Respect the Hockey Fan: A Response to the Barstool Sports article "Hockey Fans Are Hipsters"

In the world of sports journalism, there are a billion opinions. Some are good, some are bad. Some are spot-on, others are way out in left field. And sometimes, you come across a writer or broadcaster who will go to extensive lengths and make ridiculous claims, over-exaggerate things, and openly insult players, fans, cities, or anything else to get notoriety in the journalism world. (Jack Edwards, Dan Shaughnessey, etc...)

An article was brought to my attention on a Rangers blog I like to frequent. It was posted by someone who goes by the name of KFC and the article was written on Barstool Sports blog. The title of the article was called "Hockey Fans are Hipsters," and in it, Mr. KFC went on a great rant with such flowery language about how hockey fans are uppity tightwads about their sport. To sum up, basically KFC stated that hockey fans like to get really defensive of their sport whenever someone who does not share the same kind of year-round attentiveness, and that whenever someone who doesn't know as much about it starts to follow it, hockey fans get on their "High Horses" and berate whoever makes said claim.

Before I even begin to cut into this post, I'm going to assume KFC has a large resume of blogs (just assuming, didn't care enough to really search him out) that have gotten way more attention than anything I have ever posted on my blog. And I'm OK with that. This is not my job to run this blog, this is merely something I like to do in my spare time because a) I love hockey, and b) I love to write. I'm also going to assume that perhaps KFC gets a lot of views on his blogs considering the copious amount of comments from people who stumbled upon his post, and that he might get a bit of a profit out of it, considering Barstool Sports may get a bit more notoriety than this blog may get. If either of those are the case, and if KFC does have more posts like this one though, it is a damn shame he gets that much attention, or might even get paid for writing this article.

Why I Prefer Hockey Over Football: An Opinion Column

As I sit here in my home watching the Giants and the Eagles thug it out, like they do every time these two teams get together (myself being a Giants fan because I'm not a horrible person), I have found myself thinking, "wow, I wish I could be watching hockey right now". At the time I am writing this, the game is currently 10-3 at halftime, and I am losing all interest. I've stopped watching, not because of the Giants losing, but because it has become a chore at this point. There are a cornucopia of issues I have with this game, and with watching football in general that tip me on my side whenever I watch a game of football. As compared to when I watch a hockey game, the two sports are on complete opposite ends of the spectrum as far as my excitement goes. This is solely my opinion, so don't go getting your panties in a bunch if you don't agree with me.

Now before I go into my tirade, I'd like to point out that I am a multi-sport man. I enjoy all four of the major sports on American television, I could watch a soccer game if it's exciting, I watch UFC, and I've followed the Olympics when the come around. I like all the sports for their own features. Basketball has the drama and the momentum swings that keep me watching the games. Baseball, while being sometimes very difficult to watch because of its longevity, I played baseball as a kid and have a connection to it, especially when it gets down toward the end of a season. Finally, I enjoy football too, because I understand the strategy that goes into the game. I like the excitement of the big plays, and the determination of a team that is down, but not out driving down a field. Competition in general excites me, but nothing like the way the sport of hockey does.