Contrarian Opinion: Hockey Vs. Baseball
Hockey is to baseball as checkers is to chess. Compare the speed of the game, the brains required to be good at it, and many other considerations.
It is true that a baseball game proceeds much more slowly than a hockey game, but that is why hockey has appeal to those who prefer quick thrills. But hockey fans probably like action flicks more than serious films, which they would describe as boring. It’s no wonder that they then call baseball boring.
Baseball is a much more strategic and intellectual game. Just compare the typical hockey fan to the typical baseball fan. The latter is knowledgeable about statistics, which is why baseball announcers are always announcing numerous stats including each batter’s ABs, BAs, and RBIs. The hockey fan doesn’t even know what these acronyms stand for. And what hockey announcer reports statistics on every player who hits the ice?
It’s embarrassing that hockey is Canada’s national sport, while baseball is the American’s. I’ve always believed that Canadians were much smarter and more sophisticated than Americans. Maybe it’s a generational thing. Maybe it’s because Canadian kids have their malleable young minds inculcated with that idea, just as very religious parents inculcate their children with the same crazy beliefs their own parents had.
I know my opinion of hockey is heresy. Before writing this I checked that my citizenship couldn’t be revoked.
