Sunday I went to a Kings game, which is hockey, for those of you who don't know or care. Many of you are probably aware that I don't like watching "sports," as such, but it was interesting and surreal, and if you 're offered "luxury" box tickets for free, like I was, I recommend that you accept them.
I noticed a few things about hockey that I hadn't thought of before.
One thing is that the whole hockey thing seems so foreign and archaic and "Gay 90s," with the ice and the skates and the sticks and the weird outfits with the padding in odd places. I kept half-expecting big handlebar moustaches to sproing out when the players' helmets came off.
Also, there was plenty of fighting at the game, but the stuff that prompted the fighting didn't seem any different than all the stuff that was going on the whole time. Actually, I wasn't ever able to tell what set off any of the fights, it just seemed to me that there was sudden aggression and attacking. I guess in that respect, it's like real life.
Another thing I noticed (and this is certainly not a shortcoming of hockey, in fact, it's the case with most sports, and it more or less highlights why I can't really get into watching sports) is that I really didn't know who to root for. Of course, I know we're supposed to, "Root, root, root for the home team," but I really couldn't get into it. When I'm playing some kind of game against an opponent, I know that I want myself to win. That's clear to me. However, since I didn't know any of the people on the ice (I don't even think any of them are from Los Angeles), I found myself incapable of feeling any more loyalty for one team over the other, which prompted some totally unexpected feelings of guilt and alienation that I had in no way bargained for.
Also, it seems so unsporting the way every goal by the Kings is followed by thunderous cheers, sirens, explosion sounds, flashing lights, a couple of bars of Randy Newman's "I Love LA," then, a couple of bars of Gary Glitter's "Rock and Roll," where the crowd screams along, "Hey," but every goal by the opposing team is accompanied by nothing except a few scattered boos. Yes, I know it's like that whenever there's a home team and a visiting team, but it doesn't sit well with someone who likes to root for the underdog, like I tend to.
I'll say this: I've never seen a hockey game I didn't like, especially not a free one in luxury box seats with free beer.
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2 comments:
Yeah. Who t root for inna hocky game? I mean, it aint like boxin, where ya jus root fer da wite guy, rite?
Oh, yeah. An not cause hes wite. Cause hes da undrdog. Well go wit dat.
all you think about is the beer paul.
i never really understood the whole rooting for a team thing unless you had money riding on them or something.that seems to me to be the only real reason for wanting a team to win so badly. also how can people hate other teams so much like people do? did they insult your mothers honor ?
burn your house down?
in conclusion
sports are dumb
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