At its foundation, any sport is a judgement of what is right and wrong, whether that means banning the spin-o-rama or something more major. Being a fan means being part of the conversation around the moral structure established by the … Continue reading →

Hockey On My Mind

Episode 023: Morality in an Evolving Game

  What can the NHL learn from the World Cup? What if NHL announcers let the game speak for itself? Would that hook more viewers? In this episode I talk about how I think about hockey even when I’m watching … Continue reading →

Episode 022: What Can the NHL Learn from the World Cup?

  Is the World Cup of Hockey a good idea? In this episode I answer this question, taking a look at why the World Cup is being proposed, where it’s being held and the potential revenue and excitement. I also … Continue reading →

Episode 021: Is the World Cup of Hockey a Good Idea?

In this episode I talk about how hockey’s discussion of concussions has spread awareness of head injuries for other athletes as well, and try my best to avoid the very grad school term “networks of information”

Episode 020: Hockey Spreading Knowledge

  Do we all become fans of the team that won when we were 7? In this episode I riff on Seth Stephens-Davidowitz’s analysis of the effect of championships on lifelong sports allegiances, and also talk about the playoffs and … Continue reading →

Episode 019: Winning Appeal

  In this episode I make my picks for round two of the playoffs and look at the results of my round 1 picks.

Episode 018: Round Two Picks

  In this episode I talk about the hullabaloo surrounding Brent Seabrook’s hit on David Backes and the “Wakey Wakey” comment, as well as Person of Interest and reconciling oneself to watching people injure each other.

Episode 017: Wakey Wakey

  In this episode I get my rant on about responses to Ryan Smyth’s retirement press conference and ideas of respect, and I also make my round one playoff picks.

Episode 016: Retirement Respect and Playoff Picks

  In this episode I talk about NHL history, including referee whistles, ownership and player relations, and review D’Arcy Jenish’s book “The NHL A Centennial History.”

Episode 015: Telling NHL History

  In this episode I pick up some threads from previous episodes, talking about Shannon Szabados, Terry Trafford, and issues of women playing hockey, the expectations put on male hockey players, and building identity around hockey.

Episode 014: Picking Up Threads

This is what happens when a grad student gets into professional sports