The shouting match Travis Kelce gave to his coach Andy Reid at the Super Bowl strikes the imagination. Kelce’s conduct is condemned from all sides in the media and social networks. These reactions are paradoxical in a society where the notion of respect is taking its toll.
Ultimately, it’s a question of perception. Those who believe that Kelce did the right thing in telling Reid that he wasn’t used enough praise his strength of character and his thirst for victory. Those who believe that the Chiefs tight end made an inappropriate gesture and acted like a spoiled child consider him a bum!
Nearly 30 years ago, the Quebec public unanimously stood behind Patrick Roy, when the fiery goalie glared at Mario Tremblay after being left in front of the net for nine goals, in an 11-1 defeat against the Reds. Detroit Wings.
It was a battle of cocks between a novice coach who wanted to put in his place a player who was taking up too much space for his liking.
This time bomb should have been defused before it exploded.
It goes “boom!” in full view of the packed room that filled the Forum and the hundreds of thousands of viewers witnessing the Roy-Tremblay face-to-face in Hockey Night.
The Canadian management sent its goalkeeper into exile in Colorado. Like Joe Branch in The beautiful stories of the countries above.
Roy had regrets. He was ready to continue his adventure in Montreal.
However, together with Ronald Corey, Réjean Houle judged that the time had come for the organization to part ways with Roy, which his predecessor Serge Savard, let us remember, was preparing to do when he was fired.
And if he had stayed…
For many, this episode led the Canadian to where it is today, that is to say an organization seeking to rebuild its credibility.
What would have happened if management had instead given up?
Would the Canadian have sunk that low?
Is this the explanation, moreover, for the fact that the organization never offered the positions of general manager or head coach to Roy?
The questions are hypothetical, but they will always haunt the minds of those who lived through this dark chapter in the Canadiens’ history.
It’s like the departure of Guy Lafleur.
Fiery coaches
The same goes for coaches who want to shake the fleas of their players. We will always remember the images of the formal outing that Pierre Pagé, with bulging eyes and clenched jaws, made towards Mats Sundin on the evening of the last playoff match between the Nordiques and the Canadiens, in 1993.
We remember the soap that John Tortorella gave to Pierre-Luc Dubois, when both were part of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
In baseball, those not so young remember that Billy Martin, who caught fire at the slightest spark, attempted to physically attack Reggie Jackson during a Yankees game in Boston in 1977. Martin had criticized Jackson for failing to make an effort to catch a ball hit in his direction to right field at Fenway Park.
Elston Howard, the first black to play with the Yankees, who became an assistant coach for the team, intervened to prevent Martin from throwing a punch to Jackson’s face. This incident did not prevent the Yankees from going to the World Series and winning their first championship in 13 years.
But what would it have been if the Yanks had collapsed?
Case closed?
We would ask the same question if the Chiefs had lost to the Forty Niners. Because there was unease within the troops after the incident where Kelce also pushed Reid, let’s not forget that.
THE chum by Taylor Swift attacked a 65-year-old man, 30 years her senior, whose skills are recognized by all.
Fortunately for the Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes, the man of the big occasions, took matters into his own hands in the second half. Otherwise, the Chiefs wouldn’t have made it out of this Super Bowl alive.
Today, we talk about all this at the Chiefs as if it were a closed case. Kelce admitted his fault and Reid gave him absolution. Probably telling him not to do it again.
However, it is not said that this story is over. On the contrary, it risks sticking around for a long time.
Will Kelce’s teammates still want him next season?
I would love to have a drink with them in a Cage from Kansas City.