Many of my esteemed hockey-l colleagues have posted their views on this
subject, either deriding or extoling the virtues of auto racing, tennis,
golf and ice hockey, just to name a few.  While I do not presume to hold
any special insight into the matter, the season is over and my team was
embarassed in the preliminaries.  So...
 
From a personal standpoint, I have a great deal of respect for all
professional athletes, regardless of their particular sport.  (For the
sake of argument, let's assume that golf, bowling, darts, etc. are all
counted as sports.)  The very fact that people can make a living (or a
mint) doing what the rest of us mere mortals would consider "recreation"
is one of the wonders of our society.
 
However, IMHO, the above named sports are much less fun to watch than to
play, save for hockey and, perhaps, baseball (another story for another
list).  I think that is what attracts us all to hockey, as I would
venture to guess that the vast majority of you out there have laced up a
pair of skates and taped a stick at one time or another.
 
Also, hockey is one of the few sports that us non-professionals can
participate in well into our twilight years.  Aside from golf, I can't
think of too many old-timers leagues in other "major" sports.  That
brings me to another point.  Depending on your geography, hockey is not a
"minor" sport.  (Ever heard of Canada???)  Hockey is far and away the
number one spectator sport in Alaska and many other places which don't
lie above the 60th parallel.
 
My point (as I'm sure you're all waiting for) is this: while this is no
forum for bashing other sports, this is a college hockey discussion list,
so expect some prejudices toward hockey above other sports.  We all enjoy
other diversions but hockey is what keeps us tuning in and turning on, to
recoin a phrase.  Heck, some of us aren't even pep band members and, for
that matter, can't remember our college fight song (heresy of heresies!)  As
for me, I'll be between the pipes this afternoon if you want to to find
me off the list...
 
Cheers!
 
 
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Mark J. Sonnier                       Golden Valley Electric Association, Inc
[log in to unmask]                             University of Alaska Fairbanks
         *** UAF Nanook Hockey - 95-96 Full Members in the CCHA! ***