Crying Babies at Rink

It's early morning and all is quiet, the baby isn't crying. Not like last night at a hockey game I attended.

It's been awhile since I have had the great pleasure of getting to a Midget AAA hockey game, so last night I headed down to take in the action. What I saw on the ice was nothing short of what I remembered. This brand of hockey has always been one of my favorite to watch. These 15, 16 and 17 year olds hit the ice every shift and go flat out for 40 seconds no matter what the situation. Hard hits, great passing and stellar team play hilite the game. But while the players are doing their best on the ice, unfortunately it was the fans in the stands that soon became the show.

Time and time again obscenities floated from the seats, generally directed at the officials. And time and time again fans were yelling commands to the players. "Fire" was my personal favorite that one man kept yelling to the kids on his team. Even before they had entered the attacking zone he wanted them to shoot. This guy was obviously a hockey Einstein, rethinking how the game might be won. Newsflash buddy, the boys either don't hear you or aren't listening. Then there was the lady sitting near our supposed Scottie Bowman. She had a personal vendetta with the referees, blaming them at the game end for the demise of her club. I guess it was his fault that her team couldn't score on a 5 on 3 advantage that lasted over a minute. Or was it the referee that allowed that soft goal just 8 seconds into the third. I didn't think so. These fans (and others) also seemed to have super human vision, as they were able to more accurately see than an official standing right by the net if the puck had crossed the goal line prior to the net being knocked off, at the FAR end of the rink!! Crazy.

I thought hockey fans had taken a turn for the better in local rinks in the last few years, but last night's episode proved otherwise. Too bad these so-called supporters couldn't shut up and see the game for what it was. Fast, skilled, hard-hitting hockey.

Oh oh, my baby just woke up and is crying. Kinda sounds like a hockey game I was at.