Sports' Spitting Images - Zdeno Chara & Andy Pettitte
Welcome back to BSB's Sports' Spitting Images.
This edition features an athlete on one of our own Boston teams and an athlete from another city that we're very familiar with, as our rivalry with said city dates back more than a century (and no, soccer fans, I'm not referring to the New England Revolution's rivalries with DC United or the Chicago Fire). I am, of course, referring to the dreaded Evil Empire of New York City. So without further ado, here's our latest edition of Sports' Spitting Images:
Shame on you if you don't recognize either of these mugs; first is Bruins team captain and All-Star defenseman Zdeno Big Z Chara. Second, of course, is New York Yankees starter and admitted HGH user Andrew Eugene (haha, Eugene) Pettitte. Chara, who posted a 103.1 MPH slap-shot in this year's All-Star Game Skills Challenge event (no goalie in net, thank God), has had an illustrious 10 year career in the NHL. Prior to signing with the B's last year, Chara averaged a +/- of +27.25 in four years with the Ottawa Senators. In 57 games this season, Chara's got 9 goals and 28 assists (approaching his career high of 32), and he's got a +6 +/- this year, pretty impressive considering the B's aren't exactly lighting the lamp at a stellar rate. If you follow hockey at all, you know Big Z's got one of the most wicked slappers from the point in the entire NHL, and he's been known to drop the gloves on several occasions (although he's sadly cut back a bit on his pugnacious tendencies over the last couple of years).
Regardless of the number of HGH injections he received (apparently now the magic number is 3), Andy Pettitte has had a pretty impressive career (and has proved to be one of the few Yankees I find difficult to fully despise) - 393 games started, 25 complete games, 201 wins (including two 21 win seasons), and a 3.84 career ERA in 10 seasons with the Yanks and 3 seasons with the Houston Astros. In case you've been devoid of every form of media for the past month or so, Pettitte's been in the news lately after admitting to being injected with human growth hormone; his testimony against former teammate and potential Hall-of-Famer Roger Clemens will be all-important in the upcoming weeks and months as "The Rocket" continues to deny any and all use of performance enhancing drugs, something which Pettitte's account allegedly seems to refute (Pettitte claims to have become aware of Clemens' steroid/HGH use in 2003/04). The Yanks decided to exercise the 2008 option on Pettite's contract, so Sox fans can count on cheering against him at least a few times during rivalry matchups this upcoming season. Think we'll see any "HGH" signs or giant cardboard syringes in the Fenway bleachers when the Yanks are in town this year?
This edition features an athlete on one of our own Boston teams and an athlete from another city that we're very familiar with, as our rivalry with said city dates back more than a century (and no, soccer fans, I'm not referring to the New England Revolution's rivalries with DC United or the Chicago Fire). I am, of course, referring to the dreaded Evil Empire of New York City. So without further ado, here's our latest edition of Sports' Spitting Images:
Shame on you if you don't recognize either of these mugs; first is Bruins team captain and All-Star defenseman Zdeno Big Z Chara. Second, of course, is New York Yankees starter and admitted HGH user Andrew Eugene (haha, Eugene) Pettitte. Chara, who posted a 103.1 MPH slap-shot in this year's All-Star Game Skills Challenge event (no goalie in net, thank God), has had an illustrious 10 year career in the NHL. Prior to signing with the B's last year, Chara averaged a +/- of +27.25 in four years with the Ottawa Senators. In 57 games this season, Chara's got 9 goals and 28 assists (approaching his career high of 32), and he's got a +6 +/- this year, pretty impressive considering the B's aren't exactly lighting the lamp at a stellar rate. If you follow hockey at all, you know Big Z's got one of the most wicked slappers from the point in the entire NHL, and he's been known to drop the gloves on several occasions (although he's sadly cut back a bit on his pugnacious tendencies over the last couple of years).
Regardless of the number of HGH injections he received (apparently now the magic number is 3), Andy Pettitte has had a pretty impressive career (and has proved to be one of the few Yankees I find difficult to fully despise) - 393 games started, 25 complete games, 201 wins (including two 21 win seasons), and a 3.84 career ERA in 10 seasons with the Yanks and 3 seasons with the Houston Astros. In case you've been devoid of every form of media for the past month or so, Pettitte's been in the news lately after admitting to being injected with human growth hormone; his testimony against former teammate and potential Hall-of-Famer Roger Clemens will be all-important in the upcoming weeks and months as "The Rocket" continues to deny any and all use of performance enhancing drugs, something which Pettitte's account allegedly seems to refute (Pettitte claims to have become aware of Clemens' steroid/HGH use in 2003/04). The Yanks decided to exercise the 2008 option on Pettite's contract, so Sox fans can count on cheering against him at least a few times during rivalry matchups this upcoming season. Think we'll see any "HGH" signs or giant cardboard syringes in the Fenway bleachers when the Yanks are in town this year?
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