Happy Wendel Day
Well, what else is there to say? I really don't have much to add after the phenomenal outpouring of memories from Down Goes Brown and so many others (collected by PPP here). If printed out, they would fill a book, and it would be a good book, eh?
But I didn't want the moment to go by unmarked here. I want to reflect a bit on why this guy means so much. Stephen Brunt, as usual, was on to something today when he noted how emblematic Roy and Clark are of Canada's two hockey solitudes. Wendel, he said, has soul.
We love Wendel because he understood, innately, the passion of this hockey community, the desire to see the Leaf worn again with heart and commitment.
We love Wendel because he played exactly the way the game feels to the devoted fan - with all out heart-stopping fury every shift. We could never pass like Dougie, deke like Mats, or have Cujo's glove hand, but the rampaging game Wendel played was something we could aspire to, relate to. "That's how I would do it," we'd say to ourselves. Of course this is an illusion. Very few people do anything with the passion Wendel summoned from his banged-up body night after night. That's why we love Wendel - he played even harder than we cheered.
But I didn't want the moment to go by unmarked here. I want to reflect a bit on why this guy means so much. Stephen Brunt, as usual, was on to something today when he noted how emblematic Roy and Clark are of Canada's two hockey solitudes. Wendel, he said, has soul.
We love Wendel because he understood, innately, the passion of this hockey community, the desire to see the Leaf worn again with heart and commitment.
We love Wendel because he played exactly the way the game feels to the devoted fan - with all out heart-stopping fury every shift. We could never pass like Dougie, deke like Mats, or have Cujo's glove hand, but the rampaging game Wendel played was something we could aspire to, relate to. "That's how I would do it," we'd say to ourselves. Of course this is an illusion. Very few people do anything with the passion Wendel summoned from his banged-up body night after night. That's why we love Wendel - he played even harder than we cheered.
To quote one Arthur Fonzarelli: "Exactamundo."
...and predictably--pathetically--Whole Lotta Rosie's chimed in with one of the worst Leaf-related articles you'll ever read:
http://www.thestar.com/Sports/Hockey/article/541983
Just...wow.
Beautiful.
Seriously guys..I don't want to rain on your parade (OK, maybe I do), but for a team that prided themselves on only "honouring" numbers that mattered, this is a bit of a joke. Sure he played hard, but so did "Motor City" Smitty and Gary Nylund, but I think it will be a cold day in hell before we see #29 and #2 hung with honour from the rafters.
You're well named Ripietro.
"This is an organization that wastes careers."