Hockey is The Best Sport: Michael Burns

     When it comes to sports, most people in America tend to watch Football or Basketball. Although they are the most popular sports, this does not indicate that they are the best. This accolade belongs to hockey for many reasons.

     The first reason for hockey being the best sport is that the players have the ability to control the game. In other sports, the games are decided by referees or umpires. In hockey, the players can control the game at a different level. The players can slow the game down, speed the game up, or by laying hits or fighting; shaking things up. This makes the game very entertaining for the viewers.

     Also, hockey is played on a massive surface of ice! In all of the other major sports, they are played on solid ground. In hockey, players balance on sharp blades of steel. All hockey players have to incorporate all of that speed and edge work all while managing to stay balanced on a massive slippery surface. 

     Furthermore, hockey players are warriors when compared to other athletes. Many players sacrifice their bodies to keep the puck out of their net. They do this by blocking pucks traveling over 100mph and still playing the rest of the game. There have been many instances of players being concussed, breaking bones, and losing teeth. One time, a goaltender got his throat slit by a skate blade. Also the physicality of the sport is unmatched by players being checked into the boards, cross checking, and fighting, Basketball players often don't play because of "load management,"baseball players sit out when they have blisters on their fingers. Hockey players ask to get back in the game when their faces are being stitched back together. 

     Next, hockey players have their own lingo. Unlike other sports, hockey has a language of it own. To describe a player, hockey has terms such as "beauty" and "bender." Other hockey terms include "celly,""chirping",and "biscuit." Small details like these add to the greatness to the sport. 

     Hockey's playoff format is easily the most grueling of all sports. In the regular season, teams play a seven month long eighty two game schedule. Once April comes around, it is playoff time. In order to become a champion, you must survive four rounds of backbreaking play for up to 28 games. The prize is the Stanley Cup, which has been given out to the champion for over 100 years. 

     Hockey players also have many interesting traditions and superstitions. The famous one is the playoff beard where players grow out their hair and facial hair until their playoff run is over. Many players also insist on eating the same meal before each game. Alex Ovechkin eats the same pasta dish and Mitch Marner always eats melted ice cream soup before every game. Also many players follow the same pregame rituals. Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby never talks to his mother or sister on game days and hall of fame goaltender Glenn Hall would always make himself throw up before every game. 

     The final reason for hockey being the best sport is that players great people on and off the ice. All of the time you hear about hockey teams and players doing great things for other people. An example of this is when players would go to children's hospitals or give back to their communities. A few months ago a child named Anderson Whitehead lost his mother to cancer and was a huge fan of superstar goalie Carey Price. A few days later after Anderson's mother died, Carey Price reached out to him and invited him to spend time and play hockey with him. To this day they are still in touch they will be seeing each other again at the 2020 NHL All Star Game. 

     Hockey is the greatest sport in the world even though it does not get the recondition that Basketball, Football, and Baseball do.