Wade Belak

seward

Active member


Alright, so I’m

sure most of you are aware that Wade Belak was found dead in his condo this

week.

most Canadians should know who he is, for you yanks he is an ex NHL tough guy,

played for Quebec back in the day, then the leafs, before being traded to Florida

and then on to Nashville.

Wade marks

the 3rd under 35 year old NHLer to pass away in the past 4 months. Prompting

the question, what the fuck is up?

I’m not a hockey analyst, i don’t know Wade personally, i have no affiliation

with the NHL, but i do have common sense.

Obviously

when things like this happen, people are extremely quick to point fingers,

place blame, come up with theories, and generally just analyze things in which

they have no fuckin clue what they're talking about.

First things

first, fighting. Everyone is quick to blame fighting. Regardless of how much

certain people want rid of it in the NHL,

it will never happen, and shouldn’t. You think fighting is bad? Wait till there

is no fighting. no fights = more head checks, hits from behind, cheap shots etc

then you’ll know what to do with. I would rather see two players go toe to toe

to settle their differences then watch seriously talented players *cough,

crosby* have their careers cut short. If you commit a play that is in violation

of the rules, you either get penalized, or you get the shit kicked out of you.

This IS how the NHL works, it has

ALWAYS been how the NHL works. the

players accept it, the coaches except it, the idiot fans with no mind for

hockey want rid of it. Fuck, this is how normal people in normal society works.

I am yet to meet a dude that wouldn’t punch me right in the fuckin snoz for

walking up to his gf and just grabbing her titties. Its human nature.

Then people talk about the effects of fighting. Does getting knocked in the

melon have long term effects on your brain? In some cases, sure it does. Its

the same way that some soldiers experience post-traumatic stress disorder, some

garbage men have sore backs, i sit hunched over at a desk all fuckin day, my

old man has lost all his hair from wearing a hard hat, miners breath in shit

dust all day etc etc etc. Players know

the potential effects of fighting, but still fight. Soldiers know the potential

mental effects warfare can play on your mind, but still enlist. I know

cigarettes are bad for me, but i still smoke a pack a week. Ultimately engaging

in a fight is the players decision. leave it at that.

Drugs, where to even start on this one. Of course some players do drugs. Thats

what happens when you have more money than god himself. You can ball out 24/7

and there are always people down to get awesome with you. thats the way she

goes. you’re a professional athlete/celeb. if you can’t keep your shit under

wraps and lay off the hard stuff, then you dont deserve the kazillion dollar

paycheque. Being able to keep yourself in control is what separates the

gretsky's from the fluery's. if i get all high as fuck and jump of a bridge, no

one gives a shit. if a pro athlete gets all high and does retarded shit, now

all of a sudden there is a problem with the NHL?

come on. Much like fighting, players choose to take part in these activities.

no one forces them too.

and, depression. It has been confirmed Wade commit suicide. Many ex players

have been quoted in interviews or sent tweets stating they understand Wade, and

that they are also depressed, and once you stop playing your out of the

limelight and it fucks with your head. and pounding on people fucks with your

head, and their all just pieces of meat and bla bla etc. Now obviously i dont

know what its like to play in the NHL.

i dont know what its like to be a superstar one day and a nobody the next. I

dont know what its like to be able to buy whatever the fuck you could imagine

one day, to living a normal ass life the next. But i do know what its like to

live a normal ass life. This is not a knock at Wade, or any other player, or

any person that suffers from depression period. But at least at some point in

your life you HAD the limelight. I would guess 99% of people in this world will

never experience that. we all wake up, go to our jobs, come home, eat, go to

bed, repeat. every day. barely pay the bills, just fuckin struggling through

life, but making the most of it while were here. and YOURE depressed?? i would

give my left nut to play in the show, make your cash, fuck your woman, live

your life, for just a day! ya you dont have the spotlight on you anymore, but

dude, you retired at 35. ill be lucky if im outta my job at 60. I cant wrap my

head around this depression thing. Players should be proud they were good

enough to play professional hockey in the first place, not sad that they dont

play anymore.

i guess what im trying to say, is a few things.

one, to the

fans of the NHL, mind your own fucking business. Fighting doesn’t effect you,

so why do you care if there is or is not fighting? Tie Domi never showed up at

your work and told you how to do your job, so dont tell him how to do his.

two, drugs. im all for a little dabble here and there. but moderation is key. Especially

if you’re a pro. Keep your shit in check, party, but dont party too hardy.

three, depression. think you have it bad? there is always someone out there

that has it worse. think about the positives in your life and they joy you have

brought to others, it could always always always be worse.

RIP Wade. its a damn shame. you were classy, intelligent, funny, and talented.

all characterises that many people admired and looked up to.

 
Pretty good read. I agree with everything other than the points on depression. It is possible that his depression had nothing to do with hockey, and being out of the limelight. Think about Speedy for example (The Olympic Aerialist who killed himself) It wasn't cause he was done competing that he did it, but because he had some crazy, fucked up family life that gave him depression and caused him to do it.
 
i agree completely. except that belak's family was in the media as much as he was, and he certainly does not have any family problems, but who knows what else could have caused it.

the media is blaming his depression on his involment with the NHL, and thats why i chose to speak about it.
 
hm. depression is a big subject, which for him may or may not have to do with hockey. it's a really hard subject to tackle if you have no real idea about the illness itself, as well. i heard about this and thought it was really fucked up that he left a family behind, but i would be surprised to say it's relevant to fighting in hockey. however i will admit i have no knowledge on the psychology behind that either. i'm a hockey fan, and i don't know why you'd bring up the fighting aspect if you didn't really want it debated... i don't however think fighting should end, i think it just needs to be approached differently. i also however don't think professionals should see hockey only as somewhere they need to go and brawl. that's not the intention of hockey in the first place.. moving along. this is a tragic story and shouldn't be treated otherwise, my thoughts go out to his family, and i offer my sympathy towards whatever he felt emotionally that drove him to it. i would be very interested if someone knew exactly what to pinpoint, but otherwise, speculation is imo a waste of time, and a lot of awful finger pointing will pass around.

someone's life will not dictate their emotions. depression could be rooted from childhood, or it could be something new. depression is the consequence of a negative environment, mentality and the inability to cope or exert emotions and expression properly.
 
again, i completely agree.

these were not my arguments as to why Wade would have killed himself, it was more a rebutal to what the media has been portraying after the incident.

i highly doubt they will ever pinpoint anything as to his motive. I just wish they didnt blame it on such things as they are.
 
Back
Top