SCATTERBRAINED: NHL needs a ‘Miracle’ to cure NFL withdrawal

By FRANCISCO E. JIMENEZ
Staff Writer
reporter@sbnewspaper.com

Francisco E. Jimenez

Most of my Wednesdays are pretty slow. I tend to spend most of the day recovering from a late night deadline, sometimes a slight hangover (I kid), reporting on any breaking news, and searching the web for any ideas for my blasé, grammatically erroneous column.

On most occasions I am unsuccessful in finding any inspiration, putting me in a delicate predicament when deadline rolls around. But on this particular Wednesday I had the luck of the Irish on my side (insert generic Manti Te’o joke here). While scanning my favorite sports-related website, Grantland.com, I came upon an article by a Sean McIndoe in which he prescribes an antidote to our insufferable seven-month lack of NFL games for NFL fans, such as myself. That antidote is the National Hockey League.

Mr. McIndoe tries to sell the NHL as being similar, if not exactly alike, to the NFL (and he is a very good salesman). He draws similarities between the two leagues in their “spectacular displays of athletic skill” and concussion-inducing “bone crushing hits,” among other things.

Do I necessarily need another sport to devote so much anger and emotion to? Yes. While I enjoy screaming profanities at the TV while watching the NBA, it just isn’t as exciting as the NFL, at least not until the playoffs. And being a Spurs fan, I just don’t see them making another run at the championship any time soon. Last year might have been their last shot and they were stuffed by the Oklahoma City Thunder (Tim Duncan also appears to be on his last leg, literally).

I don’t mind watching Major League Baseball, but opening day isn’t until April 1. And my team, the Texas Rangers, seems to be doing everything it can to cut ties with its best players. The Arizona Diamondbacks look to be following suit after trading away Justin Upton. And well, the Houston Astros are still the Astros…

And soccer is still soccer.

After reading McIndoe’s essay, it made me think about the few times I got to watch live professional hockey games at the State Farm Arena. I am referring to, of course, the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees. While I never really understood all the rules of the game, I understood enough to make the game both exciting and really entertaining (what’s not entertaining about two dudes trying to fight each other while ice skating?).

I understand that we live in a region that doesn’t necessarily provide the cold weather to turn resacas into hockey rinks, but if Europeans can become fans of real, red-blooded American football, then what is stopping us deep-fried South Texans from appreciating hockey? And now is as good a time as ever to become a fan. The season just started (after enduring a lockout that nearly wiped out the whole season, sound familiar?), and it’s a shortened season so it can serve as an introduction to the sport.

My only problem is finding a team to support and finding one of the over 1,000 channels that actually airs the NHL in our area. I can most likely see myself rooting for the Dallas Stars, because why not? But when can I actually watch them? I’m not ready to commit to paying money for NHL Center Ice (the NHL’s version of the NBA League Pass). Is that really my only option, besides packing up and moving up north?

Okay, disregard this whole column.

On an unrelated note, the picture accompanying my column in this issue is dedicated to “Mike,” who on sbnewspaper.com asked that Managing Editor Michael Rodriguez and his “sidekick” – myself – refrain from publishing our photos. Here’s to you, Mike. Nothing but love for you, homie.

Read this story in the Feb. 10 edition of the San Benito News, or subscribe to our E-Edition by clicking here.