Listen if the study of ancient humans doesn’t make you at least a little bit emotional idk what to say.
I started crying today at the museum because they had reconstructed the shoes of Otzi the iceman.
Either he or someone he knew who cared about him made these shoes out of grass and bear skin and twine and he was wearing them when he died over five thousand years ago.
And a Czech researcher and his students did reconstructions of these shoes and wore them to the same place where he died to test them out and they were like yep! These shoes are really cozy and comfy and didn’t give us blisters while hiking!
when claire mcleod stands there................. blue shirt tucked in her jeans............... hands on hips............. being the smartest person there???? that's love of my life material
the thing about players like Matt Rempe is that there are so many people who would rather argue that there's a place for him and other guys like him in the league instead of agree that it will always be better and more interesting when gifted players are able to play. and they can argue that other guys are just as bad--but so what if they are? let's be worried about preventing all of it instead of making excuses for why your guy should also be able to take guys out.
I will always be more interested in guys like Quinn Hughes or Cale Makar or Jake Guentzel or Cole Caufield being able to play without having to worry some dude with a propensity for head hits is going to take them out.
Personally, I'd like Sid to have the 108 games he missed between 2011-2012. I'd like him to have the playoff series instead of the concussion he got from a Jacob Trouba hit to the head. I'd like Paul Kariya to have finished his career on his terms and without huge gaps where games should be. I'd like Paul Kariya to have gone to the Olympics in Japan instead of taking a cross-check to the face from Gary Suter. I'd like Hörny to have made that magical playoff run with the Cats instead of having to retire because of a bad Daniel Sprong hit. guys get accidentally taken out by friendly fire all the time. they shouldn't also have to worry about a hit ending their career.
it's not even about "clean" vs. "dirty." if you've played 96 minutes, your injury count should not be that high. who cares if it's legal if it's giving dudes TBIs? genuinely. because that's what concussions are.
some day, every single one of these guys will retire. long or short careers. by choice or by force. with bodies at various levels of health. the fans and the league should care a lot more about those guys than they do.
the only thing Mark Lazerus got wrong in that article was that Jacob Trouba and Tom Wilson had learned their lesson about dangerous hits. I'll believe that when it hasn't happened in the last four months.
here's one study on the quality of life of 76 Swedish hockey players who retired due to concussion. that's the shit we should be caring about.