No More Tears Please

Is it just me or has anyone else had just about enough of Mark Messier and compulsive crying? Messier's number 11 was retired and hoisted to the rafters of Madison Square Garden Thursday night and once again the tears flowed uncontrollably from the instant the ceremony began. The future Hall of Fame Center wept immediately when his name was announced and the torrent of tears began as he walked down the red carpet towards the microphone at Center Ice. The crying continued sporadically throughout the painfully long ceremony and Messier put an exclamation point on a legacy that remembers him as perhaps the most prolific crier ever in the history of sports.

I certainly don't want to come off as insensitive nor do I wish to diminish what was otherwise a great career by one of the best hockey players ever but for gods sakes enough of the blatting. I've literally watched this man cry countless times. He cried winning each of his 6 Stanley Cups, cried when he won the Heart Trophy, cried when he won the Conn Smyth Trophy, cried when Gretzky was traded to Los Angeles, cried when he was traded to the Rangers, cried when he was traded from the Rangers to the Canucks, cried accepting his Captaincy upon arriving in Vancouver, cried when he was traded back to New York, cried when arriving in New York at the press conference, cried when his number was retired in Edmonton, cried when he retired when no-one really cared, and finally cried last night getting his number retired in New York. Enough already.

The good news is Mark Messier's crying should soon end as his Hall of Fame induction appears to be his last opportunity for showing his tender, heart on his sleeve persona. That will certainly be a relief for a guy that makes Dick Vermeil look like a hard ass in comparison. Can you possibly imagine watching "Ole Yeller' with this guy?

Anyway I needed to get that off my chest and I do feel better now. My only hope for Messier's future is he doesn't get into coaching or managing at the NHL level and he disappears from the spotlight. Then perhaps the healing can begin.