Not Many People Are Like "Bucci"

I love John Buccigross from ESPN. I like him for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is he is, thus far, not over-exposed as a studio or anchor guy (take note: Stuart, Chris, Scott, et al); He sticks to what he loves, not just what he knows- i.e., his words are either: a) passionate b) insightful or c) both. Too often these sports "experts" are going through the motions. "Bucci" does not.

So what does he know (and love)? He knows (and loves) hockey. Outside of the NHL broadcasts (NHL network, Vs., and NBC), there are few guys in the analysts ranks that are "hockey guys". Bucci is one. Not just because he knows the game, but because he loves the game. He's a fan first, before he is a commentator.

I bring this up because he wrote the following and it's totally, unequivocally, a hockey guy observation that is one of those, "you need to be one (a hockey guy) to get it" moments:

"Fighting also achieves one very important thing for the NHL: It makes the sport stand out in a media world of white noise. No other sport allows bare-knuckle fighting, and no other team sport allows fighting with such a small penalty as a five-minute timeout in a small box complete with towels, ice and beverages. There is even a guy in the penalty box who appears as if he could give you excellent tax advice or 401(k) reassurance."

People that don't "get" hockey won't appreciate that paragraph as much as those that do- especially those that have played the game. That's why I love Bucci. He's a total insider that can pull off being just another fan better than anybody. As long as you get the joke. I'm glad I do.