Class vs. Douchbaggery

Saku Koivu is a classy dude. Dany Heatley is a totally douchebag. I spent a lot of time glued to my twitter updates this week as Free Agency hit and players started to move. One move made me happy and one saga disgusted me.




Class Act
I am first and foremost, a Bruins fan. However, the players are human, and a man with solid character is still a man with solid character even if he is marked with the vile CH. Koivu has solid character. Yes, I think he was a bit hacky on the ice, but they guy always showed up for the fans/media/city that rarely showed him the respect and appreciation he deserved. He also valiantly fought a nasty bout of cancer and never forgot that he beat it. He has spent countless hours with cancer patients and raising money for cancer research.
Saku is my husbands favorite Hab and out of blind love, I bought him a Koivu jersey for his wedding present. At first, the transaction made my skin crawl, but now I'm glad I did it. Saku Koivu has class, is great hockey player, and Montreal didn't deserve him. I will admit there are habs fans out there that knew what they had, but there weren't enough who did. I wish him the best of luck in Anaheim. No one will shit on him for being a Fin there. Even if he can't speak French.



Second Chances
When most people experience a brush with death, it is a life changing experience. Usually for the better. It makes them appreciate life. Appreciate the important things. It seems that Dany Heatley needs to be run head first at 90 MPH into a brick wall again, because he didn't get it the first time. Not only did almost lose his life, but his negligent actions took the life of another man. While he escaped death, he is fucking LUCKY he didn't go to jail. This guy could be some big southern dude's bitch in the ATL right now. Instead he is earning a ridiculous amount of money playing a fucking game. And that is still not good enough for him. He is greedy piece of shit and I wish him the worst of luck on all his future endeavors. Fuck you Dany, ungrateful little shit, you are the epitome of a douchebag. There are millions of people who can't feed their kids right now because they lost their jobs, and YOU are concerned about who is giving you a 4 million dollar bonus??? I think I'm going to drive you into that brick wall myself. I wonder what the Snyder family thinks of your actions.

Getting Paid To Play A Game, Fer Christttsakessss

Douchebag: see above.
See also, Dany Heatley.
You know, if I had killed a teammate because I was driving like a mook in a sports car that I had no business owning in the first place, I might try to change my ways. Demanding a trade, going to the press about his thoughts on the coaching staff, and just acting like a dumbass elevates Heatley to pure douchebag status. Who the fuck does this guy think he is? The sooner he blows a knee and is relegated to a beer league in Ireland (top o' the mornin', Theo Fleury!), the better off the NHL will be.

Just read that Matt Hunwick filed for arbitration. My my, they must have left something in his body cavity when they removed his spleen.
Let's review: He's played 66 games in the bigs. He has 28 career points (6 goals, 22 assists) and 35 PIMs.
And he files for arbitration.
ARE YOU FUCKING SMOKING SOMETHING, YOUNG MAN? DO YOU REALIZE THAT YOU'RE GETTING PAID TO PLAY A FUCKING GAME? DO YOU REALIZE THAT ALTHOUGH YOU HAD A DECENT LITTLE RUN LAST YEAR, THAT DOES NOT DEFINE YOUR FUTURE? DO YOU REALIZE THAT YOU SHOULD JUST BE HAPPY TO BE PULLING ON A FUCKING JERSEY? MAYBE YOU SHOULD CALL JONATHAN GIRARD; HE COULD MOST LIKELY TALK SOME SENSE INTO YOUR STUPID ASS.

(Note: for those unfamiliar with Girard, he was a promising young Bruins defenseman that had finally cracked the Bruins roster, only to have his career ended when an off-season car accident shattered his pelvis)

I mean seriously, what the fuck? I would love to make what these dudes make at the league minimum, which is currently set at $450,000. I could pay my house off in less than a year. Maybe I was reared (you hear that Branco, reared) wrong. Maybe I wasn't selfish enough. Maybe I looked at my dad, who has been driving freight trains for over 30 years and thought that working hard, day in and day out, was the most important thing. Maybe Hunwick is just showing that the newest generation of players might be selfish little fucks.

Reward a player. If they have had a few great years (notice it's plural, Hunwick), pay them. Show us that you're worth it, then go to the table.

I know this is a business. I know these guys have to provide for their families, but jesus christ. You give me $1,000,000 a year to play hockey and I'm going to leave my teeth on the ice. I'm going to give every little fucking piece of myself. I'll train myself to deflect shots from the point with my forehead, cheekbones, etc (see Ward, Aaron). Just don't give me that shit that "the offer wasn't what we hoped it would be, but we'll get there."

Take a step back, realize that you're PLAYING A GAME AS A LIVING, and shut your suck.

Go B's.