I've never tried to hide my delight in ridiculing hockey in general and the Admirals in particular. For years I've written about them with ridicule and criticism, almost for their very existence.

And people have complained, including the Admirals. They kept saying I should actually go to a game.

The last time I saw a hockey game, Phil Wittliff was a mere sprite on skates, dashing about the ice, a long-haired youth of immense charisma. All that remains of that Wittliff today is the charisma.

So, I decided to take the Admirals up on their standing offer to see a game.

I watched them play against Rockford last Thursday night. The Admirals lost, 4-1. I wanted to go to a normal game -- not one with an extra act designed to bring in more fans. No special night featuring the BoDeans or Phil Vassar or the combined Armed Forces marching band or the cast of "High School Musical on Ice."

And I had fun. Let me tell you about it. Not about the Admirals and their lease or ownership or any of those business things. This is about the experience of going to a game.

I watched the action from up high and down low. It was easy to move around. The word "cavernous" doesn't adequately describe the Bradley Center last Thursday. The crowd was announced at about 3,000 and there were plenty of sections available.

The first thing that hit me was how absolutely exciting hockey is. For part of the game, I sat next to scouts, one for the St. Louis Blues and one for the New York Rangers. I asked them for advice. And they were gracious.

So, I figured out that when watching hockey you have two choices. You can watch the puck or you can watch something else. You can't do both. Each strategy has its advantages, but you need a strategy so you can appreciate the game.

Hockey has a lot of good things going for it. First, of course, is the fact that these guys do all this on skates. Forget Nancy Kwan and Brian Boitano. I'd like to see them take a hit on the boards and keep on going.

If the Marlboro man had played a sport, it would have been hockey. This is not a game for wimps. It combines incredible feats of strength, endurance and grace. And teamwork is essential. There may be individual stars in hockey, but you really need a team around you to shine.

There also is nothing in sports quite like the penalty. When the other team gets a penalty and loses a player for a couple of minutes, the feeling in the stands is pervasive. If your team has the advantage, you feel this impending sense of thrill at the goal that surely must be coming. If your team is short a man, you feel this impending sense of dread at the goal that surely must be coming. There's nothing quite like those feelings in any other sport.

Another cool part of hockey games is the referees, who are also on skates and dance around trying to avoid flying bodies, pucks and sticks, all while calling penalties. This is multi-tasking at its most extreme.

I got hit with another surprise when I noticed the goalie taking a drink of something from a Gatorade bottle. The goalies keep these bottles on top of the goal, wedged between the webbing and the frame. That's like Andrew Bogut putting a drink on top of the basket brace.

Most of the players for both Rockford and Milwaukee are young guys, trying to make it to the NHL. What that means is these guys really try. Hard. You can see it clearly and it's thrilling.

The other thing is that the Admirals run a first-class operation. They've got all that stuff that fans have come to expect. Fun and games between periods. Little kids skating and trying to be hockey stars. Singers, dancers, girls on skates, fans wearing flippers, a ship that drives on the ice throwing souvenirs into the stands.

And they've got sex.

There was a video message on the Jumbotron scoreboard that had Admirals' captain Nolan Yonkman. When he came on the screen I couldn't believe what a hunk this guy was. Articulate and good looking and a great athlete. I couldn't imagine how big he'd be in another sport. If the girls got a gander of Yonkman, the stands would be fuller than a Miley Cyrus concert.

The National Hockey League, trying to build participation in hockey, runs a program called "Hockey Is Fun For Everyone." They are trying to get more minority participation in what is a very white sport.

But that motto might also be applied to the Admirals. Despite years and years of criticism, I now officially apologize to the Admirals.

Your games are lots of fun. Your ticket prices are a real bargain. And you will hear nary a word of ridicule from me again.