Let me first clarify: I'm not siding with the New York Islanders; they were definitely in the wrong and their suspensions were warranted. I'm simply upset that Mario Lemieux is suddenly angry/disappointed with the league for not coming down on them harder. Why, you ask? He employs Matt freakin' Cooke. While many Pens fans say Cooke doesn't do things that are premeditated, he continues to hurt people with his reckless and questionable play. So in all honesty he may as well be doing things that are premeditated. The league has been extremely light when it comes to penalizing Cooke and Pittsburgh, so Mario is being called out by many as a hypocrite. Most recently, Matt Cooke received four games for another reckless play. Yes folks, that's right: four games for a repeat offender. The Boston Bruins' Daniel Paille received the same for his first offense. I'm not defending Paille--he definitely deserved a suspension--but just using his punishment as an example. Paille had no other prior suspensions, but Matt Cooke received the same number of games just days later.
The Pittsburgh Penguins need to fire Mario's speech writer, because that was the most ludicrous statement ever. Of course hockey fans all over the league are pissed, what do you expect? Matt Cooke is hurting people, and he very well may have ended a very talented playmaker's career. It's silly for Mario to come out of the woodwork (after being silent regarding Cooke's antics) condemning the NHL for not coming down hard enough on suspensions when the league's been shockingly easy on his team.
A bit of backstory: the Matt Cooke incident is very close to my heart. Savvy is on my team--the Boston Bruins--and he's a fan favorite. And every time I see the hit or the press conference photos of Marc after his injury, I find myself holding back tears. Yes folks, Mario's words stung. Here's a plan of action for you, Mario: Get that loser off your team, fire him, ask Colin Campbell to ban him for life, and then complain. Do your part, and your actions will garner respect from everyone. You can call me biased, but the truth doesn't lie. Matt Cooke is constantly trying to hurt other players out there. Honestly, Mario's turned himself into the asshat. One of the best players in the history of the NHL, and he comes up with this? It's nothing short of disappointing. I always liked Mario as a player, so it's difficult to even verbalize how disappointed what he said has made me feel.
Pens fans ask why we always have to bring up Cooke. How can we not? How can we not bring up Cooke and Sidney and the clear favoritism the league puts behind its poster boy? That's just the environment that Bettman has fostered, which is unfortunate. In all honesty, both Bettman and Campbell need to be ousted. Maybe getting in some fresh blood is exactly what the NHL needs. I mean, Bettman shows he knows less about promotion than pretty much anyone (Guardians Gary? Really?).
Anyhow, that's it for now. I leave you with my favorite Don Cherry rant of all time.
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