Twitter and Krys Barch. I told him earlier this year I thought it was a match made in heaven. He said he has a lot of fun with it, and the guys in the locker room (Dallas Stars) have a lot of fun with it, even though you may not know their account names or how they're reading, but they are reading.
Of particular interest is a player expressing a strong opinion of another, which is precisely what Mr. Barch seems to have done regarding unsportsmanlike behavior in the Stanley Cup Finals. Maxim Lapierre has drawn his specific ire, but hockey fans know that this sort of behavior is pretty wide-spread amongst Bruins and Canucks alike.
Krys Barch famously (now) tweeted the following...
I can't stand watching #40 and not even playing the game. I don't know if he has an ounce of man in him. I'd be embarrassed to be his father
Less astute observers had to look up who #40 was for each roster and draw their own conclusions, but this ultimately ended up as an extension of the taunting that stemmed from the unpunished Alex Burrows biting in game 1.
Embellishment is a hot topic in sports these day as Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh continue their never ending flopping exhibition in the NBA Finals and the Sedins execute their best moves in the NHL Finals. Of course, there's always Jannik Hansen's goal last night that included a monster unsportsmanlike slash on a Boston player before curling to the front of the net for an easy one timer, his defender still clutching his leg on the ice between the circles.
Sportsmanship seems to be an afterthought in both leagues some nights, yet we expect our children to grow up learning to play these games "the right way."
Barch might not play that much some nights but he operates by a code and takes it seriously. Lapierre has a reputation now in multiple stops (Montreal, Anaheim) as being one who side steps consequences of otherwise questionable actions.
Fair or not, @krysbarch touches upon a truth most sports fans are faced with more and more: Sportsmanship and it's role in crowning champions seems to be diminishing.
In the end it's a harmless tweet by someone with a big, lovable personality. Will it suspend his Twitter account for a second time? Will a new coach want such antics to stop? Is this just summer blues for all involved? Are we reaching for news stories?
In the mean time, Barch's 7,000+ followers await his next thought and wonder who else we can get on Twitter? Steve Ott and Razor Reaugh top that fantasy draft, btw.
TSN has a good recap of their interview with Barchy here