If you haven't seen it yet, here's a clip of the Keith Ballard injury, via Kukla's Korner. Last night, during the game, I wondered aloud to my wife if Milan Michalek was guilty of a slewfoot here. Kukla's Korner asks the same question. Ben Kuzma also asked. Mike Gillis straight up said it was. Let me tell you: if it looks like a slewfoot and quacks like a duck, well, it's probably a slewfoot, but then why the Hell is it quacking?
Anyway, this is probably a slewfoot, one of the many oft-overlooked ways one player can give another player a completely needless, totally avoidable, longterm injury. Word is Ballard will miss 2-4 weeks with an MCL sprain, and if the MRI reveals a tear, well, longer. Frankly, Hips is lucky his knee didn't pop clean off--the fate that befell my poseable MC Hammer action figure when I was nine.
And if it is a slewfoot, where's the outrage? I don't like the way this is being brushed off. Slewfoots are exceedingly dangerous, just like the headshots that dominate the daily discussions of NHL issues. They happen surprisingly often, and yet nobody really talks about cracking down on them.
Today would have been a great day to discuss yet one more way hockey players aren't showing each other enough respect on the ice, one more dirty play on which the league needs to crack down. But instead, when I turned on the radio, I was dropped into yet another rant about headshots. Let's get serious, radio guys. You had a major slewfoot in your market and you go right back to the well of overplayed topics? Granted, Cam Cole's article on headshots and the Code is brilliant and worth discussing, but if the above video tells me anything, it's that headshots aren't the only way to shorten a guy's career, and the others deserve some discussion as well.
If it had been Kesler, or one of the Sedins, it would be the talk of the league right now. Instead what talk there is of said play is more 'look how nasty that picture is'
ReplyDeleteGood to hear he's walking around and in good spirits though.
you guys make it really hard to get anything done during the day.
You're telling me. I do half the writing for this blog. I never get anything done ever.
ReplyDeleteWell, except for writing some pretty awesome blog pieces, and essentially showing the 'real sports media' [insert link to post about blogs v. mainstream media] how good sports writing can be.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all you do, Harrison Mooney, and the rest at PITB!
I guess they will only care about it the day Crosby is the one being slew-footed...
ReplyDeleteAnd I third the awesomeness of the blog comment!
Count me in for praising PitB greatness!
ReplyDelete(I SHOULD BE WORKING!)
Good job, guys!
Too right about Crosby. Does anyone in the east even know about the Canucks? I work at home, which gives me plenty of time wastin' to be done on PITB. Wayyy too much time. BTW, how can we get Scrabble t-shirts in Victoria?? my e-mail is amalis@telus.net if anyone wants to let me know.
ReplyDelete@1:58 Anonymous - We're just waiting on the Canucks now, with the shirts. Looks like they'll be available at the Canucks.com team store.
ReplyDelete@Anon 1:39
ReplyDeleteThey dodn't even really care when it's Crosby!
Watch this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHeh3tyUL10 - no where near the puck, no way it's an accident, no penalty and no suspension. Just a $2500 fine and as little coverage as possible.
I'm not sure which pisses me off more - the plays themselves, or the league's reaction.
Intentional injuries will continue until the leagues makes a concrete rule. IE Intentionally injure a player Headshot, Slewfoot or Knee on Knee then you will sit out as long as the injured player. Players would have new found respect for others.
ReplyDeletedirty play. michalek clealy pulled him down from behind. I wonder if PitB has any info about the canucks possibly signing Mark Flood for added depth? from what i've been hearing he has been one of the Moose best defensemen. With the Peters contract spot open plus one more from Andersson we should have enough room
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard anything from my gaggle of inside sources. Which is unsurprising, as they are all inside my mind rather than inside the Canucks organization.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I'm reading online, he is a UFA, so he's signable by the Canucks, but I'm not sure they're interested in adding another defenseman, even with their injury issues. Salo looks set to return, initial speculation on Ballard is that he'll only be out a month, and guys like Parent and Oberg are still potential call-ups. I'm also usually a little wary of guys who couldn't stick with teams like the Islanders. That said, who knows? He's still only 26 and might be a late bloomer. Might be worth a contract, but I can't see it happening unless the Canucks have yet another D-man get injured.
This has absolutely nothing to do with this article, but I thought you guys would be interested to know that for the Dice and Ice Auction on Thursday night, Tanner Glass has donated a "Glass Family Board Game Night" gift basket for auction - and either it's a typo in the catalogue, or there's two scrabble games included. I'm hoping it's not a typo, and that he's just become that obsessed with the game...
ReplyDeleteThat's frickin' hilarious. That's it, Glass is my new favourite player.
ReplyDelete@10:07 Anonymous Where did you find that information? We must know.
ReplyDeleteI dunno, it just doesn't look intentional to me. And I think plays which are dangerous in hindsight seldom are intentional (especially knee-on-knee hits).
ReplyDelete@ J21
ReplyDeleteI gotta agree, im not sure its obviously a slewfoot. When you watch it in real time I have say its accidental for sure. Anything in slow mo can look intentional. Sucks for Ballard but Canucks will be fine.
Headshots are getting worse and more frequent but it is confusing though when you point to a really well written article on how bad headshots are and then say why is everyone crying about headshots.....as always love the blog.