The Players' Tribune: Patrick O'Sullivan details years of abuse UPDATED with article

[Rocko604]

Hard to answer that first question with the censoring.

Also, stay classy, TSN. Why even make that a poll? Pander much?

Sorry, mother "lover" was the term he was comparing it to.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

How are you sure that hasn't been said already?

I have a gut feeling that this has already been said to Burrows and Bieksa.

If someone said anything like that we would've heard about it by now and you know they would've snapped and attacked that player, especially given how short of a fuse some of those guys have.

What makes you think someone would bring that up? Not every player has the same mentality as Burrows.

 

[ScottyK]

Burrows said something to tootoo this year that was pretty disgusting too. Toots wont say what it was but it was something about tootoos brother and he suicide.

Burrows is a grade A *******

 

[canadianmagpie]

Burrows would have already forgot if it was said.

Here's his comment after Tootoo accused him.

"Personally, I don't really think I crossed the line," Burrows said after the Vancouver Canucks' morning skate on Tuesday. "What I said I have been told the same in the past and have heard it plenty of times throughout my career.

 

[Paper]

Here's his comment after Tootoo accused him.

Yeah but that happened weeks ago, how can you know Burrows hasn't forgot what everyone has said? He could be misremembering everything!

 

[Ainec]

I guess some of you won't be offended if a player approached Burrows and stated, "I'm going to hit you harder than the truck that killed your buddy Luc."

Or, "Why won't you join your pal Rick and go kill yourself?"

According to some people, anything on the ice is fair game, so I guess you guys wouldn't think less of an opponent who said such things to Burrows?

I've been told "go kys" a million times in video and online games and I just feel accomplished or laugh my ass off. Most times it's said as a joke or you got someone to rage

I think for most players they would treat it as that

 

[PM]

I don't understand why people are freaking out about Burrows comments. This should be common knowledge.

Growing up playing midget, junior, I heard much, much, much worse things than " you are native,Nword, your mom, homosexual blah,blah,blah.

Burrows is what, 34? He probably had his ass kicked by his parents as well, although obviously not nearly the same as the constant abuse O'Sullivan suffered. I think people are forgetting though how common and even accepted child abuse was not too long ago. Back then it wasn't abuse, it was discipline. It's hard to pinpoint the exact year that it changed from discipline to abuse but it definitely still existed in the 80's.

Nowadays if you spank a kid you're gonna get the book thrown at you but not too long ago it was common for parents, teachers, NEIGHBOURS, to smack around a kid who was acting out. Obviously that is crazy to even think about now but that is the world that many older players grew up in.

 

[Coaches Coroner]

I don't want to go down this road but I certainly wouldn't do it and I would think very negatively of anyone who did.

...yet if someone thinks negatively of Burrow's if he said what is suggested, it's just people being "PC"? Interesting.

 

[Paper]

Burrows is what, 34? He probably had his ass kicked by his parents as well, although obviously not nearly the same as the constant abuse O'Sullivan suffered. I think people are forgetting though how common and even accepted child abuse was not too long ago. Back then it wasn't abuse, it was discipline. It's hard to pinpoint the exact year that it changed from discipline to abuse but it definitely still existed in the 80's.

Nowadays if you spank a kid you're gonna get the book thrown at you but not too long ago it was common for parents, teachers, NEIGHBOURS, to smack around a kid who was acting out. Obviously that is crazy to even think about now but that is the world that many older players grew up in.

Are you seriously equating what happened to O'Sullivan to discipline? Jesus Christ.

 

[canadianmagpie]

Yeah but that happened weeks ago, how can you know Burrows hasn't forgot what everyone has said?

He might not remember the name of the player, but he remembered some of the taunts. He might not remember what was said 100% so that's why he didn't say any names or what was said. Or he could have remembered exactly what was said to him before but didn't bring them into it because he didn't think it was right to.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

Burrows is what, 34? He probably had his ass kicked by his parents as well, although obviously not nearly the same as the constant abuse O'Sullivan suffered. I think people are forgetting though how common and even accepted child abuse was not too long ago. Back then it wasn't abuse, it was discipline. It's hard to pinpoint the exact year that it changed from discipline to abuse but it definitely still existed in the 80's.

Nowadays if you spank a kid you're gonna get the book thrown at you but not too long ago it was common for parents, teachers, NEIGHBOURS, to smack around a kid who was acting out. Obviously that is crazy to even think about now but that is the world that many older players grew up in.

Have you read what happened to O'Sullivan? Serious question.

When I acted out as a kid, I got the belt or the wooden spoon. Not all the time, and 99 times out of 100 just the threat was enough to smarten me up. By today's pillow soft standards, that's child abuse.

O'Sullivan's dad on the other hand was a complete grade A psychopath that should be thrown in jail to rot if even a quarter of what O'Sullivan is saying is true.

What happened to O'Sullivan would have made many people turn to booze, or drugs, or worse.

 

[Paper]

So here's what we got:

• O'Sullivan couldn't possibly remember who insulted him about his childhood trauma since it was over a year ago;
  
• Burrows may have been spanked as a child as a disciplinary action which is practically the same thing as O'Sullivan went through; and
  
• other people experienced abuse, so O'Sullivan should be immune by now.

Any other great arguments I'm missing?

 

[Mofletz]

If someone said anything like that we would've heard about it by now and you know they would've snapped and attacked that player, especially given how short of a fuse some of those guys have.

What makes you think someone would bring that up? Not every player has the same mentality as Burrows.

How do you know that? There is no way of knowing that. There is a "code" "what is said on the ice stays on the ice"

I find it hypocritical that people find it absurd to say certain comments. "go kill yourself" but its acceptable to punch a guys face in.

What is more likely to kill, words or getting multiple head shots and have the potential of dropping head first to the ice.

 

[Chairman Maouth]

Burrows said something to tootoo this year that was pretty disgusting too. Toots wont say what it was but it was something about tootoos brother and he suicide.

Burrows is a grade A *******

Let's see the quote please. What Burrows said to Tootoo.

 

[PM]

Have you read what happened to O'Sullivan? Serious question.

When I acted out as a kid, I got the belt or the wooden spoon. Not all the time, and 99 times out of 100 just the threat was enough to smarten me up. By today's pillow soft standards, that's child abuse.

O'Sullivan's dad on the other hand was a complete grade A psychopath that should be thrown in jail to rot if even a quarter of what O'Sullivan is saying is true.

What happened to O'Sullivan would have made many people turn to booze, or drugs, or worse.

Yes I read the article. Burrows didn't just make this remark, it was made almost 10 years ago? Would he have known everything we know about O'Sullivan's situation now? He probably thought O'Sullivan got smacked around by his dad like many older players used to get smacked around by their dad, how would he know the full story that we now know 10 years ago?

FACT: Parents used to beat the crap out of their kids under the term "discipline", obviously that is wrong but it was totally acceptable not that long ago. O'Sullivan's case is obviously much, much worse but how would any player know that before it was publicized? They probably had some idea his dad beat him but how would they know it's any different from the beatings they may have received?

 

[goonybird]

How do you know that? There is no way of knowing that. There is a "code" "what is said on the ice stays on the ice"

I find it hypocritical that people find it absurd to say certain comments. "go kill yourself" but its acceptable to punch a guys face in.

What is more likely to kill, words or getting multiple head shots and have the potential of dropping head first to the ice.

wait wait wait wait. you think someone saying that any one out of a few hundred people has a different mentality as Burrows is the unreasonable argument here?

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

How do you know that? There is no way of knowing that. There is a "code" "what is said on the ice stays on the ice"

I find it hypocritical that people find it absurd to say certain comments. "go kill yourself" but its acceptable to punch a guys face in.

What is more likely to kill, words or getting multiple head shots and have the potential of dropping head first to the ice.

Just as there is no way of knowing if other players will stoop to that level and bring up dead teammates. You had some guys suggesting that maybe other players have brought it up. Do you have any proof of that?

The things Burrows is saying is trying to get a rise and response from his opponents, and sometimes that response goes far. Remember McSorley on Brashear? Or Bertuzzi on Moore? O'Sullivan played on, didn't say anything of this matter until he was asked questions about players he disliked in a Reddit AMA chat.

So because words don't cause physical harm, anything should be said then? Gotcha.

 

[Phrasing]

Not that I condone anything Burrows said (and I don't, I wouldn't go there and don't think he should have either) but:

I've heard worse, much worse. Yes that doesn't make it ok, but what it means is that Burrows is not some extraordinary superpest or POS and that this is likely a systemic issue that the league leaves to the players to police themselves unless it crosses discriminatory lines.

Might as well add again, before anyone jumps, that I don't think Burrows should have said that and I don't condone it..

 

[Ceremony]

I was physically beaten from time to time - but if O'Sullivan is to be believed, I was not beaten as bad as he was. The abuse I suffered was psychological, verbal. I did not know what love and support was growing up. Later I had horrible things said to me on the ice. None of it bothered me. I was already immune. I just wonder why O'Sullivan isn't.

I've been trying to think of a response to this and I just can't. It's stunning. It's spectacularly ignorant. Aside from anything else though, it's just sad.

MOD

 

[BB6]

I was physically beaten from time to time - but if O'Sullivan is to be believed, I was not beaten as bad as he was. The abuse I suffered was psychological, verbal. I did not know what love and support was growing up. Later I had horrible things said to me on the ice. None of it bothered me. I was already immune. I just wonder why O'Sullivan isn't.

I was as well but it was more than from time to time and not on the level this guy is saying happened to him but bad enough I guess, I had people bring it up as well over my life and I also handled it accordingly if at all. I've always been a person who reacts to your intent more than what you're actually saying, so I agree.

I feel like workplace abuse doesn't apply here since trash talking is expected, I think people are over reacting and white knighting because its fun to hate Burrows, its funny, if I say we don't even know if Burrows knew about his history when he made the chirp in junior and could of just been saying it in a red headed step child type remark, people will laugh and act incredulous. never change internet.

 

[CDJ]

Or people are acting incredulous because what Burrows said was ridiculously over the line, could just be that too

 

[Chairman Maouth]

What a horribly ignorant thing to say. As someone who is a victim of abuse, I find it staggering that you so readily jump to victim blaming.

It's amazing the lengths some will go to to defend players on their favorite teams.

I've consistently made the point in this thread that you need to be tough to make it in the NHL. Physically and mentally. You need to be able to take both physical and verbal punishment.

Player A has a bad ankle but is playing. The opposing team knows it and targets his ankle. I've always hated that and I believe it is poor sportsmanship. Is that not as bad as what Burrows allegedly said to O'Sullivan? A player is already injured and you exploit that injury. Seems pretty low to me.

 

[Rocko604]

So here's what we got:

• O'Sullivan couldn't possibly remember who insulted him about his childhood trauma since it was over a year ago;
  
• Burrows may have been spanked as a child as a disciplinary action which is practically the same thing as O'Sullivan went through; and
  
• other people experienced abuse, so O'Sullivan should be immune by now.

Any other great arguments I'm missing?

"This is only a big deal because it's fun to hate Burrows."

 

[Eric Sachs]

Or people are acting incredulous because what Burrows said was ridiculously over the line, could just be that too

Nah.

Everyone is out to get Burrows because we all naturally hate the Canucks.

We can't rationally analyze anything Canucks related without our innate biases getting in the way.

****ing Canucks..

 

[IslandBeast]

If every player wrote a book we would have threads directed towards hundreds of players who have said terrible, horrible things.