Beer League Frustrations Vent Thread II

[Ozz]

I joined a team about 1/4 of the way through last season after they were a late add to the league and needed a goalie. We ended up finishing second in the league (prorated) and had a pretty decent season, although we got beaten pretty bad a few times by the best team while a few of our best players were missing.

Well, these guys had played together before a few seasons ago and are bringing back their old goalie for next season.

Frustrating because we never really had the whole team together, and when we did, we were pretty good. I had one legitimately bad game, and while we did suffer a two bad blowouts, those were a team wide effort. Still, I do think that I'm shouldering some of that blame, and that hurts.

I found out through the league admin too, not one of the other players. Kind of ******.

Anyway, in the same text telling me that I was being replaced, another team is already after me. They finished third and are probably the most laid back team in the league, so I'm looking forward to playing for them.

And most importantly, next season will be mostly about revenge. Show my old team how much they ****ed up!

I hope you show 'em up!

 

[Mattb124]

I don't really understand people being upset about good players playing down. A lot of guys who have played competitive hockey don't want to do it anymore and certainly don't want to have to put up with lesser players trying to prove themselves against them all the time (which happens all the time in the higher levels). Most of these guys aren't playing any where near full capacity anyway and are just looking to unwind in a familiar social setting. There's nothing worse than trying to use something you've done for years as a platform for socializing and having your night(s) ruined by guys who are ultra-competitive meat-heads. Also try to keep in mind that some of these players have had serious injuries (trust me it's a lot more common than you may think), and thus playing in a lower paced environment is the only safe way for them to continue suiting up.

My advice would be if the guy seems to be tilting the ice a little too much, discreetly ask him to tone it down a bit. More than likely he'll oblige although I do realize there are always some exceptions to the rule. In those cases it's more of a personality defect that exists within all levels of sport.

We have a guy in one of our leagues that, when his team goes shorthanded, he skates the length of the ice and scores a goal - every time. Understand that the personality defect you referenced is widespread, and some people mind for good reason.

 

[The Tikkanen]

We have a guy in one of our leagues that, when his team goes shorthanded, he skates the length of the ice and scores a goal - every time. Understand that the personality defect you referenced is widespread, and some people mind for good reason.

It absolutely is a psychological issue. It's all about not wanting to work hard for results, which is why these players didn't progress past beer league. These guys have the most creative stories but when you see them play it's painfully obvious why their coach got rid of them. They aren't team players, the game is all about their play and they usually don't do the little things or can't pass worth a lick. Now they're going to take their personal frustrations out on beer leaguers, many of whom didn't start skating at 3 years old or were never coached. In the top leagues they would get treated just like in their past, their weaknesses would be exposed, they would struggle to gain personal results and since the teams wins and losses mean nothing to these guys it's not enjoyable. I make sure to remind thee guys no matter how good they think they are or what creative story they have they are in the same league as me now, they pay just as much as I do so that makes them just as good as I am and I didn't start playing until I was 20. Go see a psychologist and delve into the issue about how you failed your fathers expectations dude, maybe then you can get that "good job son" you never received. Here's a kleenex.

 

[SJGoalie32]

I don't really understand people being upset about good players playing down. A lot of guys who have played competitive hockey don't want to do it anymore and certainly don't want to have to put up with lesser players trying to prove themselves against them all the time (which happens all the time in the higher levels). Most of these guys aren't playing any where near full capacity anyway and are just looking to unwind in a familiar social setting.

We disagree on what percentage of those players are playing at or near their full capacity. I think the significantly higher skilled players who play down multiple levels for social purposes and *don't* make a dick of themselves are the rare exceptions rather than the rule. Nobody actually has a problem with the higher skilled players who actually do play fairly approximately to the level of the competitiveness of the rest of the league. When done right, those guys should rarely stand out in the first place beyond a nice pass or a good defensive play.

There's nothing worse than trying to use something you've done for years as a platform for socializing and having your night(s) ruined by guys who are ultra-competitive meat-heads. Also try to keep in mind that some of these players have had serious injuries (trust me it's a lot more common than you may think), and thus playing in a lower paced environment is the only safe way for them to continue suiting up.

Actually there's nothing worse than trying to use something you've done for years as a platform for socializing and having your night(s) ruined by clearly highly skilled guys who are selfish meat-heads just looking to boost their own self-esteem by screwing around with fancy moves and scoring a ton of goals against clearly inferior competition because their mothers didn't hug them enough as children or something.

I appreciate that those players may be looking for a lower-paced environment have some fun in, but that doesn't mean others appreciate being used as cannon-fodder for their good times.

Also a player being too injured to compete any more at a higher level is not a good excuse for being a jerk to lower-tier players. Most leagues have a variety of levels where you can take the play down a notch and still mostly fit in. Even if the league has greater disparities, you can still usually adjust your own play or switch to a different position or something.

My advice would be if the guy seems to be tilting the ice a little too much, discreetly ask him to tone it down a bit. More than likely he'll oblige although I do realize there are always some exceptions to the rule.

Any player who is that good has likely played the game long enough that he should be expected to know by himself when he is tilting the ice too much. That's part of what's so frustrating about those highly skilled guys from competitive levels. It's one thing to get viciously cross-checked by a novice goon who doesn't know any better and who has no other defensive skills. But Shooty McDanglejerk who played in various competitive leagues for a decade and has spent another chunk of years playing high level beer leagues shouldn't need to have it explained to him that scoring a pair of hat tricks in a game without having to break a sweat is a bit excessive. This isn't his first rodeo. He's played before. He knows he's tilting the ice. So the fact he's still cherry picking after the first hat trick is a pretty good indication he just doesn't care beyond his own stats and personal enjoyment. A discreet (or even a blunt) request to tone it down won't work with those guys. If anything, those guys will just step it up and/or start taking runs at opponents just because they can.

In those cases it's more of a personality defect that exists within all levels of sport.

Yes, it is. Though I would point out it is specifically those people with that personality defect who feel the need to play that far down in a league where they can dominate with ease in the first place.

 

[PIMking]

Come to find out that we have a former AHLer and ECHL playing against us last night.. that was fun... NOT.

 

[Outl4w]

Last night we are down by 1 with less than 2 minutes left in roller hockey. WE have our goalie pulled. I am the last defenseman back and they dump the puck in. I go to get it. Two guys from their team are forechecking me. I beat them to the puck and make the pass up the boards. The rest of my team (4 skaters are hanging out in the offensive zone standing still waiting for the puck).Their forward sees this and jumps up for the puck and scores on an empty net. One of our forwards comes out and starts yelling at me/cursing. What the ******* are you doing? I said you mean making a play up the boards while you are all standing still waiting for the puck to come to you. He said I have scored 5 goals this game what have you did? I said you know well score 2 goals and have 4 assist. I have also been shutting down their best players all night would you like to play defense? So he just starts spewing out nonsense. We pull the goalie, and off the faceoff the puck comes back to me. I skate it end and pull a move on the goalie and make a pass to a wide open net to my player. My player buries the puck. We are down by one and on next faceoff the other team wins and skates it in our zone. I stealthe puck and lead the rush out. I pass it the the guy who yelled out at me and he scores. He then makes a smart reply see what I am doing. I said yeah I do , but you know I am the one who stole the puck and made the pass to you. It doesn't matter how many goals you score you are not getting loose pucks and making plays. The next faceoff the puck comes back to me again, and I break it in the zone. I make a quick pass to another forward and he passes to the other defense-man for a one timer. We end up winning with 4.5 seconds left . We are all saying good game, and the forward who was complaining is mad no one is congratulating him because he got 6 goals out of the 12. I love players who don't understand that it is a team game, and if you don't want to back check don't complain when the other team scores.

 

[tbcwpg]

We disagree on what percentage of those players are playing at or near their full capacity. I think the significantly higher skilled players who play down multiple levels for social purposes and *don't* make a dick of themselves are the rare exceptions rather than the rule. Nobody actually has a problem with the higher skilled players who actually do play fairly approximately to the level of the competitiveness of the rest of the league. When done right, those guys should rarely stand out in the first place beyond a nice pass or a good defensive play.

We have a guy on our team who's probably a bit too good for our division. I'm not counting the guys who might do alright a division up, this type of player could probably go 3 or 4 up no problem (we have a 13 division league). He has 0 goals this year, and about 12 assists. He plays good defence, but doesn't try to get a goal (unless there's a guy on the other team that's a real poor sport).

Actually there's nothing worse than trying to use something you've done for years as a platform for socializing and having your night(s) ruined by clearly highly skilled guys who are selfish meat-heads just looking to boost their own self-esteem by screwing around with fancy moves and scoring a ton of goals against clearly inferior competition because their mothers didn't hug them enough as children or something.

Adding to my above story, there's a team in our division that has an entire line of good players and the rest of the team is below average for where we're at. If those guys show up, they win by 6 or 7. If they don't, they lose by 5 or 6. Dekes, cherry picking, and over-celebrations were part of their game. These players ruin the experience. I said to one of them "Probably no need to cherry pick when you're up 6-1" and his reply to me was to eff off. This is more common amongst the "good" players than the ones who are just out to play with their friends.

 

[padstack1]

I've read these forums for a while, but this thread got me out of "lurk" mode. Very few things get to me. I play on a pretty bad team in our lowest division. We have fun and we have no issue with it. Do we like to win? Certainly. But for us it's about going out and having fun. Three nights ago, we all got pissed for the first time since we started. One of our guys didn't have his jersey, so he wore a random white one. Yes, league rules do state he has to have it. We skated warm-ups and no one said anything. Just before puck drop, the goalie (who is also a ref in the league - which is another issue altogether) calls the ref over and he tells us he can't play. The captain skates to their bench to ask why it was a big deal and not one person would even look at him. They are the top team in the division and we are the 2nd to last. We had never beaten them in 3 years. Basically, it boiled down to the person who didn't have his jersey had scored 2 goals the game before. The ref even told us he thought it was dumb, but it was a rule and the team complained (no one had a problem with the ref - he was just doing his job). After I offered to give him my jersey so he would have a team one (goalies are flexible with jerseys), the other goalie said to not worry about it and play on.

Fast forward and I have one of my best games ever and we win 4-1! Wouldn't you know it, the next morning we had an email from the league saying their goalie filed a complaint. Such a sore loser. That was the first thing that has legitimately bothered me since I started playing hockey. The guy is a miserable human being, and his team wouldn't even talk to us about the issue. Really sad that a bunch of 40 yr olds have to act like 4 year olds.

 

[Goonzilla]

I've read these forums for a while, but this thread got me out of "lurk" mode. Very few things get to me. I play on a pretty bad team in our lowest division. We have fun and we have no issue with it. Do we like to win? Certainly. But for us it's about going out and having fun. Three nights ago, we all got pissed for the first time since we started. One of our guys didn't have his jersey, so he wore a random white one. Yes, league rules do state he has to have it. We skated warm-ups and no one said anything. Just before puck drop, the goalie (who is also a ref in the league - which is another issue altogether) calls the ref over and he tells us he can't play. The captain skates to their bench to ask why it was a big deal and not one person would even look at him. They are the top team in the division and we are the 2nd to last. We had never beaten them in 3 years. Basically, it boiled down to the person who didn't have his jersey had scored 2 goals the game before. The ref even told us he thought it was dumb, but it was a rule and the team complained (no one had a problem with the ref - he was just doing his job). After I offered to give him my jersey so he would have a team one (goalies are flexible with jerseys), the other goalie said to not worry about it and play on.

Fast forward and I have one of my best games ever and we win 4-1! Wouldn't you know it, the next morning we had an email from the league saying their goalie filed a complaint. Such a sore loser. That was the first thing that has legitimately bothered me since I started playing hockey. The guy is a miserable human being, and his team wouldn't even talk to us about the issue. Really sad that a bunch of 40 yr olds have to act like 4 year olds.

In that situation and at that level, if they had carried on about it at the start and made a big deal out of it, wanting him forced not to play, if I was captain I would have said that we would forfeit and they could forget getting a game that night, which they would have paid for.

That they carried on afterwards and made a complaint ought to carry no weight if the referees had refereed the game with the understanding that the other team were happy to play status quo on the night.

That said, I'd still be telling the guy who left his jersey at home to sort his **** out next time. Does he need his mother to pack his gear and carry his bag for him?

 

[sanityplease]

I've read these forums for a while, but this thread got me out of "lurk" mode. Very few things get to me. I play on a pretty bad team in our lowest division. We have fun and we have no issue with it. ...

Fast forward and I have one of my best games ever and we win 4-1! Wouldn't you know it, the next morning we had an email from the league saying their goalie filed a complaint. Such a sore loser. That was the first thing that has legitimately bothered me since I started playing hockey. The guy is a miserable human being, and his team wouldn't even talk to us about the issue. Really sad that a bunch of 40 yr olds have to act like 4 year olds.

Complain/petition the league to move that team up a division. Let the dirtbags worry about getting moved up & shelled every game.

 

[Outl4w]

I try to go around a guy last night, and as I start to get by him he puts my head under his armpit in a headlock for about five seconds . My stick and the puck got by him. I push him and say back off that isn't hockey. The ref blows the whistle, and tells both of us to cool it. He calls no penalty. The guy is all pissed saying that is hockey. I told him you would not really know what hockey is, because you have only played beer league. He wants to fight. I just laugh. Now was I in the wrong? I have played travel hockey all my life until eighteen, and beer league for almost ten years. I never thought you could just put a guy trying to go around you in a headlock. That is interference correct?

 

[bigwillie]

Not much of a vent, because while it's frustrating, it's also funny:

This season our league admin asked me to take the net for a team in a league below what I'm used to playing. They are the black sheep of this league without a doubt: The free agents no one wanted, guys kicked off other teams, a few guys getting back into hockey after 5+ years out, etc.

One guy is pretty damn good, but he's hearing impaired, so that's a little limiting, which is why he's playing in this league. He's probably our second best player. Our best is a guy who's doing a little bit of charity work, playing below his level to mentor some of these guys.

Anyway, we've played two games now, and there's one guy who can skate really well, but has never played hockey before. His first game his stick was way too short, and last game, he was using a left handed stick. He's a righty. It was one of the saddest things you've ever seen. This dude can move out there, but every time the puck came near him his poor puck handling skills, combined with the fact his stick was in the wrong ****ing hand, would send it right away.

Another guy is coming back from a major knee surgery and close to 10 years away from the game. He tries but is just too out of shape to keep up. He hops off on line changes after 30 second shifts no matter where the puck is. He took a change when he was back on a 3-2 at one point, turning it into a 3-1.

My least favorite guy played in college, quit, and is trying again now that he's in his late 30's. He thinks he knows the game but doesn't. 2-1 coming our way, he "takes the pass" by immediately skating to one guy, grabbing onto him, and letting the other skate in unchallenged. I got scored on on the gifted breakaway, and he has the balls to tell me I need to challenge the shooter more.

As a team, it's a ****ing ****show. Both d-men pinch whenever they feel like it, we chase pucks like 6 year-olds, and the concept of "positions" is lost on us. It's as free flowing a game as you'll see but we have zero skill to make it work. It's not uncommon for us to see 2-0's and 3-0's so far this season.

Despite all this, we're 1-1 to start the season. I've gotten frustrated at times with the lack of effort and skill at points, but I'm seeing a ton of rubber and we're making it work.

Will be an interesting season to say the least.

 

[542365]

Not much of a vent, because while it's frustrating, it's also funny:

This season our league admin asked me to take the net for a team in a league below what I'm used to playing. They are the black sheep of this league without a doubt: The free agents no one wanted, guys kicked off other teams, a few guys getting back into hockey after 5+ years out, etc.

One guy is pretty damn good, but he's hearing impaired, so that's a little limiting, which is why he's playing in this league. He's probably our second best player. Our best is a guy who's doing a little bit of charity work, playing below his level to mentor some of these guys.

Anyway, we've played two games now, and there's one guy who can skate really well, but has never played hockey before. His first game his stick was way too short, and last game, he was using a left handed stick. He's a righty. It was one of the saddest things you've ever seen. This dude can move out there, but every time the puck came near him his poor puck handling skills, combined with the fact his stick was in the wrong ****ing hand, would send it right away.

Another guy is coming back from a major knee surgery and close to 10 years away from the game. He tries but is just too out of shape to keep up. He hops off on line changes after 30 second shifts no matter where the puck is. He took a change when he was back on a 3-2 at one point, turning it into a 3-1.

My least favorite guy played in college, quit, and is trying again now that he's in his late 30's. He thinks he knows the game but doesn't. 2-1 coming our way, he "takes the pass" by immediately skating to one guy, grabbing onto him, and letting the other skate in unchallenged. I got scored on on the gifted breakaway, and he has the balls to tell me I need to challenge the shooter more.

As a team, it's a ****ing ****show. Both d-men pinch whenever they feel like it, we chase pucks like 6 year-olds, and the concept of "positions" is lost on us. It's as free flowing a game as you'll see but we have zero skill to make it work. It's not uncommon for us to see 2-0's and 3-0's so far this season.

Despite all this, we're 1-1 to start the season. I've gotten frustrated at times with the lack of effort and skill at points, but I'm seeing a ton of rubber and we're making it work.

Will be an interesting season to say the least.

That's reaaaalllly sad about the guy with a lefty stick. Can he not afford a proper stick, or does he simply not understand? I feel really bad for that guy

 

[The Tikkanen]

That's reaaaalllly sad about the guy with a lefty stick. Can he not afford a proper stick, or does he simply not understand? I feel really bad for that guy

It really is fascinating if you talk to new players and ask them how they made their decisions as far as hockey equipment purchases. We've all done it by trial and error over the years, we know brands and some of the technical aspects. My first set of gear was all Koho Jagr stuff because that's all the store at the roller hockey rink I played at had and there was no internet so it made my decisions easier.

 

[Brainiac]

Fast forward and I have one of my best games ever and we win 4-1! Wouldn't you know it, the next morning we had an email from the league saying their goalie filed a complaint. Such a sore loser. That was the first thing that has legitimately bothered me since I started playing hockey. The guy is a miserable human being, and his team wouldn't even talk to us about the issue. Really sad that a bunch of 40 yr olds have to act like 4 year olds.

Kohlberg's stages of moral development:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Kohlberg's_stages_of_moral_development

A lot of people get stuck at #4, but they do get very good at it. And they have a little bit of #2 left in them. So they use anything and everything in the rulebook if it gives an advantage. They have absolutely no concern for you or anyone. It's all about the rules. Pretty depressing people. Avoid if you can.

 

[MegaAlf]

I try to go around a guy last night, and as I start to get by him he puts my head under his armpit in a headlock for about five seconds . My stick and the puck got by him. I push him and say back off that isn't hockey. The ref blows the whistle, and tells both of us to cool it. He calls no penalty. The guy is all pissed saying that is hockey. I told him you would not really know what hockey is, because you have only played beer league. He wants to fight. I just laugh. Now was I in the wrong? I have played travel hockey all my life until eighteen, and beer league for almost ten years. I never thought you could just put a guy trying to go around you in a headlock. That is interference correct?

Yea, I'd imagine that's interference if not roughing.

 

[bigwillie]

That's reaaaalllly sad about the guy with a lefty stick. Can he not afford a proper stick, or does he simply not understand? I feel really bad for that guy

He said he "didn't think it was that big of a deal." I'm paraphrasing here, but he said that to him the curve of the blade didn't make much of a difference.

Another guy on our team is donating a proper stick to him tonight, thankfully. It will still be ugly to watch him mishandle the puck but at least it won't be pathetic.

 

[542365]

He said he "didn't think it was that big of a deal." I'm paraphrasing here, but he said that to him the curve of the blade didn't make much of a difference.

Another guy on our team is donating a proper stick to him tonight, thankfully. It will still be ugly to watch him mishandle the puck but at least it won't be pathetic.

Man that's rough. I bet you enjoy all the pucks coming your way though.

 

[MullerBrotenVerbeek]

Have to agree with the people taking long shifts. It's like they think if they don't stay out there for 3+ minutes, they'll never see the ice again. I grew up playing competitive hockey, and it seems like we'd all be better off going really hard for 45seconds-1:30 at the max, then changing. If everyone plays hard and takes short shifts, everyone will be fresh and fast, instead of some guy floating at the red line on minute 4 of his shift while everyone else languishes on the bench.

 

[noSense*]

but I had a Game Last thursday. wait I think it was two thursdays ago. Maybe a fortnight ago. non semantics detail. sorry.

but i had a substitute player, former friend i don't want to talk about it, lined up to play for me and take minutes on the blue-line.

but he didn't. so i had to play an extra long shift, at least 1 minute, in dek hockey.

i got slashed and badly injured my knee cap.

i'm cain ridden for the next 3-6 weeks.

just my luck

 

[ccarrigan]

Have to agree with the people taking long shifts. It's like they think if they don't stay out there for 3+ minutes, they'll never see the ice again. I grew up playing competitive hockey, and it seems like we'd all be better off going really hard for 45seconds-1:30 at the max, then changing. If everyone plays hard and takes short shifts, everyone will be fresh and fast, instead of some guy floating at the red line on minute 4 of his shift while everyone else languishes on the bench.

Frustrates me to no end. If I'm on a wing with 2 other guys, and they each take 2:45 shifts and I do my normal 1:30, I'll get about half the shifts they do. So all it does is make me want to take a longer shift so I can my exercise in, which is the wrong attitude to have.

 

[Pilky01]

I started going to the gym after my games.

 

[Outl4w]

I go around a guy on the board and as I pass him he throws a a knee on knee hit on me in beer league hockey. I get up about ten seconds later, and obviously the ref called it and he is calling me a ***** and saying take the hit like a man. It is a clean hit. I was like man I have played travel hockey , high school hockey, and house hockey my whole life. There is no where in hockey where a knee on knee hit acceptable. Being the captain I skate over to the ref, and ask him why the guy is not ejected? He threw a knee on knee hit in non-checking hockey and is taunting me while I am on the ground. I wheel/limp off the rink and have to sit the rest of the game. My knee is still very swollen, has a deep bone bruise, and hurts to walk/move. Meanwhile the guy is calling my brother and I the Sedin twins saying " two girls no cups during the game". The irony is we are not twins, but we won the division three straight seasons. Some guys just need to realize beer league is for fun, and not to intentionally hurt people.

 

[STC]

I go around a guy on the board and as I pass him he throws a a knee on knee hit on me in beer league hockey. I get up about ten seconds later, and obviously the ref called it and he is calling me a ***** and saying take the hit like a man. It is a clean hit. I was like man I have played travel hockey , high school hockey, and house hockey my whole life. There is no where in hockey where a knee on knee hit acceptable. Being the captain I skate over to the ref, and ask him why the guy is not ejected? He threw a knee on knee hit in non-checking hockey and is taunting me while I am on the ground. I wheel/limp off the rink and have to sit the rest of the game. My knee is still very swollen, has a deep bone bruise, and hurts to walk/move. Meanwhile the guy is calling my brother and I the Sedin twins saying " two girls no cups during the game". The irony is we are not twins, but we won the division three straight seasons. Some guys just need to realize beer league is for fun, and not to intentionally hurt people.

Why didn't anyone on your team step up and go after the guy??? Why didn't your brother go after him? Sedin comparison might not be that far off

If that happened in one of my games that guy would've been picking up his teeth the second he opened his mouth to taunt a player he just injured...assuming he wasn't already picking up his teeth as retaliation for the hit itself.

 

[nexusrage21]

Our team has 4 good players, 2 decent players,4 bad players and 6 god awful players, it makes every game a frustrating experience. Especially when we are missing 1-4 of the good players every game.

On the plus side, everyone has a pretty good attitude.