Jarkko Ruutu has been suspended for 2 games for allegedly biting the thumb of Buffalo’s Andrew Peters. If he really did bite him then I understand the leagues need to suspend him. You can’t have players biting each other. I get that. I personally think he did bite him and I would have done exactly the same.
I am not applauding Jarkko Ruutu and his actions but I thought about what I would do in the same situation. Ruutu did not go hunting on the ice looking for someone to chomp into. The two men were tied up and Peters jammed his thumb into Ruutu’s mouth. Watch the video closely. That thumb didn’t get into that mouth by accident. This is the logic I don’t understand. A player can intentionally jam his thumb into one players mouth and try to rip his cheek, but biting that thumb goes against the code of hockey?
What is the code of hockey now? I really don’t know. I know what it used to be and I know it’s not nearly the same anymore, but I really don’t know what the code is anymore.
In this same game Chris Kelly was put in a head lock and his head jammed into the boards by Drew Stafford. It is unclear whether he was injured by his head being stuffed into the boards or a cross check to the head from Craig Rivet. Either way Kelly’s eye is swollen shut today and the train track stitches in his head are no act. This play was not penalized and was certainly not reviewed by the league. It apparently falls into the code of acceptability. The tiny piece of broken skin on the end of Andrew Peters finger is obviously a far more egregious offence. Apparently because it offends the sense of “Code” that all players live by.
That code did nothing for Patrice Bergeron in Boston last year when Randy Jones from Philly nearly ended his life with a hit from behind. That hit just barely stirred the keepers of the code. That death defying hit warranted just a 3 game suspension. So let me get this straight. You can almost kill a man and that’s worth just 1 more game suspension than biting the thumb of a man who intentionally jammed his opposable digit into the mouth of the biter?
I don’t get the code anymore. I don’t get the logic of those who defend the code and the men who punish those who break this ever changing code.
Jarkko Ruutu deserves to be suspended. So does Andrew Peters if for no other reason than the stupidity of jamming your thumb in someone’s mouth, trying to rip their cheek open and then being appalled that you were bitten.
In the end does anyone really care? A pest bit a goon. Peters has injured that thumb worse tying his skates. No, this suspension is about the code. I just wish I knew where I could buy a copy of it so I could read up on this. I am heading to Chapters right now and I am going straight to the Comedy Section.
See you at the rink.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Brilliant. This is an excellent take and I share your opinion. Dean you are and will forever be my idol.
Dean, I couldn't agree with you more what amazes me was the attention this got in the US especially by Jim Rome, iy was like Ruutu mangled or totally bit off Peter's thumb. Now we don't agree with biting but being a goon shouldn't be a part of the code - whatever the code is - then again maybe its just an edoc - eh!??
I cannot believe I am reading and hearing commentators on Team 1200, including the voice of the Sens, defend Ruutu's biting another player`s thumb. If you are suppose to be in control of your stick at all times, I would assume this applies to your mouth and teeth.
This defense by Ottawa fans of Ruutu only reinforces the idea that home fans will defend their home players, no matter what they do, how vile their actions. If Ruutu had been on another team, and bitten a Sens player, well, Sens fans would have run him out of town (that is if they could drag themselves away from trying to drive Murray, Hartsburg, Spezza, the zamboni driver, the trainers, etc, out of town.)
That was harsh...Dean called it lie he saw it....the whole thing was overblown .His Op. hit the spot.......
Post a Comment