Well you have all read my rant about Mike Wise’s Washington Post article regarding the Flyers. Well we now have some more information. In case you forgot, Mike likes to make wild accusations based on no factual evidence whatsoever. Basically, he is a jackass know-nothing. Just one more quote from Mike:

It’s almost impossible to fathom, but the Capitals took the ice in front of a building as loud as Verizon Center last Friday. The fans wore orange instead of the Capitals’ red, and many of the women and children looked as if they could work security for Megadeth.

Hey Mikey, metal god Dave Mustaine had a response for you:

“Hey Flyer fans, we’re Megadeth, and I read what they said in the Washington Post about you, and you can work security for us anytime! Now kick ass! It’s time to crush ’em!

That’s right, Megadeth in Flyers jerseys. After that, Mike then went on Washington Post Live and stated that he just reserected Megadeth’s career and boosted record sales, and that they now may finally sell more albums then Journey.

Heh. Mike is a real toolbag. Someone needs to play “Symphony Of Destruction” or “Sweating Bullets” for Mike’s candy ass…

I hate to be rude. I usually don’t like to curse, but sometimes you just have to. Mike Wise, you are a jerkoff. If you don’t know, Mike wrote an “article” for the Washington post regarding the recent Flyers/Capitals playoff series. Let me quote:

Midway through the third period of this demoralizing 6-3 loss at Wachovia Center, 20,000 people in fluorescent orange howled for their World Extreme Cagefighters, and a crowd in the upper bowl chanted vulgarities at Ovechkin that went beyond the bounds of loutish fan behavior. As the frothing masses left the arena, they felt good about the bull being struck and killed — checking the multi-generational Russian wizards Ovechkin and Sergei Fedorov into humility as much as the boards.

Let us analyze. What Mikey here is saying is that he apparently this was his first time attending, watching, or even hearing about a playoff game. The fans cheered for their home team and like animals boo-ed the opposition? Wow, that is a shocker. This is Philly pal. Remember when the fans pelted Santa Clause with snowballs? We take our sports very seriously, and that is only amplified when the playoffs come around.

“We want to make it physical between the whistles,” Flyers Coach John Stevens said. “I think it’s important for no other reason then it’s the best tool we have to defend, to be honest with you. I think it’s very important that we move our feet and finish our checks and get people pushed off the puck.”

Translation: “We will keep punking the Caps until the NHL commissioner tells us not to.”

What a dickbag. Hockey is about physicality. If you don’t like that, I suggest you find something better to suit you. Hey Mike, I have an idea. Why not attend The World Chess Championships and write about that. It seems to be more your speed.

The Caps’ postseason slogan: “Rock The Red.” The Flyers? “Vengeance Now,” which comes across as less of a slogan and more of a sequel to Charles Bronson’s “Death Wish.”

I am about finished with Mike and his stupid opinions. Just in case we all forgot, the Flyers season last year was their worst in their 40+ year existence in the league. They finished dead last, and they did so by a large margin. So I think Vengeance is a very appropriate word.

On I-95 entering town there is a billboard of Riley Cote, a stumpy rogue who engaged in 24 fights this season, twice as many as Capitals tough guy Donald Brashear. Cote’s wild-man eyes and his quick fists are the only features shown of the Flyers’ player.

Heh. Yeah, because good old Brash is a real lamp lighter. He has 8 points for the season. Cote has 4. Having a tough guy is part of the game. Google Georges Laraque sometime (he has 13 points). I’m about done quoting Mike, because he just ends the article talking about Scott Hartnell. There are plenty of teams that have a guy like Hartnell. Learn how to use Google and so some searching for the term “nudge.”

I think its fair to give Mike here the cockbite of the year award…

Who pays this toolbag Scott Burnside anyway? He reports for ESPN, so I assume it is ESPN. Nice job with that. You would do better by burning your money then to let this clown report for your organization.

I’ve been reading Mr. Tool’s articles on ESPN.com for years and really I’m fed up with it. He’s afraid to do anything but fold and take the easy way out on argument after argument, time after time.

His recent article deals with my beloved Flyers. Sure, that may be why I hate him so much, but when it comes to the heart of the matter, that’s not really it. I hate lazy journalism especially when the “journalist” (as we will call him here) takes the easy side of the argument. In this article he’s really angry about the recent play of the Flyers.

The culture of recklessness in Philadelphia has been known for years, from the Broad Street Bullies on. It is part of the team’s identity, whether anyone has tacitly endorsed it or not. Holmgren himself is known as one of the toughest players ever.

Tough doesn’t mean dirty. Scotty obviously hasn’t watched the Flyers play hockey in the last 5+ years. Sure, the Flyers USED to be the Broadstreet Bullies. But that was in the 70’s my man, over 30 years ago. Please, keep up here. Sure, there was the Legion of Doom line (Lindros and LeClair teamed with Renberg) but that was actually just as much about scoring goals as it was about physical intimidation. At any rate, the Flyers physicality really isn’t much to speak about anymore. Although I am glad to see it on the rise these days…

Now, I will grant you rights on the whole Boulerice incident. He is a goon that has been guilty of pure dirty goonery before and his recent incident proves it. He crosschecked Ryan Kessler in the face and you know what? He was waived. The Flyers no longer had a need for him.

Next is the Downie hit. Again, I think Scotty Too Hottie should really watch the hit a few more times on replay before he calls that “headhunting.” Sure, we are all sorry that the other player (Dean McAmmond) was hurt, but was it really that brutal and dirty of a play on Downie’s part? He left his feet during the check and was given the standard 2:00 minor penalty.

That is, until the league sat and looked at the result of the hit, not the hit itself. That seems to be the same problem time and time. Let’s look at the result and not the actual infraction. When a player is hurt then we rule the hit is dirty and an abomination to hockey. Only AFTER. And then add lines like

What else are we to conclude from the fact that three players scouted and signed by the Flyers have engaged in behavior that could have ended players’ careers?

And I was totally done with the article. Again, the last hit from Randy Jones on Patrice Bergeron was, by the rules, a penalty. However, ask any pee-wee hockey coach what one of the first things you are taught as a kid playing hockey. How to position your body when you are dumping and chasing the puck. He appeared to do what a lot of players now do; leave themselves vulnerable to a boarding check to get the 2:00 penalty. I’m not in any way blaming Bergeron for the hit, but sometimes you as the player being hit have to protect your body when you are dumping and chasing behind the net.

Why not impose a sliding scale that takes into account previous history? That’s what NHL lord of discipline Colin Campbell does when he levies suspensions against players.

Go ahead Burnie. Search back into Jones’ history and find me one dirty play. I dare you. I’ve watched him play during his entire Flyers tenure, and almost all of his minor league time with the Phantoms. Keep searching, you won’t find it.

After reading this article I swear it seems that Scotty has never watched a hockey game in his life. By the sounds of things, he wishes any player that lays a hit on another unprepared player should be suspended for 50 games. Google “Campbell lays out Umberger” with YouTube and you will see what happens. That’s one of the greatest hits in hockey; and it was another player hitting a Flyer.