Apparently, there is this game called hockey

Now. As you all may imagine, hockey is not the most popular sport in the South. I’m not saying it doesn’t have fans here, I’m just saying there are some things that have a bigger popularity… football, golf, etc. However, as I am sitting here watching the Stanley Cup (not exactly by choice) I’ve realized that my knowledge about hockey is based on three things:

1. The Mighty Ducks movie series. Ah, my appreciation of Joshua Jackson’s good looks started when I was about 11 I guess. I saw all three of those films and loved them. And it was the first I ever really heard of hockey. It was also the driving factor in my need to get inline skates (ah, to be a tween wanting to fit in during the early 90’s). I also loved the movie the Cutting Edge, which came out at roughly the same time and had a smidge of hockey in the story line.

2. A kid in a class I taught last year was from Jersey and was OBSESSED with hockey. Every free paper topic he had, he wrote about hockey. As a result, I was pretty up t o date on the whole strike/lockout thing this past fall as a result of reading his papers.

3. Growing up in Ohio, we did have a minor league hockey team that was pretty popular. Actually, maybe we had a major one too… I don’t really remember. I do remember that my friend Kelly, who moved from Minnesota to Ohio, loved hockey so we would all go in high school. She got to watch the game and the rest of us got to scope out the crowd for cute boys. Ah, to be a boy crazy teenager again. So, I didn’t exactly pay attention to what was happening in the games.

I mean… there is a puck, they have to basically go in a time out box, it is fast, can be pretty bloody. That’s enough right? Maybe I can even name 5 teams… the Bruins, the Blackhawks, the Rangers, the Flyers…. or, maybe four? Quiz me on some football and I’ll do better.

The point of this is, it made me start to wonder what sports are popular in other places and not the South? Hockey is one. I am guessing downhill sking, cross country sking, speed skating. Other winter sports? I don’t know if rugby is that big here and I don’t think lacross is as big down here as it in the North. What else am I forgetting? I think it is kind of fasciating how we have some things are just so regional. I guess soccer is a good example on a bigger scale. HUGE all over the rest of the globe, but not nearly as popular in the US.

Oh, and I’m cheering for the Chicago Blackhawks for those of you who are wondering. My Dad and his siblings grew up on the North shore of Chicago, we love all Chicago teams…. da Bears, the Cubbies, occasionally the Bulls. Too bad I didn’t even realize Chicago had a pro-hockey team until this month. But lets go Blackhawks!

And oh my…. it looks like they may win!!

Oh they did! I’m sure my Dad and Uncle have lost their voices cheering@