As we await more news, it’s probably a good idea to get back to normal service. Here is Robert Ho’s contribution to our series.
Yeah, probably low hanging fruit to sling arrows at ol’ Timothy Leif, but whatever
First, a disclaimer: I’m what one would call a New Age Blackhawks fan. Hopped aboard when the team became good and got the pleasure of watching the Toews/Kane/Keith triumvirate collectively stick a large oversized boot up the league’s ass. Though my time has been relatively short, I have quickly learned to utterly loathe one team above all else.
That team, of course, is the St. Louis Blues.
And no individual crystallized my disdain more than TJ Oshie.
TJ Oshie is the personification of the word “Overrated”. He somehow parlayed a meaningless shootout performance into a reputation as a stone cold clutch performer. Oshie’s Sochi “heroics” instantly made him the Blues’ most popular player and gave him the perception of being their star player, alongside noted canine enthusiast David Backes. By repeatedly beating Officer Bob in the Skills Competition, TJ Oshie became a NHL star in the eyes of the media.
A NHL star, despite having a grand total of one 20+ goal season. A NHL star, despite putting up a whopping 9 points in 30 career playoff games over the span of 7 seasons. Nevermind that his sole defining skill is rendered virtually useless in the postseason, let’s give NHL star TJ Oshie an Enterprise commercial that runs almost endlessly on NBCSN and have the talking heads wax poetic on what a big time player he is!
All this praise for a player that is for all intents and purposes nothing more than a passenger on his various teams. Must be nice, to get all this praise and getting to skate away scot free from scorching hot takes when your team underachieves. Team USA flames out in Sochi? Well, TJ Oshie did his part in the shootout, must’ve been that lazy bum Patrick Kane, who should have shown more effort beyond “Only player on Team USA that gave a damn”. Blues get bounced in the first round again? How can this be, when they have American Hero TJ Oshie? Must be the goaltending.
(I still get a chuckle at Oshie lamenting the fact that the Blues couldn’t win a Stanley Cup for the great fans of St. Louis, as if any of them would care about hockey during baseball season)
Alas, it appears that reality is starting to catch up to Timothy Leif, as much like the Blues themselves, the rest of the hockey world is realizing how mediocre he really is. Perhaps it began in the 2014 playoffs, as it was baby faced Vladimir Tarasenko that terrorized Hawks fans while Oshie’s highlights consisted of getting stuffed by Corey Crawford in Game 5 and not realizing he scored in Game 6. This past season was an affirmation of that series, as Tarasenko emerged as the Blues’ superstar and a thorn in the Blackhawks’ side for the next decade, while Oshie got himself quietly traded to Washington after yet another playoff disappearing act.
Oh wait, not so quietly traded after all, as we were subjected to a borderline exploitative viral video of a crying child followed by an appearance on ESPN by Oshie to drum up bigger praise for the Rich Man’s Ben Smith!
The Blues will still irritate the everlasting hell out of me, but at least I won’t have to hear about an overhyped one-hit wonder whenever they play the Hawks. Sure, since Oshie is now in DC, that probably means he gets even MORE exposure, but at least the Blackhawks only play the Capitals twice a year.
So sayonara Mr. Oshie! Enjoy being a passenger on the Alex Ovechkin train! I look forward to seeing Ovi scapegoated for yet another early playoff exit for the Capitals while you skate around aimlessly, waiting to show everyone your shootout prowess.
(Oh, and thanks for making us deal with Troy Brouwer 5+ times a year, ya jackass!)
Comments will be open for this. Let’s all prove how adult we can be.
