real product on the ice. I suggest we make it simple: If they're winning, we go. If they're not -- well, then screw-em (at least, as far as ticket sales are concerned.) In the end, WE have the gold -- and we can make the rules.

I'm ready to forgive and forget, if only to have my old team back. I think most real fans would agree.