Despite how it appears in my blog, football is my sport of choice. However, as much as I cherish the entire game of football, I prefer hockey playoffs to football playoffs. Let me explain. Football playoffs are sudden death. If a team has one bad game, the hard work they put in throughout the season means absolutely nothing. The season is over after one loss. You know that feeling you get when the Patriots lose in the playoffs? 95% pure joy at their utter defeat and a 5% feeling of guilt because you know they deserved the AFC championship more than the other team.
Don't get me wrong. I love an underdog victory as much as the next person. However, I also value hard work all season long. Punishment for one off-day hardly seems fair at times.
Playoff hockey has the ferocity of football playoffs with the endurance of baseball playoffs. Four rounds of best-of-seven series - lasting well over a month. Trust me - there are plenty of upsets and plenty of choke jobs in hockey (*cough* the Capitals). However, those upsets are hard-fought. They are well-deserved because they are earned after more than one lucky victory. Each team has multiple chances to redeem themselves, get over bad nights, and re-focus. No excuses.
Hockey playoffs are a wild, exhilirating ride. Hop on board with me.
The first round gets your juices flowing. You're nervous, overly excited, almost awkward. You watch your team with a bit of apprehension, but it feels good. You're in the post-season.
Momentum picks up in the second round. You have a little more confidence after the first-round victory. The pace starts to pick up, you start to settle into a certain playoff groove. You're ready for what's next.
The third round - all bets are off. Your breathing starts to hitch, you release incomprehensible moans, the tension is becoming too much to handle. You start to feel that pressure in your loins and, for the first time, you allow yourself to think two words: Almost there.
The final round consists of rough, mind-blowing hockey. Friends and loved ones feel uncomfortable watching games with you. You scream profanities you didn't know existed, you sweat profusely, you desperately hold onto anything nearby that can keep you stable, upright, and conscious. The games ravage you to your very core. The finals culminate in the awarding of Lord Stanley's Cup, a tradition that often leaves you in tears, emotionally exhausted, and surprisingly relieved that hockey doesn't return until October. Your heart can't take it anymore.
...and it all starts tonight. Penguins vs. Lightning. Bring it home, boys!
Whew. Time for a cold shower.
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