Well, before checking out the weekly topic, I already posted this over on my site. So rather than writing something separate, this is cross-published on my site. Enjoy!
Everyone else is putting their two cents in on the Simon whack to Hollweg. And so am I. If you've been living in a cave the past few days, you may have missed 'the incident' in question. Check it out.
Now, as you can see, Chris Simon was clearly checked first by Hollweg. That is what sparked the tension. Simon retaliated out of emotion. And let's face facts... hockey is an emotional game. Do I think Chris shouldn't be punished? Not at all. However, I do think the media needs to calm down on damaging this man's reputation. Ok, so he's not the sweetest guy you've ever met on the ice. He's got a history. Six other offenses, in fact. But, I don't think this incident should tarnish a career.
What I mean is this incident has been taken out of context. Some reporters, NHL personnel and fans are saying he should suffer criminal charges just as Bertuzzi and McSorley did. But if we're going to look at it in a legal way, then I don't think he should even be investigated. It's more like a bar fight that got ugly. But both parties are at fault. Luckily no one was severely hurt.
Bertuzzi clearly wanted to fight Moore. He was warned not to retaliate a hit on his captain in a previous game vs the Avalanche. But he chose to ignore that warning and injure another player. Quite severely, might I add.
McSorley's hit was from behind and vicious. He was stalking Brashear and waiting for the right opportunity to hit him with his stick.
Again, I'm not saying what Chris Simon did should go without punishment. But I believe he has received that punishment in game suspensions and embarrassment. But one of the main issues here is that the league should go about getting him some anger management counseling. The guy obviously needs it. Rather than handing down another five punishments before someone gets hurt, let's nip the problem in the bud.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Wrong, yes. Premditated? I Don't Think So.
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2 comments:
I agree with you in that the Simon incident shouldn't be grouped with the other too. The difference is as you said - reacting to the emotion of the game as opposed to crossing that fine line in hockey where fights are deliberate attempts to seek revenge on others. I never thought about anger management for hockey players but I see what you mean...
I agree with so much of what you said in this post. There is no way this should be grouped with Bertuzzi and McSorley, but it will. I think it was a severe and ridiculous reaction while he was in a daze. And I've been trying to calibrate the effort of the swing, and I may just be projecting my own Isles love into it, but I don't think the hit was nearly as forceful as the other two.
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