The Scottish Geisha seemed slightly bemused by all the press speculation regarding who will become The Shark’s next captain. “Ricci certainly is the fan’s favorite,” she commented. “But they could name a ringer.”
MVP wondered if goalies were ever chosen as captains.
“You only ask because you are so close to adopting Toskala,” The Scottish Geisha said dryly.
“It’s true, he’s well on his way to becoming the number two goalie for The Sharks,” MVP said happily. “Despite the recent exhibition lost, our little Scrappy Doo is really hustling out there, 33 saves last game alone,” she said.
“And darling,” The Scottish Geisha said. “Don’t forget he is just darling.”
What did The Scottish Geisha think of the notion of Surly (Number 22, Defenseman Scott Hannan) becoming Shark’s Captain?
The Scottish Geisha turned her face up in concentration before answering carefully. “I am not opposed to it,” she replied finally. “But Surly is in a….critical period in his career. It’s a lot of responsibility. He has other things on his mind.”
“Other things?” Like what, lunch? Another date, perchance with four girls?
The Scottish Geisha frowned. “Honestly, you people,” she said. “Surly is in a pivotal time in his hockey career. He’s in a prime spot this season; the coach relies heavily on him. He had more ice time than any other player last season. If he does his job well, I suspect there will be a bidding war to keep him next season.”
Poor Surly.
The Scottish Geisha was not amused. “You people really should work through this jealousy you all have regarding Surly,” she admonished. “It isn’t healthy.”
We agreed. And it would all go away if Surly just didn’t have such a healthy portion of The Scottish Geisha’s heart.
The Scottish Geisha laughed at that. “Don’t be silly. Surly is just a…well, he’s still a boy. A man of course but a boy too. My point is, Surly is still far too young for such things.”
Hockey, according to The Scottish Geisha, is the ultimate young athlete’s game. A notion that few fans would disagree with. The Scottish Geisha has often defined a professional hockey player’s career as ‘mercifully, cruelly short’. “Just when the players are mature enough to deal with the notoriety, just when they settle down, just when they actually become interesting people in their own right, their careers on the ice usually wind down,” she explained.
True enough. By the time a player puts the effort into a stable relationship, settles down and starts a family, has something truly interesting to say to the press, they are usually looking at the far end of their career in hockey. At least on the ice.
“It is a juxtaposition of fate that once a player can be a hero to his own children, his body is usually too beaten down by time and the rigors of the game to shine on the ice,” she added.
Meanwhile, young, emotionally inexperienced, often without the benefit of advanced educated, and so full of testosterone that it might well be illegal in parts of San Francisco, players are thrown incredible salaries, thrust into the limelight and dealing with grueling, physically punishing seasonal schedules. “Nobody grows up,” says The Scottish Geisha, “With parents that teach, ‘When you are a famous professional athlete, you should behave thusly’. Nobody gets the tools and ethics to deal with that kind of pressure at the age of 24,” she added.
While this does not excuse, it does help to explain such tragedies as the Kobe Bryant rape case. In the Bay Area, lesser crimes such as on-field scuffles with other players, arrests in local bars, allegations of spousal abuse…so commonplace as to be hardly worth a nod from the press when connected to the names of professional athletes.
“This is one reason,” The Scottish Geisha said, warming up to her ‘point’. “That the Sharks are to be so admired as a professional sports team They manage to mentor the young guns of the team, turning many, like Surly, into role models for kids and, generally speaking, keeping the lot of them out of trouble. It cannot be easy, they are kids themselves after all,” she explained. “Plus, once their careers start to fade, many more mature players are offered opportunities to transition into the business side of hockey.”
Given the merciful/cruel short duration of many careers in professional sports, it is little wonder that The Scottish Geisha is such a proponent of the Sharks.
“I expect everyone to be in attendance at this Saturday’s first home exhibition game” she warned.
Like any of us had a choice.