Comments on: Just Give Me a Reason

By: Stop the Madness | What's Up, Ya Sieve?

Stop the Madness | What's Up, Ya Sieve? — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 19:34:54 +0000

[…] Oh James, I thought you were better than that. Pants thought you were better than that. She is wicked mad at you right now and you are going to have to work hard to get back in her good […]

By: Kimma

Kimma — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 16:59:56 +0000

I read 2 things on the internet yesterday. The first was this – which made me cry because it so eloquently put into words exactly how I felt after watching the game on Saturday.

The second was an article that compiled statements from a group of Bruins fans who believe that Orpik is faking his injuries and a group of Boston media members who believe he got what he deserved.

Thanks for being a little bit of good on the internet Pants.

By: Kaitlin

Kaitlin — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 12:07:34 +0000

PUPPY! Thanks Stephanie, you’re the bestest! Perhaps we should all just hang out with the Hawks and puppies today.

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 11:50:39 +0000

Toews with a pitbull puppy https://twitter.com/bbicks29/status/409477520795246592/photo/1

By: Kaitlin

Kaitlin — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 11:20:26 +0000

PUPPIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By: Sue

Sue — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 02:57:34 +0000

Well said Pants. I’m a diehard Hawks fan and it would KILL me if my team was part of something like this. What I don’t get is I read these columns on other hockey sites and these “fans” stick up for these players and their goon behavior.

Neal’s actions were bad enough, but his blatant lying left a bad taste in my mouth. Wrong on so many levels and it made him look very bad. Thornton’s actions were even worse. Thornton did this to Orpik, a guy he skates with in the off season; a friend. He not only took him down he bashed his head into the ice until he lost consciousness. Who does that??? It was appalling. It’s always appalling when you see a guy lifeless on the ice. What is it going to to take to change what’s going on? Does someone need to be paralyzed? put in a coma? I don’t know.

Only positive thing, my Hawks won tonight.

By: wishinonehand

wishinonehand — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 01:46:30 +0000

So much ugliness. On both sides. No one wins here.

Will the Hawks and some puppies do for a pick me up? http://instagram.com/p/hq1oIeHWkt/

By: Meghan

Meghan — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 01:19:21 +0000

Amen sister. I was so mad at Jimmy last night. Still not sure where I stand on him right now. Glad there’s someone else with similar feelings.

By: Kathy

Kathy — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 00:51:25 +0000

I truly love the game of hockey but the displays of idiocy by some of its players has left me truly disappointed and disgusted. There are more appropriate ways to motivate your team and defend a teammate. As a Flyers fan(feel free to boo me. lol!) I was angry at Rinaldo’s actions. I really hope that the coach disciplines him in some way because what he did was foolish and stupid. Oh and Emery’s actions weeks ago falls into the same category for me. I may bleed orange and black but I can’t ever condone those types of actions even from my Flyboys. Nor should anybody from their teams. I, too, can’t stand when those types of behaviors are defended or justified. It’s a rough sport but it should be played with some level of sportsmanship and class. Well said, Pants.

By: Janelle

Janelle — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 00:07:31 +0000

I thought the whole tone of the game would have been different if the referees had better control. Very frustrating and scary to watch.

By: Cassy

Cassy — Sun, 08 Dec 2013 23:47:40 +0000

Such a great piece, Pants. People don’t often talk about the Pens-Bruins bad feeling. It has been there for such a long time and the Savard incident didn’t help.

Four players were badly hurt last night, three of them deliberately targeted. Kids watch this game. Time to clean house.

By: Deb

Deb — Sun, 08 Dec 2013 23:17:31 +0000

My thoughts exactly, though you put it way more eloquently than I ever could have. Despite my ire for the Pens, I respec(ed) and admire(d) Neal for his raw talent, but I was just disgusted watching that game. Between Neal and Thornton, I felt like this boyfriend game of mine had betrayed me and topped it off by kicked my kitten. Games like that are the reason that people do and will continue to lobby for fighting to be taken out of the game. I much preferred when physicality like that took a backseat to pretty goals and epic dekes.

By: Alison

Alison — Sun, 08 Dec 2013 23:15:44 +0000

My kids (two mite age hockey players) watched last night’s NHL highlights in complete disgust and covered their eyes when they watched Thorton assault Oprik. They love hockey and my older one played three consecutive hours this morning and loved every minute, but I’d like him to be able to watch a sport he loves and admire the players for their behavior on and off the ice. Kids need heroes and the bad guys overshadow the good guys in this sport. I’d like to see the NHL take a bold stand and kick players out of the league for behavior that would land them in jail if they were in a bar and wearing street clothes.

By: Brian Falla

Brian Falla — Sun, 08 Dec 2013 23:03:25 +0000

Great work, Pants.
You hit it right on the screws. Last night was a litmus test for hockey fans: Did you truly care who won, or did you feel like vomiting all over the rug?
I would submit true hockey fans opted for the the latter.
But yet the question cuts me deeper. I heartily cheer for a team (Bruins) that employs a guy who really should be in jail today if that assault took place anywhere but on the TD Garden ice. It’s hard to come to peace with that, and yet it seems hockey fans are forced to do it, seemingly, all the time. It’s crazy, and it’s painful, and I’m not sure how much longer I can do it.
Why are we, as fans, left to sift through the rubble of our consciences and decide how much we can stomach, or worse, whether or not we allow our kids to watch the game we love?

By: Kaitlin

Kaitlin — Sun, 08 Dec 2013 22:55:40 +0000

Ugh Emery. I try to utter his name as little as possible. Also, whatever Rinaldo did around 2 pm yesterday. I just saw the replay and I’m still not exactly sure what it was but I will say it was unacceptable. Please to be posting pics of Toews + puppy. Finals are a dark and horrible time and these on-ice shenanigans are just making it darker.

By: Vanessa

Vanessa — Sun, 08 Dec 2013 22:52:16 +0000

Agreed. As a Hawks fan (first and foremost) and a Bruins fan second, but also a Neal fan, I’ve been left sort of disgusted all around by the on-ice actions of some present and former players. Between Emery’s attack on Holtby and now this game last night, that’s some really ugly stuff and is completely unnecessary. I don’t mind fighting in hockey, when it’s two guys dropping gloves (I do martial arts, after all, so two willing combatants is A-ok by me), but that’s an entirely different thing than an assault. And it’s not the same as boarding or highsticking, where it’s a penalty but a common risk, but they know at least that it’s a possibility.

I had some slight comfort in the fact that Thornton looked distraught during his interviews and actually sincere in his apologies, though I don’t for one second excuse him.

In any case, have you seen the pics of Jonathan Toews rolling around with a puppy?

By: Pants

Pants — Sun, 08 Dec 2013 22:46:16 +0000

Sadly not Neal’s first “one moment,” as he’s been suspended twice before (2009 – 2 games/hit from behind on Columbus’ Derek Dorsett; 2012 – 1 game/charge on Giroux). Though the last was over 18 months ago, negating his official repeat offender status so it won’t factor into any suspension assessed this time.

By: Kaitlin

Kaitlin — Sun, 08 Dec 2013 22:42:02 +0000

I definitely comprehend your James Neal feels. I am NOT happy with him right now either. I heard that since he’s having a phone hearing he won’t be suspended for more than 5 games…

By: Alison

Alison — Sun, 08 Dec 2013 22:39:06 +0000

As a fan of hockey, I was ashamed by last night’s disgusting behavior which represented everything bad about the sport. It gives fuel to those that hate the sport and think it’s all about violence. I’m turning in my membership card to the James Neal fan club. I’m out. Peace.

By: Robyn

Robyn — Sun, 08 Dec 2013 22:36:57 +0000

This is a terrific article. You said the hardest thing, “you let me down” and you didn’t minimize the infraction, as some have. That whole game was tough to watch ( as i switched back and forth from the Caps game.) Although I’m not a fan of either team, I love hockey and no one wants to see this happen. I hope the best for the health of all the injured players and I’m expecting swift and painful penalties. Thank you for the article.