Step aside Mario, Manon, Cherry.. my new hockey hero is Ottawa Sun columnist Erin Nicks. This week in her column, she took on the polarizing issue of the Bertuzzi/Moore saga. Unfortunately, the new landscape of the NHL can now be categorized into three types: pro-bertuzzi, pro-moore, and the others don't give a s--t anymore. I wrote on this issue twice on this blog, and I feel that this third time should be the final one. I am in the third category. I wish fans and especially Steve Moore could find the ability to forgive in their hearts.
What I believe the NHL brass wanted was to totally wash their hands of all issues pre-lockout NHL. They wanted to go into this new season tabula rasa, even if it meant forgiving the devil himself. Sure it's a bitter pill to swallow, but it gives closure to an ugly situation. Forfeiting Bertuzzi's career would only make sense if he was on his washed up last hurrah season.
Those that feel awful for Steve Moore want Bertuzzi's blood to be spilled on the ice and will settle for nothing less. Their behavior rallying hate on Bertuzzi is nothing more than senseless like the despicable act that Bertuzzi is guilty of. Their stubbornness and inability to forgive is holding the NHL back public relations wise. The longer the media debates this, the longer it stays in the public consciousness and steals away the precious time of trying to resurrect a league long since thought of as a barbaric thug sport.
Erin's latest column actually does better justice for those of us who just want to move on like many other North Americans in this literal blood feud.
The message is clear: We're letting it go. Now it's time for you to do the same.Her brilliant column can be summed up in that one sentence. Her witty comments were somehow lost on the pro-moore crowd who's militant anger only blinds them with the mantra "if you're not for us, you're against us." And she is also more clever to come up with a better title making more sense. No where in her column does she say that she agrees with Bertuzzi or supports him. Still, she's hounded by the pro-moore fanatics. (Maybe they get him confused with Michael Moore?)
To those of you who are pro-moore, I say take a long look at the actions of one Lawrence Phillips recently. Now decide by comparison just how evil Bertuzzi is now?
Okay, I'm going back to look at the SUNshine girl.
[Via: Ottawa Sun]
1 comment:
Forgive Bertuzzi? I still haven't found it in my heart to forgive the NHL.
I agree that it's gotten old, but that incident was a turning point - it showed how ugly hockey could really be, if allowed.
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