All-Purpose Hockey Thread III

A great story by Gare Joyce on ESPN.com on the 20th anniversary of the Swift Current bus crash 20 years ago.
I'm about half way through right now myself, in the middle of production, will finish later.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=swiftcurrent&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab3pos1

 

Our paper did a full-page story published the day of the anniversary too. No response whatsoever from readers on it, which I thought was both telling and sad.

Comments from a friend of mine (not from my paper) who read the Joyce piece:

"Is it just me, or does the bus crash portion of this article read like a hatchet job on the people and fans of Swift Current? Seems to me like the writer has taken his own beliefs of what would be appropriate mourning/remembrance and imposed them on everyone in the town and then rips them for not doing what HE thinks they should. Everyone mourns/remembers differently and if what they do and have done is what most of the fans there want, then who is Gare Joyce to criticize that for not meeting HIS standards?

"It is too bad that Mrs. Kruger feels the way she does. Perhaps there is something the team can do that would make her happier with the situation. But otherwise, the article is quite short of evidence that anyone in Swift Current is unhappy with what the team does/has done to remember the players.

"The comments from Brady Leavold about not feeling welcome in Swift Current are interesting, but you also have to keep in mind that these comments come from a player who quit the team once earlier in his career. Perhaps there is no corroborating quotes from other players because nobody else on the team feels that way.

"All in all I think the guy is way off base on the bus crash memorial part of the story. It's not his place to tell others how to pay their respects to the dead. There would be a story here if there was a sizeable number of people who were unhappy with the club but that doesn't seem to be the case."

My opinion? It hurts because it's true. Though some more evidence than what the author saw and felt about the situation might be in order for such a long, explanatory piece.

 

Too bad somebody has never done to Hunter what he did to Turgeon.

 

We'll see how solid he is when Ottawa does their choking dog routine against the Penguins.

 

As I said, Ottawa is a different team this year. They will not choke this year, and if they lose in a tight series to the Pens, can it still be considered choking, considering how close the two teams are?

 

In a word, yes. Penguins have nothing to lose here. They're the inexperienced kids who have to "learn how to win." Any experience they pick up in a hard fought six or seven game series, with Recchi and Roberts showing the way, is gravy.
One of these years, Ottawa has to be a good team on more than just paper

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=ap-coyotesshakeup&prov=ap&type=lgns

Coyotes clean house.

 

I don't know, I didn't count the number of sources Gare used in the story, but there were a number of them, and none of them seemed to impressed with how it was handled, from coaches, players, family members, etc. To me it seems like a cover up job by the team that they are trying to sweep it under the rug because of all the different exposed nerves involved – from the lawsuuits to Graham James to everything else. I do find it strange though that there is nothing in the Swift Current sports hall of Fame that or museum or whatever it is reportedly has nothing on the Broncos. I liked the one proposed idea of at least raising a banner in the building.

 

For as much as I think Don Cherry is an outdated blowhard, I have to give him credit for paying respects to the men and women of our armed forces.

Tonight, even I was choked up by the end.

Classy of Don and the CBC to make mention of those who died and were injured.

 

I thought it was a bit of a cheap ploy to put the photo of the dead guy's dog in as an inset while Grapes was talking about him. I instantly flashed back to good 'ol Blue (Don's dog, which died years ago).

Beef, there are a lot of people in Swift pissed off because of that article. Look at www.whlfans.ca and visit the Swift Current section of the board. Yikes.

 

Mr Gomer,

Tell me about it. Of course, in Swift, the radio guys on the teams payroll are doing their best to trash the guy from the big city [sic, East York].

YHS, etc

 

Suffice to say, I feel for you. I could tell a million stories like the one you're encountering, though not likely on the same grand level.

But remember, though it may not seem like it, saying or even portraying anything remotely negative in a small town has an incredible unifying effect. Which - I assume - you're now seeing.

Oh, and is anyone still watching the Canucks/Stars game? Good thing I didn't hold deadline for it...