I have a great blog topic that I'm really excited to write about, but that will have to wait for another day. I'm on a very strict schedule today as I have under two hours to complete this post and the aforementioned topic is too good to rush. So let me throw a couple of quick thoughts at you about some events that took place yesterday and call it a day. Absolutely first and foremost, I have to acknowledge the tragic plane crash that occurred yesterday in Russia. If you haven't heard about it, a jet carrying a Russian hockey team crashed into a river bank immediately after leaving the airport, killing 43 of the 45 passengers. The two that survived are in critical condition. The team included eight former NHL players, some of whom were All-Stars. I've written columns in the past about how fans look at professional athletes and see them as almost super-human, invincible beings. We put them on a pedestal and forget that they're human just like the rest of us. They face the same personal issues we do and this is just a harsh realization that they're as vulnerable to tragedies as the rest of us. So my thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved in the crash, especially the two survivors and the families of the fallen athletes.
Switching gears but staying right along with the vulnerability theme, what in the world is going on with Sidney Crosby? Sid the Kid suffered a concussion back in January and said yesterday that he still hasn't fully recovered. Dude, that was nine months ago...Something doesn't add up. Either Crosby is the softest individual ever to call himself an athlete or that wasn't your average, run-of-the-mill concussion. I'm gonna give him the benefit of the doubt and say the latter is probably true considering, I'm assuming, that wasn't the first time in his hockey career he's ever been hit. But a normal concussion usually results in about one week of recovery time. I mean, Austin Collie went into a state of instantaneous rigor mortis last year and I'm pretty sure he played the following Sunday. He definitely didn't miss more than one game. There are reports that Crosby could miss the Penguins' season opener on October 6th. I don't know who you've been listening to Sid, but it might be time to consider a change in physician. I'm not exactly a die-hard hockey fan, but I do know one thing: If that sport wants to gain popularity, Crosby needs to be playing. Alexander Ovechkin can't carry the entire league by himself, so as long as Crosby isn't on the ice, hockey will continue to be in the same category as soccer in this country.
Now to something a little more fun. Nyjer Morgan is the man. He has officially vaulted himself into my second favorite baseball player on Earth behind Brian Wilson (who will never be surpassed). Morgan is just a little dude that runs wild on the field and plays the game in unorthodox fashion. He makes some incredibly difficult plays in center field, misses some incredibly routine ones and doesn't give a damn what anyone thinks. His twitter name is TheRealTPlush named after his alter ego, Tony Plush, he wears pants that look like they were made for his teammate Prince Fielder (Fielder is nearly twice the size of Morgan) and rivals Lenny Dykstra for the title of "Man Who Chews the Most Tobacco While Playing." His most recent antics took place last night in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals when he struck out in the ninth inning. Morgan proceeded to scream expletives at Cardinals' pitcher Chris Carpenter, then take his chew out of his mouth and throw it at Carpenter apparently just because he was pissed that he struck out. That's awesome. When Albert Pujols came to the back of his pitcher, Morgan didn't run away, but rather stayed and jawed at Pujols as well. Essentially the 5'11, 175 pound Morgan was prepared to fight the entire Cardinals' organization. He later tweeted about Pujols: "Alberta couldn't see Plush if she had her gloves on!!! Wat was she thinking running afta Plush!!! She never been n tha ring!!!" Chances are, Pujols would've worked Morgan like a stripper the day before rent is due, but my man didn't back down and I love it.
Special thanks to my dude Andrew Haberern for the conversation that inspired several of my comments about Nyjer Morgan.
"I occasionally get birthday cards from fans. But it's often the same message: They hope it's my last."
-Former MLB Umpire, Al Forman
-Brusk Dollas
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