PLENTY OF REACTION TO “THE INCIDENT”
The fight-filled Calgary Flames-Vancouver Canucks game had altercations on and off the ice on Saturday night – and now it’s led to an online war of words.
Peter Gammons, an analyst for Major League Baseball’s network and website, drew the ire of hockey fans on Sunday when he criticized the two NHL teams on Twitter for their physical game the night before.
“Calgary and Vancouver last night reiterated why the NHL is a minor sport,” said Gammons (@pgammo) from his verified Twitter account.
The tweet referred to the Canucks’ 3-2 shootout win over the Flames, which saw over 200 minutes of penalties and eight game misconducts. The fights weren’t limited to the ice as Vancouver head coach John Tortorella got into an altercation with Calgary enforcer Brian McGrattan and goalie coach Clint Malarchuk outside the Flames’ locker-room during the first intermission.
Criticism of Gammons’ tweet came quickly after Fox Sports 1 anchor Jay Onrait – an Edmonton native – retweeted the remarks with the added note “Shots fired.”
“Seriously though, who is Peter Gammons? He has a puppy and flowers as his avatar,” said professional golfer Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask.
Onrait quickly replied to DeLaet, comparing Gammons to TSN hockey analyst Bob McKenzie.
“He is the Bob McKenzie of MLB I suppose. Bob Mac would never be so rude to insult baseball (might think it though),” said Onrait.
Gammons actually has an impressive resume, earning national recognition in the United States for his work as a baseball reporter for the Boston Globe, Sports Illustrated, the Sporting News and 20 years with American broadcasting giant ESPN. He was named America’s National Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association in 1989, 1990 and 1993. Gammons has also earned an honorary Poynter Fellow from Yale University.
Those accolades meant little to the Internet on Sunday, however.
“@pgammo says the guy who makes his living off the dirtiest sport in the world other then maybe cycling,” said professional hockey player Mike Commodore, a native of Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., who currently plays in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League. The 11-year veteran of the NHL added the hashtag #beatitpeter to his tweet.
Less than 30 minutes later, Commodore tweeted at Gammons a second time, again referring to MLB’s struggles to prevent the use of performance-enhancing drugs: “@pgammo , help us out with your infinite wisdom scoops, would a good solid 25 year HGH/doping era turn hockey into a ”major” sport?”
Erik Johnson, a defenceman for the Colorado Avalanche, replied to Gammons with a picture of the sold-out Michigan Stadium, filled with over 100,000 fans to watch the Winter Classic between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs on Jan. 1.
The caption “No one cares about hockey” was superimposed over the image.
Larry Brooks, a New York Post sportswriter renowned for his arguments with Tortorella when the coach was with the Rangers, also criticized Gammons.
“Don’t know about that. No one called baseball a minor sport when Carlos Quentin charged mound and broke Zach Greinke’s collarbone,” said Brooks.
Jesse Spector, baseball writer for the Sporting News, defended Gammons’ remarks to Sean Gentille, his hockey-reporting colleague.
“Basically, if you think Gammons is the only guy out there who sees last night and says ”minor sport,” you’re kidding yourself,” said Spector.
(Canadian Press)
Gammons is a complete hypocrite. A brawl breaks out in a baseball game and nobody bats an eyelash. All of a sudden a line brawl breaks out in a hockey game and you have bleeding hearts pointing fingers and saying how barbaric hockey is. Pathetic.
why frickin cares what an American journalist says? surely we have stopped measuring ourselves against the US mindset when we started to be able to buy houses in every city in the us for 9 dollars……lol
The Gammons guy is obviously off-base by considering the NHL a minor league sport. It seems insulting to the great history and the major teams that play within the NHL. However, last week I personally criticized why I would not take my family to the local Regina Pats hockey game – it is the fighting. For me, whether it is junior hockey or professional hockey (NHL), the fact that these leagues can not stand up by themselves without the 'draw' of having fighting as part of the entertainment value, I think that in-itself is quite telling of why hockey is… Read more »
I'm guessing you are also a fan of David Suzuki? Go figure.
That's "Dr. David Suzuki". Canadian genius of planatary science and molecule.
You may want to dig deeper when you refer to the "dr." Things aren't always as they seem.
Sports writers generally consume major league levels of donuts and fried chicken. Probably haven't seen their feet in decades.
They've not lived in the shoes of a professional athlete, so what really is their credibility?
You`re comparing baseball bench brawls to hockey? You're an idiot.
Yah, the lack of hockey in the US doesn't have anything to do with the fact that 95 percent of the US population grew up in non hockey neighborhoods and communities. It has to do with John Tortorella being mad at Bob Hartley….. Some of you people really need to think…..It is a miracle where hockey is at right now and the fact that a major tv deal and franchises in non traditional markets are surviving. Things take time. Do you expect a nascar family in Powdunk, Georgia to be hockey fans. No. But when 1 out of 10 of… Read more »
Does baseball have an elite player not on drugs?
Does hockey have an elite player not on drugs? Does football? (Hello Richard Sherman)
It's time Canadians accepted the fact that their beloved "sport" is a minor league joke.
Nice try cupcake!
Y'er welcome!
Really!
To the guy that keeps using the word 'idiot' when making his reply's… He really should refrain from typing while standing in front of the mirror.
The same guy every week, he sends out a one-liner, apparently unable to put a paragraph or two, then always follows up with name calling: 'idiot'.
Dude if you can't handle varying opinion, why go to the comment section.
Secondly, stay away from the mirror and you might actually then stop using that word 'idiot'.
I believe hockey is a great sport, however I still believe those that run the leagues (NHL or Junior), really don't have the guts enough to let hockey stand up as a sport by itself. The idea of the side-show of goons has gone on long enough and it is not what most want to see. ————Those that made comment regarding baseball, you have to understand that even if there was a fight or brawl in that sport, or any other sport for that matter, those that participated are ejected from the game and face further suspension. In hockey you… Read more »