Soggy Night in the Big Apple

No More Tears Please 

Is it just me or has anyone else had just about enough of Mark
Messier and compulsive crying? Messier's number 11 was retired
and hoisted to the rafters of Madison Square Garden Thursday
night and once again the tears flowed uncontrollably from the
instant the ceremony began. The future Hall of Fame Center wept
immediately when his name was announced and the torrent of tears
began as he walked down the red carpet towards the microphone at
Center Ice. The crying continued sporadically throughout the
painfully long ceremony and Messier put an exclamation point on
a legacy that remembers him as perhaps the most prolific crier
ever in the history of sports. 

I certainly don't want to come off as insensitive nor do I wish
to diminish what was otherwise a great career by one of the best
hockey players ever but for gods sakes enough of the blatting.
I've literally watched this man cry countless times. He cried
winning each of his 6 Stanley Cups, cried when he won the Heart
Trophy, cried when he won the Conn Smyth Trophy, cried when
Gretzky was traded to Los Angeles, cried when he was traded to
the Rangers, cried when he was traded from the Rangers to the
Canucks, cried accepting his Captaincy upon arriving in
Vancouver, cried when he was traded back to New York, cried when
arriving in New York at the press conference, cried when his
number was retired in Edmonton, cried when he retired when
no-one really cared, and finally cried last night getting his
number retired in New York. Enough already. 

The good news is Mark Messier's crying should soon end as his
Hall of Fame induction appears to be his last opportunity for
showing his tender, heart on his sleeve persona. That will
certainly be a relief for a guy that makes Dick Vermeil look
like a hard ass in comparison. Can you possibly imagine watching
"Ole Yeller' with this guy? 

Anyway I needed to get that off my chest and I do feel better
now. My only hope for Messier's future is he doesn't get into
coaching or managing at the NHL level and he disappears from the
spotlight. Then perhaps the healing can begin.