Monday, March 2, 2009
Critiquing the Critics: Don Cherry the F-Stick
Look, we all know Don Cherry is famous for blowing Canadian born hockey players. We know he hates everything about European hockey. We know that, at times, he can make a legitimate argument or comment...but more often than not he just spews shit out of his mouth.
Such was the case this weekend when Cherry went into a rant about how Alexander Ovechkin's celebrations are over-the-top...comparing them to soccer goal celebrations...and eventually will lead to someone taking liberties with Ovechkin during a post-goal celebration.
Warning: Extensive Spewage of Shit below.
Ovechkin's goal celebrations should be something that is reveled in hockey. Personally, I love them...unless it's against the Pens...but still...they are great. Honestly, if a player scoring a goal and jumping into the glass or pointing his fingers to the sky is going to get under your skin, then that's your problem, and Ovechkin has done his job. He torched your goalie, then he celebrated and caused you to worry more about that than your next shift. Get over it.
Goal celebrations are great. They pump fans up and they definitely swing momentum in the team's favor. I play hockey, and believe me, nothing gets under another teams skin more than scoring and "celebrating/taunting" them after the fact. I don't care if it's unsportsmanlike. Hockey doesn't really have a lot of room for sportsmenship now does it?
Imagine if Tiger Woods acted like the machine-like-going-through-the-motions player that he is EVERY single match. Imagine no fist pumps. Imagine no Lambeau Leaps. Imagine no walk-off homerun homeplate TEAM celebrations. None of these are different than what Ovechkin does.
In a time where the NHL is still struggling to make a name for itself and push it's face into bigger markets, these are the kind of things fans love to see. Players with emotion. Excitement after every great play and great goal. Whether you love him or hate him, Alexander Ovechkin and his contagious celebrations are needed by the NHL.
On a side note...Where I will agree with Cherry is the "taking runs" at people...which Ovie does often. He does leave his feet a lot, and does target individuals. That's fine, but expect someone, someday to do the same to Ovechkin. I just hope the NHL handles it correctly.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
5 comments:
I am a Cherry fan, but its ironic that he didn't mention Yzerman or Messier jumping around after they scored playoff goals, right?
The big celebration is in with the younger generations, and it will only continue to grow to me. There are still plenty (the majority, I should say) of guys who act like they have scored before when they score. But how can you blame a player who celebrates with passion when the game we all love and they play is played with such intensity and passion?
He was just nitpicking, to me.
I think there's a time and place for Grapes, and I think he overstepped his bounds this time. HNIC is great TV, but what's the point here?
He's eventually got to lose that xenophobic demeanor right? Right?
Look at me using big words.
Psh...xenophobic was used by PuckDaddy!
I been usin xenophobic since effing 7th grade. Get over yourself!
Wow. I missed the boat on this. I smell a nasty Dump.
Post a Comment