New Back Check Episode: More D - Suter, Chelios and Bullet Simpson

[rnhaas]

Happy New Year,
We've returned for an extremely extended holiday break with a new episode about defencemen, two of whom happen to be American and had reputations for being dirty:

• Eligible player: Gary Suter
• Recently inducted player: Chris Chelios
• Old timer: Bullet Joe Simpson

As always you can listen on iTunes or here. Show notes are available at the links in the bullet points.

Thanks as always for allowing us to share it here.

Click to read more...

 

[sr edler]

I think it's "Bullet Joe" Simpson actually, and not Joe "Bullet" Simpson. They liked to name players like that before, occasionally. Same with "Bad Joe" Hall.

Or is it just something with the name Joe? In modern times we have "Burnaby Joe" and "Jumbo Joe".

 

[rnhaas]

You're absolutely right. I think my brain just moved it because normally it would be first name "nickname" last name.

 

[sr edler]

I just saw the film Wildlife (like two days ago) (or parts of it, the beginning..., or the first third of it), and in this film Carey Mulligan's (I'm a Carey Mulligan fan, honestly) character explains to Ed Oxenbould's character (her son, Joe) that they named him Joe just because it fits with everything, or something like that. Well, I guess they named him Joseph, but that Joe just comes along with it, whether you like it or not (?).

If my name was Joe, and I was a successful hockey player (or athlete), and someone (or some people) tried to attach a nickname to me like that, I don't know how I would feel about it really.

We should have a thread where we discuss players who have ambiguous feelings about their nicknames.

 

[rnhaas]

Joe does just seem to invite nicknames in front of it. Maybe because it's so short?

 

[tony d]

Thanks for posting this. Suter's not a Hall of Famer yet, got to wonder if he would get in someday. I think he has a chance to do it someday.

 

[rnhaas]

I'm very much of the opinion that someone belongs or does not belong; time has nothing to do with it. I don't really get making players wait and people support that might as well advocate for a Hall like Bill Simmons wants for the NBA, one with tiers. (At least that's how I see it.)

But I agree with you. I think there's definitely a chance he could be inducted in the future, even though we don't think he belongs, simply because of his career totals, which are impressive if you forget about when he played.

 

[sr edler]

Gary Suter is obviously not a Hall of Famer. His nephew Ryan has a better shot (and is a better player, easily). Gary's in the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, that's enough for the guy. Calgary didn't even need him when they won in 1989 against Montreal.

Joe does just seem to invite nicknames in front of it. Maybe because it's so short?

Joe Simpson was a good player, the Harry Cameron of the WCHL, except probably not as good. He's a bit hard to value though because he spent most of his 20s in Winnipeg and Selkirk, playing for various Manotiba Hockey Association teams, and also lost two years in 1917 & 1918 while in France. His peak was pretty short, and I think he was one of the few HHOF players starting out in the 1910s who neither played in the PCHA or the NHA (although the PCHA had an interlocked schedule with the PCHA in 1923–24, the season when Simpson's output fell to 14 points in 30 games).