Required reading

I am a Ranger fan. Have been since I was 13, and will be even if I move to some other place. But I am also a goalie fan(atic), so when Martin Brodeur's book came out, I knew I had to read it. I just didn't want to buy it with my money, so my mom gave it to me for Christmas. I enjoyed the book for the most part, putting away my bias and taking it at face value. But even so, "Marty's" inflated ego kept getting in the way. I give him a lot of credit for the success he's achieved, and recognize that he is one of the best in the world at what he does. I also laud him for negotiating his own contracts, and for taking less money so that the team can afford better players to surround him with. But really, I don't need to be reminded of how great he is for those reasons over and over and over and over again. I also found his constant jibes at the Rangers to be very amusing, and good evidence that we're/they're in his head, big time. He actually penned the words "I hate the Rangers". Does he not realize how much a victory that is for Ranger fans?

But aside from that, I did enjoy the inside look at the goings-on of the league, particularly during the lockout. I also learned something. Yes, this is something my husband and friends have been trying to drill into my head for months, but I guess it takes a guy with 3 Vezinas to bring it home. And that lesson is...

"My mindset has always been to take responsibility for my game and my teammates, but at the same time I have to put my part of the game in perspective. I've always found it interesting that fans will blame a goalie for a certain goal, but if a shooter fans on an open net, that's not viewed as a similarly serious error. That's how I overcome bad goals. I realize I can't put it all on my shoulders. If possible, I want to put myself in a position where I can make the save that makes the difference, because I'm not going to stop them all. The worst thing I can ever do is start doubting myself, or stop believing in what I'm doing. Even in the worst circumstances, I try not to do that."

Ok, you can all stop with the "I told you so's". And to lighten the mood a bit, here is a passage that I found especially amusing. This is in reference to Game 1 of the 2006 playoffs against the Rangers, when toward the end of a 6-1 rout of the Blueshirts, Madden got a hat trick. Devils fans threw hats on the ice, as per tradition, but angry Ranger fans threw the plastic giveaways the arena had given out at the beginning of the game. (Don't tell me no Devils fans at all were throwing them either... come on). Marty's kids were sitting behind his net, and apparently were throwing a lot of the cast-off giveaways that didn't make it to the ice.

"When I saw the boys doing this, it really ticked me off. I skated out of my net and smashed my stick as hard as I could against the end glass, motioning for them to sit down. Jeremy left his seat a few minutes later and found Gen. "I think Daddy is really mad at me," he told her. After the game, I sat down with the boys and told them why I was so mad. I explained to them that by doing what they had done, they were basically acting like Rangers fans. [oh puh-leeeze] "Daddy's working out there," I told them. "And when Daddy's working, he doesn't need to have to discipline his children." Just like any other father, I guess."

Someone please tell me there is footage of this floating around the internet somewhere. That might be almost as good as Norrena "cleaning" the glass in front of the goal judge's face.