Citizens of Ottawa, All of Canada Turn on Heatley

Attacking Dany Heatley seems to be the Fun Thing to Do this fine Canada Day. A truly ferocious take-down appeared in this morning's Ottawa Citizen. Read the whole thing, but I can't resist sharing some choice excerpts:

(some context: some friend of the Heatley family, one Tom Molloy, sent a letter to the Ottawa Citizen defending Dany against attacks, calling him a good boy and such)

Talk about cheap and pathetic.

Snivelling comments in a letter from Tom Molloy, a friend of Dany Heatley's parents, have only served to fuel the outrage in the nation's capital. If that was the intent, it worked. If it was meant to garner sympathy, it backfired.

...

Undoubtedly, Mr. and Mrs. Heatley, through Molloy, have helped grease the wheels of a trade for their brat son. It's too bad Dany has counted on everyone around him to speak on his behalf. No profile in courage here, considering he's 28 years old.

Poor, misunderstood Dany, a multimillionaire, thanks largely to the Senators and their paying fans who embraced him regardless of what he, his parents or family friend might think.

Dany plays for the Canadian national team at the world championships most springs, his parents note through their friend, and, as a result, gives up a whole month of his summer.

...

Heatley's trade request confuses Graham Snyder, whose son, Dan, was killed in a single-car crash involving Heatley's Ferrari in 2003. The two were teammates on the Atlanta Thrashers, the club that drafted Heatley in 2000. According to Snyder's father, the Thrashers did everything they could to help Heatley get over the death of his teammate. Even the Snyders did their part, helping him avoid certain jail time for vehicular homicide. The family spoke glowingly of Heatley at the time, and told Atlanta prosecutors and the case judge that nothing would be gained by putting him behind bars. The case ended with a plea bargain. Months later, he asked Atlanta to trade him because of the psychological effects of Snyder's death. He landed in Ottawa for Marian Hossa in August 2005.

"I'm surprised (by the trade request) because he signed a long-term deal (with Ottawa) and was playing in a market that seemed to embrace him," Snyder said on Tuesday from his home in Elmira, Ont., near Kitchener-Waterloo.

"I was surprised (by his request from Atlanta, too, though) I could understand that one because I probably knew a few things that other people didn't that go on behind the scenes, and it was difficult for him.

"But on the other hand, the Atlanta Thrashers were very, very supportive of him. What (general manager) Don Waddell and the ownership did there for him -- it's a pretty tough thing to repay. And he put them in a tight situation as well.

"I was surprised at it, but I understood it. This one, I really don't understand.

"He asked to get out (of Atlanta) and he went to a team that he obviously approved of and had some success (with). They went to the (2007 Stanley Cup) finals. What I can see is that he got a lot of support in Ottawa.

"I don't think it says a lot of positive things on the surface ... it sure doesn't show a good team attitude."

Oh my, the Delicious, it tastes so good.