markierung Posted December 3, 2008 Share Posted December 3, 2008 I've noticed something recently. Aside from the creation to massive threads that mix up a bunch of topics and ...... that's besides the point. Hockey fans and the Media have glorified various players from different eras of the game. Guys like Clark, Messier, Stevens were known as hard nosed "tough Canadian boys. One problem...if these guys were playing today, the TSN staff would tell us that we have to hate these players. Mark Messier is known as much for knocking other men's teeth down their throats as he is for his piercing stare in the locker room. Scott Stevens charged at his opponents from across the rink and often initiated head to shoulder contact, i.e the Lindros hit. Bob Clarke broke a man's leg to win a game. Canadian heros! If these things happened today, these guys would be vilainized but the Canadian Media as dirty players, and head hunters and we would be screaming to get these dangerous players out of the game. What's changed? Have we become soft, more human? In my opinion, we've become judgmental and disillusioned. All I ask is for some consistency. If we as fans have a problem with the dirty players of today, let's not be so easy on the ones of the past, no matter how many goals they scored or cups they won. If Mark Messier is a tough and scary player, why is Steve Downie a vicious head hunter? If Claude Lemieux was the prototypical pest who is still loved by many Habs fanS (and RDS for that matter) why is Sean Avery the worst thing to happen to hockey since the Leafs? Last time I checked, Sean Avery never bit off another player's finger in a scrum or broke the jaw of Kris Draper in a hit from behind. Consistency people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CerebusClone Posted December 3, 2008 Share Posted December 3, 2008 I agree, sometimes it seems that everything that happened in hockey in the past was glorious and legendary, and that every decent player is now a candidate for number retirement and the Hall of Fame. As you mentioned, players from the past are called warriors for playing dirtier than Todd Bertuzzi; Billy Smith chopping the legs of people in front of him is considered the good old times by some. Meanwhile, it seems that players today can't do anything right, every drop in production is explained by a lack of heart and care, they only play for money, they don't care about the fans... I wonder what people would say today if Maurice Richard had scored 50 goals and 73 points in 50 games on the last year of his entry-level contract, signed a huge multi-year contract, and followed that season with 27 goals and 43 points!! He would be called a lazy, overpaid bum who's sitting on his contract... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted December 3, 2008 Share Posted December 3, 2008 On the other hand, different time, different NHL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markierung Posted December 4, 2008 Author Share Posted December 4, 2008 On the other hand, different time, different NHL. What?!? That isn't an argument. No shit its a different time. Why would elbowing someone in the mouth be more acceptable in a different time? Those guys were playing to win and playing for cash just as they are now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bombTHEice Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 Btw. Just found a video from Messier headhunting Modano ... at the end of the video, was the ambulance drunken? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLP Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 Btw. Just found a video from Messier headhunting Modano ... at the end of the video, was the ambulance drunken? yeah the ambulance wtf??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markierung Posted December 4, 2008 Author Share Posted December 4, 2008 Btw. Just found a video from Messier headhunting Modano ... at the end of the video, was the ambulance drunken? So is he dirty, or a tough hard-nosed intimidating player? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KEEP26 Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 i love this, i been saying this for years... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.