Saturday, March 03, 2007

Broadway Shanny Rose

As an Islanders fan, it is my sworn duty to dislike, nay, hate, any and all Rangers. Jaromir Jagr? Overrated, lazy, diva.
Henrik Lundqvist? Stole my mother's haircut and dentures. Matt Cullen? Get oxygen through your nose already, mouth-breather! Peter Prucha? More like Peter Puke-ah. See, I'm good at the hate. But every once and while, even I let a Ranger slip through the cracks of my brittle little heart. Darius Kasparaitus? His throwback hip checks and Laugh-In era Goldie Hawn haircut are admittedly charming. Marek Malik? Shrek on skates. While I find these chaps charming in their own way, I can't exactly say I root for them. However, Brendan Shanahan may just be the one and only Ranger I'll ever root for.

Shanahan on the ice, is just a completely selfless player. He's willing to do anything for his team. He'll take a puck to the face! He'll complain to the press to make Jagr look better! He'll check someone through the boards! He'll keep the team's mood light by doing a silly interview after a had loss! He'll ram his face into Donald Brashear's fists! He brings all of this grit and determination to this team while having hands as soft as toilet tissue. Because, honestly, if Shanny were a lesser person or player, he could have coasted through his twilight years as a sniper. But he doesn't. It sickens me to admit that there is a lovable Ranger, but even the most virulent Islanders fan must admit that Shanny is great. Maybe the most likable Ranger ever. I have no truck with that Messier character. Although Shanahan earned icon status as both a Blue and a Red Wing, it somehow feels like he's always been a Ranger. Jagr wears the "C", but it's totally Shanahan's team. And it makes hating the Rangers so much harder.

4 comments:

Heather B. said...

Shanny's interview imitating the Ottawa players on their stationary bikes is one of the funniest things this season. He's a-okay in my book too.

Jordi said...

Damn it I knew I forgot someone. But you don't know how much people in Habs-land are screaming: And we could've gotten HIM!

Steph said...

Aw, I miss Shanahan...thanks for reminding me how much haha.

Margee said...

I thought that Ottawa interview was hysterical, too. Excellent comic timing, that guy.

He's just the kind of player you'd like to think you'd be if you were a hockey player. Hands of a first liner, with the heart of a fourth liner. But I'd probably be more like a Sylvain Turgeon, though.