I Hate Me Some World Juniors

1.  Happy New Year.
2.  I may not watch it religiously but I do know the game of hockey.

But why I don't watch the World Junior Hockey Championships it's because there's nothing worse than millions people tuning in for the first time to see junior hockey players and pointing their fingers down at 16-20 year olds trying to get jobs.  That's basically what the World Juniors are.  Tryouts for pro hockey teams.  They're interns.  Some may have already been selected predetermined by hockey clubs but some haven't.  These kids, because that's what they are, are getting a few hundred bucks every week for food, gas money etc., living in the homes of people that have taken them in.  But like people love to say, you have to grow up sometime and what better way then waking up turning to TSN and Bob McKenzie and the analysts criticizing you because you lost, again.  Bad enough you already heard it from the grown men yelling and screaming out you from the stands.

Now being from Canada and the national sport being hockey, they -- Canadian media -- really think they're going to win every single f*cking year and the only teams they really want is the US.  Totally neglecting the other countries.  You can't have that mentality.  Just because this sport is part of your heritage doesn't equal championships in said sport.  Maybe, the other teams from the other countries are better than yours, maybe they showed more heart and out-hustled the kids in the red and white.  Ever have that thought?  Maybe because the other big sports media down south has this on the back pages of the newspaper and a little blurb on SportsCentre's ticker.  

But how about the potential jobs of these kids.  Hey if they win, the praise, accolades, money and 'ships are in their future, more teams take a closer look at those players that were atop the score sheets.  But if they lose?  It's back to juniors for them with that bad game circled, their stock goes down rapidly and lose a chance at a job they've been trying to get for years. Some may stay in the juniors and try again the following year but sometimes you have to find something else outside of their field just to make a living.  Just like actual people in life without pads.

If you love the game of hockey and are missing your NHL because the season has been in a lockout now for 111 days then enjoy the World Juniors.  Watch the game, no matter what time it may come on* and enjoy it.  Whether it's win, lose or draw, just remember no one can predict what happens to these juniors when the spotlight on them is dim, there's no need to point fingers and talk down to them.  They're not dogs, they're kids who trying to get jobs.

*Sorry not a soccer fan, I like my sports at 1 pm when I'm wide awake and with a filled stomach.