Here’s a direct link to the video.

God trembles as he awaits Probert’s arrival in the the Kingdom of Heaven.

Probert will without doubt be remembered for his pugilistic artistry but he was a pretty darn good hockey player as well. He had to be if he was going to play in 935 games amassing 162 goals and 3300 penalty minutes over 16 years. He added a respectable 16 goals and 48 points in 81 games in the playoffs.

So the guy could play.

Unfortunately, as many hockey fans know, Probert fought demons off the ice battling with alcoholism and drugs.

Probert’s career coincided during my formative years as a sports fan. The 1980s in particular was a great era for all sports and hockey in particular. Probert was not only regarded as the premier fighter of his time but a respected as a person as well. He was an iconic figure with hockey’s hard core fan base. I never heard a story where Probert turned his back on a kid looking for an autograph.

Probert was among the last of what was to become a dying breed in hockey: The hockey fighter. When he fought you knew you were watching one of the all-time greats and we all understood, deep down, what he delivered was part of hockey lore. We can deny it all we want, but fans love the hockey fighter; for their reputations as being well liked to their honor code among each other. They were a cult within the hockey community.

Probert, truth be told, was a bloody legend around hockey circles.

Sports is loaded with tragedies and Probert is just the latest to enter its macabre hall.  

The Montreal Canadiens and Philadelpia Flyers have only met six times in history (the Habs hold a 3-2 series edge) but despite the small sample size, it’s a rivalry by any measure.  I wanted to mark this occasion with one series in particular that remains stuck in my memory.

In 1989, the Canadiens eliminated the Flyers 4 games to 2 in a sick, intense, wild series. Chris Chelios had set the tone in the series after a dirty hit on Brian Propp early in the series. Listening to whiny Flyers fans still talk smack about the hit is comical given how proud they are of the Broadstreet Bullies and their lunatic antics. Incidentally, the could never intimidate the Habs and Boston Bruins of the 1970s. Just thought I’d throw that in there.

They say Bruce Springsteen saved rock and roll in 1975 with the landmark Born to Run album. One year after, people in hockey circles were saying the Canadiens saved hockey when they took out Philadelphia. It seems fans outside Philly had had enough of the Hanson brothers-like goonery.

Not to be outdone Ron Hextall pulls this classic madness out of his ass. As Philly fans littered the ice with garbage, a young Patrick Roy wasn’t helping matters by challenging Hextall, Flyers defenseman Kjell Samuelsson was doing is part to gang up on Bobby Smith (a wonderful smooth hockey player who deserves more credit for his play) while Craig Ludwig (hardly an angel himself) stepped in to help Smith out. Not seen in this video is when Smith was escorted off the ice to a shower of beers as he flashed a #1 gesture with his finger. I remember that very well. Good times.

Love Mats Naslund.

That these two franchises don’t like each other much is obvious. It’s a neat rivalry. One that doesn’t get too much attention. If they’d meet more often I think it would rank among the top rivalries in hockey.

I’d like to add one thing. The infamous pugilism of the Flyers of the 1970s has earned the franchise a reputation for hard-nosed, if not dirty hockey – a tag they carry proudly. Hey, you have to respect that. However, recent editions of this team hardly come close to that rap yet the media still write about them as though they’re the Broadstreet Bullies redux. I don’t see it. I see a team willing to shit disturb and does play physical hockey but the goonery seems no worse than other teams.

Beauty:

Beast:

I can’t profess to know what kind of history the University of New Mexico and Brigham Young University when it comes to women’s soccer and nor do I know the context to which this game was played but I can’t recall seeing a more deliberate and despicable display of soccer by #15 of  the New Mexico side.

We all love edgy players who compete hard. Without such players, you don’t win championships. However, there are limits to aggressiveness, I believe. To me, the images speak for themselves. Even if she was being trash talked she exhibited no self-control.

What baffles me is how she wasn’t thrown out of the game. This wasn’t a soccer player. This was a bully.

Watch for yourselves. What do you think?

I admit, while I understand the moves and harbor no problems with the three talented forwards, one has to question the management competence of this organization.

Anyway, NHL observers and fans alike have discovered Gainey has a mean gambling streak in him. Because, dear folks, if this fails…

I dedicate this Kenny Rogers classic to Gamblin’ Gainey:

All these moves also reminds me of this scene in Dumb and Dumber for some reason. Let me explain. Some people may like the new Gainey A LOT. Others may see there’s a chance his decision mayy work. Hence:

Do people actually believe German, English, Brazilian, Argentinian, Portuguese, French, Swedish, Korean, Dutch, Spanish etc. players don’t dive? If you’re one of these people please watch this video and stop giving into weak perceptions.