On Frozen Blog

ESPN’s Jim Caple recently listed the sporting events he would most like to see, one for each month in 2009. His entry for January started today:
JANUARY
U.S. Pond Hockey Championships, Minneapolis (Jan. 23 to Jan. 25)
The interesting thing about Minnesota is that in the 80-degree sunshine of summer you can go inside to watch baseball (and be sure to catch the Twins’ final season in the Metrodome this year), and during the depths of winter you can brave 30-below temps to watch hockey outside. The annual U.S. Pond Hockey Championships started in 2006 and have grown to include 248 teams competing for the coveted Golden Shovel (players are occasionally required to shovel snow from the 25 rinks). Past competitors include NHL vets Brian Bellows and Mike Crowley, as well as Gov. Tim Pawlenty. It’s amateur sports at its best — that is, plenty of beer, which we can only assume will be cold.