16 SPORTS MAY 25, 2012

Iliad

As an avid sports fan, I grew up following most pro-fessional sports. Like me, many Americans thrive on the thrill that professional sports bring to our culture, providing both a competitive outlet and a feeling of belonging to something so much bigger.

Football, basketball and baseball dominate the air-waves and draw a huge fan base. Golf, soccer and Nascar have their loyal following. But another major professional sport is often neglected by the average fan, causing many to miss out on one of the purest, profes-sional athletic experiences: ice hockey.

I understand that San Diego’s demographic is not one of the NHL’s bigger markets, but sports fans who don’t follow hockey are truly missing out.

And yes, I did call the NHL one of the “purest” professional sports. Most would view this assertion as contradictory to the fast-paced, violent, and blood-fi lled competitions that characterize professional hock-ey. But these particular characteristics are what make hockey so great.

A quick survey of the array of problems throughout professional leagues in our country reveals the unique personality of the NHL among American sports.

The NFL is a mess. The last lockout persisted much longer than neces-

sary due to player and ownership greed. A plethora of safety issues have elevated concerns to the point that players have become tentative in playing the game the way it was meant to be played. The recent death of Junior Seau casts yet another shadow on player safety and the long term affects of NFL participation.

Like the NFL, the NBA too is a product of player and ownership greed, which combined for a wonder-ful marriage in the offseason, invigorating sports fans everywhere.

It appears that theatrical assistants must accompany each team.

The tough player is hard to come by, replaced instead by theatrical attempts to draw fouls and a lack of ef-fective, physical defense. The recent scandal involving numerous NBA referees placing bets on games they of-fi ciated has continued to taint the league.

The problems plaguing Major League Baseball speak for themselves. The steroid era forever altered a gener-ation of baseball, invalidating and questioning statistics and accomplishments.

Performance-enhancing drugs revoked the integrity of the game. In addition, overpaid players and greed characterize yet another professional sport more fo-

cused on money than excellent play.A quick look at professional hockey, however, quiets

any critique who attempts to rant about the dysfunc-tional aspects of the NHL because problems are both minor and few.

Unlike other professional sports, these men hit hard, play through injuries, fi ght out disputes with bare knuckles, and still come together to shake hands at the end of the game.

Hockey is the most beautifully rough spectacle sports can provide. Rough checks send players hard into the boards, fl ying across the ice. When two, three, or even four players decide to go at it, referees allow them to fi ght it out.

Players adhere to the unwritten codes and protocols of the sport, adding to the spectator’s thrill. Unlike shoving matches in basketball or football and bench-clearing brawls in baseball, hockey handles confronta-tions in the most exciting way possible, like real men. Post-game whining, so customary in other professional sports, is absent in the NHL.

Don’t scoff and think I don’t respect the talent of professional athletes.

Professional football requires amazing physical quickness and strength. Basketball demands brutally intense stamina and physical toughness. Baseball chal-lenges even the best athlete in arguably the most dif-fi cult sport.

Hockey, however, combines the skill, athleticism and artistry of the game with physical displays of power and heart.

I challenge anyone to attend an NHL game and main-tain that the atmosphere and game itself is not both thrilling and entertaining. The combination of physical brutality and athletic fi nesse makes hockey both unique and intriguing in a way other sports are not.

One can begin to see the thrill hockey provides by simply attending a lower level hockey. Had you attened any Poway roller hockey games, you would have seen them capture a CIF championship in thrilling fash-ion with a last minute goal, an exciting game to watch even without the rough checking and fi ghts, which are banned by CIF rules.

With the NHL playoffs underway and the Stanley Cup Finals quickly approaching, take the time to watch a professional hockey game.

If you have never given the NHL a chance, I am con-fi dent you will come to realize what an exciting sport you have been missing.

Sullivanon Sports

Sullivan

After a long and trying 17-12 season, boys’ varsity baseball is beginning to wind down. As of May 19, the division 1 team was seeded number nine and began CIF’s with a play-in round 10-3 game against Eastlake on May 22. They continued to CIF’s with the round one game against Vista on Wednesday. Although they lost on Wednesday 15-0, their earlier win against Otay Ranch allowed them the opporunity to advance to round two’s game today.

The team’s batting average for the season is .281, with a fi elding percentage of .952, and rank 81st in the state. With a win/loss percentage of .607, the Titans will go full charge towards CIF.

“I think that we improved because we came together in the end of the season as a family and team which gave us some motivation. We started winnign games and are continuing to. Teamwork has helped us in our season’s success as well. there’s no stopping us yet,” junior right-handed pitcher Michael DeAnna said.

Kevin Newman led the Titans with a batting average of .393, but Alec Moreno had the team highest RBI (Runs Batted In) of 16, resulting in a team season total of 109 RBI. Newman alongside Devin Dooney, and Ryan Sullivan were noted leaders in the team this year.

An intense game this season was a 12-inning game against Westview on April 18, resulting in a fi nal score of 4-2. The most runs, however, were hit in the April 16 game against Mt. Carmel, with a score of 17-4.

“This year we were young and inexperienced. We continued to improve over the course of the year. We are play-ing very well at this time, so we are looking forward to the playoffs,” Coach Bob Parry said.

Other teams in Division 1 include Vista, Granite Hills, Torrey Pines, and Rancho Buena Vista. As for next year, Kevin Newman will continue to play baseball at U. of Arizona, and Taylor Miller will pitch for Palomar.

As for the remaining Titans, “Next year, with more returning players and experience, we should be a lot more competitive at the start of the year,” said Coach Parry.

Baseball season wrap-up

DELANIE HARRINGTONStaff Writer

TITAN VICTORY: Poway Titan aids his team during a stressful CIF game. The team is currently number 9 in their division 1 league. DELANIE HARRINGTON// The Iliad

Boys win fi rst round of CIF after above average season