Beer League Frustrations Vent Thread.

[wondeROY]

You have a lot of pent up anger issues. Ever thought maybe they have friends they want to play with?

If they have friends that are in a skill level below them, those players should play UP a level, you should never drop down a level, what is the point of that, your game will only regress. I'll leave my psycho analysis of you out of this thread, and I'll await a "your mom" joke from you.

It is also very possible to be down 5-1 in a beer league game early with teams of relatively equal skill. Why is the automatic assumption it's ringers?

Edit: I use 5-1 as an example. It easy for a game to get out of hand if they stop focusing no playing hockey and start focusing on running people.

A 5-1 game probably doesn't have much of any ringers, I'm talking about teams with 4 or 5 D1 players (playing in a C league) that are still going hard in a 9-1 or 10-0 game, this **** happens here all the time. 5-1 is still a fair game.

Guys who take runs at other players make me sick. Everyone has a job to go to in the morning. It's too bad your feelings got hurt, but act like an adult.

Taking runs at other players is not acceptable in any beer league IMO, but if you're team is up by double digits and it's clear that half your team is sandbagging, don't be surprised when the other team doesn't take kindly to being embarrassed. Problem with some of these teams is that they have no respect and run up the score and then they are surprised when the other team starts showing their frustration.

I have personally never taken a run at another player or team, and I have been involved in plenty of blowouts, but I can't speak for some of my teammates. My point is, if you're able to fly thru half the other team, you're in the wrong division. Play UP a level, push yourself and progress your game. You're not doing yourself a favor by playing in a lower level.

 

[CunniJA]

My point is, if you're able to fly thru half the other team, you're in the wrong division. Play UP a level, push yourself and progress your game. You're not doing yourself a favor by playing in a lower level.

That's the big thing for me. Why, why, why play against competition that's cupcake for you? Grow a pair and play up. I have one guy who was on my team who is gradually working through the ranks in an attempt to play with his brother, who was able to do a lot more hockey than he did, in low-B league. From what some boneheads here are suggesting, he should have gotten his brother to come play for us instead... but that would be derp.

 

[CoopALoop]

A 5-1 game probably doesn't have much of any ringers, I'm talking about teams with 4 or 5 D1 players (playing in a C league) that are still going hard in a 9-1 or 10-0 game, this **** happens here all the time. 5-1 is still a fair game.

I'm not going to chime in on the ringer discussion, but mainly the bolded above.

As a goalie, If i'm on the receiving end of the 5 goals in that game, I'll get frustrated.

While I know that games like that happen, the second I let in 4+ goals, I know I wasn't up to the task, even if my team is being completely outclassed.

 

[Clarkington III]

My example was to illustrate that a game can get out of hand quickly without ringers. Everyone jumped on one poster saying they must have ringers if a game turns into a blowout.

If my team is winning by a handful of goals and guys start chirping or getting chippy, I'll smile when I pot the next one and won't attempt to let up. This is very possible without ringers, but for some reason, what seems to be from lower level players, the assumption is a score getting out of hand must mean ringers.

It could mean your team played like **** that day and the other team didn't. A player better than you is not a ringer. a player WAY better than you is.

 

[leftwinger37]

My example was to illustrate that a game can get out of hand quickly without ringers. Everyone jumped on one poster saying they must have ringers if a game turns into a blowout.

If my team is winning by a handful of goals and guys start chirping or getting chippy, I'll smile when I pot the next one and won't attempt to let up. This is very possible without ringers, but for some reason, what seems to be from lower level players, the assumption is a score getting out of hand must mean ringers.

It could mean your team played like **** that day and the other team didn't. A player better than you is not a ringer. a player WAY better than you is.

+1

A few teams that I have played on have been accused of marching out ringers; once just because we were having a few laughs on the bench (not at the expense of the other team). I'm not saying I've never been on a team that has done it, but some teams have to have a very distorted view of their own abilities if they can't fathom being beaten handily without the other team cheating.

I've had the good fortune of playing on good teams for most of my life and every now and then you have those nights when you don't have it and all you can do is tip your cap to the other team.

 

[CoopALoop]

Thing is, as a goalie I may have a different view, but from my view point, you can tell which players are far above the general skill level of the division.

I appreciate skilled players, but there are guys that constantly out-skate everyone, go through every-one and score the majority of the goals. While I can see good plays develop, seeing one or two guys do this consistently against my best players for an almost 60 minutes, things are up.

Especially when you've never seen those guys before when playing the same team.

Though, few people are quick to jump the gun, most are pretty responsive to understanding they are getting outright out played,.

 

[CunniJA]

Thing is, as a goalie I may have a different view, but from my view point, you can tell which players are far above the general skill level of the division.

I appreciate skilled players, but there are guys that constantly out-skate everyone, go through every-one and score the majority of the goals. While I can see good plays develop, seeing one or two guys do this consistently against my best players for an almost 60 minutes, things are up.

Especially when you've never seen those guys before when playing the same team.

Though, few people are quick to jump the gun, most are pretty responsive to understanding they are getting outright out played,.

Yeah. Those ones are always the most obvious. Another easy way to spot some of the ringers around here is because they'll be wearing their Hyland Hills jerseys. Makes it extremely obvious that you're a ringer. The refs around here hate them. Barely ever call anything against them even though they wind up getting hacked, slewfooted, and just taken out fairly often.

And, I'll be the first one to say that my team is not very good. And I completely agree that a 5-1 game is not a sure sign of ringers. (Hell, that happens in the NHL plenty often). In fact, plenty of the time around here, it's more like a game is close because the teams are really pretty well matched on the whole but then one team just leaves the ringer(s) on for the entire final 5 minutes and they score two goals to win the game. To me, Pointstreak is really the best way to point out ringers on a team. If you've got your good old 4.72 PPG, I'm pretty sure it's time to move up.

I'm not trying to say that just because you lost 5-1 it's a clear case of ringers. All I'm saying is that a good league ought to tell ringers to GTFO and anybody who is willingly a ringer is a fool.

 

[TickleMeYandle]

but there are guys that constantly out-skate everyone, go through every-one and score the majority of the goals. While I can see good plays develop, seeing one or two guys do this consistently against my best players for an almost 60 minutes, things are up.

Exactly. I am still on the bottom of the hockey totem pole, so I don't have enough skill to be a ringer against anyone - unless they maybe don't know how to skate at all. I don't mind playing against people who play better than I do - and if it's pick-up, I expect that 99% of the players on the ice will be better than I am.

But if it's a league that is supposed to be set up by skill level and you get that one guy who just is flat out heads and shoulders above everyone else on the ice, that's not fun for anyone (except maybe the guy who gets to feel good about himself by scoring 3-4 goals).

If a player is better than me but still in the appropriate league, I'm going to give 100% and try to beat him. I may not be able to outskate him, but I can certainly try to force him to go around me. I can try to poke check him. I can at the very least make him make a couple of extra moves to get around me rather than just skating straight to the net. I may lose the battle, but I still feel like I'm having fun and getting better.

A guy that is playing down a division (or two)? I give up. I know I don't have a chance against him. Before I even get close to him, he's in the slot. I can try to poke check him, but he's gone by so fast that I just get to look at the back of his jersey as he gets another goal. There is a 0% chance of my beating him - or even causing him to be minimally aware that I'm even on the ice. Why bother? I might as well just stand against the boards or sit on the bench and watch him take shots on the goal.

Here's another way to tell if someone's a ringer: if the refs skate by the non-ringer team's bench during the game and say "that guy is definitely NOT supposed to be in this league" - you've probably got a ringer. And if the same refs immediately go to the league manager after the game and say "that guy should NOT be allowed to play in this league" - it's pretty much a certainty.

 

[pelts35.com]

The only thing to vent about in beer league is if someone brings crap beer or the beer is warm after the game.

 

[windycity]

I'm about as far from a ringer as you can get, only been playing 3 years and I'm 48, but my skating and mobility are decent and I understand the game pretty well I think from years of watching. I have played in organized pick-up or clinics where I'm like the best guy out there (sad to say) and frankly it sucked. I don't want to show people up, esp. beginners, so I'd have to hold up my game, stay back and generally not get that involved. And it's frustrating to boot when your passes go under/over sticks etc.,

So, having sort of had a taste of it, I really don't get the ringer playing down thing unless they're just wanting to play with their friends. But that's still weak and does ruin leagues. Esp usually being on the other end of it - and the "well we hold up after we get a lead thing" is bs too bc the team you're playing knows you can just turn it up when you want to. And that's when guys get frustrated and do stupid crap. One of my leagues has real parity issues because of ringers and I'm taking the summer off, mostly to work on skating and drills but also to see if they're as serious about addressing it as they say they are. If not, I'll find a league that is better at it. I don't care that much about winning (prefer it of course) but do want a competitive, relatively balanced game. Otherwise it's just annoying.

 

[DustersAnonymous]

I think I'm a ringer, and I'm not proud of it. It's so I can play on a team with my dad. I wish it was as easy as getting him up a few levels to play with me but I can tell you that day has come and gone for him. No amount of training can get him to that level. For what its worth though, I stay back on D and rarely take shots on net.

My main focus is trying to set up my teammates, more specifically my dad if I can. While we typically have a winning record, we've never finished first place and haven't won the championship in about 5 or 6 seasons. At first, I felt a bit wrong about sandbagging it but its the only way I can play with my father, something I enjoy.

I'd like to think I'm not the kind of ringer or person everyone is upset about, I've only had someone comment about my play negatively affecting the league once and it was from a team bringing the kind of ringer I hope everyone is upset about.

The guy had talent, plenty of it. To boot, I don't think I'd ever seen him even at the rink before let alone this team. Pretty sure he had just gotten home from college. He was walking through everyone on my team and made sure he would get on the ice only when I was on the bench. This was the one time I felt like a dick after playing a game in this league. There was a turning point, he had completely faked my father out of his shorts. I mean he could have took a stroll through the slot, but he decided to pull his best bobby ryan and go through my dad TWICE more before just stuffing it in the net. He had score all 3 of this teams goals. I got out there with a purpose shut him down best I could. Went on to score 3 goals of my own to help my team win 4-3.

For that, I apologize.

 

[rinkrat22]

if someone is *****ing because you want to play with your old man, I say F'em.

 

[rinkrat22]

as a matter of fact guys playing down to play with their buddies isn't so bad, as long as they hold back. If they go end to end dangling everyone well they are dbags.
/rant

I have always enjoyed pushing my self and playing the highest level I could, before I had kids I didn't need a reason to go drinking with my friends.

 

[TickleMeYandle]

My main focus is trying to set up my teammates, more specifically my dad if I can. While we typically have a winning record, we've never finished first place and haven't won the championship in about 5 or 6 seasons. At first, I felt a bit wrong about sandbagging it but its the only way I can play with my father, something I enjoy.

I'd like to think I'm not the kind of ringer or person everyone is upset about, I've only had someone comment about my play negatively affecting the league once and it was from a team bringing the kind of ringer I hope everyone is upset about.

I'm totally cool with this kind of ringer - it's part of what makes hockey fun, being able to play with friends and family members of all ages. You're not there specifically to show off and win games, and you hang back rather than going after whatever glory there is from being a point leader in low-level beer league.

There is a guy in our D-league who is probably the best player on the ice in the whole league. If he wanted to, he could skate through pretty much anyone and score at will. He doesn't. He skates D, and he hangs back and tries to get the puck to his teammates. He's a really nice guy. He was on my team for seasons 1-3 that I played in this league and then on a different team for season 4. He's one of the few guys that I have strong feelings about being on a team with - I'd really like to be on the same team as him, and I hope that happens in season 5. He was helpful and friendly to me from day 1 and has come up many times during warm-ups and practice to give me pointers, and I have to say that he has really helped me out.

Why is he there, in the lowest level possible - a developmental league where skaters are evaluated based on a scale and then distributed so teams are even? A league where there are people who have never before played hockey in their life? He's there because his son is one of those people who had never played before - and who had actually never really been on skates before! He's made a ton of progress and he's having fun getting out there with his dad. I would never want him kicked out for being too advanced, even though he clearly is.

 

[Wilch]

Blowouts happen due to lack of focus.

Teams just give up, or start playing shinny.

Ringers can be problem, but the majority of the ringers I know are either better, but not head and shoulders above competition, or guys who hold back and play D.

 

[mattand1mixtape]

This is why I hate pick up sometimes...

You have these douches who come out with their $200 customized jerseys and C's on their chest like they're captain of the Red Wings not to mention they're all decked out in top of the line gear and just waddle around the ice. They're out there for 5 min shifts doing nothing but slapping their sticks on the ice from the point demanding the puck. Sorry old man, I'm not feeding you the puck if you're not moving your feet and giving me an open lane. I also paid for pick up just like everyone else so I can work on my hands. Another guy slashed my stick and broke it because I stick lifted him and stole the puck.

Kid did this to me playing way to seriously in an outdoor game, I was so pissed.. little while later I stepped on the blade of his s*&%^y little combat in the corner. He played in the NA so he got them discounted so I didn't even think twice about paying for it, we were both out a stick it only seemed fair. Not cool when you're paying 120+ a pop.

 

[CunniJA]

Ringers can be problem, but the majority of the ringers I know are either better, but not head and shoulders above competition, or guys who hold back and play D.

I would say head and shoulders above is the definition of a ringer. If you're just better than most, you don't qualify yet.

 

[windycity]

I'm totally cool with this kind of ringer - it's part of what makes hockey fun, being able to play with friends and family members of all ages. You're not there specifically to show off and win games, and you hang back rather than going after whatever glory there is from being a point leader in low-level beer league.

There is a guy in our D-league who is probably the best player on the ice in the whole league. If he wanted to, he could skate through pretty much anyone and score at will. He doesn't. He skates D, and he hangs back and tries to get the puck to his teammates. He's a really nice guy. He was on my team for seasons 1-3 that I played in this league and then on a different team for season 4. He's one of the few guys that I have strong feelings about being on a team with - I'd really like to be on the same team as him, and I hope that happens in season 5. He was helpful and friendly to me from day 1 and has come up many times during warm-ups and practice to give me pointers, and I have to say that he has really helped me out.

Why is he there, in the lowest level possible - a developmental league where skaters are evaluated based on a scale and then distributed so teams are even? A league where there are people who have never before played hockey in their life? He's there because his son is one of those people who had never played before - and who had actually never really been on skates before! He's made a ton of progress and he's having fun getting out there with his dad. I would never want him kicked out for being too advanced, even though he clearly is.

Yeah, I'm fine with that too. What I don't think is cool is when a guy plays, claims he's holding back, but then rushes end to end and scores whenever his team gets behind. So yes, he's holding back except when his team needs a goal and he ends up with 3 or 4. That's weak

We had a game like that recently where it was constant escalation, we'd work our butts off, get a goal and he'd just come an tie it up. Eventually we outlasted them (or him really) and we won like 8-6. Would have been 8-1 without him - which has nothing to do with us but rather how unbalanced their team is. They should have no ringer and 2 or 3 better "average" players. Part of the problem might be that he's on the ice 75% of the time so guys don't want to be on that team. But that's just speculation though I know I'd hate to play with someone hogging all that time. In fact, I'd call him out on it.

 

[CunniJA]

I think it's mostly a childish desire to just always win no matter what without regard to the actual difficulty of the game. It's like when you're a little kid and create you and all your friends on NHL and make everybody a 99 in everything and play on rookie and score 40 goals per game.

If you're going to be a ringer in the way you describe, at least have the sense to wrap-around and do the Michigan when you're doing your Bobby Orr coast-to-coast crap. :p

 

[windycity]

I would say head and shoulders above is the definition of a ringer. If you're just better than most, you don't qualify yet.

Exactly. I like playing with and against better players but not against someone I feel is just toying with me assuming I'm playing at the right level of league for me. I think about it this way, if I have at least a chance of beating you (say 1 out of 5), I'm good with that. But if the only chance I have is if you completely hold back, meaning I'd have like 1% chance or less of beating you if you were going full out, that's weak, you shouldn't be in my novice/D league.

Unless it's rat, that's fair and comes with the territory.

 

[Outl4w]

I play B+( There is a step below B) league and C+(There is also a C- and C) league so I see both sides of the argument. In the B+ league I am around a 1 ppg/.5gpg player, and I am above average( there are better players on every team than me though, but there are also worse players). There are betters players on my team and on other teams. That is my true league according to skill level. I also play in the C+ league, but playoff defense and just work on skating hard to loose pucks and stop and go's stick handling, quick outlet passes, and do not try to go end to end. Last night got two assist playing defense. I took a few shots from the point, but easily could have skated coast to coast on numerous occasions. I try to practice on my passes instead of going end to end Bobby Orr style. If one of their better players tries to get by me; I will always talk joy in stealing the puck from him. There are a few players in the league around my skill level. Most of the guys are below though. The other players I kind of just make sure they stay in front of me and pass the puck. The only time I actually try to steal a puck from a player who is a bad player is if they try to body me. I just stand my ground and move the puck out. I did score in the shootout, but the rest of the team is bad and did not score. I play in this league to play with friends and to work on other parts of my game I would not normally focus on during a more advanced league. I have like 3 assist in 2 games and 1 shootout goal in the C+ league and in the B+ league 8 games 5 goals and 3 assist. The best players in the B+ league have around 15 points at this time. I usually play forward, but in the C league I play defense. I just enjoy playing hockey and playing with friends and Thursdays and Mondays are the only nights that work for me.

 

[windycity]

I play B+( There is a step below B) league and C+(There is also a C- and C) league so I see both sides of the argument. In the B+ league I am around a 1 ppg/.5gpg player, and I am above average( there are better players on every team than me though, but there are also worse players). There are betters players on my team and on other teams. That is my true league according to skill level. I also play in the C+ league, but playoff defense and just work on skating hard to loose pucks and stop and go's stick handling, quick outlet passes, and do not try to go end to end. Last night got two assist playing defense. I took a few shots from the point, but easily could have skated coast to coast on numerous occasions. I try to practice on my passes instead of going end to end Bobby Orr style. If one of their better players tries to get by me; I will always talk joy in stealing the puck from him. There are a few players in the league around my skill level. Most of the guys are below though. The other players I kind of just make sure they stay in front of me and pass the puck. The only time I actually try to steal a puck from a player who is a bad player is if they try to body me. I just stand my ground and move the puck out. I did score in the shootout, but the rest of the team is bad and did not score. I play in this league to play with friends and to work on other parts of my game I would not normally focus on during a more advanced league. I have like 3 assist in 2 games and 1 shootout goal in the C+ league and in the B+ league 8 games 5 goals and 3 assist. The best players in the B+ league have around 15 points at this time. I usually play forward, but in the C league I play defense. I just enjoy playing hockey and playing with friends and Thursdays and Mondays are the only nights that work for me.

Well I wouldn't guess that the difference between B+ and C+ is that great and sounds like you're being cool about it. The league I'm talking about is novice (so like D level but with several true beginners) and that one ringer I was talking about plays B level regulalry. That's a big gap and he's generally not cool about it. Which is lame

 

[RandV]

Thing is, as a goalie I may have a different view, but from my view point, you can tell which players are far above the general skill level of the division.

I appreciate skilled players, but there are guys that constantly out-skate everyone, go through every-one and score the majority of the goals. While I can see good plays develop, seeing one or two guys do this consistently against my best players for an almost 60 minutes, things are up.

Hah, when I 'play down' I always seem to be out-skating everyone, but I'm not really really skating much faster and I can't go through anyone. I'm the opposite of a ringer in that with my regular team I play well above my level, so I have to skate my ass off just to keep up with the play. Over the past few years I've developed a grinders game at the B level, so when I drop down to the D/E divisions it probably looks like I'm trying way to hard

 

[Outl4w]

Today I was two handed in the back of the head in front of the ref. I feel down obviously, and their guy tripped over me after he cross checked two handed me. I went to the box for holding, but he didn't. I asked the ref I didn't know I could hold laying face down on the ice after being hit. He said I didn't call his crosscheck because you are up by 2 with 1 minute to go. I am trying to stop a fight from happening. GREAT LOGIC

 

[leftwinger37]

Today I was two handed in the back of the head in front of the ref. I feel down obviously, and there guy tripped over me after he two handed me. I went to the box for holding, but he didn't. I asked the ref I didn't know I could hold laying face down on the ice after being hit. He said I didn't call his crosscheck because you are up by 2 with 1 minute to go. I am trying to stop a fight from happening. GREAT LOGIC

Classic case of a ref trying to have an effect on the outcome of a game Call them both or don't call anything.