- Dancing with the Devil?
Or should I ask, are Rangers fans ready to sell their souls to the Devil for a chance at another Stanley Cup? The Devil I speak of is none other than Sean Avery. I realize this topic is getting worn out so I am putting this one up and then I’m moving on, I promise.
Fans around the league either love him or hate him. I think you all know what side I’m on. I have no use for the man, on the ice or off. To see him wearing Ranger blue absolutely turns my stomach. When you poll Ranger fans on the subject of Sean Avery it comes out pretty even and no surprise the arguments for and against are pretty passionate. For me, all I have to do is look back at Sean Avery’s history. Aside from his daily antics on the ice since he started his career he’s made the press a bit too:
- In the 2004-05 lockout year Avery still managed to make the news when he claimed in print that the management of the National Hockey League Players Association lied to it’s members.
- In the 2005 Preseason, after Denis Gauthier knocked Jeremy Roenick out of a game with a concussion Avery was quoted with this little gem. “I think it was typical of most French guys in our league with a visor on, running around and playing tough and not back anything up,”
- Later that same year Georges Laraque charged that Avery had called him a “Monkey” during an Oct. 11th game. Avery of course denied the charge and it was never proven.
Again in 2005 Avery was fined $1000 for intentionally diving and one day later another $1000 for calling out Director Colin Campbell. - Want more? Ok and this one is actually pretty funny.
- In 2006 Avery and Ducks Broadcaster Brian Hayward got into a heated argument after Hayward accused Avery of avoiding a fight with Ducks forward, who was much bigger than Avery. Avery called Hayward and ‘Embarrassment”, a terrible announcer and a terrible player. To which Hayward responded, “How would you know? When I played you were in your 3rd year of 8th grade.”
- 2006 near the end of the season – The Kings suspended Avery, after an argument with assistant coach Mark Hardy. Avery had refused to participate in a practice drill.
- 2007: Well Sean hasn’t disappointed. He’s made the press yet again. Twice within the last two weeks, and not for his wonderful play. This time it was for two juvenile pre-game skirmishes. The last in which he was accused of making a comment about Jason Blake’s battle with Cancer. Avery has vehemently denied this charge and gave this statement. “I am extremely upset and hurt that false and damaging comments were attributed to me regarding Jason Blake. I made no such comments. I have lost two grandfathers to cancer and have been a consistent contributor to multiple cancer related charities, first and foremost, Hockey Fights Cancer. I am unable to comment further, as the matter is now being addressed by legal counsel.” However the in regards to his pre-game antics the league did see fit to fine him $2,500 and the team $25,000. Tucker and the Maple Leafs were fined as well, $1000 and $10,000 respectively.
The Anti Avery folks will tell you he’s a ‘Cancer’ that will destroy your team. Being a survivor of that particular disease, it’s not a word I will use lightly. I see Avery as an embarrassment to the game of hockey. He’s a yapper, a whiner and a diver. He rarely takes what he dishes out, usually leaving a teammate to do the fighting. He starts out great on every team but after a while his act wears thin on his teammates and the fans.
The Pro Avery folks will tell you he’s a ‘Pest’. He gets under the opposing player’s skin and makes them take bad penalties. He’s the spark, the goon that every team needs. Perhaps he is. I’ve talked to a lot of Ranger fans lately and they LOVE the guy. When I ask why they say cause he’s the guy you hated when you had to play him. He’s an agitator, a, well as I said, a pest.
So I guess the question boils down to this, are you ready to sell your soul to the Devil for a chance at the Cup? Because, come on admit it, you know you didn’t like him before he became a Ranger. I’ll root for the team as always but I can not and will not root for Sean Avery. I’ve never been a good dancer anyway.
