04/19/24
February 27, 2007
Someone Saved My Life Tonight...by Beating the Crap Out of Me!: Minor league hockey ref ejects player for fighting; player whacks ref in head with stick, knocking him unconcious, then jumps on his prone body, and begins administering haymakers. Doctors, while treating referee for broken nose and split lip, discover brain tumor. Player hailed as hero! Okay, not quite.
posted by The_Black_Hand to hockey at 04:12 PM - 17 comments
See? There's a silver-lining to every crosscheck to the face from some big fat slob.
posted by SummersEve at 05:29 PM on February 27, 2007
Just think, if some idiot had not stopped the player from bashing the ref's head open and possibly ripping the tumor out right there at the rink, the poor guy wouldn't have to go through this painful surgery now. The other good news is that having a sizable portion of his brain removed with the tumor won't be affecting his ability to ref hockey.
posted by irunfromclones at 05:34 PM on February 27, 2007
Oh man. I wish spofi had the ability to favorite comments.
posted by vito90 at 10:29 PM on February 27, 2007
The other good news is that having a sizable portion of his brain removed with the tumor won't be affecting his ability to ref hockey. You just may see him in plenty of other sports also.
posted by jojomfd1 at 12:14 AM on February 28, 2007
Tim McCracken could have done the whole procedure during a shift.
posted by yerfatma at 05:36 AM on February 28, 2007
The story doesn't include an important detail -- whether or not the tumor's malignant. If it is, it probably stops being a feel-good story.
posted by rcade at 06:05 AM on February 28, 2007
Not necessarily. It doesn't say in this article, but in another one, it stated that the tumor is indeed malignant, and that it appears they caught it in time for removal and treatment. The only reason they didn't plan surgery immediately is because of the swelling from the beating he took. I can't find the link right now, but I'll keep trying. If they hadn't caught it here, then, yeah, very little chance of a happy ending.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 06:23 AM on February 28, 2007
Hockey - is there anything you can't do?
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 08:03 AM on February 28, 2007
Well, it can't generate sizable TV ratings, for one. But it's still cool.
posted by THX-1138 at 12:59 PM on February 28, 2007
First we find out George Michael's gay and now this? Whatever happened to the peace-loving social democrats in the Scandinavian mold we had come to love and trust? It is going to take me a long time to learn to trust Canadians again after these antics.
posted by holden at 02:21 PM on February 28, 2007
At least there is reliable evidence that the referee has a brain. There is no such evidence regarding the player who cross-checked him.
posted by Howard_T at 08:12 AM on March 01, 2007
Well, it can't generate sizable TV ratings, for one. But it's still cool. You may want to reexamine that statement THX-1138. Hockey Night in Canada is consistently in the top ten most watched shows in the country, every week. TSN and RogersSportsNet both get higher ratings for hockey than any other shows they air.
posted by tommybiden at 01:22 PM on March 01, 2007
Come on tommy, you know better than that...if it doesn't happen here in America, it doesn't count!
posted by The_Black_Hand at 03:54 PM on March 01, 2007
Certainly. While Hockey night in Canada is undeniably a HUGE ratings draw in said northern country, it's televised impact has been, by just about all domestic ratings systems here, dismal. I know that sounds terribly "US-centric" but I can't speak knowledgebly about viewing habits in other countries. My first comments were out of line given that so many members are from different countries, so my apologies for any offense. However, down here in the States, hockey doesn't draw the ratings that SpongeBob Squarepants does. I still think Hockey is cool, though.
posted by THX-1138 at 04:03 PM on March 01, 2007
Combined ratings from the 2 countries show that N.H.L. numbers are equal to, if not better than N.B.A. numbers. I'd have to do some research to see how S.B.S.P. fares.
posted by tommybiden at 09:25 PM on March 01, 2007
Do you have a link for those numbers? Top ten in a country with 30 million potential viewers isn't quite the same as top ten in a country with 300 million potential viewers. It's not right or wrong, just the way things are.
posted by yerfatma at 06:12 AM on March 02, 2007
Just looking at that cement head's picture, you can tell he had nothing but the best of intentions when he viciously assaulted the official. My guess is that he's a doctor when not on the ice and just couldn't find the bedside manner to inform his patient of the tragic tumor. Maybe he should be sent a thank you letter bomb. "Way to go, coach. You got him right in the mind!"