Mr. Pissy Publicly Pouts

Captian Koivu Gets Pissy...
And apparently wants us all to feel sorry for him and the rest of the team.  After all:

"I think we're creating, but nobody remembers that though. You've got to find a way to score," captain Mikko Koivu said.
Dear Mikko -
Stop snivelling, Nancy Boy.  My God, you want to be praised and rewarded for the 20 frickin' minutes you deign to play each game?  You want to be lauded for the one time you battled in a corner and came up with a puck?  You want to be the Number 1 Player Of The Game because, for once, you didn't turn over a puck in your own zone?  Good luck with getting any sympathy out of your fans, pal.   


Koivu didn't want to hear that the Wild is digging itself a hole.


"I don't think you have to tell us that," Koivu snapped. "We're trying as hard as we can. We just couldn't win tonight. You don't have to tell us what we have to do. That's not going to help us. We know what it takes."

Let's dissect this piece by piece, shall we?

1. "I don't think you have to tell us that," Oh, but we do. You're not listening to your coach so yes, we do have to tell you that.  
2. "We're trying as hard as we can."  No, you're not.  You're not coming anywhere close. Consistency  
3. "We just couldn't win tonight."  Not when you only show up for 20-28 minutes.  There are 60 minutes in a game, count them down with me: 60, 59, 58...
4. "You don't have to tell us what we have to do. That's not going to help us."  See bold red comment from first bullet point above...apparently you're not receiving the message since you're not doing anything to fix it. 
5. "We know what it takes."  Then why, for the love of Gordie Howe, aren't you doing it???  Don't give me your little temper tantrum, give me a united team playing 60 minutes of hockey GAME IN & GAME OUT!!   Fan Disservice
   
     

The quote is out of Russo's Strib coverage and I swear to God, I had to read it like 5 times to be sure I was really seeing it right.  This is the captain of the team and he's whining like a 5 year old being told to pick up his toys before he can go outside to play.  Grow up, Koivu, grow a pair.  You're an overpaid professional athlete who's play, this season, would be rewarded with 3rd line minutes or benching anywhere else in the NHL.  You're not really in a position to start telling us fans to get off your back.  I've been paying your salary since you were in Houston, probably even before that given everything my ticket money goes towards, administratively speaking.  I'll let you know when I'll be getting off your back, pal.  Based on your performance and these comments, it won't be any time soon.  The only solace you can take at this point is from knowing I won't be getting off any of your team mates' backs any time soon either.  Whining




Seven years ago I was 'just happy to have hockey back'.  I then endured a post-traumatic syndrome season, a locked out season and several really poorly played seasons - all the while continuing to believe in the future of this team.  Pssst - Mikko, that's you - in case you were wondering where you fit into this rant. 

This season, the new owner of the Wild raised my ticket prices.  He did so in a crumbling economy and after a season in which you didn't even make the playoffs.  He did so after you and your team mates embarrassed The State Of Hockey for three straight post seasons.  He tagged me with the highest percentage of ticket price increase in the entire arena.  He did all of this while promising me a much improved product on the ice as a reward for my ten years of loyalty, dedication and trust in this team.  

Mikko, given all of this and you're horrendous play, do you really think that you have any right to come back to Russo with the response you gave?  The answer is no.   
Here's what Russo should have come back with: Don't Like My Opinion...

And just in case you think I can't take what I dish out - here's my favorite from despair.com:

BLOGGING

Never before have so many people with so little to say said so much to so few

For the Wild - Who Seem To Have The Weight of The World On Their Shoulders:

I have Melody Gardot all over my iPod.  Her voice transports me to a smoky dive where you drown your sorrows in rail gin while tapping your toes along to the bass player.