Dustin Byfuglien getting a phone hearing for cross-checking JT Miller –
For the record, let’s clear the air right now. I’m not defending Dustin Byfuglien’s actions and I’m not saying he should not have been suspended. The play happened fast and the optics of it didn’t look good but with him being a first time offender I figured he would get 2 games or maybe 3 games max.
As it turned out Dustin Byfuglien received a 4 game suspension from the National Hockey League. It’s done and it is what it is. The league has made their ruling.
BUT
What really irked me was the outcry on twitter and talk radio. I expected the opposing fan-base, in this case, the New York Ranger fans to be outraged, that is human nature. I also expected fans and media from other fan-bases to jump on him too because Dustin Byfuglien is player that other teams fear and dislike but I never expected the Winnipeg Jets fan-base to jump on him like they did.
Dustin Byfuglien in full “beast mode”
I’m not sure that there were many Jets fans that thought Byfuglien should get off “Scott Free”. Most Jets fans, including myself, figured it would be 2 to 3 games with some thinking he would get as many as 5 games. Fine. But the fans throwing him under the bus like he was a common street thug, made me want to puke.
What really ruffled my feathers was on social media when pieces of crap in this city were throwing him under the bus trying NOT to be a homer with their “what ifs”. I’m talking fans, bloggers, wannabee media (you know who you are), and some local media.
For those of you out there that were trying to justify your pathetic stance by spewing mountains of “what ifs”, you can all go screw yourselves. You are a joke! You sit there standing on some kind of politically correct, moral high-ground, thinking it somehow makes you feel superior that you’re not a homer.
That fact of the matter is Dustin Byfuglien cross-checked JT Miller very hard and to his neck and he got a 4 game suspension. All the “hypotheticals” and “what ifs” in the world don’t matter.
What if
What if he broke his neck?
HE DIDN’T!
What if that was one of our players?
IT WASN’T AND IF IT WAS WE CAN ALL SCREAM BLOODY MURDER!
Winnipeg Jets fans put Dustin Byfuglien on a pedestal. They post pictures of him as the “Incredible Hulk” or “Chuck Norris” on twitter. The fans love when he demolishes the opposition with his thundering body checks. The fans love when Buff has two guys wrapped up, one in each of his arms in a scrum. Lets face it, the fans love when Big Buff plays on the edge and when he is in full beast mode.
Some players are expected to play on the edge to entertain us fans but when they cross that line just look how fast fans can turn on them. Most hockey fans have no clue what it is to play high level hockey and the amount of adrenaline and emotion that goes on during a game. In a perfect world, in the heat of the action, a player should be able to control his emotion. BUT it’s not a perfect world is it? Shit happens! Get over it!
The funny thing is I’m not a huge Dustin Byfuglien fan but I am a huge Winnipeg Jets fan and I will stand by him and support him because he plays for my team. You can call me a HOMER if it makes you feel better.
I can forgive Dustin Byfuglien for his suspension but I can’t forgive the two-faced fans that crapped all over him. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
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