The Rare Post Relating To Hockey

I'm pretty sure most people aren't fans of hockey - hell, I barely qualify as one myself.  But a couple thoughts came across my mind as I was watching the NHL's Winter Classic yesterday between the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers at Fenway Park in Boston:

Later this week, my alma mater and current NCAA DI Hockey National Champion Boston University Terriers will be taking on archrivals and 2008 NCAA DI Hockey National Champion Boston (Newton) College (University) Eagles on the same ice as was played on yesterday. This matchup in this building has been something that many of us recent BU graduates had heard rumors of for four years, and every year it would come to pass that when the schedule for hockey was revealed, we'd be excited but always just a little bit disappointed. Not that I'm spiteful that I'm missing out on being there in person - I did have tickets, but work beckons so my brother (who goes to school in the middle of a desert) will be going in my stead to the icy tundra of Fenway.

No matter who you are or how much you know about hitting a small rubber puck into a net with a stick (ON ICE!!!), you can kinda understand how cool it is to be playing hockey outdoors.  It means something special - maybe it has to do with being exposed to the raw elements of nature, maybe it has to do with the memories of innocence of a younger age of sport, playing a pick-up game on a pond or lake somewhere with local friends.  Maybe it's something else, I don't know.  But I know it was cool to watch them play hockey outside in one of the most fabeled sports venues in the world yesterday, and it will be just as awesome to see my Terriers play BC this coming Friday.

So where is this going?

In both football and baseball, you have teams that play outdoors and teams that play in domes.  But the most storied, the most revered, the most enjoyable and memorable experiences are in outdoor stadiums or parks - being outside under the lights is just more special than playing inside.  Ali's "Thrilla in Manila" is made even cooler because it was open air.  Indoor track is fun, but outdoors is where everyone really knows it's at.  Being outside playing or watching a sport is better.  It just is.

Hockey and basketball only play in indoor arenas.  But as hockey does once a year in its Winter Classic, the venue is moved outside because it's more special.  It's still just another regular season game, but ask any of the guys who were out there yesterday - there's just a little something extra.

So why hasn't some owner in the NHL capitalized on this?  They make newer NFL and MLB fields with retractable roofs - why hasn't the NHL thought about following suit?  I know you can't do this in the non-hockey climate of the south, but Minnesota? Buffalo? That's prime real estate.  Or if us weenie Americans can't get it together, maybe our friendly Canadian neighbors to the north would be willing to oblige the idea.  It is their sport.

And NBA - have you ever thought about a "streetball classic"?  How cool would it be to watch the Lakers versus the Celtics in an outdoor game?  If you don't want them playing on blacktop for safety reasons, that's fine, but I can guarantee the event would be a huge draw.  If owners are hesitant about it, test it out with the All-Star game one year and see the response.  I'm telling you right now - it's gone be huge.

I don't really have answers to any of the postulates I'm throwing out there.  But you have to admit, like playing your favorite sport when you were a kid without a care in the world and bounty of untapped potential, it'd be a whole lot of fun.

(Photo Credit: Asha Michener)