Referee...no matter what, you will be hated.
Pertaining specifically to teams, the back up goaltender.*
Very difficult, night in and night out, to sit on the bench and watch the game, in my opinion. And if you get to play it's typically because the team is losing embarrassingly or because the "star" goaltender is injured. The fans often have high expectations for the man in this position despite the fact that he usually has the odds stacked against him.
Constantly watching (from various spots in the rink because some teams are not very courteous to their opponent), rarely playing...not exactly easy to do. Even the wealthiest back up has to know how to handle the frustration and boredom this brings. Tough spot.
Very hard to gain any recognition unless you can pull off the amazing night and pull the team out of the loss, only to sit on the bench when the starter is ready to go again.
(* By back up goaltender, I am referring to a gentleman who watches the vast majority of the season from the bench.)
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