Turning up the Hate on Jaromir Jagr

Well so much for that whole, why I think the Penguins should sign Jaromir Jagr blog last week.

I spent 1,200 words detailing how Jagr could help the Penguins on the ice and how his return might heal a decade’s worth of wounds off of it. I described my long held and unchanged belief that the treatment of Jagr since he left the Burgh has been truly disappointing. I referred to it as “a blight on an otherwise terrific fan base.”

Given what transpired last Friday afternoon, that decade will now be remembered as “the good old days.”

Before that, Jagr was disliked by most of the Penguin populace. He has now graduated to utterly detested. In truth, I’m not even sure that sentiment captures the degree of venom and hatred launched at the former Penguin superstar since his ill fated decision to sign with the Eastern Pennsylvania Orange and Black Goon Squad. To quote a Facebook post from one of the best hockey fans I know, “He’s dead to me now.”

As my wife Emily so perfectly retorted, “I guess Marian Hossa does not seem so bad anymore.”

For the record, I think what Hossa did to the Penguins in 2008 was far worse than what Jagr did last weekend. Hossa and his teammates barely had time to clean out their lockers before Maid Marian bolted to the team that beat them in the Stanley Cup finals. His departure nearly swung the balance of power to the Pens biggest championship obstacle. By contrast, the 39 year old Jagr’s last meaningful game as a Penguin came before there was wireless internet.

I am in no way defending Jagr and believe me I’m not happy with his chosen destination. Still I can’t help but think that that the overbearing emotion here is clouding the real story. At face value, this is simply an unrestricted free agent, eleven years removed from his last game in a Penguin uniform electing to sign with a team that offered him 65% more money. If you replaced the name Jaromir Jagr with say Peter Forsberg, would that seem so awful?

To me this outpouring of unbridled hatred is not really about Jagr’s actions last week. This is about a fan base that already hates him being given a perfect opportunity to hate him even more.

Alas, it’s fairly clear that I’m in the minority here. Better stated, I’m in the republicans running against Richard Daley in Chicago minority.

Given the tenuous olive branch that Penguin fans were extending, I’m not sure Jagr could have survived signing anywhere other than the new igloo. The fact that he chose Philadelphia just blew the whole mess up to epic levels. Keep in mind however that since he left the Burgh, Jagr has played for the Craps and Rangers; two teams that are not exactly on the typical Penguin fan’s Christmas card list.

Jagr has turned Penguin fans in to jilted lovers; so blinded with emotion and rage that the actual facts of the situation have become immaterial. Yes we are angry that Jagr “appeared” to string us along and that he signed with our mortal enemy. I can understand that to some degree. I’m still not sure this qualifies a player eleven years removed from his Pittsburgh career for Barry Bonds treatment.

Which frankly is irrelevant since that’s exactly what he’s going to get…and worse? Jagr’s first visit to the Energy Barn in December figures to rank with Cliff Stoudt’s infamous USFL return in 1983 as the most venomous sporting event in the history of the Burgh. With all due respect to the winter classic, they might have to play the game at Heinz Field to accommodate the demand from irate Penguin fans.

Most of the current anger towards Jagr stems from his quote a few years back suggesting he would take the league minimum salary to play for Lemieux and the Penguins again. More than one fan or member of the esteemed Pittsburgh media has referenced that quote and suggested they would not be nearly so angry if he did not go back on his word .

You can argue that a person should honor thier word and I will not disagree. We certainly have enough experience with Jagr; not too mention other athletes and celebrities to know that this is often not the case. I’m sorry but I did not believe it when he said it any more than I do now. To me it’s no more relevant than the infamous and badly overplayed “dying alive” comment which while upsetting and stupid, did come while Jagr was leading the NHL in scoring.

Honestly, do we care more about the mindless dribble that spews from Jagr’s mouth or what he does (or did) on the ice? To me it’s the latter by a mile.

I’m also not sure about this concept of Jagr stringing the Penguins along. Ray Shero basically dropped in to Michael Corleone mode noting this was strictly business and he has no emotional attachment to it. Shero moved on to his plan B which was Steve Sullivan and that was that. I’m fairly sure that Shero and his Hall of Fame boss were more peeved than they let on publically but it’s not like the Pens missed out on Brad Richards…or even Radim Vrbata because of Jagr. Jaromir took his talents to South Philly and life moved on at the Consol.

As far as I’m concerned, nothing has changed except that the Pens missed out on a good free agent. Life goes on with Crosby, Malkin, and Fleury, I can happily deal with that. For whatever reason, I am nowhere near as angry about this as most other Penguin fans. Perhaps because as much as I thought he could help the Penguins this season, I wrote him off emotionally while Ben Roethlisberger was a sophomore in college.

Honestly I’m more upset about the idea of Max Talbot in orange and black than I am Jagr. I do not blame Max in any way for his decision. The Penguins were clearly moving away from him and he took the best opportunity for long-term security, on and off the ice. I hate the fact that the quintessential Pittsburgh athlete will spend five years plying his trade in Philly, but I completely understand it.

Most (though not all) Penguin fans seem to feel the same way about Talbot’s decision. There seem to be about three of us who feel that way about Jagr; and I’m still waiting for the other two to publicly identify.

I would love for all of my favorite athletes to be good people and solid citizens. I want to genuinely like the people I root for. I’m also a realist. There are a lot of great athletes who are not up for sainthood and frankly there are a lot more who think and act like Jagr than there are like Sidney Crosby or Hines Ward. This point was driven home during the whole Roethlisberger debacle last year.

As a result, I’ve made a compromise with my ideals. If my favorite athletes perform at their best on the field and remain law abiding citizens off of it, I can deal with their other faults and flaws. It’s the same stance I took with Big Ben last year (given no charges or evidence of a crime). For whatever grievances we may have against Jagr, he greatly exceed those qualifications while in the Burgh.

None of that changed last weekend; no matter how disrespectful he was perceived in his actions.

I have numerous reasons to hate the Philadelphia professional hockey club whether or not they suit up number 68. As a result, I see no need to make a special trip to the Burgh just to jeer an old friend. Maybe I will develop that Hossa like disdain for Jagr if he ends up squarely between the Pens and the Stanley Cup next spring but frankly I doubt that will be the case.

It’s fairly clear that Jagr could care less about Pittsburgh, the Penguins, or his legacy here. That’s his prerogative. It’s also obvious that he’s immature, and feels no accountability to his public statements. That’s not exactly breaking news either. He handled this situation as poorly as he did his initial exit from the Burgh. He should have been more upfront about his intentions and more straightforward with his decision. Clearly neither he nor his agent cared to be and for that he deserves a degree of scorn.

I just don’t think it’s this degree.

Hey Luongo...YOU SUCK!

I wrote the following during the 2010 Olympics, questioning why the exceptionally overrated Roberto Luongo was starting ahead of Marc-Andre Fleury for Team Canada:

http://ahaberman35.livejournal.com/12346.html

In the last two seasons, Fleury has won 30 playoff games and a Stanley Cup. He’s won two game sevens, one against the best offensive player in the game and one against the defending Stanley Cup champions.

By comparison Roberto Luongo has won…ok give me a minute…I’m thinking…hmmm.

From there I went on to chronicle Luongo’s litany of big game failures. In the interest of full disclosure, Canada did go on to win the gold medal, albeit with about as little help from their goaltender as is possible in a game of that magnitude. Bobby Lu promptly blew up against the Blackhawks in the second round giving up a  21 goals in 6 games, including a stunning 19 in four losses. That would have been bad in the run and gun days of the early 1990’s, let alone now.

One year later, Luongo, the Freak Twins, and the Rest of the Western Canadian Slash and Run Pansies are at it again. Over the last 72 hours, they’ve laid the groundwork for what could be an epic post season choke. I resist the term “historic” only because we are barely one year removed from the last team to blow a 3 to 0 series lead, Claude Julien’s chronically underachieving Boston Bruins.

While the Bruins slowly and painfully disintegrated last May, the Canucks are imploding with stunning alacrity. Since Bobby Lu and the Twins eeked out a one goal win at the United Center last Sunday, they’ve been blown off the ice by a combined score of 12-2. Luongo in his inimitable fashion has gone from virtually unbeatable in the first three games to some bizarre amalgamation of Peter Skudra and Sebastian Caron. In short, he can’t stop anything.

In two games, Bobby Lu has been scalded for (I’m not making this up), 10 goals on 40 shots (a 75% save percentage) in just over 65 minutes of hockey. There simply are not sufficient words in the hockey lexicon to adequately describe this brutality. And while I freely admit that the defense in front of him has been less than stellar, the fact is that Luongo is back to yielding goals on shots I truly think Dave Filoni or Big Mike Levin would turn aside.

The irony here is that Luongo was supposed to be the missing piece in Vancouver when he was acquired. The Canucks of the late 90s and early 2000s were tremendously talented teams with one significant weakness, between the pipes. The best intentions of Markus Naslund and Todd Bertuzzi were annually foiled by the inadequacies of Dan Cloutier and Bob Essensa.

Luongo was a monumental talent who carried horrendous Florida Panther teams to respectability. He was annually amongst the league leaders in save percentage in spite of facing more shots than any other goaltender. The expectation in Vancouver was that he was another Marty Brodeur. Turns out he’s just an overhyped and overpaid version of his replacement in Florida Tomas Vokoun.

How bad having things gotten for Luongo and the Nucks? Marian Hossa scored two goals last night. Enough said.

To be fair, Luongo is hardly the only Canuck who appears to be folding under playoff pressure. For example, I can’t remember a top scorer (let alone two freaky clones of the same one) for whom the hype so far exceeds the performance as the Sedins, at least come playoff time. Oh wait; I used that exact phrase to describe Luongo in last year’s blog. So be it, I can be repetitive and still be correct.

The great Ryan Kessler continues to endure Hossa like streaks of goal scoring ineptitude in the playoffs. The Canucks defense continues to allow odd man breaks like they are playing the Gretzky Oilers in the mid 80s. Imagine what Vancouver could do if Kevin Bieksa was more focused on breaking up a 2 on 1 breaks than he was on beating up Viktor Stalberg. Dare to dream I guess.

And when the score gets ugly, the Canucks resort to their usual cheap shot, slash and run tactics. I particularly enjoyed watching Alex Edler cheap shot Troy Brower in the head and then skate behind Maxim LaPierre (another upstanding gentlemen) for protection late in the second period. Heaven forbid they throw a legal check like Brooks Orpik or face a Hawks player man to man. Keep in mind this is a Blackhawk’s team that for my money is desperately lacking in physicality and grit.

I’m always reluctant to question the heart of character of professional athletes, especially hockey players. These guys play through injuries that would keep most of us confined to our mattress for months. Still, when you combine their low brow cheap shots with their recurring history of post season collapse, I can’t help but think the Canucks are a team desperately lacking in character. Compare them to the Penguins for example who are on the verge of winning a playoff series without Crosby and Malkin. Never mind, don’t.

Ironically, Vancouver initiated its implosion right after their resident goon took out Hawks defensemen Brent Seabrook with a blatant cheap shot to the head. In any place other than the bizzarro world of Colin Campbell justice, Raffi Torres would have earned another long suspension. Instead, all is well because he tee’d up Seabrook in what is apparently called is “the hitting zone.” Never mind that he clubbed him in the head, BEFORE SEABROOK TOUCHED THE PUCK.

And we want Sidney Crosby to return to this with his post concussion status in doubt?

Anyway, that hit seemed to accomplish what otherwise seemed impossible all season. It woke up the slumbering Blackhawks. The defending champs slogged their way through a horrifically disappointing season, backed their way in to the playoffs and then dug a seemingly insurmountable 3 to 0 hole. Alas since Torres tried to decapitate Seabrook, Chicago has taken over the series. If you don’t think they are fired up, you did not see Dave Bolland smash his stick over the bench last night in a fit of rage.

For Penguin fans who don’t follow the Blackhawks, understand that Jonathan Toews could be Sidney Crosby’s twin brother. Captain Serious, as he’s referred in the windy city, shares Crosby’s ferocious competitive spirit and strong leadership qualities. Like Crosby, Toews displays maturity well beyond his years and has an innate understanding of the risks that come with mouthing off in the press.

So I will acknowledge I was a fair bit shocked by Toews’ incendiary comments after the Hawks 7-2 laugher in game four. Instead of the usual mish mosh about taking it one game at a time and respecting our opponent, the Captain let go a long, diplomatic quote, the real context of which was “the Canucks are not that good, the Hawks were just not exposing them.” He went a step further in suggesting that the media and perhaps even his teammates think the Nucks are a lot better than they really are.

Is it me or did Captain Serious call the Canucks an overrated fraud. In a nice way, politically correct way of course.

Such comments would have been stunning if they came from Brett Hull or Jeremy Roenick. To have them come from Toews, a man who measures his words like a U.S. congressmen, is shocking on a “Brett Favre texting scandal” level. Since it’s happened, Toews’ teammates like Duncan Keith, Dave Bolland, Brian Campbell and for the love of all that’s good and holy, HOSSA, have taken over the series. And Luongo has twice been yanked, once with the indignity of being taunted by Vince Vaughn.

Yes I’m jumping the gun a bit here. The Blackhawks still need two more wins to complete this combination sporting miracle and colossAL choke. The Nucks could still pull it together and salvage the series in which case this blog will appear premature and vindictive (rather than simply vindictive).

Certainly Bobby Lu tried to very hard to convince the media that “a loss is a loss regardless of the score” after Thursday night’s debacAL. That’s the same hockey media contingent that engages in an annual Canuck love fest like it’s a rite of spring, before roasting Luongo and the boys after their latest post season collapse.

Can you imagine the carnage in Vancouver if the Nucks blow this? Rest assured Alain Vigneault will be collecting Canadian unemployment. Luongo’s hockey life in Vancouver will become untenable though good luck trading a $100 Million goalie whose glove turns to stone in April. Who knows, they might even trade ONE OF the Sedins for spite.

Three days ago such a scenario seemed impossible. As of now, let’s just say that anything is possible.

Eastward Bound…Penguin Fan Traded at the United Center

Sunday afternoon in my adopted hometown of Chicago, I learned what it feels like to be traded.

To be clear I said “traded;” not “bailing on my current team to sign a one year contract with an arch rival that supposedly gives me the best chance to win the Stanley Cup.” Hypothetically of course.

I attended the Blackhawks game last Wednesday versus Minnesota and was 100% behind the Indian Head. Five days later I’m in the same building, dressed to the nines in Penguin attire and screaming my guts out for Marc-Andre Fleury and the Wilkes Barre Seven. The Hawks players I rooted for five nights earlier were now the faces of the enemy.

Appearing at the U.C. in visiting colors, 100% vested in the visiting team, even sitting on the opposite side of the building; well let’s just say I now understand how Jaromir Jagr felt the first time he played at the Igloo in a Crapitals sweater.

In all seriousness, the United Center looked different on Sunday. The Hawks looked different. For one night, I saw my adopted hometown through the eyes of a stranger. It’s the tenuous and dangerous existence I walk trying to root for two hockey teams. Adding another layer of conflict, my wife walks the same line but with inverse team priorities. Yikes.

With that brief introduction, my latest “SportsGuy” style recap of Sunday’s out of body experience at the United Center. All times central standard and heavily estimated as always…

1:30 PM – I make one last series of futile attempts to convince Emily to wear Penguin gear to the United Center. She politely declines. Emily is wearing her red Hawks t-shirt, I’m wearing my black Fleury jersey. The battle lines have been drawn and there is no more denying the truth we’ve tip toed around for two years. We are a mixed hockey couple…and for one day we’re on opposite sides of the fence.

2:00 – I spend the warm-up scanning the ice for Penguin players I actually recognize. I carefully watch our goaltenders to try and guess who is starting. I’m praying for Marc-Andre Fleury so I can see at least one Penguins’ star for my $87.50 investment. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE don’t tell Brent Johnson I said that…I fear pain.

2:15 – Reality sets in…no Sid, no Geno. Things have gotten so bad for the Pens that I’m actually lamenting the loss of Chris Kunitz. Seriously.

2:35 – National anthem at the United Center…still the best live moment in professional sports.

2:45 – Fleury robs Patrick Sharp with a BEAUTIFUL breakaway save. This pretty much sums up the opening period, MAF is single handedly keeping the Pens in the game. How he does not even flinch when Sharpie launches a slap shot from 15 feet at his “mid section” is beyond me. Goalies are scary people…even the ones that are not Brent Johnson.

2:50 – Sharp scores on a beautiful set-up by Hawks captain Jonathan Toes. Chelsea Dagger blares from the loud speaker as per usual. In spite of weeks of preparation for this very moment, Emily is clearly conflicted as to how to proceed. In the words of Steve Miller I tell her to “dance, dance, dance…” She does.

2:51 – The heavy set gentlemen in front of me stands up to “adjust himself” during play for about the 4th time in the opening period. This is irksome enough at face value but coming right after the Pens give up a goal, it’s too much to bare. In a strikingly out of character moment, I scream at him to SIT DOWN. Five minutes later the beer man also feels my wrath. I guess being traded really shakes a guy up. By the way, the Hawks fan next to me is in complete agreement with my position though decorum prevents me from repeating his exact comments. Good to see fans of different teams can find common ground though.

2:55 – An entire line of Wilkes Barre guys hits the ice. Somewhere in Canada, Jock Callender and Mike Needham are smiling.

3:00 – More than half way through the first period and I have zero tangible proof that Marion Hossa is taking part in this afternoon’s contest..

3:15 – The single most disturbing moment of a difficult day. Hawks’ mascot Tommy Hawk perches himself on Emily’s lap for nearly five minutes. He stares right at me (and my jersey) before he does it, clearly mocking the superior fowl. Apparently it’s not enough that for 24 hours I’m an outcast in my home town. Now some dude dressed like a giant bird is hitting on my wife. For a moment I ponder going Brent Johnson on him and throwing a right cross to the beak. I mean what’s my worst case scenario for premeditated avian assault? Five for fighting and a four day suspension?

3:20 – Mike Milbury is taping the between periods show no more than 20 feet from our seats. Once again I’m pondering whether felonious assault by a fan is acceptable, if it takes place within the context of the game. If Mike’s a man of his word, he will accept his beat down as “part of the code.”

3:35 – Pierre McGuire leaps over the boards at the commercial break to interview Dan Bylsma. As I bask in the glory of seeing but not hearing the all knowing hockey savant, I quietly wonder if he has to ask Edzo for permission to go to the bathroom a la Red in Shawshank redemption.

3:45 – Alex Goligoski turns the puck over in the neutral zone. In other news, the Pens miss Crosby and Malkin, Chicago weather sucks in the winter, and Emily likes cookies. And who knew then I was watching GoGo’s last turnover in a Penguin uniform.

4:00 – What has gotten in to Patrick Sharp today? On the heals of being named one of Chicago’s 50 most beautiful people, the Hawks leading scorer takes out Brooks Orpik with a high stick and cracks Paul Martin with a Cooke-like shot from behind. The hit on Martin draws no penalty. Not that it matters because Penguin power players these days are nothing more than suicide wind sprints for Kris Letang. All we need is Herb Brooks with a whistle screaming…”AGAIN!” and “WHO DO YOU PLAY FOR !”

4:00 (and 30 seconds) – The first of at least seven angry text messages from Christopher bemoaning the inequity of officiating in today’s game.

4:02 – As the Hawks go on the power play, I mumble something about how a short handed goal would be great right here (or any goal truthfully). Right on cue, the Superstar Max Talbot sets up Cooke with a Lemieux like saucer pass that Cooke buries behind Corey Crawford. Much to the chagrin of my wife and most of section 314, I let out a scream that could wake the dead. We’re all even.

4:20– Emily’s friend Katie is kind enough to switch seats with us so we move from the upper deck to four rows off the ice for the 3rd period. Finally I feel like one of those fans who wins the “seat upgrade” contest.

4:30 – Unbelievable. I never thought I’d say this but I’m having Justin Abdelkader flashbacks. Fleury has single handedly carried the Pens to this point and then suddenly regresses to his October form. A pillow soft goal over the glove hand and sends the United Center in to a frenzy…with one notable exception. My beautiful wife, knowing how much I abhor bad goaltending, is too thoughtful and considerate to dance after that goal. Not that this was ever in doubt but my wife is a much better person than I. Read on…you’ll see.

4:15 – I observe former Chicago Wolves minor league star Brett Sterling standing next to some Hawks winger that used to play for Detroit (aka, the invisible man). Ever wonder why a 50+ goal scorer in the minors barely gets a sniff of the NHL? Let’s just say he looks like Dorf on Golf standing next to Hossa. Seriously, I think the guy is 4 feet 9 or something. On the plus side, I’ve finally noticed Hossa in the game.

4:30 – Jordan Staal drives the net, pushes a Tyler Kennedy rebound to the side and…you guessed it…Sterling drives it past Crawford to tie the game. I let lose another wake the dead scream. Emily is reconsidering her earlier gesture of kindness. Even in this moment of joy I’m still in shock that this constitutes our first line.

4:45 – A clean and sober Patrick Kane dances around Kris Letang and nearly ends the game before overtime. Letang is forced to take a penalty. All I can think is…why can’t it ever be easy?

4:46 – No worries. Hossa returns the favor and takes down Cooke. At least now he’s in the box score. Seriously, at what point did Hossa morph in to Vinny Lecavalier north? And just in case I’ve been too subtle to this point; no, I have not quite forgiven him for running out on the Pens. A few more games like this however and I just might.

4:48 – Jordan Staal takes a slap shot square in the jaw on an overtime power play. Staal’s life is turning in to slapstick comedy. It’s nothing short of divine intervention that he was not seriously injured in the bus crash last week. Heck he was probably driving.

4:50 – Fleury giveth, Fleury taketh away. MAF makes two of the sickest saves you’ll ever see. Yes he gave up a softie but the Pens got a point day solely on his shoulders.

4:52 – Penguins shoot out line-up…Pascal Dupuis, Kris Letang, and Tyler Kennedy. No I’m not making that up. Hawks line-up…Jonathan Toes, Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane. I’m not by nature a betting man but…

…4:55 – Hawks win…Kane beats Fleury with a sick move moments after Dupuis cranks iron.

4:57 – While I respond to Christopher’s 7th angry text message, Emily appears smiling in her Hawks glory on the United Center scoreboard. Somehow, in spite of being in the next seat, her Penguin attired husband does not make the cut. Either way, those three seconds represent the only time I can look at the scoreboard today and smile.

5:00 - We leave relatively happy considering both the latest specter of hockey doom and the $25 Million of talent the Pens have on injured reserved. This one is behind us. Now let the James Neal era begin!

Is it finally Time to Forgive Marian Hossa?

The Chicago Blackhawks are the 2010 Stanley Cup Champions. The Hawks are a great team and they deserve the cup. They combined talent and depth with a champion’s determination to win. Quite frankly, they remind me a lot of the Penguins from last year.

The Hawks win also means that the three year Marian Hossa odyssey has finally ended. Three years, three teams, three Stanley Cup finals; that’s quite a run for anybody. In Chicago and nationally the story was one of Hossa triumphing over personal adversity to finally win the Cup. That’s one perspective of it.

The perspective from the Burgh is quite a bit different. Hossa remains reviled by Pittsburgh fans. It’s somewhat amazing that a player who spent barely 4 months in the Burgh and quite honestly did everything asked of him while he was there is so hated. And yet there is no doubt that’s the case. I was reminded of that when I saw people seriously posing the question, what is worse, the Goons winning the cup or Hossa?

For the record, any Penguin fan who even has to think about this question should be required to attend extensive sports rehab. Do you want to live in a world where the Orange and Black Goon squad is carrying the Stanley Cup? DO YOU ??? I can think of nothing that engenders more hatred in Pittsburgh sports fans than that team, with the possible exception of a certain loud mouthed, ugly Russian and his merry band of soft, one dimensional cronies in our nation’s capital.

Anyway, back to Maid Marian.

This is a guy who by all accounts is a great teammate, works hard at both ends of the ice, is incredibly skilled and seems to genuinely care about winning. The fact that he’s been on three straight teams that went to the finals can not be a complete coincidence. I still say that without Hossa, the Pens are lucky to get out of the second round in 2008.

So how does a guy like that end up getting booed every time he touches the puck…in THREE cities? For those who missed it, Hossa did what was previously considered impossible and actually angered Nashville fans earlier in the playoffs. He took some nameless, faceless Predator out with a hit from behind but somehow did not get a game misconduct.

The situation was classic Hossa, at least of the last few years. He took a horrible penalty that nearly derailed his team’s championship hopes. In one of the truly amazing moments of this year’s playoffs, the Hawks tied the game up while shorthanded in the final 15 seconds. And then he scores the winning goal in overtime which by the way was the only time he made an appearance of significance in the goal column this entire post season.

So now he’s regularly booed in three cities, one of which does not even like hockey.

On top of that we can add:

· Losing the Stanley Cup finals two straight years. Losing the second year to the team you bolted after the first year for the team you lost to the first year (if you followed that).
· Losing the semi-final game at the Olympics after just missing out on a last second, goal mouth scramble.
· Blowing out his knee during the world junior championships.
· Nearly blinding Bryan Berard on an innocent follow through play with his stick.
· Playing three years in Atlanta.

I realize it’s hard to engender too much sympathy for a guy making $60 Million but if it was possible, Hossa would seem a reasonable candidate.

On top of that, and scoring just three goals in the playoffs, Hossa nearly torpedoed that Hawks again Wednesday night. His second period give away resulted in a breakaway that Antti Niemi thwarted. And did you happen to notice who was standing right in front of the net when the Goons tied the game at 3? Is Hossa morphing in to Ryan Whitney?

Actually, he seems to be morphing into John Madden. I heard Doc and Edzo talk at length during game 6 about Hossa’s defensive play and hustle. Maybe the Hawks could have saved $6 Million and just signed another hard working checking line forward. I think Madden and Hossa had the same number of goals in the post season.

See the point? Maybe as Pens fans we should stop hating this guy and feel sorry for him. Until he finally lifted that Cup Wednesday night, he’d had a rough run.

There are also a couple of interesting ironies about the whole hating Hossa agenda we have in the Burgh:

--In the long run, the Pens were better off without him. There is no way they could support three forwards making a combined $24 Million per year. If Hossa signs, say goodbye to Orpik, Staal, and maybe even Fleury.

--I still think that Hossa’s primary reason for bolting the Burgh was that he did not want to play for Michel Therrien anymore. In his mind, he probably thought he was being diplomatic by saying; I want to go to Detroit to win the Stanley Cup which sounds a lot better than, “I don’t want that crazy French guy screaming at me anymore.”

--The Pens won the Stanley cup…without him…and beat him in the process.

Again, these are all reasons we probably should be thanking him for leaving, rather than turning him into the microwavable Barry Bonds. I mean it took us just 4 months of Hossa to build up the same level of hatred we had for Bonds after 8 years. And Hossa is a nice guy whose head has not mysteriously grown 3 sizes in the last decade.

Honestly, I was fine with Hossa leaving for most of last season; compelled by the logical positions I’ve taken above. And then I saw him in that gruesome red uniform standing between the Pens and the cup and logic went out the window. It hit home right there what was happening and that he could have just as easily taken one year, $7 Million in the Burgh. I succumbed to the same irrational hatred that had engulfed the rest of Penguin nation. And I celebrated his loss as much as I did Detroit’s.

As a result, throughout his maiden voyage with the Hawks, Hossa and I had an uneasy coexistence. I rooted for the Hawks and simply tried to ignore him in the process. Honestly, it was not that difficult. He missed two months with a shoulder injury and was never really a huge offensive presence.

There was one potentially awkward moment at a home game against Dallas. Hossa had a chance to win the game in a shoot out which I admit put me in a truly precarious position. Emily notes that I had a look of intense fear on my face. Alas in keeping with the season long theme he missed the net and somebody else bailed out the Hawks.

Other than that, I barely noticed him for 8 months.

So what changed in the last two weeks? Maybe I’m a new man since my wedding. Or maybe, I just wanted the Hawks to win and was not ready for a Stanley Cup parade down Broad Street (especially after a hugely disappointing Penguin flame out). Either way, somewhere in that time I went from aggressively promoting my disdain for Hossa to rooting for the guy (at least in the team context). Somewhere I went from being angry that he shunned the Penguins to being angry that he had 200 scoring chances and never finished.

I guess you could say we bonded through adversity. He was struggling to score; I was struggling to deal with the image of Chris Pronger carrying the Stanley Cup. We had a common goal. I’m not saying I learned to love the guy but at least I was no longer subconsciously hoping he would fail.

For the record, I stand by my criticism of his performance. It’s ok for Max Talbot to work hard at both ends of the rink and not score. That’s his role. When Hossa scores 3 goals in 22 playoff games, that’s not right. Truth be told, had Hossa played to his full ability last year, the Dead Wings might have beaten the Pens two straight years. That’s another reason we probably should not hate him so much, he helped the Pens win.

So in the end, I’m grudgingly willing to forgive Hossa for his sins against the Penguins. Mind you I’m not starting the Hossa fan club in Chicago and you will never see me wearing his jersey but I think I can now peacefully coexist with him in the windy city. That’s quite a bit of progress from last summer when I went from gloating over his loss to the Pens to uncontrolled angst over his signing with the Hawks. Besides, he’s only here 11 more years.

As for other Penguin fans, I can’t really tell you what to do. I suggest letting go of your Hossa hatred. There are much better targets including Ovechkin and pretty much every player in the eastern part of the state. Be like me. I’ve moved on and I am no longer angry about Hossa bailing on the Pens and/or slapping the organization and the entire city of Pittsburgh in the face with his insulting, I want to go somewhere I can win the cup comments.

Yes, I’ve completely moved on.