Thinking Beyond PR Moves

At this point, I'm not surprised when someone who's made lots of money from professional sports is in the news for all the wrong reasons. It's not just NFL players - after the "scandals" surrounding Donald Sterling, Stephen A. Smith, and Semyon Varlamov, we'd all be incredibly short-sighted to think that way. However, I'm always amazed at the way people react to such occurrences. Ray Rice's firing yesterday was another such event.

This isn't something that just happened recently - the incident occurred months ago, and a lot of people were upset about it, and wanted to see Rice punished more severely. It was talked about during the offseason when the NFL started to do damage control. This public anger really only hit critical mass when a tape was leaked, and then suddenly everyone knew just how wrong it was, and got up in arms about how badly the Baltimore Ravens needed to terminate his contract. Which they did, in what a lot of people called a PR move.

"They didn't fire him because it was the right thing to do," came the cry from all corners of the Internet. "They fired him because he was damaging their brand!" Thank you, Captain Obvious. Anyone who knows that the events caught on tape didn't happen last week knows that the Ravens took an awfully long time to fire someone who beat the woman he claimed to love. Ray Rice was fired because the general public - everyone, even people who don't want football - was shocked and offended.

Why did it take us so long to become so shocked? Why did we have to wait until TMZ released video evidence of Rice punching his fiancée to realize that he had done something wrong? If there had been no video evidence, there is at least a slim chance that Ray Rice would not have been fired at all. And that, to me, is the scariest part of all this.

It's time for us all to stop waiting until it's too late to speak up or make a real difference.

The Worst Thing About a Playoff Round Against the Bruins

I couldn't be happier that the Habs beat the Bruins and are on their way to the conference final. (Okay, I could be, because I'm still in disbelief. When it sinks in, I'll be even happier.) There was so much in this series that I loved.

And lots of stuff that I didn't.

Some of it was the standard stuff you see every time the playoffs heat up, or anytime the Habs face the Bruins: players getting a little too angry at each other, fans engaging in inappopriate/racist/sexist/homophobic language, and hockey sticks hitting delicate areas. But the worst thing, by far, was having to face this reality:

OH, THE HUMANITY

I've been in denial about Jarome Iginla ever since he signed with the Bruins. You know how people say they remember where they were when they found out Kennedy was shot, stuff like that? I remember exactly where I was on July 5th, 2013, when I found out Jarome Iginla signed with the Bruins. I was at the Bell Centre, which is supposed to be my happy place. And I've been trying to forget that moment ever since. Okay, actually, I've been denial about all this ever since he left Calgary:

I don't know what this Iginla business is that you're all talking about. Jarome Iginla is somewhere telling kids to follow their dreams
— Rookie (@HabItHerWay) March 28, 2013

I made it through the entire regular season just by exercising the kind of denial that is probably rarely seen among healthy adults. I would pretend I didn't see him in that black-and-yellow jersey, that it was another #12. I couldn't get away with those denial tactics through seven playoff games. And that is how I found out that Jarome Iginla isn't the same player I used to love with all my heart.

The Jarome Iginla I saw during the playoffs wasn't just an amped-up version of the strong, all-around player that everyone knows he is. He was a Bruin, through and through. He put that jersey on, played with that team, and he turned, like a gremlin someone fed after midnight. He was aggressive, and not in a good way. He was angry. I no longer had any interest in seeing him make a run for a much-deserved Stanley Cup. I just wanted to see him go back to his old self. He wasn't the same guy whose T-shirt I wore, whose hockey card I bought. And it sucked to have to face that.

There are lots of reasons why I don't like the Bruins, but right now, ruining Jarome Iginla is the only one that matters.

I Don't Want Revenge

So. Everyone's calling tonight's Habs-Bruins game the big "revenge" game because everyone hates each other (even more than usual) now that Chara broke Max. But that game was also some kind of "revenge" game since it was the big rematch after The Game Where Everyone Scored And/Or Fought Each Other. They're one bride away and one installment closer to the Kill Bill trilogy.

I don't want any more crazy violence. Mostly because I have no idea what could possibly count as "retribution" for what happened to Pacioretty. (Go ahead, Bruins fans, chirp me. I know I'm asking for it and I know it'll make you feel better, and I'm still working on my "Relax, Chill Out" plan so you can say whatever you want but I won't respond.)

Sure, I'm upset with basically the entire Bruins team. (Except for Tyler Seguin, who wouldn't be in this mess if he were a Toronto Maple Leaf, and also he's just so little that I can't hate him yet, right?) I'll try not to focus on my anger and think of something else:

No, not the brutal hit that left me shaken when I should have been watching just another hockey game. Not at all. If anything, I'm trying to forget a few details about that hit. I already mentioned that I had a lot of respect for the Bruins staff member who was on the ice, helping out (that's him on the right side).

Now, thanks to a recent article by Dave Stubbs, I know that he's Don DelNegro, athletic trainer for the Bruins, and that he came to the assistance of the Canadiens' medical staff without being asked.

It's nice to be able to put a name to the face and the kind gesture. Thank you, Don DelNegro. I'll try to remember his kindness during this game, when everyone else's tension will probably get me all frustrated. And I'll hope that he doesn't have to rush onto the ice again tonight. I just want to watch some hockey, that's it.

Go Habs Go.

Relax. Chill out.

The stuff most people call “real life”? For two minutes, a hockey player gets to skate it all away. You can’t drop gloves on life, kid - but in The Game? They’ll cheer you if you do. Because they all know what a struggle… what a fight life can be. And when they see you take a swing - with your stick or a good right hook - they feel like you’re taking a swing for

them. And lots of people will tell you that ain’t right. But brother?
(whispers)
There ain’t nothin’ righter.

- from a scene released from the script of Kevin Smith's upcoming hockey movie, Hit Somebody

 Being a hockey fan is a strange little thing. It gives you something in life to cheer for, something to watch on Tuesday nights, and something to drive you a little crazy. Unfortunately, unlike the athletes who skate a little harder or hit a few more guys when they've got some stress to let out, fans have to find other outlets for their frustrations. And it can get a little complicated when those frustrations come from the very same game we watch to distract ourselves from all this.

Everybody's angry. And we live in a society where anger gets attention, and the voice of reason is often ignored because it's not sensational enough to make the news. So everybody continues to be angry at each other, if another team's player fishes a penalty, or if a small fraction of a fanbase makes everyone look bad, or if people have the slightest difference of opinion. People are angry Max Pacioretty got hit and Zdeno Chara was sent on his merry way to play the rest of the season. People are angry at those people. And these days that's just the tip of the iceberg.

I know that I'm no exception, having given quite a bit of thought recently to just how many NHL fanbases are just as bad as Habs fans. When Brad Marchand was suspended for two games after hitting RJ Umberger, my first thought was that maybe, finally, we'd see a change in the way violence was handled in this game. After that, things went downhill: Maybe the Bruins are indirectly getting the punishment they deserve. Maybe Marchand will think twice before lighting another match in the rookie respect debate. Maybe now Umberger will think twice before doing something as nasty as that hit he delivered on Drew Doughty last week.
Or I get a little tired of my role as a Habs apologist and I start pointing fingers. I'm no better than any other hater.
Yup. I generally try to pride myself on my level-headedness and optimism, but on some occasions I'm no better than anyone else: the fans who boo everything, the fans who verbally attack each other, the people who make Twitter less fun, the athletes who say things to get attention and the people who give it to them.

So that's it. I'm hoping that it stops here.

I'm not supposed to get this stressed out about a sport. No one is. So from here to the end of the season (which isn't very much time at all, I know), I'm going to do my best to not engage in any of this stuff. I might get upset about things, but I'll keep myself in check. I won't respond to the Jack Todd and Don Cherry types who say ridiculous things to get attention, whether in the media or online. (It's much easier when you don't even watch or read those people.) I will keep my player-hating in check. This doesn't mean I've turned the other cheek and forgotten what Zdeno Chara has done or how I feel about the Bruins, Leafs, Rangers, and Flyers. It just means I'll keep most of my anger to myself, and will refrain from hoping that one of my guys kicks his ass, because that won't solve anything.

I may not do a complete 180, but I'll try. I'll do my part to stop responding to extremes, and maybe some other people will do the same. Maybe this will trickle up and the people we watch and read will tone down the sensationalism. Maybe. But even if they don't, at least I know I'll feel better.

Plus/Minus: How do I even...

This has been a stressful week. Like, break your "no crying in hockey" rule kind of stressful. I think I'll write two sets of Plus/Minus, to be able to better concentrate on hockey outside of what happened during that Bruins game. So, I'll start with the Max injury and then take it from there. My apologies in advance, as it was kind of an eventful week for Habs fans and I have a lot to say.

PLUS: THE BRIGHT SIDE (IF ANY) OF PAC'S INJURY

+ Everyone who has had the stones to admit that enough is enough and hockey players have to stop being sent to the hospital, including but not limited to the bosses at Air Canada, Geoff Molson, and especially Joe Thornton and Henrik Sedin, whose opinions will be discussed at large and may even have consequences.
+ I was hoping that a widely respected NHL legend would have his say about concussions and player safety. Mario Lemieux made a statement a while back, but didn't really make a difference. Enter Ken Dryden. He wrote a well-researched article for the Globe and Mail and will hopefully turn some heads. You can't argue with his facts.
+ Dave Stubbs for vehemently arguing that Mike Murphy got it wrong, and that it was the hit itself that was dangerous, yet for reeling in his passion just enough to still sound educated and rational.

+ Max Pacioretty probably shouldn't be using a computer, but his Twitter account kind of warms my heart. He's been so polite and thankful for the outpouring of love that fans have sent him. Of course we would. And, the comments that he made regarding Chara's non-suspension, made public by Bob McKenzie, took a lot of courage. I'm grateful that my team drafted such a talented player who's capable of expressing his opinions in an eloquent, level-headed way.
+ As soon as the hit happened and in the hours that followed, there was a decent number of Maple Leafs fans who reached out to Habs fans and basically said they were on our side. Because sometimes a long-standing rivalry isn't as important as the teams in it.
+ If you aren't moved by this personal, fabulously written letter to Max Pacioretty, you might be a robot. Not the good kind.

MINUS: BECAUSE PAC IS HURT AND NOW EVERYTHING SUCKS

- Everyone who thinks that Habs fans are overreacting. How can you not think that a 22-year-old man being sent to the hospital is a big deal? How can you make fun of the fans who felt sick when he lay there on the ice, unconscious? The sheer amount of disrespect I've seen from some people is discouraging. They're giving hockey fans a bad name. I want nothing to do with them, and yet I have no choice, just because we watch the same sport. I could go on and on about this.
- "The kid - what's his name? He's got a headache today." Don Cherry spoke about this issue on HNIC and did not know Max Pacioretty's name. I know he has a lot of names to remember, but if you're going to talk about one of the week's biggest stories, at least ask someone to Google the guy's name. It seems like Don Cherry gets stupider every week, and he's paid by a Crown corporation. Our tax dollars are paying the salary of a man who has no sympathy for the very sport that gave him a career, and who can't be bothered to learn the most basic thing he'd need to know about a segment.

- No suspension. No remorse. No sympathy from the league. I almost had a fit (at work) when I heard the news.
- It seems trivial, but one thing that really disappointed me about the hit that no one has really talked about was that it completely ruined the momentum of what was a good hockey game. Lars Eller was having a spectacular game, Ryan White showed just how much energy and passion he brings to the ice... and then Chara ruined it by taking out another young Hab who had played some fantastic games and finally found his role on this team.

Okay, now that that's over:

PLUS: OUTSIDE OF THE INCIDENT

+ 2 Oh, Los Angeles Kings. It's weeks like this that you need a West Coast team to take you away from the hockey news you can't hear anymore (most of the time). They won three games this week and inched up to 4th place in the Western Conference, yay! Also Anze Kopitar scored a hat trick, handing the Kings one of those wins.
+ As I mentioned, Lars Eller and Ryan White, among others, had a great game on Tuesday.

+ No one missed Matt D'Agostini when he was traded last year. As much as I hate watching the Habs lose, his safety goal for the Blues on Thursday night was proof that some people should not have wished him good riddance (which isn't to say that I don't like the Habs the way they are). That being said, the St. Louis fanbase has been taking good care of him, and I'm happy to see it.
+ So first, Carey Price does his Boss pose in Pittsburgh. Then, Marc-André Fleury tries to imitate the Boss pose in Montreal. Then, Fleury gets replaced by Brent Johnson. It was just a teensy bit funny is all. Do we have a real goalie rivalry on our hands?
+ Paul Mara's beard.

MINUS: OUTSIDE OF THE INCIDENT

RJ, you're making it very difficult not to hate you.

- I'm trying not to think about Drew Doughty getting hit by RJ Umberger and how similar it was to Max's hit, and how knowing the hit had happened didn't make it any easier to watch. Thank goodness he was able to return to play.
- I'm just gonna come right out and say it: rude Penguins fans. I'm not saying they're all rude, because I'm certain that that's not the case, but some of them have said some pretty ridiculous things about the Habs. You'd think they wouldn't want to be like Flyer fans.

The Habs are back at the Bell Centre. It'll be a fresh start. Anyone interested in attending the peaceful demonstration outside the Bell is most welcome to, and to anyone attending the game: when you see MaxPac in the opening video, give him a cheer on my behalf.

In case the world needs another blog post about Pacioretty...

I probably should have written this a few hours ago, but better late than never. It still needs to be said.

Like everyone else with a soul, I had trouble watching Max Pacioretty lie motionless on the ice after Zdeno Chara pushed him headfirst into glass. I could barely even speak for a few minutes and my voice was strained for the rest of the night. I feared that the worst had happened. What else can you do when one player is being attended to, then moved onto a stretcher by a handful of medical professionals?

(By the way, the Bruins' staff member probably isn't contractually obligated to help players on other teams, but the fact that he was out on the ice, doing what he could to help, shows an incredible amount of class and I can only hope that at least one gutless, malicious hockey fan took note of it.)

The last thing I wanted to do was get my things together and head to a radio station, face this reality and discuss it with any modicum of professionalism. We Habs fans have unfortunately had to witness a few pretty nasty injuries in the last few seasons, and they never get easier to watch. I had no idea how I'd be able to put a complete thought together and I had no idea what yesterday's installment of Game Points would have in store.

In a way, I'm quite glad that we had so many callers (we didn't keep count, but 40 would be a decent low-ball estimate) so that I wouldn't have to keep discussing the hit. It was almost unreal, to have wall-to-wall callers not only expressing their own opinions but decrying those of others, and to know as soon as Tony Marinaro had any news. He stayed for the first 45 minutes or so of Game Points, even though he wasn't obligated to, just to help field calls, move the show along, and get as much news as he could.

It was a lot to handle for this girl with less than two dozen radio appearances to her name: replaying game calls from this season's Habs-Bruins games, listening to a flurry of callers, and trying to keep up with a hectic conversation on Twitter. I'm not ashamed to say I unfollowed a couple of accounts who made stupid or biased comments about the hit, and I came close to calling out a couple of people who thought it'd be funny to make jokes about Habs fans rioting.

So here are just a few angry thoughts, now that I have the time and a medium to express them:

- People have said "If the hit had happened anywhere else, it wouldn't be a big deal." Those people are morons. Blaming the stanchion for being there and causing the injury is the worst excuse ever. Worse than telling players to keep their head up if they don't want to get hit. Worse than blaming food for making you fat. Chara has played enough games in enough arenas - including the Bell Centre - to know the basic layout of an NHL rink. If he didn't mean to hurt Pacioretty, he shouldn't have hit him. Plain and simple.

- Anyone who doesn't feel bad for a man in his early 20's who had to be attended to by multiple medical professionals, or the parents who had to witness the hit and spend the night in hospital with their concussed son, is a terrible person. His mother was shocked, and his dad was in tears. Anyone who has seen their own father crying knows that it's not the kind of thing that happens every day - those tears come from an emotional place that scares even the bravest of dads.

- How can anyone say the hit wasn't dirty? Do clean hits usually knock players unconscious? Was this the kind of hit that happens in every game, and I just happened to be looking elsewhere every game for the last four years?

- The blind hypocrisy of some Bruins fans disgusts me. Luckily, they're not all like this, but how can they defend a player on their team who delivers such a hit with such a result, after they've seen the aftermath of serious head injuries? Do they think Marc Savard is going to wake up next week feeling fine, lace up his skates, and score a hat trick?

- Do the Boston captain's charitable initiatives or whatever change whatever his intent was? While it's great that Chara does so much, it's not like he's the only one. He should take it a step further and change his behaviour on the ice if he really wants to make a difference. That's not how a captain behaves: try to imagine Gionta, Koivu, Iginla, or Alfredsson doing something so awful. I can't see it happening.

- Some people say this was motivated by revenge, that Patches "had it coming" after he hit Chara with his stick earlier this season. If that's the case, how on earth does Chara get punished the next time the Canadiens play him?

And probably my biggest question: the hit was intentional. It's Chara's fault that Max Pacioretty will miss the rest of the regular season. How does this man not even miss one game?