Memo to Edmonton: It's Only a Game
An officiating error by Mick McGeough cost the Edmonton Oilers a point last Saturday night. It also cost coach Craig MacTavish $10,000. That's how much he was fined by the NHL for calling the referee "spastic" and describing the blunder as "retarded."
Now it seems the misguided hockey nuts of the Alberta capital intend to raise money to pay the MacTavish fine. A local radio station is leading the drive. The Edmonton Journal provides a glimpse into the madness:
Ryan Zimmerman, program director for The Bear, said the station decided over the weekend to set up a fund-raising effort of its own, and by this afternoon had already raised $2,000 from broadcasts at two live locations.
“We felt that he was the voice of the fans that night and our motto is that we pay for this together,” Zimmerman said. “it’s our fine and we support MacT and his comments.”
The Bear will be at Hudsons on Whyte Avenue Tuesday night during the Oilers game against the Montreal Canadiens. The bar, a favourite watering hole of many Oilers fans, has already pledged to throw in $1,000.
What's the most pathetic aspect of this pathetic story? That so many people take a hockey game so seriously? Or that so many can find no better use for their charitable dollars? (The article notes that nobody expects MacTavish to accept the money, which will ultimately go to charity. One blogger suggests the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. Ha-ha.)
MacTavish did nothing to defuse the silliness when he refused to back down from his comments. "I said what I said because of the way I felt. I still feel that way. I don't have too many regrets." You would think a guy who has made some serious mistakes of his own might be a little more forgiving.
Postscript: My position doesn't seem to be getting much support over at Battle of Alberta. That's okay. You can't call yourself a true hockey blogger until you've been called a "sack of sh*t" by an irate fan in Alberta. The guy who calls himself CrazyCoach might want to take his medication before posting anymore comments, though.
Comments
Are you really this annoyed by Oilers fans? Or is this just pretend-mad so you have something to write about in your column?
Oilers fans don’t support using the word “retarded,” but they do see the fun in raising money for charity to make a point about Mick McGeough’s reffing.
Nothing more to it than that.
To say I’m “mad” would be overstating it. But to see this story still percolating three days later? A bit much, don’t you think? Get over it, people.
MacT’s postgame outburst is forgivable - heat of the moment etc. But you think he would have been a little more gracious the next day. McGeough made an honest mistake. Nothing much we can do about those.
Eh, last season Edmonton was robbed of a point when a goal scored by Peca in overtime was disallowed, even though it went upstairs and replays showed it definetly went in, it was still called off. A bigger travesty perhaps than friday’s game. Of course, people forgot about it a couple days later.
Point is, it’s the nature of the beast why this one took off. One guy suggests something, and next thing you know…. it snowballs.
Frankly, the passion for the game that the blogosphere has (those who might think that it’s more than just a game…) are the ones who provide you with an audience, though I’m starting to wonder how much of an audience you really deserve.
Why would you bring up an incedent from over 10 years ago that has no relevance to his what so ever…
Dumb article. You have the power to express your opinion and be heard by many people, and you waste it with this garbage.
From Jamie Fitzpatrick:
“With all due respect to players, coaches, managers and sportswriters, pro hockey’s greatest asset is the fan. Without passionate fans the NHL would be out of business pretty quick. That’s why I look at issues and stories within the game from a fan’s perspective, leaving the inside scoops and speculative rumours to others. I’ll also provide easy access to scores, schedules, statistics, history and the best in hockey journalism.”
http://proicehockey.about.com/mbiopage.htm
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So, what? You’re just a massive hypocrite? I don’t get it.
I’m sure the tragic death of a young woman 22 years ago is right on par with slamming a (notoriously poor) ref. Talk about not letting something go Mr. Fitzpatrick. The state of MA was satisfied over the issue, you should be too.
Edmonton fans love their hockey team enough to turn a negative into a positive, perhaps you should try that sometime. How about an article on the CNIB and the benevolent work they do and how any money raised goes a long way to making a nicer world.
I find it strange that a fellow ‘blogger’ would chastise another for having so much passion for the game. I find it retar- er - stupid that he thinks that raising money for a charity is ridiculous. I find it hypocritical that the man who’s saying “Let it GO already, Edmonton” felt the need to bring up MacTavish’s 22 year old past.
Oh, please. Slam a fanbase for showing a little passion, then wrap it up by hitting below the belt, dredging up a youthful mistake that has been rectified in accorance with the law? Classy.
And what would you suggest we do with the money instead? is giving it to CNIB; the Bear’s money is probably going to the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation. It’s not like we’re really reimbursing a millionaire hockey coach/ex-player. It’s called “making a point.” Get a grip, dude.
What the hell is wrong with you???
Do you not understand that it’s about making a point. If you saw the call you’d realize that McGoo is spastic, and it cost us 1 point, possibly 2. Everyone in the NHL believes it was the worst call made, yet McGoo gets a slap on the hand, whereas MacT gets $10,000 for saying what was on every Edmontonians mind. By the way you put us down, I wouldn’t be surprised if you were a Calgary fan. Where was Calgary again in the standings? Oh, yeah, not even in them.
Are we still talking sbout this? GEt over it Edmonton. It’s a game. G-A-M-E. Do we have nothing better to do with our lives then lament a missed call in a hockey game over and over again. Yes, it made news, yes, it was a missed call and yes, bloggers have the right to call it like it is. I agree. It is a pathetic sotry. I wonder how many will respond with such vigour to the Raffi Torres hit tonight in Detroit?
I’m not an Edmonton fan, and this has me outraged from so many different angles.
1. This was not McGeough’s call to make as he was the official in the worst position.
2. The call wasn’t a missed call, it was a made up call. It was contrived, imagined, a fantasy. It was not missed, as the call was never there.
Those points aside, what’s done is done. No changing it now, at least not that chapter of the situation.
Here’s the other chapter: Two men made ‘errors in judgment’ that night. McGeough’s call and MacT’s remarks. McGeough had 2 other officials in better position to make a call than he, so there was no basis for his mistake. MacTavish’s mistake, however, was understandable. What I don’t get is why he’s the only one paying for it, both in the standings and out of his wallet.
Where is McGeough’s fine/suspension/apology? An admission of error is not an apology, and frankly I never heard McGeough express remorse.
To me this isn’t something that happened to the Oilers, this is something that happened in Edmonton to the NHL, and I really hope that the attention Grabia and “The Bear” have brought some kind of awareness to the right people.
I think that’s HAWESOME they’re doing that. Only folks from Edmonton would be that original to think of something like that indeed.
1) Please don’t pretend that this is all about raising money for charity. The most honest comment posted here is the one by Evan. At least he owns up to his outrage over the blown call. The money has to go somewhere, and the charity will no doubt be grateful. But this campaign is motivated by a lot of people sticking up for a coach who behaved less than admirably and deserved his fine.
2) The NHL isn’t dumb enough to publicly reprimand officials when they make mistakes. That would be essentially declaring open season on all referees. But you can be sure that the Edmonton mistake will go on McGeough’s file, and will be part of his next performance review.
3) Passion doesn’t excuse everything, least of all misguided public hysteria campaigns.
1. No one, ever, pretended that this was about a charity more than it was about making a point, and standing by the truthful words of a coach.
2. Do you remember when the referees were warned that they would be fined if they stopped making calls such as obstruction?
At the beginning of last season, Walkom stated in this article “I keep saying to everyone and anyone, this isn’t about a team, this isn’t about a coach, this isn’t even about a style of play. This is about the N.H.L. standard.
(more from that article) “Whether watching games in the league’s monitor-crammed operations center here or conversing with the officials under his command, Walkom returns again and again to his new mantra. Players, coaches and, yes, referees and linesmen will be held accountable to the standard.”
I guess that standard just flew out of the window. No one’s being held accountable.
3. Passion isn’t an excuse, it’s a reason to stand up for what you believe in.
It’s a pity that your crabbiness, bitter sarcasm, along with your need to tell people that they’re ‘nuts’ and that they ought to ‘take their medication’ is holding you back from tapping into that passion.
You don’t have to agree with what Grabia suggested, but is it possible for you to read and comment on the MacT fund without being so pompous?
It’s amazing to me how one person says “Everyone in the NHL believes it was the worst call made” - I must have missed the poll. Dang, once again, I didn’t hear about this sort of thing. I’m a Kings fan, for the record, and we’ve had the “screw through McGeough” too - I swear he hates us, but whatever. In this case, he admitted his mistake, and what else does anyone really expect? It’s better than what he gives us. Besides, McGeough will officiate games again involving the Oilers. It would be smarter to shut up and put up than to pour oil on the flames, so to speak…