NHL asks Marchand to stop licking people

[IdiotKicker]

Just out of curiosity, where is the line for you? What type of stuff would you consider unacceptable?

From a verbal perspective, anything racist or discriminatory in any way is out of bounds. From a physical perspective, anything designed to hurt someone is the same. I view Marchand’s slew-footing stuff and elbows as dumb and having no place in the game. That shit is a real problem.

But licking? Man, the psychological game is huge. It’s why people trash talk. It’s why people give hard fouls. It’s to get you out of your game and make you think twice about what you’re doing. If you can do something that doesn’t hurt anyone but just mentally messes with them, I don’t see the problem as long as you’re willing to accept being called weird because of what you do.

 

[IdiotKicker]

Here’s the way I effectively think about it. If you meet the person oh did the shit to 20 years from now, do they laugh with you about what you did or are they still pissed? Like, does Komarov go up to Marchand and say “Man you were a weird guy back then” or does he say “You are a terrible human being”? That’s kind of my test. The slew-footing and elbows? That’s the shit where a guy says that you ended his career. The licking? Man, you had some problems, let’s have a beer.

 

[Papelbon's Poutine]

Of course it’s gross. That’s the point. You’re trying to freak people on the other team out to draw a real penalty or make them think about it so they forget their responsibilities and so dumb crap. But you’re trying to do so in a way that isn’t actually dangerous or hurting anyone in any way.

In soccer, I used to pick out the best player on the other team, and starting at the beginning of the game, every time I ran by him, I’d tug his shorts down a couple inches. Or maybe grab his ass quickly. It’s small enough that the refs don’t notice, but over the course of the game, I’d end up with people taking shots at me that left our team with some pretty good situations, or the guy would end up mentally out of it because he was trying to avoid me. I’d gladly squeeze every guy’s ass on that field if it gave us a chance at set pieces that could win the game.

Yep. I was a keeper and every player that tried to take my front post during a corner kick or run a pick play on me, got his ass grabbed; I was taught that at goalie camp when I was young, by guys that played semi-pro or pro. I can tell you later in a game or when we played a team twice, I had a much cleaner 6. I talked trash and I had no problem playing physical on 50/50 balls or on breakaways.

I'm surprised some many people are reacting so strongly to someone trying to get in the other team's head. Is it gross? Yeah, that's the point. But it's not dirty and it's far from what happens on the bottom of a pig pile in football or someone trying to rip an ear off in rugby. I honestly don't even know if I'd be upset about an opposing player doing it to the Bruins. It needs to end now, before it has repercussions, but it's brilliant in it's simplicity.

 

[SidelineCameras]

Here’s the way I effectively think about it. If you meet the person oh did the shit to 20 years from now, do they laugh with you about what you did or are they still pissed? Like, does Komarov go up to Marchand and say “Man you were a weird guy back then” or does he say “You are a terrible human being”? That’s kind of my test. The slew-footing and elbows? That’s the shit where a guy says that you ended his career. The licking? Man, you had some problems, let’s have a beer.

Wow-this is perfect. I’m in on this definition 100%.

Edit: if this was someone doing something to the Bruins, I’m sure I’d think “fuck that guy” or “Rip his head off, McQuaid.” But the pearl clutching around this is really surprising to me.

 

[Dogman]

I'd lick each and every one of you.

Not Jimbosox though, somethings wrong with that guy.

 

[Lupe Whalewatch]

Here’s the way I effectively think about it. If you meet the person oh did the shit to 20 years from now, do they laugh with you about what you did or are they still pissed? Like, does Komarov go up to Marchand and say “Man you were a weird guy back then” or does he say “You are a terrible human being”? That’s kind of my test. The slew-footing and elbows? That’s the shit where a guy says that you ended his career. The licking? Man, you had some problems, let’s have a beer.

But he sort of does all that shit, no? The licking just seems to be the fucked up cherry on top...if he wore any other jersey he'd be universally despised here.

 

[Eddie Jurak]

From a verbal perspective, anything racist or discriminatory in any way is out of bounds. From a physical perspective, anything designed to hurt someone is the same. I view Marchand’s slew-footing stuff and elbows as dumb and having no place in the game. That shit is a real problem.

That all makes sense. Looks like the NHL has found a solution for this problem though:

 

[Soxfan in Fla]

That all makes sense. Looks like the NHL has found a solution for this problem though:

Now that’s funny.

 

[IdiotKicker]

But he sort of does all that shit, no? The licking just seems to be the fucked up cherry on top...if he wore any other jersey he'd be universally despised here.

Yeah, I've said the elbows and slew-foots are a major problem and I have no problem with him being viewed as a dirty player because of those things. I do think he has real problems with judgment when it comes to that stuff, and it's the kind of stuff that earns him every bit of the reputation he has.

The licking? I'm over it. If all he did was lick, I bet the no one cares and Ben & Jerry's makes him an endorsement offer. The spot would be brilliant. "Mmm, tastes like Callahan." But he has the rest of his baggage, and that's the problem here, not the licking. The licking is really, really weird gamesmanship, but that's it.

 

[genoasalami]

Waiting for him to lic

From a verbal perspective, anything racist or discriminatory in any way is out of bounds. From a physical perspective, anything designed to hurt someone is the same. I view Marchand’s slew-footing stuff and elbows as dumb and having no place in the game. That shit is a real problem.

But licking? Man, the psychological game is huge. It’s why people trash talk. It’s why people give hard fouls. It’s to get you out of your game and make you think twice about what you’re doing. If you can do something that doesn’t hurt anyone but just mentally messes with them, I don’t see the problem as long as you’re willing to accept being called weird because of what you do.

...and you would be on here defending Marchand if he played for the Lightning and licked Bergeron? "Oh that Marchand, he's just a weird fella! Let's go Bruins!"

 

[Haunted]

I’d find it a hilarious move by an otherwise dirty player, personally.

 

[McDrew]

"Fainting Couches and Butthole Clenching" is going to be the name of the shitty cover album we release for charity some day.

 

[IdiotKicker]

...and you would be on here defending Marchand if he played for the Lightning and licked Bergeron? "Oh that Marchand, he's just a weird fella! Let's go Bruins!"

No, I'm pretty sure I'd be pissed at him, which is exactly his intention, and is exactly what I've described entirely throughout here. It's behavior that pisses off the other team and gets them off their game without actually hurting them in any way. The point isn't that the behavior isn't going to anger the other team - it's designed to. The point I'm making is that the worst thing about is the fact that he's actually comfortable doing it more than anything else. Like, IT IS FUCKING WEIRD that a professional hockey player is comfortable just licking opponents on a regular basis. Not once, not twice, but at least three times that we know of to this point. If anything, I find it amazing that he's actually willing to go through with it. We've been through north of 100 years of professional sports in the United States and I don't think I've ever read anything about someone licking another player before. This is kind of new ground for us, and that's hard to do these days.

Now if the league says, "Look, we know it isn't hurting anyone but it's bad for our image to have one of our players licking someone else during a game," I don't disagree with them in the slightest. But something being bad from an image perspective is different from it being something that I'm going to get upset about and start thinking less of the guy because of. Trust me, there's plenty there already with Marchand, I don't think his play on the ice is anywhere near clean. But we're talking about licking other human beings here.

Once again, look at the last sentence I just wrote and tell me how you're going to feel 20 years from now about me having even written it. We're going to look back and laugh at it. The elbows to the head? Not so much.

 

[Dropkick Izzy]

"Fainting Couches and Butthole Clenching" is going to be the name of the shitty cover album we release for charity some day.

O brother, can you pass the smelling salts?

The righteous indignation in this thread is a sight to behold and the fact that it was seemingly absent following his myriad of actual transgressions is telling.

We talkin’ bout lickin’?!?

 

[The Napkin]

Don't want to get licked? Don't do this and then get in his face.


Pretty simple really.

 

[LogansDad]

Seriously. He did that 4 times or so before Marchand licked him. The double standard in this series has been absolutely ridiculous.

Bruins need to play better, obviously, but they have to be frustrated by what is going on.

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Marchand was invisible today. Maybe his opponents' sweat gives him energy?

 

[TheRealness]

Marchand was invisible today. Maybe his opponents' sweat gives him energy?

He has seemed hurt for about two weeks now. He’s been noticeably less physical on the forecheck, and seemed like he was fighting pain at times when trying to hold off defenders. Not sure what it is, but would guess upper body like shoulder or back or something.

 

[Haunted]

This made me laugh a lot

 

[reggiecleveland]

He has seemed hurt for about two weeks now. He’s been noticeably less physical on the forecheck, and seemed like he was fighting pain at times when trying to hold off defenders. Not sure what it is, but would guess upper body like shoulder or back or something.

Also on Wednesday, the Bruins released their laundry list of injuries that players had been dealing with throughout the post-season, including Marchand playing through a groin injury.

When asked about the latest infraction, Marchand told reporters he’s “got to cut that [expletive] out.”
“I think the biggest thing for me now is to really take a pretty hard look in the mirror and realize that some of the things I’m doing have much bigger consequences than I may ever think or really believe will come out of it,” Marchand told reporters.

“The last thing I ever want to do is bring the embarrassment on my teammates and the organization that it did,” he continued. “I have to be a lot better. I know I’ve said that in the past, but I think that’s going to be the thing that I really work on the most. I think I’ve kind of gotten my game to a pretty decent spot but I’ve got some character things and things that I’ve done that clearly need some fixing.”

 

[TheRealness]

Well, I thought he was hurt, but that demonstrates I would make a shitty orthopedist considering I thought it was an upper body injury. I suppose groin makes sense though, as his sharp cuts, and physical play likely generates from his legs up.

 

[Myt1]

I was encouraged by the part where he talked about wanting to be seen as the same sort of veteran statesman as Bergeron and Chara. He can do that with just a couple of changes that don’t have to make him less effective, I think. He’s a charming guy, as evidenced by the All Star week festivities and people love redemption stories.

 

[veritas]

I have a lot of mixed feelings on the licking. It was a shitty thing to do and the league should suspend him for it if he does it again. As a Bruins fan I'd love for him to cut all of his nonsense, but I'm not sure he has it in him. If that's the case, I'd much rather him stick to this sort of Steve Avery type nonsense than going out and injuring people.

I also think Marchand the villain is good for the game if he's not seriously injuring people. He's one of the few NHL players who is entertaining for reasons other than hockey.

 

[Papelbon's Poutine]

I have a lot of mixed feelings on the licking. It was a shitty thing to do and the league should suspend him for it if he does it again. As a Bruins fan I'd love for him to cut all of his nonsense, but I'm not sure he has it in him. If that's the case, I'd much rather him stick to this sort of Steve Avery type nonsense than going out and injuring people.

I also think Marchand the villain is good for the game if he's not seriously injuring people. He's one of the few NHL players who is entertaining for reasons other than hockey.

Sean Avery?

 

[NYCSox]

Sean Avery?

Stupid Jimy Williams.

 

[veritas]

Sean Avery?

Yeah not the lefty for the Braves or the making a murderer guy.

 

[slidingsideways]

I'm adding my two cents way after this story is over -- I was a little busy at the time. Marchand didn't lick opponents during puck battles. He didn't go up to other players to lick them. He licked a guy who repeatedly got in his face to rough and intimidate him. If an opposing player doesn't want to be licked, he can keep his face out of licking distance. I'm sure the NHL will make a Marchand rule during the off-season and ruin our fun but he can still kiss opponents on the cheek (unless the NHL includes that too). The fact that Marchand can irritate the hell out of his opponents and then score such glorious goals is why he's so much fun to watch.

 

[Dropkick Izzy]

 

[LogansDad]

I'd give slidingsideways a high-five, but... you know, it's hard over the internet.

 

[moly99]

I was on the other end of things and gave a guy a concussion in high school basketball after he yanked my sack earlier in the game. I regret it now. But I also have to say that doing this stuff risks an arms race of bad behavior. The victim has to choose between being intimidated or retaliating.

 

[Red Right Ankle]

True, although given the number of times guys have to "answer" for big, legal hits, I'm not sure it matters. That is to say: you can play clean and end up having to fight or getting run by an opposing player, so what's the incentive to play totally clean especially if what you are doing is within the rules and gets the opposition off their game?