BrockLi Soup

I learned something important today: hurling is WAY more badass than the field hockey the neighbor girls played in their front yard when I was growing up. I only just found out that it’s not the same thing.

Part two and part three are also available on YouTube.

I went looking for info because I saw a flier the other day for the Washington DC Gaels Gaelic Athletic Association. I’d like to go watch some of their matches one of these days - it looks like it would be fun to see up close.

Unless there’s a loser’s game, I’m done with hockey. We (surprise!) lost the first playoff game for this quarter.

Hockey was really the first sport I enjoyed playing. I did basketball and baseball in grade school, but I always dreaded the games - I only played because everyone else did. I did some volleyball in middle school and soccer in middle and early high school, but was never too thrilled about either. Hockey has been more fun than I ever thought a sport could be. College was really my only opportunity to try it; my high school started a team my junior or senior year, but I certainly couldn’t afford equipment at the time. I spent about $250 on gear two years ago, and I’ve been playing free ever since - no ice fees for intramural.

While I’m going to miss playing, I’m sort of relived that it’s over. I’ve never been the alpha male must-win-everything-I-do type, so I’ve been perfectly content with losing pretty much all the time. I wasn’t content, however, with accepting our fate as crappy players without trying to get better. I don’t care if I lose, but it’s going to piss me off if I’m not doing the best I can. When the team around me isn’t too interested in doing any better, it’s just frustrating because I feel like I’m never moving forward.

That’s not to say that this is the prevailing mentality on the team. A lot of the people that I’ve been playing with for the past year or two have gotten a LOT better, and I see it every time they’re out on the ice. Even so, it sort of felt like there was a backlash from people that just wanted to stay mediocre as a team.

It doesn’t matter. It’s over, and I had fun. I would have liked to have done better, but life has to have some shortcomings or you won’t appreciate the good stuff.

It’s unlikely that I’ll ever play hockey again. I could join a men’s league, but they’re pretty pricey and the other guys are bound to be a lot better than I am. If I get a job at RIT or come back here for grad school, I’ll play again, but that’s probably the only way it will happen.

And I won’t miss the stink of hockey equipment in my room, that’s for sure.

Today was an important day in the wide world of sports, with the continued development of a game I invented yesterday in a fit of laziness after helping Fonny hang his dart board. Couch Darts is exactly what it sounds like - sit on the couch and throw darts. Bonus points are awarded for each beer consumed before the game and double bonus points for those consumed during the game. All darts must be thrown from one of the two couches in the living room, and normal scoring is applied. Style points may be awarded for stray darts that stick in particularly interesting places, like the fridge or neighbors’ front door. Injuries are not only a possibility - they should be anticipated and accepted as a risk of the game. Playing through a dart wound is worth 50 style points. Spackle or toothpaste should be readily available for minor repairs to the wall behind the dart board.

Christ, I’m going to miss college.