While it remains to be seen whether or not this is a great idea, it did come to me in the shower, and isn’t that where good ideas come from? I encounter a great deal of random thoughts in the room that this particular fixture is located, and in these extended dog days of the (non) hockey season, and given the paucity of events outside of the lockout, the thoughts have become increasingly disjointed!!! Last night, the randomness of my thoughts aligned for a moment, however, and I asked myself a question beginning a little something like this:
“Would you rather...”
There are a million in one ways you could answer these kinds of questions, and no one answer could be right. They are as individual as the person answering them, and I love them for that exact reason. Hearing about how others wrap their heads around these questions always entertains me a grabs my attention, so I love throwing them out to you all to have a go at! And let’s face it: how much can we talk about the lockout? Gets stale after a while so we need something to vary things up a bit!
With that in mind, here’s my first step into the realm of this forced-choice domain:
Would you rather:
1) Make the Stanley Cup finals 10 times in your career and never win a Cup
Or
2) Be a 4th line, mid-season, grinder call-up with limited minutes who gets put on the playoff roster. Plays once or twice in playoffs with very limited minutes, sits on the bench the vast majority of the time, and win a Cup.
For me, the answer seems obvious: I would choose consistency with no championship than having a ring for something I didn’t feel I actively contributed too. Not disparaging the role of a 4th liner in any way, shape or form, but at the same time, lifting the Cup with splinters in my ass would take the shine off the moment for me, especially with limited minutes during the season. Conversely, the 10 trips to the finals for me would reflect a consistency in my career, an indication that I’ve regularly played with strong, solid teams, and would probably have me remembered as a guy who “should have” (i.e., deserved) won a championship in the eyes of hockey fans. Never mind the fact that I would probably look back with a great deal of satisfaction on those playoff runs and the memories they created as opposed to the memory of watching things unfold from the bench and/or press box as a passive part of the whole deal.
Now on the flip side of things, how much of a bummer would it be to lose the big prize time after time, being so close to it but missing out. Watching on 10 occasions some other team lifting the Cup. And with a career where you’re able to make the finals that many times you’d have to think that many of those opponents are former teammates who have moved onto other teams, or even that you’ve been moved and one of your former teams is doing the celebrating! How much would that hurt to watch? At least in the grinder role you are included in the ultimate celebration in your sport, even if you don’t, as I might, feel that you’d been an active player in it.
But those are just my thoughts around this. What about you? Which position would you rather be in? Take to the comments and let everyone know!
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Do you have a piece of treasured memorabilia that has a great story behind it? Let me know and you can be featured in an article. Doesn't matter how big or small the piece is, how valuable it may be, or whether it's a common item or more oddball. If you think it has a story, contact me via the information below and we'll chat. In the meantime, check out some previous "Display Case" articles via the links below to see what others have submitted in the past...
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Shawn Gates
[email protected]
Facebook: Shawn Gates
Facebook Group: Hockeybuzz Collectibles
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Previous “Display Case” Articles
#1: The “Frankenstick!”
#2: Your desk has the right to remain collectable!
#3: Have Pads, Will Travel
#4: Pick a Pekka (Rinne) Autographed Mask
#5: Ted Lindsay Gets Kronwalled?
#6: The Only Thing We Have To Fehr Is Fehr Himself
#7: “Hungary” For Team Canada Swag
#8: The Soldiers Kid and “The Kid”
Previous “Very Random Thoughts” Articles
August 9, 2012
August 1, 2012
July 24, 2012
Previous “Who Am I?” Articles
#1,
#2,
#3,
#4,
#5,
#6,
#7,
#8,
#9,
#10,
#11,
#12,
#13,
#14,
#15,
#16,
#17,
#18,
#19,
#20,
#21 ,
#22 ,
#23,
#24
Previous “Points To Ponder” Articles
Hockey Writers: Bottom Of The Barrel?!?!?
161 Players Overrate The Need To Offer Their Opinion
East vs West: Which Conference is Best?
Previous “Hockey Videos”
2012: Week 1
2012: Week 2
2012: Week 3
2012: Week 4
2012: Week 5
2012: Week 6
2012: Week 7
Pain for Pleasure
National Anthems
Dion Phaneuf
Hockey Fans
Hockey Christmas
Nature Versus Sports
Goalie Fights!
Upcoming Signings
Click Here
Previous “Who Knew?” Articles
#1: Gordie Howe
#2: The Zamboni
#3: Maurice “The Rocket” Richard
#4: Ron Hextall
#5: Stanley Cup Abuse, Neglect and Versatility
#6: The Puck
#7: Don Cherry
#8: Cam Neely
#9: The Early Years of Les Canadiens
#10: Hockey Superstitions!
#11: Olympic Hockey Pt1
#12: Jarome Iginla
#13: Mark Messier
#14: Johnny Bower
Previous Product Previews & Reviews
2010-11 Donruss Hockey
2010-11 Panini Score Hockey
2010-11 Panini Certified Hockey
2010-11 ITG Ultimate Memorabilia, 10th Edition
2010-11 ITG Heroes & Prospects
2010-11 Panini Pinnacle Hockey
2011 UD National Hockey Card Day
2011 UD All Star Weekend Redemptions
2010-11 ITG Between The Pipes
Previous “WHAT IF…?” Articles
#1 What If The NHL Contracted To 24 Teams?
#2 What If Quebec Traded Lindros To The Rangers Instead Of The Flyers?
#3 What If Calgary Drafted Martin Brodeur Instead Of Trevor Kidd?
#3a What If Calgary Drafted Martin Brodeur Instead Of Trevor Kidd?: A RESPONSE
#4 What If The WHA Never Existed?
#5 What If The Position Of Rover Had Not Been Eliminated?
#6 What If Pittsburgh Had Not Been Awarded A Team In 1967?
#7 What If Steve Smith Had Not Scored In His Own Net In Game 7?
#8 What If The NHL Had a Cross-Conference Playoff Structure?
#9 What If The NHL Asked For Fan Ideas For Improving The Game??
#10 What If Henderson Had Missed The Net In Game 8?
#11 What If You Could Sneak Into A Stanley Cup Celebration?
#12 What If The NHL Returned To Quebec City?
#13 What if Toronto and Edmonton Had Traded Teams in 1981?
#14 What if You Could Create Your Own Hockey Dream Team?
#15 What if An Active Player in the NHL “Came Out” as Gay?
#16 You Could Assemble Your Own Fantasy Pick-up Hockey Team?
#17 Hockey Had A Champions League Tournament?
#18 Team "X" Did NOT Make Trade "Y" At The Deadline?
#19 Gretzky Had Been Called For he High Stick?
#20 Star Players Hadn't Had Their Careers Cut Short?
#21 Mark Cuban Owned An NHL Team?
#22 Should Divisional Play Be Overhauled?
#23 You Won The Lottery Using Jersey Numbers?
#24 You Could Change Any Teams Name?
Ultimate Set Build
INDEX
Previous "Devil's In The Details" Articles
#1: Beware the "Factory Sealed Box"!
#2: The Price Guide"
#3: What IS A Rookie Card?
#4: Beware the Money Order!
#5: The Counterfeit Gretzky RC
Previous Box Breaks
2010-11 Score Hockey
Previous “Devil's Advocate” Articles
Gary Bettman and the Phoenix Coyotes
Previous “According to Twitter” Articles
Olympic Gold Medal Game
Olympic Hockey
Kovalchuk Trade
Previous “Town Without A Team” Articles
Booger Hollow, Arkansas
Hell, Michigan
Previous “Hockey Psychology” Articles
State Dependent Learning
Arousal and Performance
Depression
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