Goalies Are Overrated: Let it begin (1)

Two things in life drive me nuts: Traffic and Over-hype.

I deal with both daily.

Traffic can drive me to cuss out in anger, but with driving being utilitarian, I can just cuss and let it go and have a beer and end the stress.

Over-hype. Over-hype affects my passions.

HYPE is anything that says "Whoa look at me/this/that/him/her/it!" with that attitude that me/this/that/him/her/it is exceptional in some way. This can be a fact. The HYPE is the part to bring attention to the fact. Hype is fine, if that which is hyped is true.

Example: Deion Sanders "Prime Time" - I could even hype his ability to hype -  he was a pro of pros at it. What did he hype? His abilities on the football field. And really there hasn't been, in my lifetime, any CB with the same on-field impact to passing as this guy. So when he hyped himself, he was correct. Not sure I have seen that sort of acceleration to top speed ever. And his top-speed was pretty exceptional. He deserves whatever praise he or anyone want to lay on him.

Over-HYPE is the same "Whoa look-it here" but the deserving part isn't fully there. It's like 14 carat gold selling for pure gold prices. The problem is that looks can be deceiving. A shiny newly formed 14 carat gold bracelet might look better than an old pure gold pendant found in the back of a grand-parent's dresser drawer. But under the right analysis by someone that knows the fine metal, the pendant will prove much more valuable.

In our world, we are forced to hear the 14 carat gold salesmen. And they are pros at over-hype. It is everywhere. News, politics, science, romance. It is everywhere. Over-hype with the purpose to sell something.

Well for this post, that is exactly what I am attacking. The over-hype of the NHL goalie.

I love me some hockey and it is this goalie-hype that makes fans miss the hard work that impacts the game much more than the shiny 14 carat gold moments goalies have on a regular basis.

Are you ready for the truth?

It is said that the most important part of the ice is that four feet of space above the six feet of red-line a goalie protects. And that is right where the false-hype begins. First of all, there are two of those spaces. Which is more important?! And any one goalie can only guard one of those two spaces - thus only HALF of the thus-hyped most important real estate in the rink.

But the truth is: a 3 inch by 1 inch black hard vulcanized rubber circle is the most important part of the ice. To possess that piece of real estate during play is all this sport is about. Every other thing on that ice is in relation to this NHL branded puck.

Now let's look at what this means for the 24 square feet of space the goalie defends.

Well,  there is only ever a puck sized amount of that space being integral at any given moment. So in a 60 minute game, given a shot count of 30 plus, maybe, 10 other events that come around the goalie's area, there are only about 40 or so very quick moments an NHL goalie encounters the most important real estate in the game. About 1 minute?

Another thing, this most important puck is rarely controlled by the goalie and never controlled by the goalie during the large part of those quick moments. It hits him. He holds it at best and at worst his contact deflects it for a rebound. Even with the best of control, the puck becomes someone else's to control.

And further, there are many times/moments when the goalie has no chance of preventing that puck from crossing that red line in that space he is there to defend. Not to mention, the goalie has no impact on how the puck comes into his space. Thus,  having no impact whatsoever on that most integral piece to the game.

Nope, the NHL Goalie is over-hyped. He has basically zero control over the most important piece of the greatest sport on earth. And that piece is the puck. And that puck is where it all begins.