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[avolarian]

I generally despise my job, but sometimes talking to clients is fun. Like today, when a guy called me about something product-related and I discovered that he's originally from Pittsburgh, so we talked Stanley Cup business for about fifteen minutes. He tipped me to this Malkin interview, which I hadn't heard about:

Sidney Crosby continues to gather

Comments

[capturelight]

this was a huge thing the other day. i was hoping he would be energized because they are so close..but instead he's mister debbie downer about the whole thing. let's hope coming back to the burgh will light a fire under their ass. the past two games i barely saw 5 minutes of the team i knew from the season, let alone the playoffs. but moving on. tonights the night.

go pens.

[thepacketman]

I'm not trying to make excuses for the guy, because he has completely disappeared, but I think there is an element of things being lost in translation, or a general lack of English vocabulary, that makes it impossible for someone in his position to do "coach-speak" in English. I'm sure that he doesn't know a lot of synonyms for "good" and "bad" that would make this sound less curmudgeonly and more athlete cliche.

[avolarian]

That's the second time in recent days that you've said "curmudgeonly" to me in a sentence. Are you trying to impress?

I don't expect Malkin to do coach speak, though it would be cute to see him try, but I'm more concerned/annoyed about the excuses and the general attitude. I agree with Woodrow..."Debbie Downer"...ha ha. But yeah, whatever, tonight will be a different story (knock on stick).

[newsincerity]

I think there is an element of truth to this. I think certain cultures just don't do coach speak - which is good and bad. It's like when Roberto used to tell every reporter about all of his aches and pains. You just don't do that. The difference there, though, was that Roberto still went out and fucking showed up. Malkin's got to do the same. It doesn't matter how tired you are - there are two days between games and you just have to win four. Get it done and then have a nice off-season rest at your jail themed Russian restaurant.

[avolarian]

I forgot that business about Roberto...good point. And well said, sir. I've inherited my grandfather's opinion that "I'm tired" doesn't really wash as an excuse in any team sport ever, unless the dude is coming off a major injury or weird personal circumstance. Of course that grandfather also played in a pickup baseball in which a guy was killed, so maybe he was just generally intense about his sporting events?