As I settle in for Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals in the 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff between the Nashville Predators and the San Jose Sharks, I'm reminded of where the Nashville Predators franchise was in the fall of 1998.
I had a minuscule amount of knowledge of the game of hockey. I knew that NHL 1993 on the Super Nintendo was a great video game, and that I loved playing with Pittsburgh Penguins, Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr, who just resigned with the Florida Panthers for a 1 year contract at the age of 44! I heard several speakers from the Predators organization around Nashville trying to drum up interest in a hotbed of collegiate and NFL football fanbases.
Only after attending a game at then Nashville Arena, did I realize how awesome this game was. The physical ability of players of their size and skill skating up and down the ice at full speed trying to put a frozen piece of rubber into a net is mind-boggling, especially to a southerner. The fighting was novel, but quickly subsided and gave way to a more appreciative respect for the game.
However, what the experience of becoming a hockey fan has taught me is to give 'things' a chance, whether those 'things' are books, perspectives, relationships, opportunities, music, etc. I could have given up on hockey after the first game, and I didn't have much fun or any idea what was really happening. I would've missed out on some great experiences and a deeper knowledge of 'things' this world has to offer.
I realize that I'm making a ridiculous comparison about how hockey has influenced my perspective on life, but here it is.
Let's Go Preds!!!
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