And The Winner IS.....
A 16 year old kid , Ben Fanelli, lies in serious but
stable condition - upgraded from critical -
in a southern Ontario hospital.
This young man was the victim of a vicious hit in an
Ontario Hockey League game October 30. Reports
indicate that the rookie defenseman for the Kitchener
Rangers is beginning to show signs of responsiveness -
his injuries skull and facial fractures.
Here's a 16 year old kid - 16 years old - he'd been
slammed into the end boards retrieving a puck behind
his net.
In the blink of an eye the game changed. Life changed.
What is supposed to be a game - changed. Lightning
struck on the head of a pin. An entire set of references
changed in the time it took for his motionless body
to hit the ice.
Here's a teenager doing what he loves to to do - what he
has done his entire life - stricken by a 20 year old -
doing what he loves to do - what he has done his entire
life. Both players were playing a game the way they have
been schooled to play - both playing at a very high
level - competing in a game - attractive at least in part
due to it's violent nature and both intent on earning
a future spot in a still higher level of the game.
The OHL - league Commissioner David Branch - suspended
the 20 year old journeyman enforcer Michael Liambis
for the rest of the season and the playoffs...
his junior hockey career thus ended.
I don't often find myself agreeing with Philadelphia Flyer
legend Bobby Clarke but I have to say that in this case
Clarke is absolutely correct. During an NHL telecast after
the incident Clarke called the suspension "ridiculous."
Clarke correctly pointed out that the hit was perfectly
legal...vicious yes, but at the same time, well within
the rules and in fact, perfectly in line with the way
way this game is played.
Michael Liambis is ( was ) an overage enforcer for the Erie
Otters. The Otters describe the suspension as extreme.
Liambis himself appears to still be in shock. His intent,
he says was never to injure and he seems genuinely contrite.
Clarke correctly says that the OHL has to change the rules
to better protect its players - and suspending a player for
doing what he's in the lineup to do - is wrong.
Liambis is more than a "goon." Liambis is a junior
hockey player whose been recognized for his volunteer work
in his Erie community - working with the Shriners and
reading to kids...He's articulate and appears to be a
thoughtful young man.
I hold faint hope that both the players involved in this
incident will a couple of decades down the road prove to
have emerged successfully.
I sincerely hope that Ben Fanelli gets his health back and
is able to return to his promising career in hockey.
I sincerely hope that Liambis is able to get his head around
this and that he is not spoiled, embittered, feeling
discarded, rejected, and used.
This is a very sad story involving two very clear victims.
On another note - let me ask you a question.
Are you among those outraged by the H1N1 vaccination fiasco ?
Could government(s) have been less efficient ? While the
ever present finger pointing continues at Province House
and Parliament Hill the flu vaccination screw-up is nothing
more than the latest evidence that neither our provincial
or federal politicians are capable of anything other than
padding their own bottomless pockets and wasting our money.
It is not the fault of our elected representatives.
It is the fault of our highly paid, totally unaccountable and
untouchable civil service. I can only hope I live to see the
day that questions aren't just asked - but answered - and
those who clearly failed to plan and execute leaving the
public at risk and vulnerable, are taken to task.
Speaking of wasting money...Ontario's hosting the 2015
Pan Am Games. Hurray !!! There were high-fives all around
at the announcement yesterday. Terrrriffficc !!! I'm
excited...Everyone I know will either travel to southern
Ontario or gather anxiously in front of their TV's
to watch...The Pan Am Games...The Ontario and Federal
governments are both on the hook for something in the
neighbourhood of 500 million dollars or so
- EACH - what did it cost to launch the bid ?
$ 200 million ? With education, healthcare, our Federal
pension programs, and infrastructure all in the shitter
it's a comfort to me that we continue to toss around
hundreds of millions of dollars - which become billions
of dollars - taxpayers dollars - on things as critical
as Pan Am Games.
And then the Yankees win the World Series...next year
they will add Doc Halladay from the Jays roster - the
Yankees will lose ten games all year and the Jays will
win ten and Major League Baseball will be as it should.
Funny world we live in, isn't it ?
Yesterday's snows remain on the ground - tomorrow's tee time
appears at risk...Despite that - I will have a
good day today - and a good day tomorrow - and hope that
you enjoy the same good fortune.
Happy Trials...
Don
stable condition - upgraded from critical -
in a southern Ontario hospital.
This young man was the victim of a vicious hit in an
Ontario Hockey League game October 30. Reports
indicate that the rookie defenseman for the Kitchener
Rangers is beginning to show signs of responsiveness -
his injuries skull and facial fractures.
Here's a 16 year old kid - 16 years old - he'd been
slammed into the end boards retrieving a puck behind
his net.
In the blink of an eye the game changed. Life changed.
What is supposed to be a game - changed. Lightning
struck on the head of a pin. An entire set of references
changed in the time it took for his motionless body
to hit the ice.
Here's a teenager doing what he loves to to do - what he
has done his entire life - stricken by a 20 year old -
doing what he loves to do - what he has done his entire
life. Both players were playing a game the way they have
been schooled to play - both playing at a very high
level - competing in a game - attractive at least in part
due to it's violent nature and both intent on earning
a future spot in a still higher level of the game.
The OHL - league Commissioner David Branch - suspended
the 20 year old journeyman enforcer Michael Liambis
for the rest of the season and the playoffs...
his junior hockey career thus ended.
I don't often find myself agreeing with Philadelphia Flyer
legend Bobby Clarke but I have to say that in this case
Clarke is absolutely correct. During an NHL telecast after
the incident Clarke called the suspension "ridiculous."
Clarke correctly pointed out that the hit was perfectly
legal...vicious yes, but at the same time, well within
the rules and in fact, perfectly in line with the way
way this game is played.
Michael Liambis is ( was ) an overage enforcer for the Erie
Otters. The Otters describe the suspension as extreme.
Liambis himself appears to still be in shock. His intent,
he says was never to injure and he seems genuinely contrite.
Clarke correctly says that the OHL has to change the rules
to better protect its players - and suspending a player for
doing what he's in the lineup to do - is wrong.
Liambis is more than a "goon." Liambis is a junior
hockey player whose been recognized for his volunteer work
in his Erie community - working with the Shriners and
reading to kids...He's articulate and appears to be a
thoughtful young man.
I hold faint hope that both the players involved in this
incident will a couple of decades down the road prove to
have emerged successfully.
I sincerely hope that Ben Fanelli gets his health back and
is able to return to his promising career in hockey.
I sincerely hope that Liambis is able to get his head around
this and that he is not spoiled, embittered, feeling
discarded, rejected, and used.
This is a very sad story involving two very clear victims.
On another note - let me ask you a question.
Are you among those outraged by the H1N1 vaccination fiasco ?
Could government(s) have been less efficient ? While the
ever present finger pointing continues at Province House
and Parliament Hill the flu vaccination screw-up is nothing
more than the latest evidence that neither our provincial
or federal politicians are capable of anything other than
padding their own bottomless pockets and wasting our money.
It is not the fault of our elected representatives.
It is the fault of our highly paid, totally unaccountable and
untouchable civil service. I can only hope I live to see the
day that questions aren't just asked - but answered - and
those who clearly failed to plan and execute leaving the
public at risk and vulnerable, are taken to task.
Speaking of wasting money...Ontario's hosting the 2015
Pan Am Games. Hurray !!! There were high-fives all around
at the announcement yesterday. Terrrriffficc !!! I'm
excited...Everyone I know will either travel to southern
Ontario or gather anxiously in front of their TV's
to watch...The Pan Am Games...The Ontario and Federal
governments are both on the hook for something in the
neighbourhood of 500 million dollars or so
- EACH - what did it cost to launch the bid ?
$ 200 million ? With education, healthcare, our Federal
pension programs, and infrastructure all in the shitter
it's a comfort to me that we continue to toss around
hundreds of millions of dollars - which become billions
of dollars - taxpayers dollars - on things as critical
as Pan Am Games.
And then the Yankees win the World Series...next year
they will add Doc Halladay from the Jays roster - the
Yankees will lose ten games all year and the Jays will
win ten and Major League Baseball will be as it should.
Funny world we live in, isn't it ?
Yesterday's snows remain on the ground - tomorrow's tee time
appears at risk...Despite that - I will have a
good day today - and a good day tomorrow - and hope that
you enjoy the same good fortune.
Happy Trials...
Don
posted by Don Grose at 2:59 AM
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