While I’ve never been tremendously good at sports, like many people I’m an avid watcher of sports. Today I’m going to try and convince you that hockey is truly the greatest of the five major sports in North America.
Why is hockey better than soccer? I’m from Argentina. Soccer is in my blood and my second favorite sport. But the truth is that unless you’re invested in the game, it’s hard to watch a 90-minute match. A true spectator can see the strategy in the game. Going to a game in person, especially in a soccer-mad country, is a truly fun experience. But attending games in person can be dangerous sometimes, and if you’re not invested in the teams playing, it isn’t as fun to watch. Plus, the seemingly arbitrary refereeing and match-fixing scandals have really soiled the sport’s reputation.
Why is hockey better than baseball? Baseball is home to the hardest activity in sports: hitting a round ball with a round bat. Do that successfully one out of every three at bats and you’ll end up in Cooperstown. Did you know that only 3% of pitches result in a hit? Don’t get me wrong, it’s fun to go to a game, but as often as not, you go to a game for the company you’ll keep rather than the action on the field. While baseball is a statistician’s dream with all the numbers and averages, it’s a sport that feels decided more in the offseason than the postseason. Then there’s the officiating problem. It’s so bad that MLB is considering automated ball and strike calls as soon as next year.
Why is hockey better than basketball? Professional basketball players are in elite company. Of the five major sports, it is the hardest to get to the pros in this sport. Its global popularity and small rosters make it extremely hard to get to the highest levels of the game. What spoils it for me is the terrible refereeing and the poor behavior displayed by its stars on and off the court. Does any referee in the sport know the definition of traveling? How about those refereeing scandals? Star players—excuse me, I mean divas—shouldn’t be getting into fights on the court with other players and sometimes even fans.
Why is hockey better than football? Football players are ridiculous athletes. They are poked and prodded relentlessly during the combine and have to work not just on their conditioning but study for their opponent, learning the offense or defense for each week. It’s hard work to stay in shape, prepare for a game, and rehabilitate injuries week in and week out. The problem with football is twofold. First, the modern game is heavily reliant on the quarterback. Football used to have balance between passing, running, defense, and special teams, but in the drive to get ratings, the NFL has become a pass-happy game. Second, if you think baseball is boring, why don’t you complain about football? In a typical three-hour broadcast, the ball is live for only 11 minutes of the game. The rest of that time is spent in the huddle.
Hockey is the best of all worlds. Think about it. First, you’re on skates, which isn’t easy. Trust me, I’ve tried. Next, you’re wearing 30 pounds of protective gear and are pushing a frozen rubber puck across the ice with a five-foot-long stick. While you’re doing that, five equally armored opponents are actively trying to decapitate you while you and your teammates are trying to push that puck past a goalie that usually covers 90% of the goal at any given time. Oh yeah, and we’re doing all of this at 25 miles per hour, the same speed as Olympic sprinters.
Like soccer, there are strategic and tactical elements to the game. But a 1-0 game in hockey is nothing like a 1-0 game in soccer as the players often go end to end in seconds. Refereeing can sometimes seem arbitrary, but players will tell you that referees are usually predictable and not an issue. The number of shots that go in is small—5% of shots taken. But that’s because half of all shots taken get blocked by players risking their careers to stop the puck. And the 5% that go in? They’re each the equivalent of a home run. Each of those goals matters. There are roughly 84 total baskets in an NBA game. It’s tough to get excited about an individual basket when it’s scoring streaks that turn the tide in a game. Unlike football, 60 minutes is 60 minutes.
The conditioning of hockey athletes is insane. They have to work so hard when they’re on the ice that it is rare for only star forwards to play up to 20 minutes a game. The best defensemen rarely play even 30 minutes a game. And because of the physicality of the game, recovery is important. Hockey players are tough as can be. They often play hurt. I’m not talking about bruises. Unless we’re talking baseball, most sports often have players playing at less than 100%. I’m talking about cuts or losing a tooth and coming back on the ice a few minutes later. It’s not unheard of even in today’s game to see a player suffer an injury and return to the game when they would leave the game in any of those other sports.
Go to a hockey game. Feel the energy in the building. It’s a nonstop buzz. You’re close to the action and can hear the hits, feel the energy in the crowd. The speed of the game and the skill level of the athletes will cause your jaw to drop. Oh yeah, fighting is actually a part of the game (in the NHL). Go see a Blues game and tell me that I’m wrong. Then go see a Ravens game and see how that energy and excitement percolates all the way down to high school hockey and understand why Priory hockey is so well attended by the student section. GO RAVENS!
