By George Ofman
The NHL is finally getting it right even though it’s referees can’t. The eight-game suspension of Anaheim Ducks defenseman James Wisniewski for his irresponsible and dirty (yes, dirty) hit on the Blackhawks’ Brent Seabrook tells me someone in the league office has a functioning brain. It doesn’t function very often but it did this time.
Wisniewski was assessed a mere minor penalty for charging. The referees in this game should have their whistles confiscated. I say suspend them since they can’t figure out what a major penalty is. Hawks coach Joel Quenneville screamed bloody murder:
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“You hit a guy without the puck, you could kill a guy. It’s the most dangerous hit in the history of the game, alright. He tried to hurt him. If that’s not intent, that’s as bad a hit as you could ever have in the game.”
This comes just a few days after the Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin, the game’s best offensive player, shoved Brian Campbell into the board, breaking his clavicle and a rib. This also was a dirty hit. Funny thing; there are some pundits who think these aren’t dirty hits opting to call them reckless. It’s reckless if it happens once. It’s dirty if it happens often.
Do the Hawks need an enforcer?
That’s the paradox. The answer is yes – as long as it isn’t someone who makes a living decapitating the opposition.
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I believe the Bulls, as presently constituted, would be a 14 seed in the NCAA Tournament . . . and lose in the first round.
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Speaking of the Big Dance, my brackets look like President Obama’s health plan and it’s only day one.
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Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington tested positive for using cocaine. Cubs skipper Lou Piniella tested positive for Nyquil. Ozzie Guillen tested positive for using Red Bull.
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Anyone want to bet Northwestern finally makes the tournament next year when they get Kevin Coble back?
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DePaul Athletic Director Jean Lenti Ponsetto claims the next Blue Demons coach will be among the highest paid in the Big East. Now that’s smart negotiating, isn’t it? What if Plan A fails? Or what if Plan B falls apart. Will you pay big bucks for mediocrity?
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If the Blackhawks really want an enforcer, have them fit skates on Bobby Jenks.
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I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: The Cubs’ season could come down to the performances of the three guys named Carlos – Zambrano, Marmol and Silva.
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The Cubs want to put up an illuminated billboard over the left field bleachers. And it would be sponsored by Toyota. If I sat in those bleachers, I’d be careful because the sign could fall due to faulty maneuvering by shady money grabbers.
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Let me get this straight. Mike Tyson will star in a new reality series on Animal Planet in which the former heavyweight loser introduces us to the competitive world of pigeon racing. Pigeon racing? At least the network is appropriate because Tyson is an animal from another planet.
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George Ofman is now with WGN radio after a 17-year run with The Score. He also blogs for ChicagoNow under the banner That’s All She Wrote.
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Comments welcome.
Posted on March 19, 2010