Hockey's fun-to-watch trait disappears when the San Jose Sharks' Stanley Cup Playoffs run ends prematurely. I call myself a "hockey enthusiast," but I have difficulty watching AND enjoying hockey games following any Western Conference series that ends the Sharks' Stanley Cup quest. I now realize that I am not the "hardcore hockey fan" that I believe myself to be.

I realize that I reinforced the "Hockey is not interesting" ideology because I chose not to watch any 2008 Western Conference Finals and 2008 Eastern Conference Finals games. I have favorite non-Sharks players, but that group exists because I want to show that I appreciate the National Hockey League's other awesome talents. Dallas Stars center Mike Modano and Detroit Red Wings center Henrik Zetterberg are two players who comprise my "favorite non-Sharks players" group; both players' teams comprised this year's Western Conference Finals. My "hockey fan" label is slightly damaged, so I admit this: I am a San Jose Sharks fan first (a Los Angeles Lakers of Staples Center fan second) and an NHL fan third, and that is the bottom line. San Jose Sharks hockey alone is a satisfying amount of hockey; I wanted several more Sharks playoff games to be played, but I believe that I consumed enough hockey.

I am a Sharks fan who believes that whatever team wins the Stanley Cup is an important concern. Some Sharks fans call it "teal karma," but "San Jose: Where Stanley Cup Dreams Come To Die (for opponents, that is .)" says everything. This year's playoff-edition Sharks Magazine game program featured an article that used the "Where Stanley Cup Dreams Come To Die" title; the article chronicled the teams that end the Sharks' postseason and how that team fails to win the Stanley Cup. I am happy to report that this curse is still alive; the 2008 Dallas Stars are the third Dallas Stars team to join the "victims" list, and I use the word "victims" very lightly. This curse is still young, but it is a powerful force that nearly resembles baseball's "Curse of the Bambino." It is a small consolation when the team that ends the Sharks' Stanley Cup quest also fails to achieve their ultimate goal; those teams being roadblocks that prevent a San Jose Sharks Stanley Cup Championship is no big deal.

I am a Sharks fan who always wants to see the Stanley Cup presented. Any sport's championship trophy presentation is a majestic occasion, and the Stanley Cup is the most majestic because it is a historic trophy. The Stanley Cup is the National Hockey League's iconic symbol, and the Stanley Cup presentation is a hockey-cultural experience. I feel irritated when the team hoisting the Stanley Cup is not the Sharks, but this is a one-time-each-year event. I always wonder how cool and how easy or difficult it is to hoist the Cup when I watch the televised on-ice celebration.

Los Angeles Lakers playoff games are never an excuse to choose not to watch playoff hockey games following a Sharks premature postseason exit. The Lakers continuing to play postseason basketball when the Sharks are finished is the most likely reality; my personal post-Sharks televised-sports preference is Lakers games, and that is the bottom line. I already stated that I "consumed enough hockey" when the Sharks season/postseason ends, and that is why I watch basketball.

I believe that my "hockey fan" label is still strong because my hockey-related actions are good "hockey fan" qualities. One example that proves this is the two San Jose Sharks jerseys that I own AND allow myself to wear; I never need to buy my first baseball jersey or my first football jersey. Another example proving that I have good "hockey fan" qualities is the fact that I sometimes photograph the Sharks' opponents when snapping during-pregame-warmups photos. My favorite non-Sharks-during-warmups photo is the one featuring Los Angeles Kings defensemen Rob Blake and Lubomir Visnovsky together; Visnovsky is another favorite non-Sharks-player. The best example proving my good "hockey fan" qualities is my favorite non-Sharks-players group. I have favorite non-Sharks-players because I refuse to have a favorite baseball player and a favorite football player. I like hockey that much, and baseball and football disgust me that much.

I am not the hockey fan whose goal is to watch every single Stanley Cup Playoffs game. I am not the world's greatest hockey fan, and I am not the United States' greatest hockey fan. I am a San Jose Sharks fan, and that is satisfying enough.