I thought this was a great article from the Maine Campus that really puts this weekend into a perspective. I still believe there were some missed calls and dare I say that the end was just not how anyone likes to see a great hockey game end, but there is no doubt that this team play with passion and I hope they show that same passion in future seasons and in the non-hockey part of their lives! GO MAINE!!!! ---------------------- Forwarded Message: --------------------- From: <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Hockey isn't life Date: 4/8/2002 Hockey isn't life By: Marshall Dury 04/08/02 -------------------------- Hockey isn't life. I'm not saying that my stomach didn't turn Saturday evening when Minnesota scored its fourth goal. My heart ached seeing Colin Shields stare into the crowd — wondering how it could've been different. But again, hockey isn't life. It may sound like the speech of a loser but it's not. Either way, the world goes on. I look at the game the Black Bears played in Minnesota on Saturday and the hockey team knew it was a game. We had some slip ups, we scored some goals, there may have been some bad calls, but in the end, our pride was damaged — nothing more. Hockey isn't going to save a starving child or fix global warming. If you boil a sport down to its core, the desire to win and the dream of being a somebody with that trophy is why it's so inspiring and filled with excitement. But after all the points have been scored and the nets have been taken down, where are we left to go? We look at Shawn Walsh. I didn't know the man personally and I'm fairly sure the only time I ever saw him was in the Alfond. He devoted his life to the game of hockey and kept on going until the end. I never saw Shawn Walsh complain over a loss or scream obscenities walking around campus. This is because Walsh knew it was a game. The perils of life did not hold in the balance of each hockey game. Walsh knew the odds, played the game and probably never would've changed a thing about his life. His wins and losses were comforted by his loving family, his team and support of UMaine fans. But again, hockey isn't life. It may seem like I'm saying this to console the aching heart of many UMaine fans. I'm not. I can guarantee the same thoughts would be going through my head if we had won. It would've been a bit peppier, but the same general ideas would be conveyed. So what does all this mean, you say? It means the hours of practice, the aches and pains, the tears we may have shed, the famous UMaine cheers and the reflective thoughts are what it's all about. The reason a lot of professional sports are boring is for this very reason. We're paying grown men and women millions of dollars to play a game while the passion just isn't there. Hockey isn't life. It's not all about winning and losing. I have always assumed that I hate losing more than the average person — it pierces my soul when I walk off a field coming up shy. But that's only because I've forgotten why I was there. Not to sound trite, but hockey, like any other sport, is about how you play the game. Life is the same way because it's just a game — all that matters is how you play it. Everyone has their slip-ups and we've all come up shy more times than we'd like to admit. All that matters is you gave it your best and you enjoyed your run in the game while it lasted because rest assured it won't last forever. Hockey isn't life, but it sure is a fun part of the ride. Marshall Dury is sophomore journalism major. -------------------------- Story Source: Maine Campus