In another thread people are complaining that Kenny Rogers, the Texas Rangers’ emotionally disturbed pitcher who went all postal on a cameraman, is getting support from Texas fans and had his suspension reduced.
Big deal. I note that Todd Bertuzzi’s reinstated with the Canucks after missing 20 games. Now that the NHL is back, the hints that they would extend the suspension turned out to be so much bullshit.
The guy ENDED ANOTHER PLAYER’S CAREER. This wasn’t some embarassing little spat with a cameraman, or an outburst against a ref, or even a nasty cross check; he actually caused another man’s career to end through deliberate assault and battery. He knew what he was doing was a pure sucker attack, outside any possible interpretation of the game’s code or traditions, but he did it anyway. He attacked Steve Moore from behind and broke his fucking neck. After slamming Moore’s face into the ice and breaking his neck, he tried to continue punching him. It was possibly the most cowardly and gutless act in the history of the NHL. And this was, by my count, the fourth suspension for a serious attack in his professional career. Of course there was a tearful apology. There always is; he’s done it before, and history tells us he’ll do it again.
And Canucks fans are thrilled. You’d think Bertuzzi was Nelson Mandela.
Personally, I don’t think the man deserves an ounce of respect or a single cheer for the rest of his career. If he were to come out and say “I will give Steve Moore half my after-tax salary for the rest of my career, as I have ruined his chance to be an NHL player,” I might consider respecting the man again, but he will do nothing of the sort because he’s scum.
I hope Moore’s lawsuit wins Bertuzzi’s entire salary. And Vancouver Canucks fans are a bunch of fawning fucks who don’t know shit about hockey or sportsmanship. If they had an ounce of respect for honor or decency they’d sit on their hands for Bertuzzi instead of dropping to their knees.
I’m not going to attempt to defend Bertuzzi and his cheap shot tactic, but I will say two things.
IIRC, Bertuzzi did step on a stick and fall on to Moore. I know that if he hadn’t cheap shotted Moore in the first place, none of this would’ve happened. The stick was there though. He did not intentionally drive Moore into the ice. They fell.
2)As Bertuzzi is not a doctor, he likely kept hitting because he did not know how serious the injuries were. He may have thought he was turtling.
Like I said, Bertuzzis actions are inexcusable. Let’s just stop implying that Bertuzzi meant to cripple Moore.
True enough. Again the NHL brought this upon themselves for not suspending Moore for his headhunting hit on Naslund. If Moore gets even 1 or 2 games, this ugly incident doesn’t happen. Just curious RickJay what do you think would have been an appropriate punishment. Also, where have you seen that Moores’ career is over? Nothing I have seen has said it is settled one way or another.
He’s still a thug and should be suspended for life, if not thrown in jail for assault. I don’t just blame Bertuzzi, though, I also blame the NHL for fostering this type of behaviour by allowing the use of thugs and enforcers to engage in tit-for-tat retribution. Don’t forget that Moore sparked this particular piece of nastiness himself, when he elbowed Marcus Naslund. Bertuzzi was out for revenge whether he tripped on a stick or not.
I’d hoped that the NHL would take the opportunity during this lock-out to actually re-evaluate the way it does business but I see that Bettman and his cronies haven’t changed one iota. Bertuzzi’s re-instatement is disgusting and, sadly, business-as-usual.
Bertuzzi’s hand was on the back of Moore’s head driving his face into the ice by accident? How’s that Eminem lyric go? “You tripped, fell, landed on his dick?” Yeah, I’m about that skeptical.
There is only one way I’ll accept that Bertuzzi’s suspension was long enough. Was he under contract last year? If he was not under contract, and the suspension kept him from earning some money by playing in Europe or something, then I’ll accept that it was long enough. If he was under contract, and couldn’t play because of the lockout, he needs to be out this year, without pay.
I agree with the OP. And it’s even worse for us Canuck fans. We have to put up with actually cheering for him every week, or at least the team he’s playing for.
I didn’t say that Bertuzzi was a saint. They tripped and fell forward with more force than Bertuzzi would have used and in a fashion that allowed Moore less control over his landing. It’s not that fucking hard to figure out.
On NPR yesterday (or maybe local Sports Radio, I’m probably one of the few people in the Universe who listens to both), they said that Bertuzzi had been suspended from all hockey, worldwide, for last year. So he couldn’t earn anything anywhere, was not eligible for money anywhere. I don’t know this as a fact.
My opinion on this: Bertuzzi meant to hurt Moore. Whether or not he meant to break his neck is immaterial. It’s like someone robs me, but does not mean to shoot me, but trips and the gun goes off. I’m still shot. Bertuzzi should be suspended until Moore can play again, or until he reaches some settlement with Moore .
Bertuzzi’s suspension meant that he was ineligible for a player transfer, and so was unable to earn a living in Europe. Which I think is a good thing.
Whether or not I’m sold on the tripping, Bertuzzi meant to injure Moore. Regardless of the extent to which he wished to do so, he deserves punishment.
But he’s been punished. He is sorry (or has at least expressed remorse). 20 games plus one year is a pretty damn big suspension. Hell, if Shaym Das had been the arbitrator, he’d probably have it reduced retroactively to 3 games and the NHL would have been forced to pay HIM.
I’m just glad he’s not playing for the Devils. Because there’s no way I’d cheer for him, and I’ll boo the hell out of him if I’m at a game in which he is playing.
It’s going to be interesting to see how this season pans out for him. One has to believe that virtually every enforcer/thug/tough guy is going to be going after him.
How many fights will he be in this year? Under the circumstances, will his team mates allow him to scrap one-on-one? Will he make it through the season without a serious injury?
So, you seem to be saying that players are not responsible for the end consequence of their actions. Players get suspended for accidental high sticks, why should a hit that caused a concussion be any different?
And beyond a certain point is also why Moore should have been penalized as well.
To me the worst thing that I have seen is that other than the public apologies, Bertuzzi has had no contact with Moore. Generally speaking hockey players are friendly to one another off the ice and visit injured players. I guess the lawsuit, I don’t think a player has ever sued another player before but I could be wrong, has something to do with that. Without a doubt, hockey has changed for the worse in the last 15 years - just about the same time that salaries started escalating out of control.
While I think the Bertuzzi reinstatement was decidedly premature and surely didn’t help the NHL much in the recent swell of goodwill they’ve earned, I can’t agree with the idea of Bertuzzi being suspended until Moore returns. While in spirit it’s a fine idea, in practice I could see the Colorado Avalanche cynically manipulating that sort of situation. The truth is that I’d never even heard of Steve Moore before this incident, while Bertuzzi is an All-Star 1st line forward. Who’s to say that Colorado wouldn’t pay Moore to stay off the ice, thus depriving a division rival of one of their top players?
I think a suspension until after the Olympics would have been a fitting punishment here.