Yosemite whistleblowers: "Who authorized this fun idea?"

There's gonna be a semi-pro hockey game at Yosemite National Park next week. And some people are freaking out.

Is this an attempt to compete with Disneyland?

I'm gonna go ahead and make this call myself: no. No, it is not. No more than my blog posts represent an attempt to compete with Deadspin.

Plus, the game will give Yosemite visitors a chance to spot an elusive species: the Googly-Eyed Half-Naked Hockey Mascot.


I think he's wearing a referee jersey, though. Maybe the league saves money by having mascots officiate the games.

Anyway, back to the (over)reaction online:

But if hockey goes over big in Yosemite, what's next? Will the Billings Mustangs be invited to make an appearance at Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park? Perhaps the Colorado Rockies can head up the road to Rocky Mountain National Park for an event.

All right, I get it -- you don't want big events drawing big crowds at National Parks. I get it. I even AGREE.

But we're talking about Yosemite in January. This game sounds like fun. And fortunately for anyone who doesn't want to be around it, Yosemite has a lot of nice, empty spots this time of year.

So calm down, before I throw on a ref's jersey, discard my pants, and send you sports-hating park-purists to the penalty box.