the pros and cons of summer hockey

who knew that lemonade and iced tea would taste so good together? arnold palmer, that's who. when i think of what summer tastes like, this drink sits comfortably near the top of my list. but the legendary golfer and his highly addictive drink have next to nothing to do with hockey, except for two things: one, we in the full stride office have probably been drinking unhealthy amounts of it lately (more me than dan, i think), and, two, i thought it was a clever prelude to this post. 

the half and half drink fits in with the hot, sunny, lazy days of summer just like hammocks and barbecues. ice hockey does not... for the most part. here are my pros, as well as some cons, (hard to believe, i know!) to playing hockey in the summer. 

pro: my list begins with the obvious. when it's hot enough outside to melt your brains, how beautiful it feels to walk into an ice rink. the relief when your skin first feels the cold, and your pores pucker up a little. it's the equivalent of a hot shower after being in freezing rain all day. it just feels good. 

con: i'm going to consolidate two cons into this one section so, for you scanners out there, it looks like there is only one con here. shame on you, scanners. anyway, sometimes the rink isn't as cold as we'd like it to be. sometimes it's not cold at all, like gutterson. indeed, this causes a few problems. first, when the rink is warm, so is the ice. the zamboni driver will lay down a lake and it just won't set, and, unfortunately for us men's leaguers, we play with pucks that have been roasting in the trunks of our cars. wet ice and hot pucks is not a very groovy combo. besides the crappy ice, when the rink is hot, so are the locker rooms and it just sucks when you're already sweating before your skates are laced up. 

pro: the parking lot. heading over to the local watering hole after a game is always nice, but it could be a one way street to a night or two on the couch if your wife sees the tab. the parking lot is, for many reasons, a fantastic alternative. your team, a mini grill, a cooler, possibly the bean bag toss game, and an ipod playing in the background is all you need if you like to hang out with the old boys after a game. 

con: exiting the rink in the winter after a long, sweaty game feels, greater than or equal to, entering a rink on a hot day. exiting the rink into ninety degree weather is something i'll never get used to. even if i know it's africa hot out, i'll always expect a burst of refreshing cold when i open the arena doors leaving the rink. i hate leaving the rink when it's hot out. 

pro: i believe there are two inventions left for the human race to stumble upon. each one will make that inventor richer than bill gates, richard branson, and god combine. the first is the longer lasting battery, and the second is a way to keep hockey equipment from smelling like death. since no body has bought microsoft and virgin yet, i'm going to assume the later hasn't been invented yet. in the mean time, i know the warm sun and summer breeze offer a decent alternative. the single best thing about summer hockey, in my opinion and in the opinion of most hockey moms, i'm sure, is leaving your equipment spread out to fumigate in the back yard on a golden summer day. 

the summer can certainly put a damper on the game, but no matter what, everyday is indeed a good day for hockey. period.