I would be willing to bet a large amount of money, that I am one of about 10, no, maybe 5, people in the Boston area watching Detroit and Calgary right now as opposed to Dice K and the Red Sox face the dreaded Yankme’s. I think it’s indicative of being a hockey fan in general. It’s like I’m in my own little club that no one gets. Besides, I’d rather watch April hockey over April baseball any day of the week. Actually, make that hockey anytime over baseball anytime. OK, I’ll get to the point.
Due to the fact I am getting increasingly chubby (no, no, it’s true) I’ve been reading The Hockey News on the bike a lot more. I used to just read it whilst having a poo, which is good because a lot of times I find The Hockey News to be full of shit, hence the YGTBSMT (You’ve Got to be Shitting me Times) nickname I gave it in a previous post. Now that I read it while exercising as well, I may have to start calling it The Please Stop it Because my heart rate is Already up and I might have a Heart Attack Times. A bit long I realize, but some of the stuff that gets printed really chaps my large ass.
Case in point. I am about two weeks behind because they come like everyday. So I am finishing up the April 10th Playoff Preview Issue. It is a good issue, as most of them are. I like the Team Reports a lot and they have cool features on different players around the league. I also like the Junior, and College Hockey ink that gets written. All in all, I really do enjoy The Hockey News. What I often take issue with, is the Editorial articles that get printed every week. I guess they are written for water cooler fodder as much as relaying an opinion of the writer, but the April 10th Overtime piece written by Mike Brophy is utter crap.
Mr. Brophy, who I usually actually usually enjoy, has a solution for people like me that think fighting has a part in the game of hockey. He says that it’s cool to have fighting in the game, and anyone can engage in a fight without being kicked out provided they have played at least 10 minutes. Brophy even proposes a 3 game grace period in which someone has a chance to goon it up all he wants, but if they fight in the 4th game and haven’t played 10 minutes, they are ejected. It’s an interesting theory and it’s backed up by him saying David Koci has been up with Chicago for 6 games. He has fought 6 times, while playing 3:36 a game. Brophy goes on to say that the evolution of hockey fights has gone from guys like Bobby Orr, and Gordie Howe who could fight as well as play, to guys like Colton Orr, and Georges Laraque who can’t play at all and are only there to fight. He says no one has a problem with Jerome Iginla and Vincent Lecavalier fighting in the playoffs a few years ago because it was spontaneous, and not staged. His issue is with big tough goons that only fight. Brophy further contends there is room for big men that can play and occasionally fight citing Zdeno Chara as a big man that is a great player, and a great fighter. Wait what? Did I just read that?
Not only is Zdeno Chara the most over rated player in the whole of the NHL, he’s a shitty fighter as well. Not only that, he’s a shitty Captain. I have seen Big Z since his days as a Lowell Lockmonster, and he is not a good fighter. He doesn’t do it enough, and when he does, he doesn’t put guys away like he should. Also, there were so many instances this Bruins season when he as the biggest guy on the ice, and the Captain to boot should have dropped his gloves and dealt with someone but opted not to because.well, I don’t know why. It is utterly amazing that he as the Captain of the Boston Bruins did not have a single fighting major all season. We in Boston expect our Captains to be tough, and you Big Z, are more of a Big P.
You see Mr. Brophy; I have no issue with guys that can play fighting. In fact I love it. I saw the Iginla and Lecavalier tilt a few years ago, and it was a dandy. The problem is, I want to look at the bench and know when someone gets wronged, there is a Colton Orr, or a Derek Boogard in the Break Glass In Case Of Emergency section of the bench. I don’t care if they play 1 second, or 60 minutes. I want to know there is someone on the bench that will go after an opposing player’s tough guy when a call up gets a cheap shot to the head in the crease (see Buffalo and Boston this season when this very thing happened, and no one did anything). Or a guy that will ask someone to go, and then wish him Good Luck to try and spark his team. That is the type of hockey I prefer. As an aside to the photo staff of The Hockey News. When trying to make a point about fighting. Don’t show pictures of two tough guys going at it and the DELIGHTED crowd looking on in the background. It kind of kills the point you are trying to make. Just saying is all.
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