An Apology to the Flyers

Philly'a good hockey town and I've always been a big hockey fan. I look forward to the Flyers hitting the ice every October. A lot of people will criticize hockey as being unnecessarily violent or too low scoring, but I'd wager that those people are rather new to the sport of hockey. The fights are a way of self-policing that prevents players from taking cheap shots against the other team's more skilled players, and with the influx of superbly talented players and a change in rules the league is much more high-scoring than it used to be. Hockey would be the hardest sport for me to play. I can barely do anything on ice and I can't imagine running around and swinging a stick while a 6'3 barrel of rage is skating as hard as he can straight at you with the intent of slamming your body into the nearest wall. It's just not gonna happen. The hand-eye coordination of hockey players and the graceful way that they move around the ice is something to behold. I love the sound of metal on ice. And there's nothing more raucous than a Philly hockey crowd. The beginning of hockey season is the true sign that summer has ended and fall has begun, and there could be no more welcoming colors than the orange and black. All that being said, I owe the Flyers an apology.
I've watched maybe two periods of hockey so far. I could make a variety of excuses, but the simple truth is that the Phillies are over-shadowing the Flyers right now. Sorry Flyers, I don't mean to ignore you... but we're in the fucking World Series! That happens like once a generation in this town. I'm emotionally invested in the Phils and Eagles right now, and that leaves me little to offer the Flyers. These are unusual circumstances. By the time the Flyers kick their season off, Philly baseball has usually been dead for a while. But this year was different. I simply wasn't ready. Yeah I know, the Flyers were really damn good last year and look to be a pretty sweet team this year (though their failure to get a win in their first five games doesn't add much confidence to that statement), and I'm sure I'll jump back on the train once the World Series is over, but for now hockey's gonna have to take a backseat. So keep on going Flyers. With any luck, it'll be you guys that I'm watching in June and the Phillies that I'm ignoring. The sports world can be a cruel mistress. It's okay to be jealous, normal even. But no worries, I'm not really cheating - more just playing the field. Your place on the sports back-burner is only momentarily. Come October 30th you'll have me all to yourself... well you guys and the Eagles.... um, and the Sixers...