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Take That Bucci
by Paul on 10/22/09 at 08:51 AM ET
Comments (10)
from George Malik of Snapshots at Mlive,
ESPN’s John Buccigross posted a set of daffy comments responding to a Red Wings fan’s questions about Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk’s status as star players in the prime of their respective careers, as well as the supposed “end of the Red Wings’ run” at Stanley Cup contention thanks to a 3-3-and-1 start…
In today’s NHL, 29 is not “past your prime.” As far as the Red Wings are concerned, forwards, defensemen, and goaltenders don’t really hit their “prime” years, superstars included, until the latter half of their 20’s, and can play at an elite level well into the latter half of their 30’s. If the NHL was a “young man’s game,” none of the Red Wings’ four Stanley Cups, all won with “graybeards” playing essential roles on the Wings’ championship teams, would not have been won…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Comments
Wow. Normally I enjoy Bucci’s column and he normally makes some intelligent arguments, even if I don’t always agree. But George nailed it. His statements on this one are bull.
Posted by Nate A from Dark side of the moon on 10/22/09 at 10:07 AM ET
I used to really enjoy John’s work on NHL2nite, and until last year also found his weekly blog entertaining as well. No doubt he is a passionate hockey fan what with his yearly backyard rink and his kids playing the game too. However, he began to lose me when he he sided with the league when Balsille was engaged in trying to buy the pens. It has continued with his unabashed love for sidney and the pens. I realize the pens are the team he rooted for growing up in South-East Ohio, but how about a little journalistic Impartiality???
Hey John, pittsburgh twice has been bankrupt only to be saved by the league with very fortunate “luck” with the draft. 
As for this being a young man’s game? It’s only become a young man’s game because of the salary cap, where teams fill there rosters out with 18,19,20,and 21 year olds because there entry level Salaries are realatively cheap and because the rest of their budgets have been spent on the top 6 to 8 players. If not for the cap it would still be a league where teams fill out their roster with grizzled veterans who have been through the war, and the youngsters would serve their time in the American league.
Posted by Down River Dan on 10/22/09 at 10:20 AM ET
The irony of the situation for me is that reading his comments was like watching him talk about the Wings’ downfall on NHL 2Night ten years ago, when Fedorov and Yzerman were “getting old.” He’s re-hashing something he’s been saying forever.
Posted by George James Malik from South Lyon, MI on 10/22/09 at 11:59 AM ET
To me, the real irony is that a 40-something guy who constantly bangs the hipper-than-thou drum and dresses like a teenager when not on the air is calling out anyone other than himself as “past their prime.” Sheeesh.
Posted by YzermanZetterberg on 10/22/09 at 12:47 PM ET
I’ll take Bucci over that hack George Malik any day. How did youth, including two 18 year-olds, versus the over the hill gang turn out when the Avs visited the Joe last weekend?
Posted by rwhater on 10/22/09 at 01:12 PM ET
I’ll take Bucci over that hack George Malik any day.
Posted by rwhater on 10/22/09 at 01:12 PM ET
Well, of course you would. You’re an idiot.
Posted by TEMO from LANSING, MICHIGAN, U.S.A. on 10/22/09 at 04:16 PM ET
Well, of course you would. You’re an idiot.
Posted by TEMO from LANSING, MICHIGAN, U.S.A. on 10/22/09 at 04:16 PM ET
Don’t malign the idiots. Some of them are quite decent people. 
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 10/22/09 at 07:08 PM ET
It was Z and Nickle who shut down the dynamic duo, Cindy and Ginny. ‘Nuff said, case closed, get a clue.
Posted by Gunnar from Ada, MI on 10/22/09 at 08:15 PM ET
Wow! Look an Avalanche fan came out of hibernation!!! 5 years too later!!!
Posted by BP29er from In a TeePee skinnin' me some Blackhawk on 10/22/09 at 10:51 PM ET
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Hear, hear, George. I never understood why Bucci had such a following. His columns are always only partly about hockey, and more about name-dropping bands he likes in a “I know more about music and am cooler than you” fashion. Whatever little credibility he had in the past with me is gone. I only sporadically read your column, Bucci, but never again. Zetterberg past his prime at 29? Really?? Your credibility is only slightly above Matt Millen’s after that asinine statement.
Posted by Incognetis from Exile in Alabama on 10/22/09 at 09:36 AM ET