The game of hockey features a lot of passing.
Like, a lot of passing. So if it's your job to describe the game as it's happening, it would be wise to build up a storehouse of synonyms for the word "pass".
Hall of Fame broadcaster Doc Emrick has tons of them, and during Wednesday night's Game 1 on NBC, one fan armed himself with a pen and a pad and decided to catch 'em all. It couldn't have been a better night for it. Game 1 lasted forever, so Emrick was forced to reach deep into his bag. The final result, via Reddit, is great:
It reads like a Boggle sheet!
The verbs Emrick used in place of "pass": spirit, slide, fiddle, rattle, fork, shovel, chip, poke, jam, ricochet, knife, tap, skip, bank, throw, punch, push, flip, drag, soccer, paddle, fire, blast, spear, steer, scale, lead, rifle, careen, direct, hoist, pitch, pop, swat, finesse, wand, bang, hand, force, swipe, plunge, lob, nudge, jab, drub, brush, wedge, squib, stash, brush, muscle, and filter.
I'm not sure what's more impressive: that there are so many, or that "give" is nowhere to be found. Doc Emrick is synonymizing at an elite level, although "soccered" gives me some pause. Was it a kick?
Anyway. This is more than enough words for Doc Emrick pass bingo, so I made that. Print it out and play at home on Monday night, otherwise I wasted my whole morning.
SCN Editorial Comment: Sadly, Bob Cole can barely remember the players' names (other than Maple Leafs and anyone not named Sidney Crosby), let alone different ways to say "he passed the puck." And Jim Hughson is too busy talking about "compete level" and "chasing the game". The best hockey broadcaster is an American. Doc Emrick does play-by-play better than anyone. Sad, but after 60 years of broadcasting it, Canadians are no longer the best at broadcasting our beloved game.
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