OK, perhaps I'm going a bit over the top here. But when I saw the news last night at the bar that Todd Bertuzzi had been traded to the Wings, my heart sank. Not because I think he's a bad player (he's defintely not), and not because I don't think his physical style of scoring oriented play won't be a big help to Detroit in the playoffs (it absolutely will), and not because he was a rival member of a hated rival team for years (I've gotten over these things in the past easily enough, even Chris Chelios). But Todd Bertuzzi is a bad human being who had no business playing hockey (or being out of prison). And I finally understand what its like to be an Avs fan.
In my years of watching hockey there was only one player that I could not stomach as a part of my team: Claude Lemeiux. Though unarguably brilliant at his close-checking endlessly annoying grinding style of play, his consistently foul behavior on the ice (remember, judged in the shadow of his fellow hockey players) was so vicious and nasty, I could never really forgive it.
When Bertuzzi came into the league, I had a grudging respect for him. Those games (was that 2002?) against Vancouver in the playoffs were some of the best of the entire run, with Bertuzzi and Jovanovski earning my anger and respect in equal measure through every minute of play. But on March 8th, in 2004, Bertuzzi committed the second worst outrage in recent hockey (and all sports) history, when he sucker punched Steve Moore of the Avalanche, slamming his head to the ice. The resulting fall broke Moore's neck, at least it is assumed to be the fall, as Bertuzzi had to be pulled off him even after the fall. Moore will never play hockey again, though he has avoided paralysis.
Bertuzzi was suspended indefinitely, but only ended up missing the lockout non-season and was reinstated on August 8th of 2005.
I'd like to believe that people can change, and can be redeemed. But I'd also like to believe that there should be some form of responsibility for destroying someone's health, livelihood and driving them out of the sport. Ending someone's career through intentional malicious action is not OK, and not being allowed to play in a league that does not hold any games in not a sufficient penalty. And I can't avoid feeling really awful that my team is now a part of it.
In other news, Kyle Calder was also added and should be a good help to the team.
I'm probably over-reacting, but I can't help but think about dealing Jason Williams and all those draft picks for Forsberg, before Nashville got the chance. I guess the best I can hope for is that he takes longer to recover from surgery and gets traded in the off-season. But its going to be difficult to enjoy games with him playing.
Posted by ktismael at February 28, 2007 3:23 PMFirst trade number one:
Jason Williams on a line with Steve Yzerman = good.
Jason Williams with no Steve Yzerman = very bad.
Jason Williams with another $1.6M contract year = ugly.
Chicago was dumb enough to take that off our hands; go Kenny Holland.
Okay, I just wiped out my Bertuzzi post... and Corrie made me drink tonight. I'll try again tomorrow.
Ahhhh, scotch.
Posted by: andy at February 28, 2007 10:49 PMAgreed, Williams wasn't clicking and I think Calder should be a good fit. Its not surprising he was sucking in Philadelphia. Gordie himself couldn't have saved that team.
Damn that Corrie, always forcing people to drink good Scotch!
Posted by: ish at March 1, 2007 10:02 AM2nd try:
You covered all the basics pretty well regarding Little Toddy. It's going to be interesting as a fan. Not only have the Wings organization lost their moral authority, but the fans do too... at least the ones that are loyal. I had the same impression that now, I won't be any better than a damn dirty Avalanche fan.
Little Toddy does not deserve to hoist Lord Stanley's cup. No way, no how. But does that mean that I will be rooting for them to lose? I don't think I can. I want that thing to come back to Detroit where it belongs and, should Little Toddy be able to play even 80% as well as he did in 2002, the odds of that happening just improved dramatically. Kenny Holland, with his deft, low-risk acquisition has made me into a hypocrite because, when it's Game 2 of round 1 and the Wings are struggling in their defensive zone, and Little Toddy as approaching as Sedin twin who has the puck, I'm not going to think through the moral ramifications of the situation. I'm going to yell, "Hit the little fucker!" And that makes me a bad person.
I can only console myself that sports are an artifical world and don't REALLY matter.
But Corrie is a better person than I am and is considering a Red Wings boycott. I don't think I can.
Grr.
Posted by: andy at March 1, 2007 8:47 PM I truly felt that way about Chelios, before he came to Detroit,then I wanted him to be as much of a beast to our competition as he had been to us. But in the final result, Chelios in
Detroit has become a more skilled and disiplined
player than any time in his career. Something about the expectations of the Red Wings and their
fans have brought out the best in many players who have been aquired. I too detest Burtuzzi's vicious style of attack. I only hope that he takes this golden opportunity to show his ability to overcome his bad self. We need his skill, but not his dangerous play. Of course just having him on the bench could be cause for the opposition to tread Lightly, just in case. I might point out the over whelming number of career ending injuries fostered in the NFL. I will give him the benefit of doubt at least to begin with, but I never want any player of ours to feel that mindless violent action is in any way acceptable.
"Of course just having him on the bench could be cause for the opposition to tread Lightly, just in case."
There is something to that. We are quickly approaching the time of year where Pavel and Henrik always get mugged by some goon. They have not been 100% going into the playoffs the past two years and this is no accident. I also expect someone to take an "accidental" run into Hasek this month and test his groin. Players like Barnaby, Tootoo, and Cooke know that a large chunk of their value lies in their willingness to break the other teams' stars. Having an avenging demon of reckless malice on the bench could lead to some prevention. Kind of like owning a small tactical nuclear missile... that thinks for itself... or doesn't... hmm.
Sadly, we really haven't had a legitimate enforcer since Kenny shipped out McCarty (sorry, Shanny, you're too much of a gentleman at heart). This is not ideal, but we need someone.
Posted by: andy at March 8, 2007 10:12 AMWhat about Probert?
It was truly the end of an era when Stevie retired.. He is truly a good man.. He would often visit my younger brother in the hospital and take him to games.
So... Richard Dawkins... interesting read... eh? I'd be curious about your opinions as a Christian (last time we discussed religion years ago) on his ideas.
I often test my faith by reading things that contradict it completely. I'm just one of those people who wants to believe knowing it was my decision based on having all of the available information and not just the first thing that was handed to me you know?
Posted by: myk at March 18, 2007 7:01 PMProbert was an enforcer in the old-school style. Would he kick your ass? Absolutely. Was he a nice man? No. But did he maintain the basic sense of "hockey honor"? Yes, and I don't think he would behaved like Bertuzzi.
Of course, Stevie is the model for perfection, but I don't expect everyone to be Stevie. But I'd also prefer that no one was like Bertuzzi. But ah well, the way the Wings are looking lately he probably will lead us to the Cup.
I started to respond about Dawkins and then it was just getting too long so I'll put up a separate post.
Posted by: ish at March 19, 2007 12:56 PM"But ah well, the way the Wings are looking lately he probably will lead us to the Cup."
How quickly "lately" changes:
-Four losses in a row.
-Two losses to terrible teams.
-5 total goals in 4 games.
-Lebda goes off on a stretcher and there is zero response from the rest of the team.
-After the last loss, Babcock just stood there at the bench long after his players have left. I know it was a controversial call on the shootout (okay, blown call), but they should not have been so terrible during the actual game.
-The Wings look like a team that have quit. My NHL post-season predictions are legendary in their wrongness, but I'll be suprised by any result other than a first round sweep exit for the Wings.
I've heard suggestions that there is some kind of Bertuzzi curse that is responsible for the poor fortunes of Vancouver, Marc Crawford, Team Canada, and the Florida Panthers during the times that they've had Bert post-incident. I'm not one to give any kind of creedence to irrational mysticism, but it possible that a lot of people just feel bad playing near the guy, don't have fun, and don't win.
Posted by: andy at March 26, 2007 10:17 AMI think you're over-reacting. Of course, its easy to say that the day after a win over a very good team, but I felt the same way yesterday. The first two losses were close losses in overtime with good scoring chances. And its natural that it will take some time for TB to connect with the rest of the team.
Not saying its a guaranteed road to the cup, merely that things are not nearly so dire as you've predicted. Lots of injuries just clearing up now and still fighting for 1st in the west. I think they'll be fine.
Posted by: ish at March 27, 2007 12:33 PMI always overreact. It's more fun than balanced sensibility.
On a related topic, I have devised a cunning strategem that will allow me to finally make good choices when it is time to predict NHL playoff winners. When I realized last year thet my judgements about who would win, and who actually won, were essentially uncorrelated, I knew that thinking was not exactly working for me. So this year I am moving to a brutally simple stat-based predictor model that I expect to be 75% or better. No judgement calls allowed.
Posted by: andy at March 27, 2007 6:03 PMI need you to humiliate yourself again with attemped predictions of playoff successes (and failures) I'm pitting my new stat based prediction model up against Corrie's intuition based on watching a lot of games, the intuition of one of my labmates who does not watch hockey, and (hopefully) you.
My theory is that knowledge of hockey does not lead to prediciton success.
Posted by: andy at April 10, 2007 5:46 PMOK, I've posted them and sent in email as well. I suspect you might want a slightly larger sample size, but its a little late to call for submissions.
On a related note, I no longer have your phone number so we can call and commiserate about another 1st round exit. Please email it to me.
Posted by: ish at April 11, 2007 8:31 PM