First response: the TSN article makes no mention of a thumb, just a sucker punch, and the video is at best inconclusive, and since when does a thumb to the eye cause the purple bruise around the eye? yes he sucker-punched him, dumb move, but certainlty not unusual in the NHL. Yes, the Flyers need to smarten-up, the best eveidence perhaps being that an out-of-control play by Hatcher may cost the team one of their scoring leaders. As to the "cheap shots", the microscope has been on them since the Downie hit in the pre-season, and comes from people like Simon and Bertuzzi in the past, so lets not count how many other suspensions have been handed out in the league, but rather how many other "cheap-shots" there have been. I might even mention the no-call on the late in the game cross-check from behind by Sundin on a full speed Timmonen, making him lucky to have hit the Leaf's net because it stopped him from going into the boards. Also see u-tube for Afinogenov slew foots/kicks Upshall, no call.
Here, Hatcher head-hunts and ends up causing his own teammate a spinal cord contusion. Watch the video and ask yourself why Hatcher felt the need to deliver a leaping check into an opponent's head. It's not needed. He could have put his shoulder into the body, but instead he leaps through his opponent's head. And he's so far out of control he gets his teammate's head too. Amazing. And sad. Also, follow the link to the Flyers site for the latest from Paul Holmgren. Q:Can you give us the latest update on Steve Downie and the incident that took place last night? PH: "I have not seen the incident yet. I'm still on my way back from the airport in New York and I'm not in a situation where I can comment on it one way or the other." All of us are better informed than the Flyers front office. Philly must be very proud. Silence from GMs is not the answer to this. In fact, it would be nice if just once the response was a forceful condemnation of a teams own players. Only then will these plays begin to cease.
Somewhere in his Spofi grave Summerseve is spinning out of control.
Holmgren might've actually won GM of the year if not for his team's pitiful excuse for grit.
the league office who is ever more concerned with making the game a more gentile sport About time somebody kicked the Jews out of hockey.
As a western NHL fan who couldn't give a rat's ass about the east as long as the Leafs lose - Downie can crawl back to his cave any time now. 4 NHL games, 10 PIM, 20 games suspended, 1 point. It's not tough, gritty play, its cheap, late, intent-to-injure play. At what point will Philly wake up and realize they'll be shorthanded twice every game he's on the ice? NHL refs do call based on reputation, for a team to dress a team with that many bad rep players is just asking for penalties. Four games into his career and he already has a worse image than Avery, Bertuzzi and Pronger . Stupid. (And being forced to watch the Leafs-Flyers game by HNIC, it did look like he poked Blake's eye in real-time. You don't get that immediate bruising deep in the socket unless something jams the eye. Faint possibility he just meant to punch not poke but Downie's been in too many hockey fights to punch with his thumb stuck out, he does not get any benefit of the doubt)
While I agree Downie is a plays with a thug mentality and will probably be out of the league soon, I disagree that there was any intentional eye gouging going on there. He was just flailing away while the ref had him in a bear hug. He couldnt even see Blake at that point. That was just incidental contact in that fight. The real issue is that this guy needs to get his act under control. He ought to know better after the earlier incident. He is going to have a big target on him and someone is going to make him pay dearly for being a cement head soon.
Here, Hatcher head-hunts and ends up causing his own teammate a spinal cord contusion. I wouldn't wish a spinal cord contusion on anyone but this may be as good of an example of karma as any. This time it won't be one of the Flyers expendable goons that will be missing time because of dangerous and uneccesary play, it'll be their second leading scorer. 4 NHL games, 10 PIM, 20 games suspended, 1 point. Sidney Crosby has nothing on this guy.
the league office who is ever more concerned with making the game a more gentile sport About time somebody kicked the Jews out of hockey. posted by The_Black_Hand at 11:54 AM CST on January ROFL, very funny black hand, i had a couple too many rangpur and tonics when i posted that, wasn't my only spelling error either. genteel makes more sense as other than matt schneider, i couldn't name any jewish players in the nhl.
other than matt schneider, i couldn't name any jewish players in the nhl. I think Mike Cammalleri is Jewish.
I am getting a major sense of dj vu right now. I'd swear that I've seen these previous two comments before.
wouldn't wish a spinal cord contusion on anyone but this may be as good of an example of karma as any. This time it won't be one of the Flyers expendable goons that will be missing time because of dangerous and uneccesary play, it'll be their second leading scorer. Why point this out? Does it make you happy? So by using the word Karma you're saying they got what they deserved right? So if you think a serious injury is warranted then it's ok. Now I get it. Their second leading scorer had nothing to do with. Why be glad an innocent person is injured? So it teaches the Flyers a lesson? Take a first rounder if they do it, but if something happens to them, then it's all good right?
Maybe 'Hit by friendly Flyer' would have been better YYM.
Notice the thumb tucked in? He punched him, got a 4 minute penalty and now someones glad Lupul (their 3RD leading scorer) has spinal cord trouble. This topic is becoming funny and hypocritical at the same time.
Notice how Blake has his gloves on? Notice how the linesmen have already stepped in? Notice how Downie is delivering a cheap shot? Did you notice how Hatcher left his feet when Lupul got hurt?
Notice the thumb tucked in? No, I don't, and unless you have another picture to show me, you don't either. The thumb that you see next to the Maple Leaf crest belongs to the linesman attempting to break up the ''fight''. In the video of the incident, it appears clear to me that it is Steve Downie's left thumb being thrust upward into Jason Blake's eye.
Why be glad an innocent person is injured? Please point out to me where I said I was glad Lupul was injured. I was pointing out the irony in that the Flyers dirty play was detrimental to their team's future success. If nothing else I'd like Lupul to return as soon as possible because he was doing quite well for my fantasy team.
That's a shot of his fist about 1/10th of a second before it makes contact with Blake. Does he have a switch blade thumb? Give it a rest. It's pretty obvious what some of these responses are about. The hate in this topic is evident. If Downie poked Blake in the eye with his thumb, why no suspension? The Leafs lost, move on. First round pick? Please.
It's pretty obvious what some of these responses are about. What are they about? I'm not a Leafs fan. I'm not a Flyer hater. I live in Saint Louis and the Blues are on a similiar upswing. And guess what? No one's getting suspended. The hate in this topic is evident. I think it's frustration, not hate. With the exception of a Chris Simon thread, and the Ice Bowl coverage, most of the hockey threads have been about the Flyers 6 suspensions in 3 months.
There's no issue with talking about suspensions at all. But to say Downie is at it again and then someone chime in with, "it should cost them a 1st rounder", when all he got was a 4 minute minor it's just a little over kill. It's kind of a give me a break type thing here. What's next? Flyers team plane goes down! See I told you they should have played better, that's nothing but Karma. To hell with them all! It's Hockey, a guy got punched. Front page news?
Here, Hatcher head-hunts and ends up causing his own teammate a spinal cord contusion. Watch the video and ask yourself why Hatcher felt the need to deliver a leaping check into an opponent's head. It's not needed. He could have put his shoulder into the body, but instead he leaps through his opponent's head. And he's so far out of control he gets his teammate's head too. Amazing. And sad. Good lord, I was so happy to see him leave Dallas. Appropriate that he went to Philly. No offense to Flyers fans, but you all sound like defenders of the dirty San Antone Spurs, but without the success.
It's Hockey, a guy got punched. Front page news? That's a bit simplistic, isn't it? How about: "It's hockey. A previously suspended player (for a dirty hit) sucker punched another player who was unable to defend himself. The league is investigating this action, and if the player gets a suspension, it will be the 6th one for the team in just over 3 months of play. That would give them the same number of suspensions as the rest of the league combined. It is hard to ignore the trend that seems to be developing with this team." Your version is like saying "Over in Iraq, some people are mad at other people. Front page news?"
I wonder if Prophite ever played hockey and if he did I hope he stopped. I see a punch that hasn't landed to the head of an opponent who is being held by the official. The thumb easily could have come up (as the video seems to show).I think fighting belongs in hockey, but not by players who cheap shot another when he can't defend himself. Philadelphia seems to want to go back to their roots of "roller derby" hockey and forsake skillful physical hockey for the back alley "muggings" of their past.
Right sandskater, which is why they let brashear go and opted for Brierre, Lupul and kimo Timonnen. They went after the NHL's top thugs that's for sure. And grum at work you are going on about an investigation that never happened. He had a phone call with the V.P. of the NHL and he decided no further punishment was warranted. So as it stands we are still arguing about a 4 minute minor. Comparing my reaction to a 4 minute minor to what are boys are going through over in Iraq is water you can tread in alone.
It's too bad. I like this Flyers core group of players. They've done a great job turning that franchise around. Mike Richards, Jeff Carter and others are legit wicked. The deals with Nashville were outright thefts. But claiming that the organization is being persecuted unfairly, or that criticism is unwarranted in the case of Downie is ridiculous. He's introducing himself into the NHL in a manner we've seen countless times by similar players (pest jerkwad). He's being a total fucktard. This is not new, special or unintended on the part of Downie. He's trying to establish himself and his brand of hockey - see his junior career for further evidence - is about inflicting pain and getting under the opponents skin. That was a complete suckerpunch on Blake. He meant to.
Why point this out? Does it make you happy? So by using the word Karma you're saying they got what they deserved right? So if you think a serious injury is warranted then it's ok. And what's your take on Bergeron or McAmmond? Did they deserve what they got? I've defended the Flyers in these threads a few times - but how can you bemoan the serious injury on Lupul's part without a reference to the serious injuries that several Flyer players have inflicted in the first 3 months of the season? And I think, clearly, grum was suggesting that the karma was that, for the first time the player injured as a Flyer attempted another borderline play was a Flyer. Not that Lupul deserved to be injured. The karma is that the style of play happend to result in a serious injury to one of their own.
Nitpick: It wasn't borderline, Weedy. It's dirty as hell, out-of-control, intent-to-injure garbage. Prophite, what did you think of the Hatcher hit? Does it anger you that he went after an unsuspecting player in an out of control, leaping, head-high manner? Or should Lupol have just kept his head up? Note --- So we are clear: The standard excuse for dirty hits these days is that the opposing player should have just "kept his head up", so I'm using it here in the hopes that people will see how ridiculous the argument is. Players are not putting themselves in vulnerable positions by not "keeping their heads on a swivel". Dangerous, out-of-control actions by other players are making them vulnerable to serious injury. Don't blame the victim. And don't excuse the asshat.
And I think, clearly, grum was suggesting that the karma was that I have been mistaken for grum. Today is a good day.
Weird, even Paul Holmgren is mistaken. He thinks it was a cheap shot and the Flyers need to stop gooning it up. What a yutz. Total Flyer hater.
Yerfatms shoots! He Scores!
God there's a dude on the board that Fatty linked to that makes Prophite seem like the Pope. Screaming about anti-Flyer NHL agendas - super stuff.
And I don't get why he's posting anonymously but signing his posts, like he's too lazy to sign up for Blogger but knows his wit is so formidable it needs to have a John Hancock on it.
fyi, hockey-recap is back as hockey cube
Let me help you with this, Prophite, so we can move on to another topic. The Flyers let Brashear go because he's a has-been. They needed youthful thugs like Downie et al. Having refilled their "goon larder", they added some skillful players to deftly skate around the body parts and "eye juice" that litter the ice after their less-evolved teamates have done their best to terminate the opposition. However, there is a caveat to running a roster of ruffians: You should have them sniff their teamates jerseys before the game so they don't maim any more of the "opted fors"
With all that said, I still say, 4 minute minor. Next subject. BTW, Downie: 5 games played- 2 goals 0 assts- +1- 12 pims. Flyers Best player Gagne has missed 30 games this year after his second concussion Nov 7th. 10 games played, 2 concussions. First 1 from Boumeester (drunk driving defenseman) and his second from Gary Roberts (washed up 4th liner). Doesn't seem as if teams are going after him. The Flyers have been on the receiving end of questionable play, but I couldn't find anything in the records here.
You'd think the fact that they have been on the receiving end of questionable play would make you more likely to condemn it. Instead we get silence (see my question above) and excuse making.
And grum at work you are going on about an investigation that never happened. He had a phone call with the V.P. of the NHL and he decided no further punishment was warranted. So as it stands we are still arguing about a 4 minute minor. Actually, further punishment was warranted as Downie was fined an undisclosed amount by the league for his actions. So, you know, there's that.
Next subject. 
Brilliant! Just photoshop the said to ced and it would be flat out amazing.
You kids today, always bitching about something.
Bobby Clarke defending Downie: On the other shoulder, Downie has Flyers senior vice-president Bob Clarke saying he loved Downie's cheap shot - thought it was great. "When he went after Blake, I loved it," Clarke told TSN yesterday. More confirmation the Flyers are morally bankrupt. tinyurl.com
Looks like there won't be any pressure from the orginization on the players to change their playing style.
Downie: 6 games, 2 goals- 2 assts, +3, 16 pims. Flyers have moved him up to the 2nd or 3rd line. His 2 assts came in a win against division rival NY Rangers.
Mussolini made the trains run on time*. What are you getting at? * Not actually true, apparently.
He sounds like a real gem. The hazing incident is a great story. Like Yerfatma, I'm not sure what you're getting at Prophite. If you have some brilliant point, do tell. If you're trying to say he's a scorer, well, even Chris Simon had 29 goals one year.
Are you saying that knocking out three of your teammate's teeth is a bad thing? Back in my day, when we fought polar bears on the way to practice (the Connecticut polar bear is a frightening breed) we would consider that a motivator and slap a "C" in his chest. You've really wonder about the manhood of a teenager who doesn't feel like he should stand naked in a bus bathroom with a few of his buddies. I just hope when my kids are old enough, there will be a man like Downie around to show them the path to maturity and respectability. And maybe even how to gouge the eyes of one's foes. If you can't skate with 'em, blind 'em. That's what Toe Blake would say.
