04/19/24
August 08, 2005
Bertuzzi's back: after he forfeited a total of $501,926.39 in salary as a result of his suspension.
Moore has filed a civil suit in Denver naming Bertuzzi, former Canucks forward Brad May, Canucks coach Marc Crawford, former GM Brian Burke and Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment, which owns the team. mel, is that what you meant when you said "I guess if the man himself hurt holds nothing against"?
posted by Uncle Toby at 04:32 PM on August 08, 2005
It's not like they fined him half a mill and he walks away. The stigma from this will follow him forever. Certainly, he won't be the same player ever again. He may get to go back on the ice again, but he's not finished paying for that one hit, not by a long stretch. (case in point: wfrazerjr, you're being paged...)
posted by chicobangs at 06:16 PM on August 08, 2005
I think that players as a whole would not want to have a whole lot to do with him. I could be wrong, but either way he's got a long road ahead of himself.
posted by volfire at 07:12 PM on August 08, 2005
The man made a really stupid move which was one of very few. Which was one of many, actually. He has a history of being stupid on and off the ice. I would definitely not want him on the Team Canada roster for the Olympics.
posted by grum@work at 08:25 PM on August 08, 2005
AUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH! (thanks, Chico.) This is such an overwhelmingly stupid move that I have to sleep on it before I rant. I will say, though, that I secretly wish for Bertuzzi to break Gary Bettman's neck, so Gary can again give him a 20-game suspension and then make nice.
posted by wfrazerjr at 09:44 PM on August 08, 2005
This is the most ridiculous ruling I have ever heard of. First of all, the hit that Bertuzzi put on Moore was nothing more than a dirty cheap shot. If you went out on the street and did this you would be in jail for any number of serious crimes. However, since he is an athlete lets overlook it. Also, according to the article he underwent a 17 month suspension. But let us overlook the fact that most of those he would not have been playing because of the strike anyways. According to Bettman Bertuzzi is remorseful, but let's not forget that after Bertuzzi knocked him down he fell on top of him and smashed his face into the ice. After all of this I guess I forget the most important, HE IS A PRO ATHLETE AND WE CANNOT PUNISH THEM
posted by mcstan13 at 10:01 PM on August 08, 2005
This is the most ridiculous ruling I have ever heard of. First of all, the hit that Bertuzzi put on Moore was nothing more than a dirty cheap shot. If you went out on the street and did this you would be in jail for any number of serious crimes. However, since he is an athlete lets overlook it. So what you're saying is, I can check coworkers into walls and windows, and not face any criminal charges, or face losing my job, if my hits are clean? Why didn't anyone tell me this earlier...my work days just got that much better... I'm not going to argue whether or not Bertuzzi's hit was dirty or not, because it was dirty AND pre-meditated. But, to say that we overlook the dirty actions of athletes during games solely because they're athletes is madness, because they do plenty of things that are within the rules of the sport, but are considered illegal off the playing surface...
posted by MeatSaber at 10:45 PM on August 08, 2005
This is the most ridiculous ruling I have ever heard of. First of all, the hit that Bertuzzi put on Moore was nothing more than a dirty cheap shot. If you went out on the street and did this you would be in jail for any number of serious crimes. However, since he is an athlete lets overlook it. Also, according to the article he underwent a 17 month suspension. But let us overlook the fact that most of those he would not have been playing because of the strike anyways. During the lockout Bertuzzi was barred from participating in any league anywhere (under threat of losing his NHL Union card). Not a strike, mcstan. This whole incident was anything but 'overlooked'. Other 'over' words I'd use to describe it would be: overblown overanalysed overdone We can punish pro athletes. We just don't. As I recall Bertuzzi was punished (you may disagree with the severity) and OJ appeared before a jury - so nuts to that. Good lord with the factual errors compounding the leaps in logic, it's a wonder I bothered to respond.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 08:14 AM on August 09, 2005
Bertuzzi should be allowed back on the active roster the same day as Moore is back on the active roster. Anything less is a reward for despicable behavior. However as a society we seem to acknowledge that violence can be part of sports--if not every professional boxing match would be cause for assault charges--and the athletes exempt from those laws on the playing surface. OJ, Ray Lewis, Jamal Lewis, Art Schlicter, those guys' legal problems were from elsewhere.
posted by billsaysthis at 03:52 PM on August 09, 2005
Bertuzzi should be allowed back on the active roster the same day as Moore is back on the active roster. Anything less is a reward for despicable behavior. There is a small problem with that idea: Steve Moore really wasn't that good of a hockey player, and even if he were to recover fully from his injuries (which is what one newspaper has said a doctor has declared), he still might not play in the NHL (especially in the dollar-conscious days ahead). 12 points in 69 NHL games played during his last season doesn't suggest he'd be a sure thing. So it's possible that he might not come back, healthy or not. And keeping Bertuzzi from ever playing again seems to go over the line. That said, he punishment was too little at this point (add another 20 games this season at least). And if Bertuzzi commits another stupid act (push a referee, sucker-punch, come off the bench to fight, dangerous high-stick), I'd have no problem kissing his career goodbye at that point.
posted by grum@work at 08:00 PM on August 09, 2005
Grum, I'd be glad to see the suspension end when Moore's healthy enough to rejoin the roster given your facts. I actually think this ought to be the general rule--knock another player out of a game or games through a rules violation and you're out as long as he is.
posted by billsaysthis at 11:44 PM on August 09, 2005
billsaysthis: We do allow violence in many sports (hell, I do Judo); but that doesn't stop us from punishing those who employ it in unapproved ways. Personally, if I was a Canadian parent, my kids wouldn't be playing ice hockey, if attacking a player from behind and breaking his neck is considered such a trivial infraction.
posted by rodgerd at 04:14 AM on August 10, 2005
Rodgerd, apparently I wasn't clear with that statement. I agree with you and believe that athletes who (on the playing field/rink/ring/etc) use force in violation of the sport's own rules to the extent that another player is injured ought to be suspended for the length of the injured player's absence. You end another guy's career? So long, nice knowing you.
posted by billsaysthis at 04:06 PM on August 11, 2005
What a wonderful point, Rodgerd. There has been a tremendous emphasis in the past 10-15 years on getting kids to not board or hit from behind. In fact, those "STOP" sign patches you see on the back of most junior and lower jerseys are for exactly that purpose. For the NHL to condone this sort of crap by letting Bertuzzi back in after serving only 20 games (funny -- the same suspension Kenny Rogers originally got for shoving a cameraman) sends exactly the wrong message to youngsters -- goon it up and you too can play in the best league in the world. For those still following along, here's an update on Steve Moore from the Toronto Star.
posted by wfrazerjr at 07:59 AM on August 12, 2005
The man made a really stupid move which was one of very few. It's sad he decides to get rough and ends up almost killing a man, but I guess if the man himself hurt holds nothing against then who are We to judge. I know many will conflict with this one.