Steve Moore's beginning to get on my nerves. He filed a writ in Vancouver this week against Todd Bertuzzi, seeking something like $17M in damages for the punch he got two years ago from behind. Yes, what happened is awful, and shouldn't have happened, yes, Todd Bertuzzi should have known better. That doesn't mean Steve Moore deserves $17M. That's just crazy talk. If Steve Moore was just about any other hockey player, instead of falling down when he got punched, he'd have turned around, and fought Todd Bertuzzi. Todd Bertuzzi would have gotten a match penalty for attempt to injure, and maybe suspended for a few games. What transpired after that was accidental, but I do realise that it was entirely a result of Todd Bertuzzi's lack of judgement. But now Steve Moore is claiming all this money for lost wages?! And his parents are suing for emotional distress? Newsflash, boys and girls, Steve Moore isn't playing hockey now because he was already a crappy hockey player. He's now healthy enough to play hockey. Has been for some time. Take a look at this stats in the NHL since he joined. In 2001-2002, he played 8 games. 0 goals, 0 assists, and a -4. In 2002-2003, he played 4 games. 0 goals. 0 assists, and even at 0. In 2003-2004, up until his injury, he'd played 57 games with 5 goals, 7 assists, and a -9. He is a mediocre hockey player at best and he wasn't resigned by Colorado, or anybody else because he's completely replaceable. Even if he managed to stay in the NHL until he was 40 years old (not likely when you're no good), that'd be 15 years of hockey. 15 years at $450,000 (which is still probably a high estimate for his calibre of player) is < $7M. That'd be more inline with reality, but still nonsense. It's not Bertuzzi's fault he sucks. It's time he drops the lawsuits, and puts some effort into becoming a hockey player worth being resigned in the NHL. I'll also bet a large part of why nobody will sign him is because he's suing a fellow NHLPA union member. I know I wouldn't sign him, even if he was any good. |
