Cutting Edge

I’m feeling bittersweet as the Olympics drew to an end last night. I don’t regularly watch most of the sports in the Olympics, but they suck me in, nonetheless. One sport that I have watched, on occasion, is hockey. I went to my first NHL game last year to cheer on the Capitals. Having no clue of hockey rules or regulation, I surprisingly enjoyed myself, despite the insanely intense fans sitting behind me. I’m sorry that I had to walk upright and momentarily block your view in order to make it to my seat—but it’s not nice to name call. Other than fearing the fans behind me were going to attack every time I got up for a beer, I had a great time. Being the fiscally responsible planner/drinker that I am, I of course rationed the last beer I purchased at the beginning of the 3rd period to last for the rest of the game. Alas, there was no 4th period as I had assumed (dont all sports have 4!? crap), and I enjoyed myself even more as I had to chug my rationed  beer before being kicked out of the Verizon Center. But all in all, a good first hockey game experience.

So being a sucker for the Olympics/dramatic moments and a very infrequent viewer of hockey, I tuned in for the USA/Canada gold hockey match. Hot damn, that was exciting! I seriously can’t even follow the puck half the time, but thank god for the lightning-speed announcing skills of NBC analysts. Bummer about the outcome, but I will say, I think it was pretty obvious who had a hotter team. And by hot, I don’t mean the competitive, we-are-on-fire/on-a-winning-streak ‘hot.’ Maybe it’s my recent man drought, but these guys were lookin’ good to me. They can skate and they are manly (check!). The only thing that is better than a hockey player, is a former hockey player who, injured in an Olympic game and unable to play professionally any longer, is forced to swallow his pride and become a pair figure skater, matched up with a temperamental, yet talented young woman who has yet to find the right partner to help her reach her figure skating potential. Check it.

Also, NBC please work on your interviewing skills. First you air an interview with a prank caller pretending to be Ryan Miller. Then, did you catch the in-person interview with Ryan after the game? That was the single most awkward interview I’ve ever seen. Lots of weird pauses and odd questions /wording from the interviewer. My favorite exchange was when the interviewer goes “Was there any difference in this game?” I even paused for a second when he asked this. Ryan answers, “Ummmm, I dunno….” and goes on to answer the question better than I ever could. Is there a difference in this game, in comparison to what? Interviewer man, let the superstar go and cry over his silver medal and the fact that he gets paid tons of money to play a sport and do something he loves. Don’t berate him with these silly questions.

Anyways, Ryan Miller/Ryan Kesler/Zach Parise/Jamie Langenbrunner, call me. Crosby, get in line.