OT: Fight Night at The Joe (aka Avs vs Red Wings) Sunday 6/26 1pm
A heads-up for hockey fans: ESPN will have their premier showing of the E-60: Unrivaled 'Fight Night at The Joe' this Sunday from 1-3pm. Yes, 2 hours (because how could you possibly condense this one down to an hour?!).
This is the link to the story behind what you're going to see Sunday, the story behind one of the greatest rivalries ever, regardless of the sport involved. The interview tidbits that take up the majority of this article are nothing short of awesome.
https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/34131852/fight-night-joe-rememberin…
(edit, because I can): Here's an exerpt from the write-up, Darren McCarty describing the punch that cut down Claude LeMieux:
McCarty: When I pulled that fist back, I had the power of the whole city of Detroit and the power of a million Red Wings fans in that fist. I didn't even feel it. When you hit somebody perfectly on the button like that it feels like butter. I hit him, he goes down, then I get his helmet off and I pick him up off the ice and I f---ing wailed on him with a left uppercut or two, and that's the punch that cut him. I got really good connection on that one. Oh, it felt so good.
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To this day (25 years later), I absolutely NEVER EVER root for the Avs.
Go Lightning!
"I can't believe I shook this guy's friggin' hand after the game; that pisses me right off."
- Dino Ciccarelli
I haven’t been excited about a documentary in… forever. This one seems awesome!
LGRW!
Eff the Avalanche!
I was driving back from Dayton and listened to the entire game on the radio. It was electrifying.
Watching Wings players smash in the faces of Avs players for the 100th time might take the sting off of seeing them lift the cup just a smidge. Maybe.
Quotes from Yzerman at the end of the piece show that the rivalry with the Avs is still important. Probably not from the perspective of revenge, but as something to propel the current team to being better.
Honestly, people can say what they want, but if I wanted to show someone why I love hockey, I'd show them the clip of that event over anything else. Beats any compilation of goals and dekes in my mind.
I was reading about how McCarty and Claude the Turtle have done meet-and-greets for charity where they talk about the rivalry and how they've moved on as people, which is nice to see, but yeah still never ever ever going to root for them unless it's vs. the OSU hockey team
Can’t wait.
It’s one thing to have that level of hatred between two teams, but to have it between the two best teams in the NHL was special.
I was fortunate enough to attend this game as a kid. The 2nd game my dad ever took me to. Needless to say I spent a lot of time standing on my seat that night.
I also was fortunate enough to attend this game (long-time season ticket holder back before four wonderful kids adjusted my priorities). It was without question the most memorable regular-season game I ever attended. McCarty scoring the winner in OT was the icing on the cake.
Also agree with your assessment about these being the two best teams in the league. Both rosters featured some world-class hockey players so there was plenty of skill to go with the hatred.
No doubt about it. NJ was right there too and Dallas wasn’t far behind, but when you really think about that rivalry you think of 96-02 and Detroit/Colorado won 5 of the 7 Cups during that time frame and clearly had the most star power of those teams. 3 times the WCF matchup between them essentially decided the Cup. What a time.
besides mccarty turtling lemieux, i'll take vernon over roy in a surprise beatdown every day and twice on sunday.
Vernon was considerably shorter than Roy, but he was a tough little bugger.
Too bad Michele couldn't fight back like Vernie did.
but your avatar/namesake was the toughest of all. not a big guy at all, probably vernie's size. long-time friends with my father who called ted 'scar face'. i think i mentioned this to you a few years back, but the last time i saw your avatar (live) i had to tell him that my dad passed away. sad day.
Yes, I remember you sharing that story XM. Lindsay was the fiercest of competitors on the ice, but a generous and caring person off the ice who often gave his time, talent and treasure to various charitable causes.
he also gave me my equipment when i played for the jr. wings, back in the day. dad asked him what he had in the equipment room and lo and behold, he had a whole set up just for the asking.
Glad we got Osgood vs Roy the year after and I'l always be at least a little sad that Hasek tripped and we were denied a third goalie fight in the rivalry.
Let’s go Avs. The cup is in Ball arena tonight. Time for the Avs to take it for a skate
Boo this man!!!🤣
Oh darn. They lost.
To this day (25 years later), I absolutely NEVER EVER root for the Avs.
This person gets it.
I don't care how many Wolverines or connections to the state there are on that roster.
Fuck the Avs now and forever. If you root for the Avs, you may as well root for tOSU(tm) too.
Fuck the Avs.
And their shitty, entitled, Californicated fanbase too.
Rooting for the Avs is like rooting for Ohio State, Michigan State, or the Yankees.
It's crazy that it was the Professor scuffling with Forsberg that started that moment.
Ahh...March 26, 1997.
One of the greatest days in the history of my life. :-)
He was so smart, he had it calculated in his head what would happen next.
1. March 26, 1997
2. Marriage
3. Birth of the kids
I was fortunate enough to be at the 4/1/98 game where Osgood and Roy squared off. There was nothing better than this rivalry back in the day.
I was there too, in the upper bowl behind the Wings' net as Ozzie skated out. All my life I'd heard the term "electric atmosphere." That might have been the first time I fully understood what it meant.
Never, ever the Avs. Never. Not even 30 years from now will I root for them.
Here's the Lego version of a fight between Chris Osgood and Patrick Roy:
https://es.pn/3QNe9z4 via @ESPN App http://espn.com/app
(edit): Well that sucks---can't embed or even post the direct ESPN link. The only way to post it is by linking the entire ESPN page and then scrolling down almost a dozen videos.
IF you are not tuned in right now, keep in mind there will be several more showings of this film this week and beyond.
Well worth your time, IMO---the film clips and narration over the first 45 minutes have been superb.
PHUCK the Avs!
Not gonna lie, I found myself getting a little choked up at some of this. It’s well done. No spoilers, just highly recommend it if you lived through the early years of the rivalry as a fan. I was as pumped up for this as I was for the Bad Boys 30 for 30.