John Scott, The Greatest All-Star
Start writing a post
Sports

John Scott, The Greatest All-Star

He's no Gretzky or Lemieux, but John Scott may be more important than either in the long run.

22
John Scott, The Greatest All-Star
Google Images

Welcome to stardom, John Scott. Despite what the National Hockey League says, you've earned it.

He wasn't a star until recently. In fact, for almost his entire career he's been reviled as a goon, a relic from a past era of hockey when brute force could match raw skill. He was among the last of a dying breed, someone who fought other guys because there wasn't much else he could do. So far, he's played in 285 NHL games and has a total of five goals and eleven points (goals and assists). He hasn't scored since the 2014-2015 season, and that was the only time he's scored more than once in the same season. He was a journeyman; he had never stuck with a team for more than two seasons. He had no fans outside of the people who knew him personally. He was a complete afterthought.

Until the All-Star Fan Vote, that is.

On some level, it started out as a cruel joke. The league allowed fans to vote for captains of this year's All-Star team. The top vote-getter in each division became the captain of their team. Simple enough. But the league forgot to account for one thing: hockey fans have a sick sense of humor. Somehow, fans decided to collectively vote for Scott as many times as they were allowed to, purely to mess with the league by voting for the worst player they could find. The league attempted to dissuade fans from doing this. Scott himself told fans to vote for his teammates, who were more deserving. But hockey fans are not so easily deterred. As the deadline passed, Scott was easily named the captain for the Pacific Division.

At first, some fans felt regret for actually voting him in. After all, Scott was the butt of a joke. The reason he was voted in was because the league wouldn't want him there. He's a human being with a young family. Had fans, in their desire to anger the league, messed up the life of an innocent man? Thankfully, they didn't, as Scott began to embrace his role. The more he got into it, the more fans embraced him. This really had the makings of a good story.

Then the league had to preserve the sanctity of an All-Star Game.

A week before the All-Star Game, John Scott was traded by the Arizona Coyotes to the Montreal Canadiens, who then immediately demoted him to the American Hockey League. The league said he couldn't play in the game anymore. You can read Scott's account of the events here, in his own words (language warning).

It didn't take a genius to figure out that the league was probably behind the trade, so fans revolted. Many demanded that Scott, who had been voted into the game by the fans, be allowed to participate. After a brief period, the league assented to the fans and allowed Scott to captain the Pacific Division for one weekend.

This was already shaping up to be a weird All-Star weekend, between Scott's captaincy ad the new format for the game. Instead of one game, four 3-on-3 teams would play a tournament for a total of three games played.

And you know something? Scott did great. He scored two goals in two games! He even got into a "fight" with former teammate Patrick Kane! He threw the only hit in the tournament! He led the Pacific Division to victory! He should be a shoo-in for MVP, right?

Leave it to the league to kill fun again. He wasn't among the league-approved finalists for MVP. During the game, analyst Jeremy Roenick asked Scott's teammate, Brent Burns, if they were trying to set Scott up for easy goals. Commentator Mike Milbury totally disrespected Scott throughout the night. It almost seemed like a concentrated effort to bring Scott down. And the fans had none of it.

They wrote Scott in for MVP. He won in a landslide. Teammates carried him on their shoulders after the Pacific Division won. It's a great story on its own. But it doesn't end there.

For the first time, an All-Star Game in a major sport had meaning behind it. And don't tell me that the baseball All-Star Game has meaning because it determines who has home-field advantage for the World Series. This year's NHL All-Star Game had meaning beyond sports.

For years, sports leagues have trampled on their fans with impunity. Every sport has a major issue plaguing it; the executives ignore these issues because it's bad for business. That's all sports are to executives: a business. Never mind the lives that can be affected by "business decisions"; as long as commissioners and owners keep the money rolling in, they literally could not care less.

NHL fans drew a line. No more would they let "business decisions" get in the way of the right thing. John Scott was voted into the All-Star Game through the system the league promoted; therefore he should play in the All-Star Game. Not a difficult concept. But because the league saw Scott's presence as bad for business, they did everything in their power to remove him from it. They might have gotten away with it if fans were as apathetic about Scott as they were about other issues the league got their way on. But fans took a stand. Whether it was getting to know John Scott the human being, or just general frustration towards the commissioner and his lackeys, or some other reason altogether, or some combination of those reasons, is difficult to figure out for sure. But the fact that fans didn't let the NHL get away with this shows that there may be a fundamental change in American professional sports.

There is frustration across the board among fans of all major sports. Commissioners are some of the most hated men in America. So why let them get away with their misdeeds? The NHL All-Star Weekend may be a wake-up call to fans.

We have all the power. Whether or not the league makes money is entirely dependent on attendance and television ratings. Since money is all they care about, why not send them a message when they step out of line? Leagues are confident that they can get away with whatever they want because they know that no matter what, fans would always come back for more sports. So let's prove them wrong. Let's make the leagues earn their money for a change. The door has been opened, consciously or not, and now is a great opportunity to take advantage of it.

So thank you, John Scott. You were easily the most entertaining part of the All-Star Weekend, and that's significant. You've earned the spotlight.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

14664
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

944797
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

121906
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lots of people sat on the cinema wearing 3D glasses
Pinterest

Ever wonder what your friend meant when they started babbling about you taking their stapler? Or how whenever you ask your friend for a favor they respond with "As You Wish?" Are you looking for new and creative ways to insult your friends?

Well, look no further. Here is a list of 70 of the most quotable movies of all time. Here you will find answers to your questions along with a multitude of other things such as; new insults for your friends, interesting characters, fantastic story lines, and of course quotes to log into your mind for future use.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments