They all have their points (the columnist has 1,054 words in a file on his hard drive about it), but today, they all get a big "Shaddup" from the kid who cries on June 14.
We're taking a personal day today. This is a recovery day. By next spring, we'll have today as a Lost Weekend, or it'll be a day to remember forever. This should be a day to sing in the streets, not wail from the rooftops.
The Captain's back.
There will be time tomorrow to wonder what Mike York's trade value is, where in Hartford Manny Malhotra will be eating for the indefinite future. There's plenty of time and a couple of moves yet before we can even begin to argue about what this means for Theo Fleury and Valeri Kamensky.
The Captain's back.
Ignore what it means for the lineup for the moment and just sit back and think about that.
Did you ever think it was possible? When you watched him cry standing in front of the Vancouver bench, did you ever think he could come back? Every time he appeared on our televisions in that ugly-ass sweater, our mental photo of him in Red, White and Blue got just a little more faded (just like him -- he is 39, y'know), lost a little crispness in the corners (just like he did). There was a finality about it all. You can't go home again, right?
The Captain's back.
Will it gut the youth movement? Of course it guts the youth movement. He'll be 40 in January, for crying out loud. The average age just passed the International Space Station.
On a team that has enough trouble putting together 60 straight minutes, will it hurt having a 40-year-old playing a key role? Sure it will.
The Captain's back.
But amid all the frightening things about the kids and the lineup and the restoration of the umbilical cord back to 1994, there remains that chance: Mess will be revitalized, will find it in him to pull out the 'A' game when it's most needed, will be surly and play tough in the corners. And his leadership is rightfully legendary. Maybe he can bring Fleury out of the lazy doldrums. Maybe he can teach Malhotra and Lundmark how to play in the rough-and-tumble East. Maybe he can teach the likes of Stephane Quintal just what a privilege it is to wear that sweater so beloved of so many. And after all that was taken from him this year, God knows Adam Graves deserves to have another friend close by.
There has been too much wrong here the last three years to worry how much worse things can become with this move. Maybe it will get worse; maybe it can only get better. As always, half the fun is finding out which way it goes.
As a Rangers fan, as one who remembers 1994, as a Proud Member of the Cult of Personality (TM), as someone who has a white No. 11 sweater hanging in your closet, enjoy this day. We haven't had many days to enjoy since the last time Mark Messier was a Ranger.
The Captain's back.
We can worry about how we'll enjoy tomorrow then.
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Michael Fornabaio--mef17@oocities.com