Cookie Monster?

Ok, so as I sit here reading up on NHL news & watching NHL On the Fly, I'm noticing something. People are up in arms over Cooke not getting suspended. Seriously people, why wasn't there this much of an uproar when Richards wasn't suspended?? In fact, Colin Campbell basically said the reason Cooke wasn't suspended is because they had to remain consistent with their suspensions. No suspension for Richards=No suspension for Cooke. Why do people keep going off about how Cooke had intent to injure?? Can you read his mind? Do you know what he was thinking? Do many of them even know Cooke off the ice? I'm not pretending to know any of these things, and the media has no right to either. Just because of his reputation, people automatically label him as bloodthirsty and vicious.

How exactly did Cooke get this reputation? For doing his job. He's not Sid or Ovie. His job is to go out there, be an agitator, and throw out big hits. Occaisionally he scores a goal, but he's there simply for a physical presence. There are a select few in the league who get the 'pest' title. Avery and Jarkko Ruutu are the two other big ones that come to mind. All of these guys do their job every night, and they do it well, hence the 'pest' term.

Compare this to another member of the Penguins who has a similar job, Brooks Orpik. Now, I realize Orps is a defenseman who scores one, MAYBE two goals a year. But think about it, Orps is hands down the most physical member of the Pens. I've personally witnessed his hits fire up a crowd as much, if not more, than someone scoring a goal. Does he have the reputation of being dirty? With the exception of one specific hit, no. And even then, if you ask anyone who isn't a Pens or Canes fan about the hit, you're gonna get a blank stare.



So basically, Pens fans are just gonna have to do what we've grown used to doing the past few years, ignore the Conspiracy Theorists. They always come up with new ways to 'prove' Bettman wants us to win the Cup, and this is just gonna be their fuel for awhile. It's going to be extremely interesting to see what happens when the Pens travel to Boston next week, especially since there was no punishment.

Whatever. Don't have to worry about that for awhile. Pens play in Carolina in about 16 and a half hours or something like that.