Female Hockey Fans

[LA03]

As I was sitting at my college's hockey game today I realized I don't know many other women that enjoy hockey--well that are my age at least. I know hockey is not exactly a popular sport to the general masses, but it just made me wonder why.

I mean, it's not THAT complicated of a sport to follow. Lots of girls I know love baseball. (The exception being me. )There are TONS of girls that go to the hockey games at my school. Mostly because, let's face it, there's not much else to do before 9pm on a weekend and they can exciting. One of my roommate is the MOST ANNOYING person ever EVER to go to a game with. We have to get there super early so she can witness the 5 minutes of hockey players without their helmets on. And the entire game she just sits there and babbles about how so and so is so hot. Then you have my other roommate who's asking questions and who is generally into the game. Unfortunately there seem to be more of the "it sucks you can't really see what they look like! --lets get there early" type female fans. Wouldn't you want to learn SOMETHING about the sport that you're watching? However, I wonder if I wasn't born into such a hockey crazed family would I even care? I'd like to think I still would because I absolutely love the game. In 1994 when I was 8/9 years old I cried when the Devils lost to the Rangers in the Playoffs. Cried. And I think it just bothers me that people assume that I'm traveling to a game just because of the "hot guys" and know nothing about the sport at all.

[CRASHER]

Wow.... you described my entire hockey existance from the 1997 Finals till around November 2002 (well all the BAD stuff that is )

*edits* PS... good job on adding real posts to the board outiside the intro thread... you're halfway to addiction !!

Edited January 9, 2006 by CRASHER

[Don]

A friend of mine from university (and a cousin of Brian Rolston's) used to go to all the hockey games that she could. University. Halifax Citadels. Juniors.

Someone once called her a puck bunny who knew nothing about the game - and she started frothing at the mouth. She barked back:

"If I was going to a sporting event to drool over the guys, I'd pick a sport where not every spot of skin is covered from the neck down, the guys have all their teeth and the players don't have cut scars all over their face."

"Beyond that, I know where a hand pass is legal, the difference between a misconduct and gross misconduct and can name all three members of the French Connection. You on the other hand don't have a clue how many points you need to win a game of beach volleyball."

"So, if your chauvenist pig mind can handle this - most women watch mens sports primarly because they love watching the sport. Most men watch womens sports because their brains reside mostly in their pants."

I was like, GO GIRL.

I asked the guy later. He had no idea who the French Connection were.

[David Puddy]

However, I wonder if I wasn't born into such a hockey crazed family would I even care? I'd like to think I still would because I absolutely love the game. In 1994 when I was 8/9 years old I cried when the Devils lost to the Rangers in the Playoffs. Cried. And I think it just bothers me that people assume that I'm traveling to a game just because of the "hot guys" and know nothing about the sport at all.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I cried too, AND I AM MAN ENOUGH TO ADMIT IT, DAMMIT.

[El Diablo]

I sucked it up that night.. and proudly wore my Devs cap the next morning @ 7am tee off with 3 Rags fans - that was tough 18..

[LizDevil30]

I love hockey. It's a great sport that isn't hard to follow and actually has something happening almost every second and it is played until the final second. Unlike footbore, like Don mentioned in another thread, it lasts 4 hours and they actually move their feet for about 15 minutes. Also I hate when there are a couple of minutes on the clock and the team is allowed to do NOTHING!

Hockey doesn't have a lot of complicated rules maybe some stupid ones yeah *cough instigator cough* But hot guys is just a added bonus.

[Weekes Head]

I love hockey too! Proud to be a female hockey fan!

[IAmCanadian27]

I understand what you mean about being bothered by people who think just because you're a girl, you know nothing about hockey and are only there to stare at the guys. If I'm some place with male hockey fans around and I start talking hockey with my dad, I always get these surprised looks from them when I actually say something smart. I used to get annoyed, but now it's just funny to me when I prove them wrong.

[redruM]

I sucked it up that night.. and proudly wore my Devs cap the next morning @ 7am tee off with 3 Rags fans - that was tough 18..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

El D you want painful... when the rags beat the devs and then won the cup I was an assistant manager in Hermans in Woodbridge.. not only was every other employee a rags fan ( it seemed like it anyway), i lost bets w/ most of them and then i had to sell the friggin cup sirts to every loser rangers fan in cerntal jersey... I wanted to PUKE!!!!

[El Diablo]

El D you want painful... when the rags beat the devs and then won the cup I was an assistant manager in Hermans in Woodbridge..  not only was every other employee a rags fan ( it seemed like it anyway), i lost bets w/ most of them and then i had to sell the friggin cup sirts to every loser rangers fan in cerntal jersey... I wanted to PUKE!!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ohh - that's bad...

[LizDevil30]

I understand what you mean about being bothered by people who think just because you're a girl, you know nothing about hockey and are only there to stare at the guys. If I'm some place with male hockey fans around and I start talking hockey with my dad, I always get these surprised looks from them when I actually say something smart. I used to get annoyed, but now it's just funny to me when I prove them wrong.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's just the old double standard that will never die.

[CRASHER]

El D you want painful... when the rags beat the devs and then won the cup I was an assistant manager in Hermans in Woodbridge..  not only was every other employee a rags fan ( it seemed like it anyway), i lost bets w/ most of them and then i had to sell the friggin cup sirts to every loser rangers fan in cerntal jersey... I wanted to PUKE!!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Try living in Brooklyn when every idiot half-ass... let's jump on the bandwagon.. can't tell Mark Messier from a sewer cap bandwagon loving moron was out in the cars, writing stuff in the street... honking horns... shooting off fireworks... you name it.... all effing night!!!

And then to make it worse a few days my idiot friends in college called me at 10am and BEGGED me to go to the Rangers parade with them.... when I asked them why I would waste my time with that they said "It's as good a reason to party as any"

that's when I hung up the phone

Horrid day that was !!!

[Darwindog]

You sound like you're off to a wonderfull start as a female hockey fan.

NOW step 2 - stop caring what the masses think of female fans and ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE FEMALE! I'm not saying you're not but should some player come along and knock your socks off... I mean someone like say Scott Stevens... well allow yourself to just feel the hormone rush.. it seriously adds to your appreciation of the game.

See Stevens is kind of Frat Boy handsome and for years I actually tuned him out. When I walk down the street and see a guy I think "whoa- hotty" my initial reaction is to turn away and never look back.. HOWEVER... Stevens's amazing hockey talent eventually wore me down and THEN, honest, my vision of the game improved like 40,000 fold and I was really able to identify exactly WHAT about hockey I loved. Honest though, I'm waiting to find some offensive wonder to push one of my buttons so I can see the glory in this "new NHL" --- I really do wonder if I love defense or if Stevens's playing just physically articulated the perfection of the position so much that it became my favorite style -- I'll never know until an O man turns me on.

Also -- I seriously dislike when other women systematically negate other women's hockey credibility merely because they drool over players as well as enjoy the game. That's another reason I'm very vocal about my Stevens fixation. I think you can have both a love of the game and a healthy appreciation of the men that play it. Your one sided take, though I understand the frustration it's grown out of - is just as bad as the dude's attitude you chewed out. Hockey fans love hockey. These guys are beasts... you have to love the game to find them attractive -- it's just a way for fledgling female fans to articulate their love If you ask men to give you a chance you must in turn give the drooling females a chance yourself and respect where they're coming from - don't look down upon it. Respect is earned. I had no trouble putting up the Stevens caveat here on this board - then when I DID earn respect I knew it was sincere - people READ what I wrote.

preachy much today am I?

Edited January 9, 2006 by Darwindog

[GA Devil]

I cried too, AND I AM MAN ENOUGH TO ADMIT IT, DAMMIT.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Puddy, you da BOMB!!

[femalenynjazfan]

im proud to be a female hockey fan since 1996-97.

[LizDevil30]

Well said DD! It's funny how women can appreciate men's sports for the sport and the players' abilities and other fine attributes. But it's very hard to find men that appreciate women's sports-- period and if they notice at all it's usually just to gawk.

[LA03]

You sound like you're off to a wonderfull start as a female hockey fan.

NOW

Edited January 9, 2006 by LA03

[mddevsfan]

Well said DD! It's funny how women can appreciate men's sports for the sport and the players' abilities and other fine attributes. But it's very hard to find men that appreciate women's sports-- period and if they notice at all it's usually just to gawk.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not sure if I really want to get into the middle of this, but...

If a person (man OR woman) is going to appreciate a sport for the sport itself and the players abilities, it is natural that they would be attracted to the men's competition. Men, having been genetically designed to hunt, defend, etc., are naturally going to have better physical ability than female athletes. Not that there aren't exceptions, but in general.

The result is that when a fan of either sex watches a sport for the sport/abilities, most will choose to watch the men. This is why women who appreciate men's sports are not uncommon. It is more of a stretch for a male fan to watch female sports, because of the (generally) lower level of ability (please don't kill me ); not to mention the MUCH worse quality of coverage of most women's sports. This leads to men watching women's sports only in the hopes of catching a cute girl with a wedgie.

I watched some of the USA-Canada women's hockey game last weekend, and it was pretty good. But if the men's olympic teams had been on at the same time, I know which one I (as well as the vast majority of fans, both male and female) would have watched.

[Devils731]

To add to what MDD said, even a not so physical sport like bowling sees men playing at a higher level than women. I can go out there and bowl with the best women in the world, while the best men in the world can bowl rings around me, thats why I watch the men on TV while the women's league failed. I wanted to watch the best in the world regardless of sex, not people only as good as myself.

[mddevsfan]

To add to what MDD said, even a not so physical sport like bowling sees men playing at a higher level than women.  I can go out there and bowl with the best women in the world, while the best men in the world can bowl rings around me, thats why I watch the men on TV while the women's league failed.  I wanted to watch the best in the world regardless of sex, not people only as good as myself.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I wouldn't compare my abilities to those of any of these athletes, male or female. A WNBA player would make me look silly on a basketball court. But the best WNBA player wouldn't even make it as a benchwarmer in the NBA. So which one are you going to watch?

[Devils731]

I wouldn't compare my abilities to those of any of these athletes, male or female.  A WNBA player would make me look silly on a basketball court.  But the best WNBA player wouldn't even make it as a benchwarmer in the NBA.  So which one are you going to watch?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well I picked bowling because I could make that comparison I heard a lot of why women's bowling failed as I was good friends with 2 women pro's in college, so they always gave me the scoop.

[point]

My wife got me interested in hockey. I never watched before I got married. Unfortunately, she is a Rangers fan. She still can't figure out why I root for the Devils. DUH! She describes it as my "betrayal."

[mddevsfan]

Well I picked bowling because I could make that comparison    I heard a lot of why women's bowling failed as I was good friends with 2 women pro's in college, so they always gave me the scoop.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I see. My bad.

I can't see women's bowling as having all that much of a chance to succeed. Men's bowling has had to do a lot just to come as far as they have, which isn't exactly the big time.

[mddevsfan]

My wife got me interested in hockey. I never watched before I got married. Unfortunately, she is a Rangers fan. She still can't figure out why I root for the Devils. DUH! She describes it as my "betrayal."

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think a therapist would have a field day with that one!

I'm still working on my wife. She likes to go to hockey games, and she can talk about the Devils a bit, since I do all the time. I wouldn't call her a fan yet, though.

[Darwindog]

Womens sports are just different than mens - not only a different level of play but a different style altogether I person find. I like womens basketball but abhor mens. For some reason softball and baseball are very different to me though I am hardwired to consider softball womens baseball. But we've gone over this before.

I think tennis is cool because the mental differences are SOOO clear - the differences in not competitiveness but competitive style I think is most pronounced in the sport. I think each makes the other interesting too - they compliment eachother well.

Hey, Lindros is a handsome guy I always have to admit that even if he's not... ( but sort of is) my type...

My husband likes hockey but he can walk away from it if something annoys him. He enjoys getting involved but does not seek a game out normally. And the second he sees something boneheaded he walks away saying hockey is stupid... where as I say the players ref and /or announcers are stupid... not hockey... and not fighting per se. I love hockey I can't walk away even though I think this season I have often been able to NOT turn on the TV and am grudgingly giving up cable because so many other things about TV annoy me the few hockey games just aren't worth the aggrivation. and my sister lives 10 minutes away and has cable so ... that's where I'll be seeing critical games now I guess...