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"Credentialed NHL Blogger for 11+ Years"
Suffolk County, LI, NY • United States • 47 Years Old • Male
bdgallof
http://youtube.com/watch?v=3hKeVb_G-PI
http://youtube.com/watch?v=IzUPO3fadkc

I had missed this play, having had to head down to section 201 to join my fellow Blog Boxers. I had watched the game from seats in section 302, slapped inbetween the second-coming of Rosanne Barr, complete with Lee Press-On nails, and an updated version of Thelma and Louise, who were getting quite excited with every fight and hit. One wonders to what reaction they had as Chris Simon slammed his skate down on the back of Ruutu's leg at the bench. But watching it on my DVR, and also the many Youtube examples, one can see that a hard rain is going to fall on him and the Isles. And, it is finally time to cut ties with the player.

It has always been a contention between my brother and myself, since the Hollweg/Simon incident. I think Hollweg is about as respectable as a fungus on some old bread in the fridge. But I could not say much to Chris Simon's defense back then. I did not bite on the "concussion defense", it sounding more like the "twinkie defense". A man who was looking for some way to offset and excuse a deep personal problem. And that problem is that Chris Simon, at times, cannot control himself. And in hockey, that can be deadly.

There have been a calvacade of incidents in Chris Simon's career that had no excuse and denigrate the career and skills of a man who could play both games: physical pugilist and 2-way hockey. From other suspensions and incidents over the years, to the Mike Grier racial epithet, Simon, despite his good guy image in the dressing room and respectability there and off the ice, he has a problem on the ice. And that problem might lead to a stunning large suspension and possibly the end of his career on LI, and perhaps in NHL hockey.

Chris Simon embodies the deepest fear the NHL has. That someone can lose control so badly, he will do anything to lash out. What makes it worse is that Simon, who is sincerely apologetic afterwards usually, also is someone who his own players and team goes to bat for. Look at the flap over the Sport Illustrated article earlier this season. Michael Farber was onto something, and nobody . . . fans, teammates, and even Isles staff did not want to hear it. A player who has a capacity for good, also has the capacity for evil. Nobody wanted to accept this dichotomy. They thought it was a bum rap.

Yet, last night, as it was the number one topic after the game, they heard it whether they liked it or not. Chris Simon, whether Jarkko Ruutu is an annoying pest or not, deliberately used his skate to injure him. The only saving grace to the situation is that Ruutu evidently was ok. Mike Sillinger, despite wanting to see it again, felt that: "I think he faked it a bit as well, but again I didn’t see what happened.". Silly noticed what I did . . . Ruutu writhing like his leg was cut in half. However, that is a small aside to the deeply disturbing truth that has hit many an Isles fan, writers, bloggers and perhaps even up on high. Simon meant to do just that.

As <i>nyalphamale</i>, a poster on the Official Isles messageboards aptly termed it: <b>"Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."</b>

Big time.

It has denigrated the game, the organization, and washed away a lot of the other issues that came up during the Pittsburgh game. From the refs idiotic remark to Brendan Witt that he was playing Sidney, the boy wonder, "too tough". It put both he and Vasicek in the box, leading to the winning goal for Pitt. Add in a whole mess of wacky calls by the refs. Or the fact, after the "flub" gimmee goal in the 1st, the Isles lost confidence and Pitt rolled over them for the entire period. Or Bergeron's many giveaways and shakiness last night, from the first goal against the Isles onward. He wasn't alone, but definitely had some trouble on all parts based on where one mistake was not picked on by a team or coach, but yet it affected MAB so badly it undid his entire game.

Instead, we have controversy on the 26th game for Simon after serving a 25 game suspension. He lasted one game over last punishment. This next one might be a doozy.

- BD
Filed Under:   islanders   penguins   nhl   rangers   flyers  
December 16, 2007 11:45 AM ET | Delete
Good article. Look, Rangers, Islanders, Penguins, whoever aside....SIMON is a thug! Period! there is no other way around it. This has nothing to do with me being a Ranger fan and hating him for the Hollweg incident (which BTW I disagree with B.D. - Hollweg is not a dirty player. I can see why you would hate him as an Islander fan, but he has never done anything dirty. He plays hard and throws hard checks, but NOT dirty) ANYWAY....hockey is a rough sport, which is why most of us like it. And I'm all for hard hits and fights once in a while. But when a player does something like this, and tries to injure another player, only a few games after he almost killed someone else (i.e. Hollweg) he should not only be thrown out of this league, but prosecuted.There was an article in the last issue of Maxim about this guy, which provides a bunch of ridiculous excuses for this low life piece of @$#%! HE IS an ALCOHOLIC and should be sitting outside of his shack in Canada drinking, rather then getting paid big bucks and injuring people!
December 16, 2007 8:50 PM ET | Delete
Message Posted
December 16, 2007 8:50 PM ET | Delete
what happened to my post?
December 16, 2007 10:23 PM ET | Delete
I will post this again:It seems that you were so very harsh on the FLyers while overlooking the goonism on your own team? Where are the outcries that the Islanders are dirty? That Nolan needs to be suspended? Same player same coach -- speperated by 25 games -- where does the problem lie with simon?You railed against the Flyers, and thier dirty players while overlooking the 2 on the Isles squad. People asked for a Mea Culpa -- none were given -- The Flyers are dirty and the Isles are clean -- well seems that now you are changing your tune.the Flyers 5 suspensions this year 3 were Iffy at best and 2, may have never happended if the games were called correctly (downie and bowl of rice). (Downie was run from behind, and took revenge, Kessler had been running players when the game got out of hand and wouldnt go with Jessie) In your current post you lament about how officiating played a part in his meltdown -- but never a mention of that in your TIRADE against the Flyers.I understand that as a blogger you are a homer, there is nothing wrong with that, but if you are going to go out of your way to slam another franchise, maybe you need to be a bit open minded before you do itI have lost respect for yu -- I enjoyed your blogs but now -- not so much
December 17, 2007 12:42 PM ET | Delete
I have no idea what is gong on with simon but he has to go he has not learned a thing the NHL has to deal with him harsly.
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