You want to play in every game, and you especially don't want to be in the penalty box for five minutes and give the other team a chance to get a power play, and you don't want to hurt anyone on the other team.
Actually, my favourite roles have been in theatre, but on TV, my faves were Slap Maxwell and Larry Sanders.
I get it now; I didn't get it then. That life is about losing and about doing it as gracefully as possible... and enjoying everything in between.