Whine Country

Napa Valley?...No

Virginia piedmont?...Nope.

Philadelphia?...We have a winner!

It's one thing for players to engage in some trash talking and the raw emotions of post-game interviews that elicit quotes of an unflattering or accusatory nature with respect to the opponent. But from the media?

Only in Philly...

"For the second time in as many games against Washington, the Flyers kept [Alex] Ovechkin (five shots) scoreless. Ovechkin did land heavy hits on Luca Sbisa and Jeff Carter (borderline kneeing)."

-- Philadelphia Inquirer

"Borderline kneeing?" The only "knee" Ovechkin seemed to get was his teammate's, Chris Clark.

"Capitals star [Alex] Ovechkin was held without a goal but raised the ire of the Flyers' bench when he ran at rookie Luca Sbisa and tried to take out Jeff Carter coming out of his end."

-- Philadelphia Daily News

Well, gee... Sbisa's a rookie. You go at him early and often with the aim of getting him to cough up the puck. "Tried to take out" Jeff Carter? Guess that's Philly code for "looking for an open ice hit."

"Even before the game began last night, a full day before, really, the Capitals started revving up for the Flyers, trash-talking in the Washington Post. Defenseman Shaone Morrisonn maligned the Flyers fans, accusing them of rocking the Capitals' team bus outside the Wachovia Center after Game 4 in last year's playoff series and 'mooning them' as the bus pulled away. He even brought up the infamous Santa Claus incident. As if Philadelphia hasn't heard enough about the booing of St. Nick."

-- Philadelphia Daily News

"Maligned" Flyers fans? Your honor, please tell the witness to refrain from stating facts.


Alex Ovechkin is dirty (a guy who has 46 penalty minutes this year, tied for 82nd in the league)...Shaone Morrisonn didn't say nice things about Philadelphia. This from the town whose hockey team dresses Scott Hartnell (he of the 159 PIMs for the Flyers last year), Riley Cote (202 PIMs last year), and Josh Gratton (55 PIMs in only 18 games this year) -- none of whom are on any short list for the Lady Byng Trophy -- and that could claim as part of their sports history Chuck Bednarik and Reggie White on the gridiron; Dave Schultz (whose nickname, it's worth noting, was "The Hammer"), Dave Brown, and two Sutters on the ice.

They weren't whine drinkers.