The Forman Faceoff: March 2021

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

To the Flyers Media Member who Mocked Carter Hart's Mental Health. Why?

Why?

I've had enough of journalists or media members in sports fabricating stories out of nothing in relation to personal health issues, all in an attempt for clicks. Where is the integrity? The ethics? The morals? It's 2021, and I can't believe that we need to keep having these conversations, but here we are.

Why do I write this blog post? A Flyers beat writer named Sam Carchidi decided to write an "article" about how Carter Hart split with his long-time Sports Psychologist despite having no factual evidence or confirmed source to back it up

All in an attempt to smear Hart's image, the 22-year old goaltender in just his 3rd NHL season, because he's having a tough year in Philadelphia (a city known as "goaltender graveyard" among fans in the NHL). He then shamelessly shared it on twitter (3 separate times!) with "Source" as the tagline, as if this was a major story that every news outlet needs to hear. I'm going to keep this short and simple, but personal health matters have no business being shared as news in sports, in any way shape or form. Whether that's Steve Simmons making up a story about Phil Kessel eating hot dogs or sharing that Auston Matthews had covid before the team did, or this Flyers reporter mocking Hart's mental health, this has to stop. Athletes are people just like every fan and journalist, they are entitled to the privacy that we all have with our personal lives. Being a professional athlete and making millions of dollars doesn't just make it acceptable to treat them like this.

Carter Hart is an exceptional goalie and he doesn't deserve this treatment. Period.

End of Rant

Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

Friday, March 12, 2021

365 Days of Reading

March 13, 2020: The day after the entire world was shut down due to the coronavirus, and it also happened to be my 29th birthday. I remember at the time thinking what it would be like a year from now and it's crazy that it has been that long already. After learning that my work had closed down and sports leagues cancelled, I really had no idea what to do with myself. Add in my challenges with post-concussion syndrome, I was lost but knew I wanted to be able to sink my teeth into something that was manageable. One of my hobbies since I've stopped playing hockey was reading hockey books, so I challenged myself to read 30 books in the next year, one for every year of my life up to my 30th birthday today. I hit that goal...and them some, reading 71 hockey books in the past 365 days. Here is a list of all 71 books, my 1-5 star rating I gave for each book, and my top 10 favourite books from the group:

List of Books Read:

1. Hockey Towns: The Untold Stories from the Heart of Canada (2015) - by Ron MacLean with Kirstie McLellan Day (* * * *)

2. Fighting Back: The Chris Nilan Story (2013) - by Chris Nilan (* * * * *)

3. Go to the Net: Eight Goals That Changed the Game (2005) - by Al Strachan (* * * * *)

4. Shift Work (2015)- by Tie Domi (* * * * *)

5. Tough Guy: My Life on the Edge (2010) - by Bob Probert with Kirstie McLellan Day (* * * * *)

6. The Greatest Hockey Stories Ever Told (2004) - by Bryant Urstadt (* * * *)

7. Cujo: The Untold Story of My Life on and Off the Ice (2018) - by Curtis Joseph with Kirstie McLellan Day (* * * * *)

8. JR: The Fast, Crazy Life of Hockey's Most Outspoken and Most Colourful Personality (2013) - by Jeremy Roenick with Kevin Allen (* * * *)

9. One Night Only: Conversations with the NHL's One-Game Wonders (2016) - by Ken Reid (* * * * *)

10. In the Bin: Reckless and Rude Stories from the Penalty Boxes of the NHL (1998) - by Lloyd Freeberg (* * * *)

11. If the Cup Could Talk (2000) - by Michael Ulmer (* * * * *)

12. Breaking the Ice: The Black Experience in Professional Hockey (2003) - by Cecil Harris (* * * * *)

13. More Bad Boys (1995) - by Stan Fischler (* * * *)

14. Blood Feuds: Hockey's Best-Ever Rivalries (2010) - by Ryan Kennedy (* * * *)

15. Messier: Steel on Ice (1999) - by Rick Carpinello (* * * *)

16. The Rebel League: The Short and Unruly Life of the World Hockey Association (2004) - by Ed Willes (* * * * *)

17. Nine Lessons I Learned from my Father (2017) - by Murray Howe (* * * * *)

18. Home Game (1989) - by Ken Dryden (* * * *)

19. The Fundies: The Essential Hockey Guide from on the Bench (2019) - by Olly Postanin and Jacob Ardown (*)

20. Keon and Me: My Search for the Lost Soul of the Leafs (2013) - by Dave Bidini (* * * *)

21. Goalies: Legends from the NHL's Toughest Job (1994) - by Stan Fischler (* * * *)

22. Captains (1995) - by Michael Ulmer (* * * *)

23. Puck Funnies: Hockey Humour, Hilarity and Hi-Jinx (2009) - by Adam Proteau (* * * *)

24. We are the Champions: The Greatest Hockey Teams of All Time (2010) - by Edward Fraser (* * * *)

25. The Rivarly: Leafs vs. Canadiens (1991) - by Stan Fischler (* * * *)

26. A Guy Like Me: Fighting to Make the Cut (2016) - by John Scott (* * * * *)

27. Why is the Stanley Cup in Mario Lemieux's Swimming Pool?: How Winners Celebrate with the World's Most Famous Cup (2000) - by Kevin Allen (* * * * *)

28. Tiger: A Hockey Story (1984) - by James Lawton (* * * *)

29. Legendary Stanley Cup Stories (2008) - by Brian McFarlane (* * * * *)

30. Strange But True Hockey Stories (1972) - by Howard Liss (* * * *)

31. Hockey's Young Guns: 25 Inside Stories on Making it to the Big Leagues (2007) - by Ryan Dixon and Ryan Kennedy (* * * *)

32. Journeyman (2012) - by Sean Pronger (* * * *)

33.The Top 60 Since 1967: The Best Players of the Post-Expasion Era (2007) - by Ken Campbell and Adam Proteau (* * * *)

34. Searching for Bobby Orr (2006) - by Stephen Brunt (* * * * *)

35. Lanny (1987) - by Lanny McDonald with Steve Simmons (* * * * *)

36. When the Final Buzzer Sounds: NHL Greats Share Their Stories of Hardship and Triumph (2000) - by Charles Wilkins and Colleen/Gordie Howe (* * * *)

37. Best of the Original Six (2004) - by Brian McFarlane (* * * * *)

38. The Pursuit of Hockeyness: 99 Things Every Hockey Fan Needs to do in Their Lifetime (2009) - by Sam McCaig (* * *)

39. Clancy: The King's Story (1997) - by Brian McFarlane (* * * *)

40. Calling the Shots: Ups and Downs and Rebounds, My Life in the Great Game of Hockey (2017) - by Kelly Hrudey with Kirstie McLellan Day (* * * * *)

41. Gretzky's Tears: Hockey, Canada, and the Day Everything Changed (2009) - by Stephen Brunt (* * * *)

42. One to Remember: Stories from 39 Members of the NHL's One Goal Club (2020) - by Ken Reid (* * * * *)

43. We Want Fish Sticks: The Bizarre and Infamous Rebranding of the New York Islanders (2018) - by Nicholas Hirshon (* * * * *)

44. Jordin Tootoo: The High's and Lows in the Journey of the First Inuk to Play in the NHL (2010) - by Melanie Florence (* * *)

45. Jarome Iginla: How the NHL's First Black Captain Gives Back (2010) - by Nicole Mortillaro (* * *)

46. Heaven and Hell in the NHL (1982) - by Punch Imlach with Scott Young (* * * *)

47. Beauties: Hockey's Greatest Untold Stories (2020) - by James Duthie (* * * * *)

48. The Making of a Miracle: The Untold Story of the Captain of the 1980 Gold-Medal Winning U.S. Olympic Hockey Team (2020) - by Mike Eruzione with Neal Boudette (* * * *)

49. Burkie's Law: A Life in Hockey (2020) - by Brian Burke (* * * *)

50. The Rookie: A Season with Sidney Crosby and the New NHL (2006) - by Shawna Richer (* * * *)

51. Fred Shero: A Kaleidoscopic View of the Philadelphia Flyers' Coach (1977) - by Rhoda Rappeport (* * * * *)

52. The Game (1983) - by Ken Dryden (* * * * *)

53. Gordie: A Hockey Legend (1994) - by Roy MacSkimming (* * * * *)

54. Shooting From the Lip (Second Edition): Hockey's Best Quotes and Quips (2014) - by Chris McDonell (* * *)

55. My Greatest Day: 50 People, 50 Great Moments (2008) - by Scott Morrison (* * * *)

56. The Ultimate Book of Hockey Lists (2008) - by Sam McCaig (* * * *)

57. Hockey Stars of 1972 (1972) - by Stan Fischler (* * * *)

58. Everyday Hockey Heroes, Volume II: More Inspiring Stories About Our Great Game (2020) - by Bob McKenzie and Jim Lang (* * * * *)

59. So You Think You're a Philadelphia Flyers Fan? Stars, Stats, Records, and Memories for True Diehards (2018) - by Skip Clayton (* * *)

60. So You Think You're a Detroit Red Wings Fan? Stars, Stats, Records, and Memories for True Diehards (2019) - by Pat Gass (* * *)

61. Boy on Ice: The Life and Death of Derek Boogaard (2014) - by John Branch (* * * * *)

62. In the Crease: Goaltenders Look at Life in the NHL (1995) - by Dick Irvin Jr. (* * * * *)

63. The Montreal Canadiens: 100 Years of Glory (2008) - by D'Arcy Jenish (* * * * *)

64. Coach: The Pat Burns Story (2012) - by Rosie Dimanno (* * * *)

65. Hockey Superstitions: From Playoff Beards to Crossed Sticks and Lucky Socks (2010) - by Andrew Podnieks (* * * *)

66. Before the Lights Go Out: A Season Inside a Game on the Brink (2019) - by Sean Fitz-Gerald (* * * *)

67. The Greatest Game: The Montreal Canadiens, the Red Army, and the Night That Saved Hockey (2010) - by Todd Denault (* * * * *)

68. The Leafs: An Anecdotal History of the Toronto Maple Leafs (1994) - by Jack Batten (* * * *)

69. All Roads Lead to Hockey: Reports from Norther Canada to the Mexican Border (2004) - by Bill Boyd (* * * *)

70. Hockey Towns: Stories of Small Town Hockey in Canada (1998) - by Bill Boyd (* * * *)

71. Hockey's Most Amazing Records: +125 More Jaw-Dropping All-Time Feats (2011) - by Edward Fraser (* * * *)