Hockey Fans Clouded Judgement

You may have reccently heard/read about the Zdeno Chara hit on Max Pacioretty. If not, check out the video Here: Youtube

In most circles, it is believed to be a hit that went awry. In other circles it is believed to be vicious and intentional.

An Air Canada Exec with too much time on his hands has made his personal vendetta an NHL sponsorship issue. Denis Vandal, a resident of Montreal, sports fan, and director of Marketing at Air Canada has issued a letter to the NHL, requesting that NHL suspend Chara for his involvement in the incident.

"We are contacting you (Wednesday) to voice our concern over (Tuesday night's) incident involving Max Pacioretty and Zdeno Chara at the Bell Centre in Montreal," wrote Vandal. "This is following several other incidents involving career-threatening and life-threatening headshots in the NHL recently."

"Unless the NHL takes immediate action with serious suspension to the players in question to curtail these life-threatening injuries, Air Canada will withdraw its sponsorship of hockey."

The funny thing is that Vandal didn't say Squat when Crosby was injured earlier in the season. Oddly enough Vandal also failed to react when one of his own Bleu Blanc et Rouge chased an opposing player down the ice swinging his stick like it was Paul Bunion's Axe trying to poke out eyeballs or chop down a tree. Video Here: Youtube

Why was nothign said in 2010 when Lapierre tried to cross check an unsuspecting player through the boards? Video Here: Youtube

Now, the MTL police are investigating the incident. Source Here: Canoe.ca Sports

Where were the Police and Vandal (Air Canada) during the above incidents? Why didn't the police investigate the UFC fight a few months ago. Weren't the fighters trying to injure each other? It's not like they're having pillow fights in the octagon.

I know that when a Leaf player is hurt, I'm upset. I'm even more upset when it's one of the stars. Even still, I'd think it's insane for Toronto Police to go after a player for an incident like this.

As for Air Canada, it's scary that one person has this amount of power. If I were Denis Vandal, I would concern myself with the abysmal consumer satisfaction rating of Air Canada (5th of 7 North American Airlines) instead of concerning myself with a single incident that happened in a hockey game.

I do believe that there are ways to make hockey safer, I just can't believe that this one incident has become the catalyst for so much hate.

Ye of little class

I’d like to preface this long awaited entry by saying that in all non-specific terms and with swooping generalization (redundant redundancy), that I hate other drivers. Maybe it’s because everyone has their own driving style? Maybe it’s because of inconsiderate drivers? I don’t know. What I do know is that our current laws around driving do not address the growing slow and stupid factor we’re faced with today. But I digress. You see, the real focus of my entry is not the aptitude of drivers; rather it’s the lack of courtesy of motoring enthusiasts.

Picture yourself driving down a tree lined windy road. The sun is shining bright, you’ve just washed your car and you’re enjoying every minute of your pleasure cruise, when in the distance you make out an oncoming vehicle in the opposite lane. My first instinct is ti try and figure out the make/model of the car. In this case it was a third generation (1980s) Chevrolet Camaro. Now, as fan of American pony and muscle cars, I can appreciate almost brand/model of automobile. I am however partial to the Ford Mustang line of automobiles. As some of you may know, the rivalry amongst the Mustang and Camaro crowd is no secret. I could care less about rivalries, and distance myself from any “Who’s Better” arguments. For me, debating cars between enthusiasts is like eating the crab salad at a Chinese buffet. You just don’ do that shit.

Well, back to my pleasure cruise down Mississauga road. So, I see this guy in a 5-tone (Yeah, the quarter panels, doors and hood were all different colours) Camaro approaching with his arm out the window. As we pass each other, I can see he’s waving me the thumbs down and making a disgusted face in my direction. As I look back in my side view mirror, I can see that his arm is no longer extended out the window.

Am I to believe that this guy is so displeased with my choice of automobile and styling that he needed to let me know as we passed eachother on the road? Unfortunately, I do not doubt that this occurrence was no conincidence, or a ill-timed thumbs down to life. I would like to believe that this was all a matter of chance, but in the humble opinion of this blogger that this is not just "Something That Happened." This cannot be "One of those things..." This, please, cannot be that. And for what I would like to say, I can't. This Was Not Just A Matter Of Chance.

I would just like to announce my limited tolerance for disrespectful people. If you are a stranger and disapprove of my car, hair style, choice of clothes or cologne, please keep it to yourself. If you’d like to comment on my mind-barf of a story, please feel free to. My views on this topic are up for debate


Italicized text was inspired by P.T Anderson’s 1998 film Magnolia