Minor league hockey

[Southern Knight]

I took the family to a local minor league hockey game, and we all had a BLAST -- even the wife! And there is no better athlete to support than a poorly-paid White guy that is chasing his dream.

We got the tickets for $10.00 a piece, and the arena (7 miles from my house) is fairly small, so even the cheap seats have great sightlines. The crowd -- about 4000 strong on a Saturday night -- was surprisingly active and knowledgeable about the game. The parking was free, and the beer was reasonably priced. Three fights broke out, which my youngest daughter thought was the very best part.

To top it all off, the home team won in a blowout. All in all, it was a great family outing and we can't wait to go back.

Local hockey affiliates are in every corner of the country now. Do yourself a favor and take the fam to a game, root for some hungry White athletes, and you'll be hooked. I had been to few games with my buddies, but I had no idea that my family would enjoy it so much. In fact, my brother and I are thinking about splitting a season ticket package next year, which will cost less for 4 decent tickets than it would be to buy 2 of the cheap tickets at an NHL arena.

Does anyone else have a local minor league team that you follow?

 

[Don Wassall]

I lived in Rhode Island for two years after graduating from high school in Pennsylvania. While in Pittsburgh I had watched the occasional home game of the mostly awful Penguins, but thanks to one of my father's friends, we had free season tickets to watch the Rhode Island Reds of the American Hockey League, who played at the Providence Civic Center, a 12,000 seat arena which was large for the AHL..


It wasan enjoyable way to learn the rules and strategies of the sport. Hockey can be picked up quickly when viewing the game in person. The Rhode Island crowds were vociferous, mocking without mercy theugliest player on the visiting team and pinning quite unflattering nicknames on manyof the rest. They were almost as tough on some of the home team's players. One particular forward for the Reds who was about 6-3 and 215 lbs.loathed not only fighting but any but the most mild physical contact, was taunted with cries of "Hit 'im with your purse, Teeple!" The taunting could easily be heard by everyone in the building, usually 3,000 to 5,000 of us. The play would get brutal at times, with some memorable fights.


Hockey is fun to watch on television if you have a team you follow closely, but it's a much better experience viewed live, as long as the game isn't a stinker or snorer.