To help you find ways to fill the void of hockey — and, let’s be real, most of your other extracurricular activities, too — we’ve polled Jewels from the Crown contributors on some of their favorite distractions. Whether it’s books, TV shows, or new things to learn, we’ve got lots of ideas for you.
Podcasts: “Popcast” — A music deconstruction podcast hosted by Jon Caramanica, a music critic for The New York Times is a maestro of sorts with his way of interpreting songs by popular artists of our era. The great thing and purpose of a podcast is to stir conversation and it is really easy to get stirred up in the host’s delivery, who I personally pit against the voice of Dan Carllin, host of the “Hardcore History” podcast.
Books: ”Stat Shot” by Rob Vollman — The realm of hockey stats and analytics is constantly evolving given that it is still in its infancy. That is where this book comes in and breaks down the barriers of what some people perceive as difficult to understand. Hockey purists like to stick with their guns and rely on the eye test but analytics is a revenue that will help enhance our understanding of the game we love so much.
Movies: After “Parasite” collected a massive bounty at the past year’s Academy Awards, it would be understandable if you developed a liking to Korean movies or foreign films in general. To that ilk, “Train to Busan” is a decent thrill seeker to pass the time. I’m not one who generally watches zombie flicks, but this one isn’t overly graphic and the plot that accompanies it makes you develop an attachment to the cast itself. To satisfy the hockey fix that we have, don’t look further than this fantastic documentary about the history of the Pittsburgh Penguins. From details to how the team nearly folded and why Mario Lemieux (and Jaromir Jagr) kept the team relevant during those times, it helps you appreciate the adversity that you may have not heard about if you aren’t in the vicinity of a particular team.
TV Shows: ”Rick and Morty” — What you have heard or said about the following of this pop culture phenomenon is probably true… Everything about the show is brilliant. The dynamic relationship between grandfather and grandson plays an instrumental part in the equally important roles the other characters play. With the rest of season four expected to come out next month, it’s probably the best time to watch all of the episodes that Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland have cooked up so far from the makeshift lab in their garage.
Food: A lifetime supply of Pringles which I could still probably accomplish.
Music: Anything done by Alan Hawkshaw is a great listen. I can’t take credit for this recommendation though as it was Jeff Marek on the now defunct “Marek vs Wyshynski” podcast that lead me to check the musical scores done by the British composer.
Fun Social Distancing Task So Far: I’m always trying to learn new things so taking free online academic classes allow me to keep the mind sharp.