Farce

June 22, 2010 @ 21:49

Let me try and get my head around this. Paul Henderson isn't in the Hockey Hall of Fame, but two women are?

It was with great surprise and disgust that I received the news that Canadian Angela James and American Cammi Granato were given the honour yesterday, which boils down to nothing more than a token gesture towards political correctness.

Neither one of these women have done anything to merit entry into the Hall. They haven't been inducted as builders, they've been inducted as players, and you may have noticed the greatest in women's hockey rank slightly above a male midget house-leaguer.

Sorry, but that's the truth.

The Hockey Hall of Fame doesn't exist to play goofy little games to appease an element of society that can't see straight. It's there to recognize good hockey players regardless of gender, not to appease a hysterical element that demands the unreasonable.

I understand there are a lot of happy women walking around Canada today, pointing towards the justice that has prevailed through the Hockey Hall of Fame, but that's bullshit. By inducting James and Granato the Hall has been immeasurably blemished.

Forget about not being inducted as builders, which I might be able to get my head around; they weren't even given special designation as women, which also would have been reasonable. Their plaques will hang along side Gretzky, Hull and Howe, and that is ridiculous.

Hockey players? Are you kidding me? There are probably more players worthy of this designation playing inter-city in Brampton.

I don't mean to sound like a prick, but come one, the only way a woman should make the Hockey Hall of Fame is through a special section of the Hall designated specifically for women. No other way.

Tell me how you explain yesterday's decision to Henderson?

I'm sure the do-gooders who pushed for Angela James to get it used her contribution to international hockey as an argument, even though the competition Canada's national hockey team faced was almost non-existent.

How can James make it, yet Henderson is still on the outside looking in after scoring the most significant goal in Canadian hockey history?

Up until yesterday, the argument used against Henderson is that he didn't have a good enough NHL career to warrant entry into the Hall, but again, if that's the case, how does James get in? Besides playing for Canada's national team the highest level of hockey she ever played was in a failed ladies professional league that couldn't have competed with a men's old-timers league.

You got to feel bad for Henderson. Talk about being slapped around.

It started with the Hall of Fame inducting Vladislav Tretiak way back in 1989. This guy pops up and plays a few good games against an out of shape Team Canada in 1972 and is celebrated like he's some kind of superman.

In reality, once Team Canada got their legs, they made Tretiak look like an idiot over the final four games of the Summit series scoring 17 goals against him, including six in deciding game eight which included Henderson's winner.

After that, Tretiak came to North America a few times and was slightly above average, but he makes the Hall 21 years ago while Henderson still hasn't.

I'm disgusted by the whole bloody process, and yesterday only makes it worse.

Category: Sports

23 Responses to "Farce"

Trish
June 22, 2010 / 22:23

Don't be, Fred. I suspect it's all about the women dominating hockey at the olympics this year (and not giving us heart attacks like the men's team did). Political correctness at work pure and simple. But those of us who watched THAT game in 1972 are disgusted.

Erik
June 22, 2010 / 22:32

Fred wrote the following:
"Forget about not being inducted as builders, which I might be able to get my head around; they weren't even given special designation as women, which also would have been reasonable."

Fred - again, fact checking would have saved you from writing this embarrassing article. According to tsn.ca "women were given their own player category for the first time this year. James and Granato fill the Hall's maximum of two female inductees per year."

Mikey
June 22, 2010 / 22:44

Fred....wow. Your arguments were weak, but when you compared Henderson to Tretiak they became absolutely embarassing. Henderson scored the winning goal in a series involving only two countries. He was nowhere near a point-per-game player in the NHL. He managed 60 points in one season, and 30 goals twice.

Tretiak won 3 Olympic golds, 10 World Championship golds and one Canada Cup before retiring....at 32!

Feel bad for Henderson?? Please...save a spot for him in the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame, that's it.

Sammi
June 22, 2010 / 22:45

Right Said...Fred.

Chris Mayberry
June 22, 2010 / 23:39

I think it's great Jamaes ands Granato are in, and women do have their own category now.

The omission I'm most pissed over at Pat Burns.

Chris Mayberry
June 22, 2010 / 23:40

That should read, "The omission I'm most pissed over IS Pat Burns."

Right Uppercut
June 23, 2010 / 02:32

Those polit-core a-holes got nothing to put into a real man's jock-strap.

And, as you point out... Tretiak let those 17 goals slip between his legs.

But who comments on that outside of you?

The "Hockey Hall Of Shame" has spread its legs for polit-core.

Just goes to show they also suck, too.

Jake
June 23, 2010 / 07:26

Henny's been in the true fans hall of fame since 1972...no fool can change that. We all rememner that moment more than anyone else...except the Bobby Orr flying through the air clip we've all seen 1000 times.

Freddie P.
June 23, 2010 / 07:58

@Erik
Dress it up any way you want, but the women go into the same section of the Hall as the men do.
Once inducted, they go into the players category, not the "women" players category, there is no such thing. Their plaques will hang on the same wall as Hull, Howe and Gretzky.
That is ridiculous.

And just to be clear, here's what I wrote. "the only way a woman should make the Hockey Hall of Fame is through a special section of the Hall designated specifically for women. No other way."

Section is the pivotal word. If being a women is the reason you get in, then there should be a seperate room or wing or area for women.

@Mikey
Tretiak won three gold and ten world championships "before" NHL players were allowed to compete. I'll give him the Canada Cup.
The point is, if he's in the Hall, Henderson should be as well.
You can bet your ass if it had been a Russian of equal talent who scored the winning goal, he'd be in the Hall right now.

Steve
June 23, 2010 / 10:02

Political correctness at its worst. The sports politicos are determined to convince us that women's hockey is on a par with men's. It isn't. Never will be. Get over it.
On the other point, Paul Henderson had a decent, if not great NHL career. No Stanley cups, no scoring titles, no outstanding leadership. HOWEVER, Paul Henderson was outstanding in the hockey series that forever changed NHL and world hockey, and scored the most fabled goal in the history of the game. All-time classic, and should have been sent to the Hall of Fame years ago. Hell, his JERSEY sells for more than a million bucks? What does that tell you? For shame!

Jethro
June 23, 2010 / 11:42

Year ahgo Punch Imlach had a show in Buffalo and he answered mail in questions. I asked what he thought about the players then comopared to the players of the Howie Morenz day. He said you can't compare eras and to appreciate the stars of today. My belief then and now is that the players of Punch's era would beat the ones of the 30's and certainly the players of today would beat Punch's era.
Lot of debate there but today they are bigger and faster. What they've had all over the ages is talent.
So to compare woman, talent wise, to men isn't fair...the question is are they great on their level? Chances are they could have whipped players of the 20's in the Hall. If so...why not allow them in the Hall of Fame.
1972 was the big eye opener in hockey. Ruskies as good as us.

Murph
June 23, 2010 / 12:51

Now did the committee purpously creat a diversion by leaving out Burns, Gilmour, Nieuwendyk, and sure Henderson? Thus diffusing the discussion on opening up the hall to women?

Argie
June 23, 2010 / 12:58

I know the world is right when I agree with Fred and Mikey disagrees with him.

Complete political correctness. I feel bad for the disable but I wonder when the first slide hickey player will be inducted. The hall is a joke as is this country? There can be an exhibit or tribute to women's hockey and to the men, err women who played but that it. No inductees.

The real crime though is not voting Adam Oates into the Hall. The guy was unbelievable and yet he's still not in. Is he not a member of that infamous lodge that Cam Neely is? You have to wonder.

Anyway, England won today so everything is good in my world.

Murph
June 23, 2010 / 13:16

Has there been a movement from the NHL to induct women into the hall because they desperately need to increase their fan base in the US?

I pin this one on Gary trying to sell the game south of the border.

mercenary
June 23, 2010 / 15:35

USA will play the runner up of Group D, everyone is alive in this group even Australia. I hope the Aussies get a win and advances

hypotheek
August 8, 2010 / 17:14

Bereken zelf uw hypotheek. Hypotheek berekenen? Maak snel een indicatieve berekening van het maximale leenbedrag van uw hypotheek.

Henderson remodeling
August 13, 2010 / 06:18

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Lombard Remodeling
August 17, 2010 / 09:12

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