Beer League Frustrations Vent Thread III

[leftwinger37]

Lost in our tournament semi-final. The GWG was gifted to our opponent due to the refs calling a puck knocked into the net after the play was whistled dead a good goal. Had a whole period to tie the game after that, but man did that take the wind out of our sails. Uggh, what a way to go out. The team we lost to ended up winning the tournament to add insult to injury.

 

[ArGarBarGar]

Fall season just started in Michigan, and while I was happy to be back in the swing of things, I forgot how much I hate the role testosterone plays in people's behavior.

Start the game as forward, and I get in front of their goaltender as he has the puck, not taking a swing at him trying to pry it loose. Another guy gives me a stiff elbow after the whistle, so I give him a one-handed slap to the shin in a "come on, I don't appreciate that" gesture. He gives me a two hand to the arm as I'm skating away and I just ignore it.

I moved back to defense shortly after and didn't see much of him then, but I had a loose puck on a rush and looked to get something going in the other team's zone. I chip it past one player but the same guy is able to get it before me. He knocks it away and I anticipate skating around him and looking to backcheck, but instead of moving on he turns around and goes for a reverse check on me. Thankfully I saw him coming and braced myself for it, so we just ran into each other. As I skated back he continued to talk trash as if I was the one trying to lay body contact. From there he stops in front of me a second time and keeps talking trash.

It's like, dude, we are one game into fall league and you are getting aggressive already. Get over it.

 

[Goonzilla]

Fall season just started in Michigan, and while I was happy to be back in the swing of things, I forgot how much I hate the role testosterone plays in people's behavior.

Start the game as forward, and I get in front of their goaltender as he has the puck, not taking a swing at him trying to pry it loose. Another guy gives me a stiff elbow after the whistle, so I give him a one-handed slap to the shin in a "come on, I don't appreciate that" gesture. He gives me a two hand to the arm as I'm skating away and I just ignore it.

I moved back to defense shortly after and didn't see much of him then, but I had a loose puck on a rush and looked to get something going in the other team's zone. I chip it past one player but the same guy is able to get it before me. He knocks it away and I anticipate skating around him and looking to backcheck, but instead of moving on he turns around and goes for a reverse check on me. Thankfully I saw him coming and braced myself for it, so we just ran into each other. As I skated back he continued to talk trash as if I was the one trying to lay body contact. From there he stops in front of me a second time and keeps talking trash.

It's like, dude, we are one game into fall league and you are getting aggressive already. Get over it.

I always find that an interesting facet of rec hockey and a little bit of a quandary. I'm no warmonger, but hockey is a fast paced, aggressive and confrontational sport by nature, so while I don't go around clipping people or looking for rough stuff, I don't have a lot of problems with the guys that do. I think that for every idiot trying to live out some hockey tough guy fantasy, there are others probably just letting off steam and venting frustration with other things in life that they otherwise might not get to.

Bad day at the office? Someone cut you off in traffic? Grief on the home front? The rink is as good a place as any to get it out of your system.

 

[puckpilot]

Bad day at the office? Someone cut you off in traffic? Grief on the home front? The rink is as good a place as any to get it out of your system.

If they want to let off steam by skating hard and shooting hard, I got no issue with that. But if they need to wack someone, who didn't do anything to them, with a stick or throw elbows they're idiots. Why? Because anyone who needs to spread grief onto another person's life just because their life isn't running so smooth needs to visit a shrink.

If someone needs to beat on something, buy a punching bag, take up boxing, or MMA. At least then the opponent is facing them and expecting it.

 

[Cursed Lemon]

Will someone please let this goalie know that my 0.00 shooting percentage is unsustainable

 

[ArGarBarGar]

I always find that an interesting facet of rec hockey and a little bit of a quandary. I'm no warmonger, but hockey is a fast paced, aggressive and confrontational sport by nature, so while I don't go around clipping people or looking for rough stuff, I don't have a lot of problems with the guys that do. I think that for every idiot trying to live out some hockey tough guy fantasy, there are others probably just letting off steam and venting frustration with other things in life that they otherwise might not get to.

Bad day at the office? Someone cut you off in traffic? Grief on the home front? The rink is as good a place as any to get it out of your system.

I think if you are going to let out your aggression on something, it shouldn't be other people. And I don't think what he did was out of anger. Just feeling slighted that I gave him a single hand chop to the shin and he wanted to crank it up to 11.

 

[Goonzilla]

I think if you are going to let out your aggression on something, it shouldn't be other people. And I don't think what he did was out of anger. Just feeling slighted that I gave him a single hand chop to the shin and he wanted to crank it up to 11.

As long as they're not going after the five foot not much, bespectacled accountant who is afraid of their own shadow. You can usually find someone happy to push back and chirp/trash talk, or match up against.

I enjoy it, but never start anything, just go there to play hockey and take very few penalties; but I love a challenge and don't take a backward step, so if anyone is there to unleash their angst and frustrations on the world, pick me. I think it would be less fun if there wasn't a little bit of that in league play.

Just my two pennies worth.

 

[Pez68]

As long as they're not going after the five foot not much, bespectacled accountant who is afraid of their own shadow. You can usually find someone happy to push back and chirp/trash talk, or match up against.

I enjoy it, but never start anything, just go there to play hockey and take very few penalties; but I love a challenge and don't take a backward step, so if anyone is there to unleash their angst and frustrations on the world, pick me. I think it would be less fun if there wasn't a little bit of that in league play.

Just my two pennies worth.

People have jobs.

 

[Montgomery81]

I like a bit of contact, a little bit of rough play. Obviously nothing dirty like a stick to the mouth or slew-footing, but I tend to play better when I'm getting pushed around, hacked on the ankles, chirped, etc.

 

[StrictlyCommercial]

I play hard on the boards, but in open ice I just use body position to win battles. I've had to many concussions to ever start ****.

 

[Goonzilla]

I like a bit of contact, a little bit of rough play. Obviously nothing dirty like a stick to the mouth or slew-footing, but I tend to play better when I'm getting pushed around, hacked on the ankles, chirped, etc.

Amen to that.

..and everybody got jobs, but hockey isn't miniature golf or tennis; there's risks. It is part of the appeal.

 

[BruinDust]

Keep the dirt to a minimum (elbows to face, knee on knees, slashes to the arms, cross-checks in prone positions)

Don't run at guys and try to blast em' along the boards or open ice.

Like someone said, people have jobs to go to the next day.

But at the end of the day, it's hockey, not basketball.

 

[Pez68]

Amen to that.

..and everybody got jobs, but hockey isn't miniature golf or tennis; there's risks. It is part of the appeal.

Risks? Yes. Absolutely. There's always going to be risk, because it's a high speed game, contact is inevitable, and we are playing with a vulcanized piece of rubber flying around at upwards of 90 miles an hour. What I have no tolerance for is the unnecessary risks. Slashing guys on the arms and wrists. Sticking out your knee. Slew foots. Shoves from behind. Crosschecks... Sticks up high. I love the physical play along the boards and the battle more than most. The problem is, most guys have no idea what's acceptable physical play in a no-check league, and what isn't... A guy goes near the front of the net, and they are slashing him, or crosschecking him in the kidneys or lower back. A guy beats him to a puck in the corner and he's pushing his hip from behind trying to "get a piece of him". Most beer league players are morons that really have no idea what the consequences of their actions are until someone gets seriously hurt. Or they try that crap with the wrong guy, and he runs them over, or rips their cage off their head and beats them to a pulp.

 

[Hobby Bull]

Fall season just started in Michigan, and while I was happy to be back in the swing of things, I forgot how much I hate the role testosterone plays in people's behavior.

Start the game as forward, and I get in front of their goaltender as he has the puck, not taking a swing at him trying to pry it loose. Another guy gives me a stiff elbow after the whistle, so I give him a one-handed slap to the shin in a "come on, I don't appreciate that" gesture. He gives me a two hand to the arm as I'm skating away and I just ignore it.

I moved back to defense shortly after and didn't see much of him then, but I had a loose puck on a rush and looked to get something going in the other team's zone. I chip it past one player but the same guy is able to get it before me. He knocks it away and I anticipate skating around him and looking to backcheck, but instead of moving on he turns around and goes for a reverse check on me. Thankfully I saw him coming and braced myself for it, so we just ran into each other. As I skated back he continued to talk trash as if I was the one trying to lay body contact. From there he stops in front of me a second time and keeps talking trash.

It's like, dude, we are one game into fall league and you are getting aggressive already. Get over it.

Haha! It's hockey!

I can't remember playing a game without getting intentional cheap-shots and illegal **** in. I thought that was part of the fun! (I've played for over 50 years)

Enjoy!

 

[Doctor No]

hockey isn't miniature golf or tennis; there's risks. It is part of the appeal.

Yes, hockey players should take risks.

But the things you're describing aren't risks, because the other party is doing it intentionally. It's not something that "might" happen, it's something that the other player wants to happen.

Taking a puck to the neck? That's a risk. Taking a crosscheck to the back of the head? That's another player being a jackass.

You make it sound like those are the two options - either it's Blood Bowl, or it's "miniature golf or tennis". If you can't see that there's somewhere in between, I can't help you.

 

[Goonzilla]

Yes, hockey players should take risks.

But the things you're describing aren't risks, because the other party is doing it intentionally. It's not something that "might" happen, it's something that the other player wants to happen.

Taking a puck to the neck? That's a risk. Taking a crosscheck to the back of the head? That's another player being a jackass.

You make it sound like those are the two options - either it's Blood Bowl, or it's "miniature golf or tennis". If you can't see that there's somewhere in between, I can't help you.

You're barking up the wrong tree there dude. It certainly should be somewhere in the middle; and I don't have much time for either extreme; brainless idiots, or absolute wimps.

 

[ArGarBarGar]

You're barking up the wrong tree there dude. It certainly should be somewhere in the middle; and I don't have much time for either extreme; brainless idiots, or absolute wimps.

What's the middle to you? Bumping someone off the puck will happen, as will hard-fought battles in front of the net. But those two have a limited physicality to them.

Once elbows and shoulders start getting thrown, I start to have an issue, especially if those involve stand-up checks. The scouts aren't watching, you don't have to play like a gladiator out there.

 

[Beltv]

The johnney-Go-Hards are funny. Generally if you just have a good hockey IQ you can really make them mad.

My only complaint is the lack of decent leagues on nights I can play. The league the team I play on is playing on a perfect night with great game times...but the league is very weak.

 

[kurt]

But at the end of the day, it's hockey, not basketball.

I get way more banged up playing rec basketball than rec hockey. I've lost count of how many times I've needed stitches, fractured my orbital bone, etc.

 

[Cams]

It's the over the top incidents like these why I decided to give rec league a break when I did. It's Sunday morning.... I don't need, nor want to, worry about having my head driven into the ice as the result of a goalie freezing the puck on an innocent play (happened to me - concussion). No, I didn't snow the goalie or jam at his glove. Whistle got blown, I stopped after getting a shot on net. Got a shove from behind into the goalie, goalie gets mad shoves back...minor scrum happens - it should have stopped at that...but no.... Mr. Hero on the other team mugs me from behind and gives me what boils down to a wrestling style pile driver.

Same league, same year - had a guy on one of the other teams just looking for fights every game.

Plus....add the drama of being the guy running the team.... having guys back out and being short a couple hundred dollars....nope...sorry...not worth it. Offered to play the next season if someone else wanted to run it.....guess how many volunteers there were.....ZERO!

So....on top of the goonery in a Sunday AM league, and all the other BS..... it's a wonder why I am done with rec leagues.

 

[12345678910]

Never understood the macho beer league thing. Grow up.

 

[LarryO]

Some kids never mature into adults.

 

[Blufreezy]

I play in the ashl (adult safe hockey league).. the last 2 seasons or so they've really been trying to protect the goalies. No whacking or poking when they have it etc. Immiediate whistle if a shot hits their helmet (I think that rule already existed). Stand in the opposing team crease and it's a whistle / faceoff outside the zone. Basically you touch the goalie it's supposed to be a penalty.

Anyway season starts the other night, our goalie got absolutely run over by a guy on a breakaway. They collide and the puck gets dragged into the net. Wasn't pushed or anything, he was all alone.
Good goal, no penalty. Absolutely insane. Ref says it was a judgement call and 4 different refs woulda made 4 different calls.
BS they would, the league name has SAFE in it for a reason. They implemented these goalie protection rules for a reason. Accident or not it's not supposed to matter.

A few shifts later we are in their end and my other winger has his foot in the crease so they stop the play. Fair call, but come on! It was like it was called out of spite because our guys were so pissed.

I can't speak league wide but in my rink each season our team reps are told to tell their players to lay off the refs etc. And each season the reffing seems to get worse. Like they answer to no one.

Other than that it was a good game, and we won.

 

[HansonBro]

While the ASHL is a "decent" adult league, it's likely the big show for the refs career. They like to leave their mark on games sometimes and are even clearly biased when you have the same ref multiple times a year. So best advice is to butter up to them early in the year and thank them later when they start to favor you

 

[Blufreezy]

I hate to think this way but I imagine the fact that one of the other teams players is also a ref in the league helped..