So it seems that Count Bettman believes that good ol' Todd Bertuzzi has "suffered enough," having not been allowed to play in Europe during the NHL lockout, or in the World Championships or the World Cup of hockey over the past 13 months. Yes, it seems that, even though Mr. Bertuzzi attacked another player from behind, unprovoked, with every intention of inflicting severe injury, effectively ending that player's career, Mr. Bettman, and the NHL as a whole, seems to be ready and willing to "forgive and forget," as it were. It seems that they're simply forgetting that Todd Bertuzzi's "indefinite suspension" totaled only a paltry 13 regular season games, as this coward was reinstated as a player in the NHL over the weekend. I take umbrage with this for more than one reason. Before I get into that, allow me to refresh your collective memory...

The situation that this asshole (Bertuzzi) created when he decided to snap Steve Moore's neck so many months ago was not one of happenstance, it was one of total pre-meditation. You see, Mr. Moore had laid a heavy, but thoroughly LEGAL, check on the star player for the Vancouver Canucks (Markus Naslund) in a prior meeting between the Canucks and the Avalanche. Naslund suffered injury as a result of the check and, despite the fact that there was nothing dirty about the hit, the Vancouver players swore revenge upon Steve Moore. In the next meeting between the two teams, no secret was made about the fact that there was a considerably large "target" on Steve Moore. Every Canuck player took their shot at him during the game and, after the Avalanche took a commanding 8-2 lead, the most cowardly act in the history of sports was perpetrated. Bertuzzi skated up behind Steve Moore, grabbed his jersey, landed a vicious punch to the side of his head and then, using his momentum and considerable body weight, proceeded to drive Moore's head into the ice. Moore ended up with a broken neck and may never play hockey again. the coward Bertuzzi ultimately missed a mere 13 regular season games as a result and, despite intentionally ending another player's career (and almost ending his life, as well), will now be back playing hockey in the NHL thanks to an even bigger coward, Gary Bettman.

Fat Matt Spiegel was talking about this very topic on Sporting News Radio this morning as I drove into work and I was lucky enough to get through and speak with him. You see, Fat Matt ACTUALLY BOUGHT Bertuzzi's crying act in his news conference so many months ago. He also believes that, historically, Bertuzzi isn't a dirty player...Of course, I offered my (differing) opinion on the subject in a calm and rational manner. Spiegel really didn't listen to what I had to say, he was off on some tangent about this whole thing not being an "eye for an eye" and that "players shouldn't be suspended based on the aftermath, or the severity of an injury." This, in essence, is true...But only AS LONG AS SAID INJURY OCCURRED IN THE COURSE OF NORMAL PLAY! See, Chubb-Rock was trying to liken the Bertuzzi-Moore incident to a safety delivering a hard blow to a wide receiver coming over the middle during a football game. A "helmet-to-helmet" blow, if you will. Unfortunately, for poor, portly Matt Spiegel, his reasoning is flawed from the get-go...Had Bertuzzi injured Moore by laying a check on him, I wouldn't be upset, that would just be part of the game, you see. Hell, had they fought toe-to-toe, like men, and had Moore been injured, I wouldn't be typing all of this now...But what Bertuzzi did...That was "intent to injure."

THAT is NOT part of the game.

Of course, you have a lot of "casual fans" and "sports talk hosts" who believe that they're qualified to pontificate on every sport from NASCAR to Curling, who'll just pull out the old "hockey is violent" cliche every time a hockey player gets severely injured. That, kids, is a dangerously ignorant attitude. Hockey IS a rough sport, I'll be the first to admit that. Hockey, however, is NOT backwoods brawls and folks whackin' each other with sticks...Hockey's "violence" is controlled and rarely gets as out-of-hand as some people would like to believe. Going a step further with this, like I alluded to earlier, had Bertuzzi challenged Moore face-to-face, like a man, and had Moore accepted the challenge and had they fought and had Bertuzzi THEN inflicted severe injury, I wouldn't take umbrage with his being reinstated at all. See, that would have been honorable. Steve Moore would've had a chance to defend himself.

At the very least, Moore would've seen it coming.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all for people getting a second chance and stuff, but in this case, Bertuzzi's actions haven't been sufficiently punished and he hasn't been made a sufficient example of what happens when you're a disgusting coward who brings shame to the game. The NHL risks something like this happening again now that Bertuzzi's been reinstated. In truth, I hope that Bertuzzi REALLY IS remorseful and I hope that what he has done REALLY DOES "haunt him," he deserves that. In addition, I hope that the fans in every NHL city that the Canucks travel to treat Bertuzzi with as much disrespect as they can possibly muster, reminding him that he's nothing but garbage. Bertuzzi's suffered enough, you say? I don't believe that to be the case. Bertuzzi will be back, making millions of dollars, playing a sport for a living. Steve Moore, on the other hand, had the opportunity to do the same thing taken away from him through an unabashed coward's negligence and pre-meditated assault. No, I don't think that Bertuzzi's suffered much at all...I don't think that he's endured sufficient punishment...

In fact, I hope that his "punishment" has only just begun...

Labels: hockey stuff, indignities, misguided rantings, sports