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How to pick a team? I remember my mother would walk into the living room on a Saturday night, mid way through the third period of a game. So much that it seemed she purposely planned it, each time. She would stop in the middle of the room and kindly wait for a break in the game, for a commercial break. Then she would simply ask... "who's winning and who's losing?". No sooner than her question was answered, she would then take a seat and say... "I'm cheering for the losing team".
Now I know you are not going to believe me. I know you will say, "exaggerating". But this is what would happen 99 percent of the time. The team that was losing... now remember she often entered the room during the “third” period... would sure enough, somehow come back and win the game. It goes without saying that soon other family members, and friends, and relatives... dreaded my mother walking into the room whenever ‘their’ team was winning.
Now I know you are not going to believe me. I know you will say, "exaggerating". But this is what would happen 99 percent of the time. The team that was losing... now remember she often entered the room during the “third” period... would sure enough, somehow come back and win the game. It goes without saying that soon other family members, and friends, and relatives... dreaded my mother walking into the room whenever ‘their’ team was winning.
The fact that a team, any team, could so easily change the course of a game (very easily, if my mother was helping)... was what got me hooked and made me an NHL fan... til this day.
Again another summer had passed and the trees began doing their special transformation. But this year... I had resolved my 'favorite team' dilemma. How?... I sat down and opened the newspaper, the Ottawa Journal . Turned to the sports section and ran my finger down the list of NHL teams. I was looking for that loosing team. I was looking for the team not expected to win. There at the bottom of the list of 16 teams was the New York Islanders. Yes there that day, I decided to be an Islander fan. I was cheering for the losing team.
That's how it started...
... Now back to hockey pools. Hockey pools were all around me. I thought many times of joining some of them but never did. I honestly don't know why. Maybe I felt intimidated. I don’t recall, exactly.
Again another summer had passed and the trees began doing their special transformation. But this year... I had resolved my 'favorite team' dilemma. How?... I sat down and opened the newspaper, the Ottawa Journal . Turned to the sports section and ran my finger down the list of NHL teams. I was looking for that loosing team. I was looking for the team not expected to win. There at the bottom of the list of 16 teams was the New York Islanders. Yes there that day, I decided to be an Islander fan. I was cheering for the losing team.
That's how it started...
... Now back to hockey pools. Hockey pools were all around me. I thought many times of joining some of them but never did. I honestly don't know why. Maybe I felt intimidated. I don’t recall, exactly.
Regardless, more and more, my interest for them grew. I saw that many people (fans) were routinely joining them. Fans, who I thought knew more, than any other. Fans that I thought, must only watch one game a year. Practically everyone was joining hockey pools. Practically every other one, was winning these pools; it was always someone different, each pool, each year.
I was a fan and now I was ready to become a Poolie. But by no means a Poolie considered to have an edge over any other. Actually I often felt the opposite (and still do some times), lower on the fan/poolie scale, so-to-speak, because of those experienced Poolies who seem to know more, than others. But the “hockey pool” itself never made any distinction between the two extremes. Each new season, new Poolie and new hockey pool, continued to reassure me, as well most, I presume, that there was no better or worse Poolie; and therefore no better or worse fan? There was, simply speaking, just one type of fan... “the hockey fan”.
Again, not sure why, but instead of joining anyone of these pools, I decided to start my own.
Now many years later, here I am still running (or at least trying to) a hockey pool or two. And so far, I have not stopped enjoying it, for one second. That's it in a nut shell... or should I have said, in a bag of pucks... Another Poolie word!..
Oh ya... let me add... "Go Islanders Go!".
If you are not a theNHLJL Poolie, yet a little curious about the pools, please feel free to send me your questions, comments, suggestions, etc....
If you are a theNHLJL Poolie... Then you're in the right place!.
I was a fan and now I was ready to become a Poolie. But by no means a Poolie considered to have an edge over any other. Actually I often felt the opposite (and still do some times), lower on the fan/poolie scale, so-to-speak, because of those experienced Poolies who seem to know more, than others. But the “hockey pool” itself never made any distinction between the two extremes. Each new season, new Poolie and new hockey pool, continued to reassure me, as well most, I presume, that there was no better or worse Poolie; and therefore no better or worse fan? There was, simply speaking, just one type of fan... “the hockey fan”.
Again, not sure why, but instead of joining anyone of these pools, I decided to start my own.
Now many years later, here I am still running (or at least trying to) a hockey pool or two. And so far, I have not stopped enjoying it, for one second. That's it in a nut shell... or should I have said, in a bag of pucks... Another Poolie word!..
Oh ya... let me add... "Go Islanders Go!".
If you are not a theNHLJL Poolie, yet a little curious about the pools, please feel free to send me your questions, comments, suggestions, etc....
If you are a theNHLJL Poolie... Then you're in the right place!.
..... I 've been a hockey (NHL) fan for the longest time. My favorite team is the New York Islanders. Actually that is when I became a true NHL fan; the same season the Islanders joined the NHL,..1972-1973.
Remembering back; like clockwork, as soon as the leaves on the trees began their transformation, into a collage of fall colors, everyone I knew, started talking NHL hockey. By the time we had our first snow fall, they would be reciting players names, number of goals, how many wins and just about every stat there was. Back then, when I'd walk into a friend’s house, on a Saturday night, all I'd hear was "go Habs" or "go Leafs"; and from practically every member of the family. Sure, they would say hello, as I sat down; but it was rare if anyone turn their heads, from watching the game.
I definitely felt I was missing out on something... fun. Missing out on cheering to the point of losing one's voice or booing so furiously your face would change various shades of red.
Remembering back; like clockwork, as soon as the leaves on the trees began their transformation, into a collage of fall colors, everyone I knew, started talking NHL hockey. By the time we had our first snow fall, they would be reciting players names, number of goals, how many wins and just about every stat there was. Back then, when I'd walk into a friend’s house, on a Saturday night, all I'd hear was "go Habs" or "go Leafs"; and from practically every member of the family. Sure, they would say hello, as I sat down; but it was rare if anyone turn their heads, from watching the game.
I definitely felt I was missing out on something... fun. Missing out on cheering to the point of losing one's voice or booing so furiously your face would change various shades of red.
I decided to get into watching hockey, yep the NHL. First things first, I had to pick a team to cheer for. Well that was quite a dilemma, for me. An entire hockey season passed by. My first season of watching and cheering (sort of) yet with no team I could call mine. It's truly surprising, that every hockey fan refers to their team, as just that... "their team"... "my team".
I couldn't let another season pass and not have a team. I knew I didn't want the “Leafs” or the “Habs”. Although I was just starting to really watch them play hockey, I did already I have my fill of hearing those two team’s names, all the times. To the point, I sort of began "hating" those two teams. "Hate"... now there's another word all hockey fans use quite often.
Email Address:
thepres@thenhljl.com
Located:
Carleton Place
Ontario, Canada
Name:
Favourite NHL Team:
New York Islanders
Other Favoured NHL Teams:
Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Washington Capitals
Most Disliked NHL Teams:
Montreal Canadiens
Toronto Maple Leafs
Hobbies:
Watching my Islanders win, Writing, Painting (renewed), ATV’ing!!
Music: (Country Music Sucks)
David Bowie, Queen, Cranberries, Elvis, Blues, Green Day, Lady Gaga, Pink, ...
About the ‘ theNHLJL ’
Many years ago I decided to start running hockey pools. In the world of acronyms, theNHLJL stands for... Those Hockey Enthusiast’s New Hockey League Jon L. My name is Jon.
Many years ago I decided to start running hockey pools. In the world of acronyms, theNHLJL stands for... Those Hockey Enthusiast’s New Hockey League Jon L. My name is Jon.
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