"Is he dangerous?" the young boy asks. "Well, he's a hockey player?"

dissed

Fighting an awful sinus headache and not being able to sleep the other night, I turned on the television to watch a movie.

My choice? "MVP: Most Valuable Primate"

A classic child's story and hockey fans favorite about a Chimpanzee who leads a hockey team to the Championship game.

Will they win it all with Jack? I won't spoil it for you. But it caused me to remember in my misery an old JW story.

We were at a 'Get-to-gether' (JW slang for party) having a good time when my transplanted Canadian friend turned on the Toronto Maple Leafs/LA Kings game. One sister, totally offended, stood up and said she was leaving and why? Because true servants of JG don't watch violent things on TV.

Hockey, violent? Well duh! But why the demonstration?

She left miffed. We stayed and had a serious discussion about hockey. Was it really all that bad? And were we all deserving of death for enjoying guys knock their brains out?

True to Canadian fashion, my friend said he would become a Catholic if the WTS REALLY banned hockey.

So my question for discussion: Did you watch and enjoy Hockey, NFL Football, or Rugby while a JW, ignoring the WTS advice and counsel NOT to watch such violent things? Were you a closet fan, keeping it secret from the judgemental others? Or did you just not care what others thought, enjoying a six-pack of Molsen while watching the fight, I mean the game.

Your thoughts, eh?

SuspiciousMinds

I live in a Canadian city, and hockey is huge here even among the JWs. There a couple select elders that will condemn hockey and other sports because of their competitive nature. But for the most part, most JWs inluding elders regularly watch NHL hockey on TV and attend the local junior team's games, which include fighting. At least the JWs in my area are somewhat normal in one respect.

skeeter1

Did you see the video where the hockey players killed a bat that flew on the ice?

Bats are from the Devil, so Hockey has to be saintly. Or, at least it is in my house!

Skeeter

skeeter1

http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/12/17/junior-players-kill-bat-during-game/

skeeter1

To answer, the JDubs youth would go to our local NFL game, even cutting Sunday meeting time short to make the game. LOL. And, Super Bowl parties were big in our congregation. But, we youths were not allowed to play such competitive sports.

dig692

I'm not really a huge fan of sports, although I do watch once in a while, but there are many JWs in my hall that are sports fan, some even making comments about "watching the game" during their parts in the service meeting or public talk. In fact, I know of a few brothers, elders included, that play hockey together, watch games on tv, and even attend games whenever they can. Maybe they go to the games so they can publicly express their dissaproval of the sport..you know, to give a good witness

Opus92

We had some families (mine included) that would attend Sunday meetings with another congregation so they wouldn't miss the football game. Cometitive and violent sports were somewhat condemned, but not to the point where people gave them up or stopped playing them.

dissed

I had not seen the bat video. Good practice, swinging at the bat, no?

This JW sister that overeacted, seemed to be out of character even for her. But she just had to make a point. True, the WTS counsel was out not to watch violent sports, but few, I think, followed it.

I know we didn't boast about watching the games, so as not to offend 'sensitive ones' (this was in the 1970's) But we watched them with a good conscience.

We had a private-quiet Super Bowl party with some Elders once, and the news got out. Before too long, practically the whole congregation was at my house. Some visiting JW's from England left the party upset at our mob behavior.

We really got wild when the commercials hit, all in good fun, but they didn't understand our ruckus actions over Budweiser Bowl

lepermessiah

I live in a huge NHL town, and one of my best friends and his dad have season tickets.......

Anytime the brothers from the hall go to the game, there is one thing that gets them out of their seat....

A good old fashion fight!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SM-2KKH7P8

All of the people I grew up with love Hockey Fights, NFL Football, etc.............

We all loved Domi, Probert, Kocur, etc.......anyone who got up, made a scene and walked out would have been told to not let the door hit them on the way out. One of my CO's loved hockey too - he would have been ready to drop the gloves and join in if he could.....LOL

"Is he dangerous?" the young boy asks. "Well, he's a hockey player?"

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