Avery right about the NHL: Let me make something clear: I would have NO interest in watching the basement-dwelling Stars play against a team located in a desolate place like Calgary. But you better believe that I will check out this matchup the next time it happens, as I want to see Dion Phaneuf beat the daylights out of Avery. Or vice-versa, I don't really care. I want a fight. I want to tell my friends about it the next day at work.
The Sharks have the cup wrapped up, so please give me some other reason to watch this sport! A flat-faced Sean Avery would be delightful, thank you.
I hope that the next time a team owner or NHL official uses the word "integrity" to describe their goals, they think about the cost of that very concept. Integrity is swell. But not at the cost of millions, perhaps billions, in future revenue.
Sean Avery will be famous, and therefore rich, well after his undistinguished career reaches its conclusion.
I can't wait to see what other stunts NHL players pull when they realize this truth.
Brian Burke was asked about the Sean Avery saga.
Suspension is not surprising: "I will say this, as a generic overview, this type of commentary has never been acceptable in our League and I'm not surprised Sean Avery was suspended and I don't think it should be acceptable. I found it personally offensive and since he was immediately suspended doesn't surprise me one bit and I'll be surprised if they don't take this very seriously at the League level and that will be reflected in what happened.
So now we are to believe that Sean Avery is sorry for his objectionable comments. Hey Sean, it is probably a little to late for that. Talk about open mouth insert foot.
Avery: "I would like to sincerely apologize for my off-color remarks to the press yesterday from Calgary," Avery said in a statement before leaving for New York and a hearing with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman that's scheduled for Thursday.
"I should not have made those comments and I recognize that they were inappropriate. It was a bad attempt to build excitement for the game, but I am now acutely aware of how hurtful my actions were. I caused unnecessary embarrassment to my peers as well as people I have been close with in the past.
"I apologize for offending the great fans of the NHL, the commissioner, my teammates, my coaching staff and the Dallas Stars management and ownership. As many of you know, I like to mix it up on and off the ice from time to time, but understand that this time I took it too far."
