NHL goon and Vancouver Canuck Todd Bertuzzi pled guilty to assault yesterday, receiving a conditional discharge. As long as the conditions are met, the sentence carries no criminal record.
This comes after Bertuzzi slugged the Colorado Avalanche's Steve Moore from behind nine months ago. The attack hospitalized Moore with fractured vertebrae, as well as several other injuries including amnesia.
Bertuzzi is required to perform 80 hours of community service and follow his probation regulations, which forbid him from playing in a game with Moore for one year. This isn't much of a probation, though, when one considers the fact that Moore no longer has an NHL contract.
Moore was not present in the courtroom but delivered a statement that was read in court before the sentence was handed down.
[...]
Tim Danson, Moore's Toronto-based attorney, said he became aware of the plea bargain Monday, and neither he nor Moore had a chance to travel to Vancouver to address the court. Danson initially hired a Vancouver lawyer to ask for a sentencing delay until January so Moore could speak to the court in person.
Besides, who's to say that Moore didn't try to take a dive in order to get Bertuzzi to take a penalty..and it backfired in his face ?
What kind of a fuckin panzy turns his back on a guy who's been chasing him around for 2 periods anyway ? He had to know that he was gonna get slugged sooner or later for what he did...so take it face to face like a man.
There's no question that what Bertuzzi did was foolish, but maybe Steve Moore should start suing the other 10 guys who pounced on his back after the incident happened. I'm sure that didn't help his cause much either.
Todd is one of the class acts in the NHL, its a shame that the leauge didn't step in and protect him from this whole criminal procedure.
Yes what happend is awful, but it's a part of the game, if Steve Moore had of stood up for actions earlier in the game he would not have been injured. Now he's whining so much i wanted to hit him, i respect his point of view but it was part of a game he new the risk.
after all the bullshit i think this is the right judgement, however it went too far. The leauge needs to protect its players.
Yeah, hitting people is awesome! You guys are totally male and awesome and you have penises so hit things with them! Awesome! Yeah! Headbutt a cat! Ugh! Yeah!
The court's really have no place in an incident such as this. Playing a sport voluntarily means you take on some risk to your person. The courts don't charge a footballer who hits an opponent too hard and causes damages comparable to what steve moore suffered. It was a mistake and the league should have, and did, take care of it.
I think I heard that Steve Moor isn't going to file a civil suit, if this is the truth,I applaude him putting an end to it.
The fact that the attitude that "Well, it's part of the game, he shouldn't be punished for it" is so wide-spread in the NHL is a major reason why no one gives a shit that this league's about to shut it down for a whole season.
that was a pretty violent ass hit from behind if i remember it correct...i think he should of got more a penalty...make him serve time until the nhl starts again whenever that maybe...then let him out like a caged animal throw him right back on the ice and let him play the av's again
vapourrumours said:
The court's really have no place in an incident such as this. Playing a sport voluntarily means you take on some risk to your person. The courts don't charge a footballer who hits an opponent too hard and causes damages comparable to what steve moore suffered. It was a mistake and the league should have, and did, take care of it.
I think I heard that Steve Moor isn't going to file a civil suit, if this is the truth,I applaude him putting an end to it.
When you play a sport like hockey, you do assume some risk that you'll get hurt. You are not assuming the risk that someone will punch you in the head when you're looking the other way. That crosses the line into criminal assault. Playing a game doesn't give you an excuse to throw civilized behaviour out the window. Not even hockey.
vapourrumours said:
The court's really have no place in an incident such as this. Playing a sport voluntarily means you take on some risk to your person. The courts don't charge a footballer who hits an opponent too hard and causes damages comparable to what steve moore suffered. It was a mistake and the league should have, and did, take care of it.
I think I heard that Steve Moor isn't going to file a civil suit, if this is the truth,I applaude him putting an end to it.
When you play a sport like hockey, you do assume some risk that you'll get hurt. You are not assuming the risk that someone will punch you in the head when you're looking the other way. That crosses the line into criminal assault. Playing a game doesn't give you an excuse to throw civilized behaviour out the window. Not even hockey.
This man speaks for me as well. Also keep in mind the fact that Todd rode his face into the ice. Bad form.
RecipeForHate said:
Besides, who's to say that Moore didn't try to take a dive in order to get Bertuzzi to take a penalty..and it backfired in his face ?
Possible, yet irrelevant.
What kind of a fuckin panzy turns his back on a guy who's been chasing him around for 2 periods anyway ?
Perhaps he was expecting Bertuzzi to behave like a civilized adult human being instead of a neanderthal.
There's no question that what Bertuzzi did was foolish, but maybe Steve Moore should start suing the other 10 guys who pounced on his back after the incident happened. I'm sure that didn't help his cause much either.
RecipeForHate said:
Besides, who's to say that Moore didn't try to take a dive in order to get Bertuzzi to take a penalty..and it backfired in his face ?
Possible, yet irrelevant.
It's irrelevant if you're too ignorant to take into consideration every possiblility of what happend.
What kind of a fuckin panzy turns his back on a guy who's been chasing him around for 2 periods anyway
Perhaps he was expecting Bertuzzi to behave like a civilized adult human being instead of a neanderthal.
The same way Steve Moore hit Marcus Naslund from behind and knocked him out for 3 or 4 games and fueled this whole incident in the first place ?? You reap what you sew.
There's no question that what Bertuzzi did was foolish, but maybe Steve Moore should start suing the other 10 guys who pounced on his back after the incident happened. I'm sure that didn't help his cause much either.
"The other ten guys" didn't cause his injuries.
And you know for a fact, Dr. troglodyte that they didn't help contribute to further damage ?
RecipeForHate said:
It's irrelevant if you're too ignorant to take into consideration every possiblility of what happend.
Whether Moore decided to take a fall is irrelevant because Bertuzzi injured him nonetheless.
The same way Steve Moore hit Marcus Naslund from behind and knocked him out for 3 or 4 games and fueled this whole incident in the first place ?? You reap what you sew.
That doesn't justify what Bertuzzi did.
And you know for a fact, Dr. troglodyte that they didn't help contribute to further damage ?
No, but the courts do and if the "other ten guys" had been responsible they would have been charged as well.
that happens in life too, I have assualt charges that ended with no record.
Hockey guys can handle themselves, better a cheap shot with your fist ever, than with your stick.
troglodyte said:
That doesn't justify what Bertuzzi did.
No, it doesn't justify what he did..but you can't expect to play dirty and think that no one is going to bring it back on you.
RecipeForHate said:
And you know for a fact, Dr. troglodyte that they didn't help contribute to further damage ?
troglodyte said:
No, but the courts do and if the "other ten guys" had been responsible they would charged as well.
I didn't say they were responsible...I said they helped contribute to the futher damage to Moore's neck and back. It doesn't take a medical degree to figure that one out. If you don't think so, have 10 guys jump on your back when you're on the ground and see what happens. They certainly didn't help him out any. Courts don't always determine what's fact and what isn't.
Tim Danson, Moore's Toronto-based attorney, said he became aware of the plea bargain Monday, and neither he nor Moore had a chance to travel to Vancouver to address the court. Danson initially hired a Vancouver lawyer to ask for a sentencing delay until January so Moore could speak to the court in person.
That request was denied.
Moore must have a lousy lawyer because the Vancouver media were reporting the plea bargain on Sunday.
Aya
SUICIDEGIRL
Alberta, Canada
DEC 23, 2004 07:33 PM