So our weather worn, Pennsylvania license plates have been right all along. We, on the other hand, got it all wrong, Pittsburgh. Brooks Orpik would like everyone to believe that Shawn Thornton is a really swell guy.
You’ve got a friend.
It’s been a little more than two weeks since the Bruins defenseman cowardly snuck an unbeknownst Orpik down to the ice, and sucker punched him. Orpik was consequently taken off the ice on a stretcher, and Thornton received a 15-game suspension for the heinous assault. Orpik made it through his first full practice this past Friday after passing all ImPACT concussion tests.
But the story behind the criminality of Thornton wrote a peculiar chapter when Orpik met with the media after practice, and discussed his feelings on Thornton.
“He texted me. He was really apologetic,” Orpik told reporters. “I got to know him pretty well the last four or five years. Last year, I think we skated probably — I don’t know, it was a long lockout — so probably 40 or 50 times together, worked out together, went to lunch together, stuff like that.
“I know him pretty well, and he’s always been a pretty good friend of mine.”
I would imagine a good friend in the NHL may deliver a few hard checks, may even knock you off the puck once or twice. And later, when it’s all said and done and you’re laid up in bed, you may even get a “good game buddy ol’ pal” text.
But to travel the length of what seemed like the Pennsylvania Turnpike to pull down a friend with his back to you, and deliver a couple thunderous blows to the head?
I’d rather have no friend than THAT friend.
In his defense, Orpik’s recollection of the crime has been admittedly fuzzy. He really doesn’t remember what happened.
“I haven’t watched it, and I don’t really have a memory of it, so I don’t really have a thought on it,” Orpik said Friday. “I don’t really have any desire to watch it.”
He may not have a desire to relive the horror of that moment, but what he considers friendship leaves a lot more to be desired.
What becomes more confusing than any nominal, half-hearted excuse Thornton can make for his criminality that night, is the excuse Orpik seemed to give Thornton for it.
“He texted me, he was really apologetic,” Orpik said. “My record’s far from perfect in this league or far from being completely clean, so it’s one of those things where I think he knew he made a mistake and he regretted it right away. I’ve had the same feeling with certain incidents that I’ve been a part of, and I think you just try to learn from it and move on and try to be smarter in similar situation.”
The one thing Orpik has failed to learn in this absurdity, is that criminality in pro sports bears no excuse.
But half-blame that on the NHL’s continued arrogance overwhelming the delinquent need for change. Orpik is a victim of the league’s persuasive sentiments that say “throwback hockey” should not be lost with each flip of a calendar year. The league needs to protect it’s players, plain and simple. It needs its most prized mouth pieces to speak up for that metamorphosis, and not chalk it up to the passion or ferociousness of the game. By admitting to his own failures as a clean player, Orpik indirectly has exonerated Thornton’s assault instead of bringing appropriate attention to a much needed cultural facelift.
Orpik has been at the forefront of the elimination of homophobia in the league. So why shouldn’t player protection and accountability be a fight worth dropping the gloves for too?
He should be commended for handling the questions with class. But if he wasn’t going to speak up to defend himself or for the need of proper accountability from teams as much as players, then a “no comment” would’ve spoke volumes enough. He is an assault victim as much as he’s a victim of his own benevolence. Accountability for ones egregious actions should not be disregarded because of an apologetic text message.
Brooks Orpik is on pace to hopefully return to action this Friday when the Pens limp into Carolina to take on the Hurricanes.
But he remains out of touch, indefinitely.
Article by Geno Ferretti, Pittsburgh Sporting News contributor.
