Monday, October 29, 2007

Enough!

I am deeply disappointed that the Flyer's Randy Jones has been given a slap on the wrist for nearly killing Patrice Bergeron. NHL Senior Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Colin Cambell said, "There have been suggestions by some that this hit was comparable to incidents earlier this season where players received significant game suspensions for blows to the head. These comparisons and suggestions are wrong."

No Mr. Campbell, you are wrong.

What is the difference Mr. Campbell? Were the earlier instances the result of intentional acts to harm? If so, then this is an admission that the players involved should have been kicked out of the NHL altogether and assault charges should be filed!

Is it because Jones has a clean record? Like someone else so succinctly put it, "not any more." What happened on the ice was inexcusable. When a person exercises such negligence off the ice which results in serious injury they are put in jail. Just try intentionally shoving someone into a concrete wall on the sidewalk from behind and see what it gets you. Do you think the excuse, "We were playing roughly," will get you off? But in hockey they get a slap on the wrist and a list of excuses! Hockey players are supposed to be professionals. This was not the action of a professional.

Not only should Jones have been suspended for much longer, but the entire Philly franchise should be fined a large sum of money for the wanton disregard their players have shown for safety this season. That would get their attention and might have a real impact. This slap on the wrist--it amounts to little more than saying "it's a rough game boys." This should have been a 30-day suspension. And the "other" incidents should have been for entire seasons or more. I fear for what is going to happen now that not only are players from other teams going to be incensed about the Flyers, but the NHL has made it clear that they will give you a slap on the wrist unless it is obvious that you intentionally try to kill someone!

Some people will say that I'm just overreacting as a Bruins fan. But I've given that a lot of thought. What if it were my Bruins who were going around carelessly injuring people? What if it were my Bruins who were being suspended every few weeks? The answer is that I would be ashamed!

Mr. Campbell: as of this moment I am ashamed. I am ashamed to be an NHL fan.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Get off the pipe. This is as bias as a blog post I have ever seen. To think that Randy Jones intentially tried to hurt Bergeron is crazy. First of all, this same type of hit happens a few times a game, and unfortunately this time, Bergeron was really hurt. I wish Patrice the best and don't want to see any player injured like that, but Jones intent was not to injure. Secondly, Randy Jones is probably the LAST player on the Flyers to intentially try to hurt somebody. This is not Eager or Cote or Downie we are talking about here. I understand, as Bruins fan, you are upset to see one of your young star players hurt, but let's not over-react and take the hit to extremes. The fact that Randy Jones was suspended AT ALL when there have been worse hits than his, is clear discrimination against the Philadelphia Flyers... THAT is the only reason to be sick with Campbell as far as I'm concerned.

Nice blog though.

JC
Philly

number4bobbyorr said...

JC: I never said it was intentional. I said it was reckless. The idea that this sort of hit happens all the time is absurd. Yes, I see players go into the corners or along the boards, just like what happened. But I don't see heads being slammed into the boards from behind. That is the important difference.

I believe there is a huge problem with the league and discipline. I hadn't paid much attention to the other incidents this year. If the difference is intent, then I am appalled! As any fan should be!

The real problem is that the suspensions given out for intentionally trying to hurt other players were way too soft. This give little room to send a message about this sort of recklessly dangerous hit. Giving a slap on the wrist for such recklessness is going to get a player killed one of these days.

Because we care about Bergeron we Bruins fans have been shocked awake. It is difficult for us to watch the rest of the league go on with the delusion that there is no problem.

Ghost of Joliat said...

Number4

The hit was wreckless, unless you consider that Jones was not expecting Bergeron to turn his back, and was already leading with the hit. Just something to consider. As some have stated, (even ex-Bruin bench boss, Don Cherry) Bergeron, and many other players should know better than to head into the corner then turn and face the boards when a defender is coming in to take the body.

Case in point was the nugget they showed during HNIC Saturday night, when Antropov was heading into the corner and Torres was lining him up with the shoulder... and suddenly Antropov turns and faces the boards then goes flying in head-first when Torres hits him.

I agree with you that the respect (or lack there of) that players display for each other nowadays is nothing compared to the way it was when Orr himself played. Perhaps it was the fact that players were helmetless and wore less equipment? Perhaps it is because players feel more pressure to earn multi-million dollar contracts and will do ANYTHING to keep their spot on the roster? I tend to think if the NHL were to remove the horrible "Instigator" rule and let the players keep each other honest, more respect would be ultimately be given.

Nice work on the blog. Feel free to visit mine anytime to talk some puck...

http://www.offsideshockey.blogspot.com

neb said...

ghost of j and anyone else who cares to argue he turns into the hit arguement, stop! its just wrong. patrice is skating hard from the blue line to the puck on the flat area behind the goal. he plays the puck and is turning to cycle back into the play and avoid skating straight into the boards.

every game since this one i have watched and this exact play happens constantly, the major and only difference is that in 99 out of a 100 of these scenarios the checking player does not deliver an illegal, blindside, cowardly hit, where he uses his arm in the back of the oppositions head to drive his face into the dasher. the checking player either holds up or adjusts his route so as to not almost kill his adversary.