The Inconsistent Narative of Athletism.
As I watched Barkov carry the cup as the captain of a championship team I had an epiphany. The thing is, I have always had my issues with his game. Despite winning the cup, all the very same issues occurred, costly turnovers in the defensive zone, clumsy puck creativity in the offensive zone. Just then I remembered how I view Basketball, how it offends me that a two-way sport is only perceived from an offensive lens. Barkov is the Giannis Antetokounmpo of Hockey, a devastating athlete with size, speed, and length, playing a two-way sport. The two most demanding two-way athlete sports are Basketball and Hockey. The size of their playing field and the pace of the sports punishes inferior athletes eventually And Yet The NBA and the NHL do not obsess over athleticism, there is no NBA/NHL RAS Score. I believe that a RAS score for NBA/NHL players would be far more valuable than that of the NFL. The narrative of ELITE athleticism in the NFL is OVERWHELMING. A Perspective that pollutes all...