Friday, March 12, 2004
Alrighty. So, a guy hit another guy with a gloved hand while playing hockey, eh? Hmmm. That's happened before, so that can't be what all the fuss is about. He hit him from behind, eh? Well, that's happened before, and normally with a big frickin' stick, so that can't be it. Remind me again what we're talking about here? Sorry, but one too many hits to the head in Rugby without benefit of a helmet (or any pads at all, for that matter) may have scrambled my grey matter a wee bit. Oh, yeah, Todd Bertuzzi and Steve Moore. Riiiiiiight.
Well, not to put too fine a point on it, but if Junior (and, contrary to the picture painted by the media's constantly referring to him as "rookie", there're only four years' difference between these two, please correct me if I’m wrong here) had stood up to what he had to know he had coming to him, this would not have happened. I know, I know, but it's not like Steve isn't going to make a full recovery, so let's take off the kid gloves here for a moment, and stop pretending that we're somehow speaking ill of the dead by decrying Moore's actions, too.
Before I go any further, let me say this: what happened out there the other night was as ghastly and depressing a spectacle as I have had the misfortune to witness in a long while. Now, this may seem to run contradictory to what I have written up till now, but read on.
I suppose I am nothing if not pragmatic, and my take on it is this: things got out of hand. Yup, that's it. Just plain old out of hand. I suppose that's never happened to any of the members of our esteemed press or any of the other self-righteous pundits that have weighed in so enthusiastically in favour of tossing Todd from the game entirely, banning fighting entirely, and making baseball the shining example for all of what "true sportsmanship" is all about. Don't get me started on that. What, you mean the sport with the rampant drug use, pitchers deliberately trying to hit heavy-hitters in the head with balls moving at 90mph, rumbles that look more like street-brawls than sport? Kelly Hrudey said his piece on it and I agree: to the sports writers who would hold that sport up as the shining example while decrying hockey as the example of all that is wrong with sports to day... I say, "How about a nice hot cup of shut the &%~# up?"
But, I digress. Here's what I think got lost in all the furor. One: There was no malice of intent, other than to give Steve Moore a tuning-up as a reminder of this basic fact: you don't go after the captain of ANY team, and certainly not one of the nicest guys in the league who also happens to be one of the highest scorers, without some sort of retribution. You can stand up and lose a couple of chicklets like a man, or you can expect to get hit HARD until you prove that you have a spine.
Two: Bert did not drive him into the ice. He hit him. From behind. Which is not cool, at all, but, and it's a big but, he did not DRIVE him into the ice. He was holding him, Moore crumpled, and down they both went, off balance. I was there. And, all I would have to do is watch the replay to see this and to also see point number three, which is...
... There were three players that hit the ice. Moore, Bertuzzi, and Moore's teammate, who, albeit coming to his rescue, piled onto the heap and possibly exacerbated Steve's injuries unwittingly. So, if you're thinking about voting along the lines that so many of you already have, that the punishment should be related to the extent of the injuries, please factor in these three points.
It's a great game. What happened is grossly unfortunate, and my heart goes out to all parties directly affected. But, this is the nature of the sport, always has been. Even our national hero, Rocket Richard, was not above it. So, get over it. Know that what Todd did was wrong, but know, more importantly, that he knows this. Know that Steve will recover. Know that, in 3 weeks' time, no one will be printing anything more about it. The next big bad thing will have come along, and we will all have our fingers extended at that. But, tonight, today, say a prayer of thanks that it is not your conscience that has to wrestle with this. Tonight, say a prayer of thanks that it is not your neck in a brace. Tonight, say a prayer of thanks that it is not your career on the line. Tonight, say a prayer that it is not your son lying in a hospital bed or agonizing over putting someone else there. And, tonight, say a prayer of thanks that you have someone else to deflect the thoughts of your own shortcomings as a human being, whatever those may be. Peace.
Well, not to put too fine a point on it, but if Junior (and, contrary to the picture painted by the media's constantly referring to him as "rookie", there're only four years' difference between these two, please correct me if I’m wrong here) had stood up to what he had to know he had coming to him, this would not have happened. I know, I know, but it's not like Steve isn't going to make a full recovery, so let's take off the kid gloves here for a moment, and stop pretending that we're somehow speaking ill of the dead by decrying Moore's actions, too.
Before I go any further, let me say this: what happened out there the other night was as ghastly and depressing a spectacle as I have had the misfortune to witness in a long while. Now, this may seem to run contradictory to what I have written up till now, but read on.
I suppose I am nothing if not pragmatic, and my take on it is this: things got out of hand. Yup, that's it. Just plain old out of hand. I suppose that's never happened to any of the members of our esteemed press or any of the other self-righteous pundits that have weighed in so enthusiastically in favour of tossing Todd from the game entirely, banning fighting entirely, and making baseball the shining example for all of what "true sportsmanship" is all about. Don't get me started on that. What, you mean the sport with the rampant drug use, pitchers deliberately trying to hit heavy-hitters in the head with balls moving at 90mph, rumbles that look more like street-brawls than sport? Kelly Hrudey said his piece on it and I agree: to the sports writers who would hold that sport up as the shining example while decrying hockey as the example of all that is wrong with sports to day... I say, "How about a nice hot cup of shut the &%~# up?"
But, I digress. Here's what I think got lost in all the furor. One: There was no malice of intent, other than to give Steve Moore a tuning-up as a reminder of this basic fact: you don't go after the captain of ANY team, and certainly not one of the nicest guys in the league who also happens to be one of the highest scorers, without some sort of retribution. You can stand up and lose a couple of chicklets like a man, or you can expect to get hit HARD until you prove that you have a spine.
Two: Bert did not drive him into the ice. He hit him. From behind. Which is not cool, at all, but, and it's a big but, he did not DRIVE him into the ice. He was holding him, Moore crumpled, and down they both went, off balance. I was there. And, all I would have to do is watch the replay to see this and to also see point number three, which is...
... There were three players that hit the ice. Moore, Bertuzzi, and Moore's teammate, who, albeit coming to his rescue, piled onto the heap and possibly exacerbated Steve's injuries unwittingly. So, if you're thinking about voting along the lines that so many of you already have, that the punishment should be related to the extent of the injuries, please factor in these three points.
It's a great game. What happened is grossly unfortunate, and my heart goes out to all parties directly affected. But, this is the nature of the sport, always has been. Even our national hero, Rocket Richard, was not above it. So, get over it. Know that what Todd did was wrong, but know, more importantly, that he knows this. Know that Steve will recover. Know that, in 3 weeks' time, no one will be printing anything more about it. The next big bad thing will have come along, and we will all have our fingers extended at that. But, tonight, today, say a prayer of thanks that it is not your conscience that has to wrestle with this. Tonight, say a prayer of thanks that it is not your neck in a brace. Tonight, say a prayer of thanks that it is not your career on the line. Tonight, say a prayer that it is not your son lying in a hospital bed or agonizing over putting someone else there. And, tonight, say a prayer of thanks that you have someone else to deflect the thoughts of your own shortcomings as a human being, whatever those may be. Peace.
