Gretzky's Fatal Flaw in Hockey Choices

Team Canada's ignominious exit from the Olympics at Turin, Italy have caused a lot of hand-wringing and a lot of blame-assigning. Here I go with my share. There were some spiritual issues in the whole hockey mess.

For example, Todd Bertuzzi has barely gotten his job back for the Vancouver Canucks after being out of action for over a year. Steve Moore, the victim of his now infamous on-ice mayhem still doesn't know if he will make it back to the National Hockey League.

Now hockey may be religion for some, but it is not a religion and is not supposed to be.

But there are some spiritual overtones. Gretzky and pals did not listen to all the writers and fans who wanted younger players. No listening to those who wanted Staal and Crosby.

And especially, no listening to those who pointed out the obvious flaws in Todd Bertuzzi who is still trying to rehabilitate himself in the game. Who, it is said, besides being an innately threatening hulk, and unreconstructed really, has a tendency toward dumb penalties.

Well, Todd Bertuzzi's dumb penalty in the Olympic knockout game opened the door for kid whiz Alexander Ovechkin's goal and spelled the end of Canada's Olympic hopes.

Not listening about hockey doesn't mean much, but not listening to God, and His servants in things that really matter can be forever flawed. Gretzky may be loyal to his old friends to to a fault, and the buildup of his grandmother's death, his mother's passing, the alleged gambling of Rick Tocchet and his wife's supposed betting all add up to terrible pressure.

I doubt that Team Canada's misfortune can be attributed to stress. But it surely points to not listening!