In a classic early ‘90s Nike ad, basketball star (and troublemaker) Charles Barkley explained that he’s not a role model. It seemed like a strange way to sell sneakers, but “The Round Mound of Rebound” sent a message about who he was as a basketball player and a person in that memorable commercial.
One cannot help but wonder if much-reviled Pittsburgh Penguins pest Matt Cooke might want to consider filming his own black and white commercial ad pleading with people not to follow his example. It looks like he has at least one player openly hoping to follow in his checkered footsteps, though.
Few would doubt that the Washington Capitals were dumping salary when they traded Eric Fehr to Winnipeg for the Jets’ fourth rounder in 2012 and relatively unknown tough guy Danick Paquette. Most indicate that Paquette is a long way from the NHL (if he ever makes it), but there was a natural curiosity about who this guy really was.
The hockey world received a bizarre introduction to Paquette thanks to a report by Capitals beat writer Stephen Whyno.Paquette drilled Adam Mitchell with a blind-side hit in a development camp scrimmage on Thursday and was not only unapologetic about it later – he compared himself to a major NHL villain.
“I’m a pretty dirty player,” Paquette said. “I did my job, like Matt Cooke.”
(snip)
And despite the Cooke comparison probably not putting him in good graces out of the gate with Caps fans, Paquette’s play on the ice impressed coach Bruce Boudreau.
“If Colie Campbell was watching it might’ve been a little bit of a dirty hit in the first period, but that’s what he’s gotta be is one of those guys that everybody loves to hate,” Boudreau said. “And he scores a goal, hits a guy with what was a clean hit in the third period and ends up getting into a fight. He did everything what you expect him to do.”
Maybe it’s not the savviest way of introducing yourself, but many might forget that Cooke was a part of the Capitals’ first playoff run with Boudreau. If Paquette can be that type of guy for Washington at the NHL level some day, then Capitals fans might learn to love (or at least accept) him much like Penguins fans talk themselves into appreciating Cooke.
In the mean time, Paquette might want to beef up his cliche vocabulary a bit; this kind of honesty might only get him in trouble.