Friday, February 18, 2005

Did you hear there's no hockey this year?

Actually, I guess the better question is: Do you care?

It seems to me that for many people, the answer is no. Now, I've never been a hockey fan. I didn't grow up with it in the small town I was raised in; and now, I just don't have the time to follow a lot of different sports. But Minnesota is a big hockey state, and nobody I've talked to seems too upset.

Probably one factor contributing to that is the endless whining by professional athletes for more money, and the endless whining by the owners of professional sports teams for more new stadiums. Frankly, it's taking a lot of the enjoyment out of being a sports fan.

The people I do feel bad for, and who, I'm sure, do care a lot about this, are the small business owners of establishments like sports bars and memorabilia shops. They sure aren't going to enjoy the irony of having their income go down this year, all because millionaire athletes and billionaire owners are fighting to get just a little more.

But, for a lot of those who even realize there is no season this year, I think their answer to the question I asked in the title is: So?

No comments: