The Hockey Culture - Essay Example

The objectiveness of the author’s presentation of facts, intelligible for the most part and poignant where necessary, binds the text into a certain diversity which combines his journalistic background with that of literary.

The weight of capitalism as it diminishes the value of the sport is palpable in the discourse of hockey and how the same has become an industry manifested through capitalist agendas. For example, the strict traffic regulation in Gananoque which prohibits informal sports in the street indicates the stifling of grassroots sport. “The push is on towards organization and commercial interests: join the league, pay a fee, buy this equipment, consume! If you won’t cooperate: pay a fine! (Genosko, p.239). Furthermore, an appreciation of hockey would be amiss without reference to its history which is marked by discrimination. “Hockey was the last North American sport to have Black athletes enter its ranks (ibid, p.235). The references to the white culture and the masculine stereotypes generally endure and prevail in hockey.

But while there is not a shortage of informative and astute considerations in the essay, there remains the uniting factor that appeals to the emotional requisites that reasonably make sports endearing. Though athletes use their position while in the height of fame to manoeuvre into more lucrative endeavours after their hockey stints, Genosko does not fail to see how this is woeful rather than contemptible. “Round, tepid, greasy food sitting in pools of fat, like pucks on melting ice” (Genosko, p. 233). The trend that inclines players to fast food has become evident. The same perception goes for the prohibition on the streets. This did not stop young people but instead fuels their imagination to create new landscapes and find other ways and venues to continue an immemorial tradition of stripped-down sports.

The flow of the information was well-developed and incorporated several aspects without going overboard by exhausting every detail. As it suggests early on, there was a conscious effort by Genosko to illuminate matters that other authors have digressed from. “Discussions of hockey all too often suffer from neuropathic tendencies” (Genosko, p.231). The essay examines the most fundamental aspects that confound to communicate an accurate grasp of the sport in its persistent but significant issues. Admittedly, his discussion on labour conflict gives any reader a thorough knowledge of the issue.

The essay was an inclusive discourse on hockey that does not limit itself to a singular topic which often leads to a superficial understanding as a whole. Though the essay is relatively short for what it aims to do, the author was able to achieve his goal without foregoing essential elements that make reading appealing. This was achieved through the inclusion of a sensible presentation of facts and a copious amount of empathy. The objective to expound on hockey was achieved and the text perhaps paved the way towards a proficient interchange.