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And Bob Lang Will Lead Us
by IwoCPO on 05/04/07 at 07:39 AM ET
Comments (13)
Look, I’ve done my best to quell the naysayers. When the rest of you were lighting the torches for B. Lang, demanding his benching, I was the voice of reason. At no point did a disparaging word about The Enigma grace this blog. I never once suggested anything but patience, and confidence that Bob would succeed for the good of his team, the state, Hockeytown and freedom.
I don’t know who sabotaged A2Y and posted this heresy on 30 April, but it sure wasn’t me.
And Lang’s performance is absolutely infectious. He’s the guy no one wants to touch. I can’t believe the hands are raised in the room when Uncle Mike seeks volunteers to sink with Lang’s line. Game 2? Hudler: zero shots. Calder: zero shots. Lang: obviously, zero shots.
It’s not even a matter of players performing badly when they’re stuck on his line. It’s the fact that they play well when they’ve disassociated themselves from his lethargy. Samuelsson? God, we killed the guy last round. Killed him. He looks alive again, rescued from the purgatory that is proximity to The Enigma.
The investigation continues. I’ll let you know when I find out who the culprit is, the phantom blogger.
Ok…that was fun. Yeah, I’ve been blasting Lang. Blasting him for about a year now, eh? We’ve taken issue with his “langadaisical” play, his lack of effort, his tendencies to float through games searching out the cameras. We laughed when Brad Stuart played Terry Tate, office linebacker, on him. We pointed to his faceoff percentage as an indicator of his apathy.
But…but. He’s come through again, unbelievably.
Arguably the two biggest goals this playoff year have come from Lang. And I have no explanation for it. He plays poorly, then worse, then so bad that he starts getting Hudler-in-November like minutes. He sulks, his coach steams. We rant.
Then he comes through…again. “The Enigma” is perhaps the greatest invention in the history of my life (Rocky I).
Kulfan
“When you play 10 minutes a game,” Chris Chelios said, “it’s pretty tough to do anything.”
Privately, Lang was seething. But to his credit, he avoided any public tantrums, as did Babcock, who prodded and pushed but didn’t punch.
“Because it’s Robert Lang, you notice it more,” Babcock said after Wednesday night’s victory. “But he won Game 6 for us in the last series. And then things didn’t go well for him, and the coach didn’t treat him probably the way he wanted to be treated. But I’ve said this all along: It’s not personal, even though it becomes personal. It’s about winning. It’s about whoever’s playing the hardest gets to play.”
It’s definitely interesting how the Lang-drama was handled. Babcock skimmed his minutes. Bob continued to coast. Babcock cut more minutes. Bob got angry. Babcock kept him on the fourth line. Bob stopped talking to the media. Babcock said, “You know what, you ask him,” when questioned about The Enigma’s poor performance. And Bob picked it up. We saw his energy increase in Game 3, even mentioned it before the roof caved in. Babcock increased his minutes. Bob began smiling again. Babcock has him on the ice the last thirty seconds of a near-death situation. We revolt. Bob scores. We’re stunned. And the B. Lang circle of confusion spins again.
Here’s the thing with Lang, and I really believe this: as he goes, so will the Wings. You just get the feeling the team wills him to success. His teammates love the guy. He’s no Fedorov, who the diggers could always find someone to privately blast. Schneider, Chelios, Draper, Hasek, Lidstrom…they line up to support him in the press. Every day we see something different, another quote obviously designed to boost his confidence. They want him to succeed because he can help the team, if he hustles and if he creates, but also because they genuinely like the guy.
Lang, a guy so naturally cheerful there are those with the team who refer to him as “Bobby never a bad day Lang,” needed to re-establish himself, and he did.
Not bad. “Bobby never a bad day Lang”. Doesn’t have quite the ring required to get into the glossary, but a valiant effort.
Nope. The Enigma he is and The Enigma he will stay. We have no idea what to expect. Ever.
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Comments
Good Lord, “And Bob Lang will lead us”? While you may be right in your premise (If Lang’s going, The Wings will be too…), it still makes my stomach churn to see that title in such big, bold letters.
Heck, now would be a great time to just go ahead and dump that Yzerman article on us too - you know, the one you’ve been promising we won’t like - not one bit…
Posted by Hoser from Downer Peninsula, Michigan on 05/04/07 at 09:40 AM ET
I believe I commented a few days ago that Lang needed more ice time, and if he got it he would come thru for us.
By the way IWO, it is ROBERT Lang, and calling him Bob is disrespectful.
Posted by Gramps (hockeytowntodd) from HockeyTown on 05/04/07 at 09:55 AM ET
Disrespectful to what “Bobs” Gramps? Newhart? Dole? Hope?
Posted by IwoCPO from Sunny San Diego, bitches on 05/04/07 at 10:35 AM ET
Hoser…if we make the WCF you’ll see it. And, no, you won’t like it…not one bit.
Posted by IwoCPO from Sunny San Diego, bitches on 05/04/07 at 10:35 AM ET
Yeah, Iwo, what Gramps said! And genuflect when you say his name.
You know what? I like the way Lang plays. It’s like an extra level of entertainment. I don’t have to limit my hiding behind a pillow or screaming at just the opposing team or the refs; he takes my anxiety up a notch. Seriously, who needs crack when he’s on the ice? Your heart races, everything gets surreal, you’re confused. Lang has given me my money’s worth this playoff season. Just when I thought playoff hockey couldn’t get any more stressful, BAM! Languid takes it to the next level. And I’m all “Oh no you din’t, Robert Lang” and he’s all “Why you hatin?” and so I’m lik…
...
Sorry. I digress.
I don’t care if Lang doesn’t score another non-clutch goal this playoff season. If he only decides to play one shift a game, I’m cool with it being in the last thirty seconds. I need my fix.
Posted by Gabriel from San Diego, CA on 05/04/07 at 10:39 AM ET
“Languid…”
Now that’ s a keeper.
Posted by IwoCPO from Sunny San Diego, bitches on 05/04/07 at 10:43 AM ET
Gee IWO, I had no idea that you were the one that decided that Hope, Newhart, and Dole would be known as ‘Bob’.
They came to hockeytown as ‘Bob’. Lang came to the Wings as ‘Robert’.
Posted by Gramps (hockeytowntodd) from HockeyTown on 05/04/07 at 10:46 AM ET
Gabe (oh, jeez, I guess that could be considered disrespectful):
‘Languid’, I really like that. He is exciting, and the unpredictability of one of his little nancy-pass turnovers sure keeps you from nodding off.
Posted by Gramps (hockeytowntodd) from HockeyTown on 05/04/07 at 10:53 AM ET
the unpredictability of one of his little nancy-pass turnovers sure keeps you from nodding off.
seeing whose stick it’s going to land on is always suspenseful.
will it be a Wing? a Shark? will it end up in our net 15 seconds later?
exciting!
Posted by Paul from Miami Beach on 05/04/07 at 11:00 AM ET
I have always been a fan of Bob’s. Oh yeah, even in the closing moments of the game when I saw he was on the ice. That was not the “fetal” position I fell to the floor in, as my wife mockingly said. No, I was going for a better view. Yeah that’s it a better view….as I buried my face in a pillow, Bob got the puck and finding no Shark player to pass to, shot it. I did not scream like a little girl, again, my wife. The big man upstairs smiled and in a blinding flash of brilliance, Bob had found his game. Yup, long time fan…...that’s me.
Posted by Rumbear on 05/04/07 at 11:39 AM ET
You know Rumbear, I thought the Wings were the one common thread that united everyone on Iwo’s blog. After a handful of posts and comments over the last few days, I’m beginning to think another common thread is men with bitterly sarcastic wives.
I don’t know about you guys, but the post-season in my house is about as explosive as a crowded Iraqi marketplace.
(Hmm..I may have just skipped over disrespectful and went straight into grossly offensive?)
Posted by Gabriel from San Diego, CA on 05/04/07 at 02:32 PM ET
Bob got the puck and finding no Shark player to pass to, shot it.
Nice.
I don’t know about you guys, but the post-season in my house is about as explosive as a crowded Iraqi marketplace.
During the OT, as it got going and I felt more and more confident in the Wings, I told myself that when they scored to win it I would remain calm as not to disturb my neighbors. Then when the moment came, not a chance.
I’m always hoarse the day after a game.
Posted by Paul from Miami Beach on 05/04/07 at 04:08 PM ET
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Chief: Great post!! Have to give you plenty of credit for your analysis of Lang and tagging him the Enigma. Could not have been anymore spot-on. I noted the following in an earlier thread:
But Lo and Behold LANG scores!!! I need to repeat that, LANG scores!!!
I owe Babs and Lang my humblest apologies.
WOW!!! Bobby Lang could you pot a few more please!! I owe you an apology!!! NEVER—EVER thought I’d say this: BOBBY LANG—YOU THE MAN!!!!!
Bob Lang is the great enigma. He can be the awful/dreadful “teflon stick boy” who seems to recoil
at the thought the puck might be on his stick—and just give it to the opponent. At other times he can be the great demon slayer—the hero—the savoir—the hockey gods gift to the Wheel.
The only consistent thing about Bobby Lang is his flowing locks of hair.
Chief’s dead-on you never know what your gonna get—kinda like Forest Gump’s box - o -chocolates. Hopefully, Lang the demon-slayer decides he likes being a hero and pots a few more!!!
Posted by Jeff - - OklahomaWingNut from - - Ya think maybe - - Oklahoma on 05/04/07 at 08:41 AM ET