Don't Bring Me Downie

The Philadelphia Flyers are a team that, until recently, didn’t inspire much of anything in me. Before their terrible season last year, they were just the team that the Senators of Ottawa City, official team of IWBYB, had the best luck against in the playoffs, which was the thing I liked about them. This season, though, they are the pariah of the NHL, a Tasmanian devil on skates that you’re lucky to get out of a game against uninjured. Basically, they’re Slap Shot, but charmless.
Steve Downie epitomizes the new Flyers (same as the old Flyers.) This is his first season with these low Flyers and during the pre-season, he was suspended for 20 games for a dirty, feet-off-the-ice, hit from behind on Dean McAmmond. This kind of check is exactly what the new NHL is trying to eliminate, but this hit was uglier than it looked (and it ain't pretty) because it was in the PRE-SEASON, that is, during a game that didn’t matter, win or lose.
Recently, and soon enough after his return to the ice, he sucker-punched Jason Blake. This went unsuspended, and that’s fine-there’s nothing too wrong with a punch in the face. Except for the fact that Jason Blake was being restrained by a ref while it happened and that makes it terribly cheap. But, it earned no suspension and that’s fine. The Flyers should just sweep this under the rug and move on, right? Except, Senior VP Bob Clarke approves, in fact, he “loved it.” And, he says it’s “what every hockey player should do.” I could wonder if he somehow hasn’t seen the tape, but of course he has. It’s possible, I suppose, that the quotes are out of context, except that they aren’t. The Flyers organization really is the problem here. They really want their players out there, not just playing tough, but killing people! Even if it weren’t a post-Steve Moore environment, but especially because it is, this is gross.