If you ask my boyfriend he will tell you that “relationships are 95 percent sex and 5 percent me putting up with your bullshit.”

Sunday morning, when he turned on the hockey game right after we woke up, I felt the scale tip. Sports on the TV, as soon as I crack my eyelids, exceeds the 5 percent margin instantly.

I still have to put up with his regular bull for the rest of the day. I already know he is not going to wash the cars until the game is over. I know the shelves are not going to be adjusted unless I cope with a pause every 30 seconds for him to look at the T.V.

Sports are slowly infiltrating my life through my boyfriend. He knows the players names and their positions. He cheers and boos while sitting on the edge of his seat. He loves it and I respect that.

I compromise, that is what relationships are about, right? So I attempt to enjoy sports and eventually come to appreciate hockey.

In this violent hockey world, I see a draw. I do not want the players to get hurt, but watching them fight is entertaining.

It is more entertaining than boxing. A brutally bloody fight to the finish, is just a bit too much. In hockey, there the bigger goal of scoring.

In basketball, if you get a foul you have to give the person a free shot. On the other hand, slamming each other into the wall in hockey will get you an encouraging yell.

The hockey forecheck is discussed in manners of style and effectiveness by the commentators. When the gloves hit the ice the camera focuses on the two (or more) men; the referees slowly skate at a safe distance.

They will let you fight. It’s about hits and misses. It is raw, it is rough and it has to be a bit satisfying. The sport had me stuck in mid bite at breakfast.

My boyfriend thanked me later for watching the game with him. He also reminded me of the game next Sunday. I think that when men find a way to combine two of their passions, they are overwhelmed with self-satisfaction and satisfaction in general.

For him, seeing me mesmerized by the sudden blows, the open ice checks and the pirouettes of punches was delightful. He kept commenting for the rest of the day about how much I had enjoyed the game.

Finding a way to like something you may have never even given a chance improves your relationship and gives you a glimpse into the passions of another. It may not always make sense, but I get the impression that men enjoy it when women, who are otherwise disinterested, bestow interest on their beloved sports.