All about Avery

I'm sure everyone wants to know what happened with Sean Avery and David Clarkson and I'll have a lot about it in my notebook in Sunday's paper, but I'll address it here too because it was an interesting sidestory to what was a pretty good game.

Avery had words with David Clarkson and Martin Brodeur during pre-game warm-ups. Clarkson and Avery both said that Clarkson did not cross the red line. Avery pretty much admitted he was just "getting into the game" by talking. He also pointed his stick in Clarkson's face.

It might have started because Avery was yapping at Brodeur while he was stretching during warm-ups. Brodeur pretty much laughed him off. Eventually, Clarkson came over and interceded.

Avery called Clarkson "a bonehead minor leaguer" after the game and called Brodeur, "Marty the diver", a reference to the goaltender's first period diving penalty. "I don't even know who this guy is, why am I talking to him," Avery said of Clarkson. "We're not friends. It's not an (expletive) secret. We're getting ready for a game and we go to war."

When asked if Brodeur said anything back to him, Avery said, "I can't understand a word he says with his accent."

Clarkson played it diplomatic. "We both kind of play the same way, hit hard and get in other guy's face," he said. "That's how he is. He's going to try to get under my skin before the game and other guys, just like I do."

Before one first period faceoff, Avery lined up across from Zach Parise and yapped in his ear for what seemed like an eternity. "I asked him to fight a couple of times," Avery admitted. When an incredulous reporter questioned that he would challenge Parise, who has never had an NHL fight, Avery replied, "Is that his name?"

Avery admitted that "a lot of guys asked me (to fight)." Clarkson was probably the first, when they met up in front of the Rangers' bench on their first shifts of the game. "I said if he ever wants to (fight), but I tried to just ignore him."

Parise also said he ignored Avery. "He wanted to fight me," he said. "He told me to, 'make a statement.' I just ignored him. It's all about him. It's too bad because he can be a pretty good player."

Comments

[Ryan]

I can't wait until Colin White Comes back. He needs to teach Avery a lesson.

[Ryan]

I think Sutter should move Elias to the right wing and try him out there. Nothing is working for Elias in terms of getting goals.

[jen]

So Avery is only going to "fight" people who don't fight? When is he going to stop acting tough and put his money where his mouth is.

[Steve Lepore]

Yeah, that Jersey accent Marty's developed has everyone baffled :).

[sutter means win]

Avery has ability and grit, but the fuss over this guy is way out of proportion. The only reason anyone gives him the time of day is for the soap opera dramas pulls and he has to pull them because otherwise he'd be out of job for the fact that hes not a enough a fighter or skill player to justify replacing someone who consistently is.

[ZELDA SUCKs]

I bet zelda could fight avery and win

[Arrrgh]

It's amazing how easy Avery's work is. If he could ever figure out how to do it without doing it to his own guys, he'd have something.

Hopefully Clarkson is smart and doesn't take the bait.

[ice dog]

avery is pathetic.

[Steve Lepore]

Tom, I posted some of your stuff on my blog with some insta-nalysis...hope you don't mind. If you want it cut down I'll cut it down... http://battleofny.blogspot.com/2007/11/dear-seanyou-suck-at-life.html

[Brian]

I can't stand this guy. I really hope someone can knock him out cold next time.

[Billington4Vezina]

Avery is a turtle, when you actually get to see him fight, its a treat because he usually gets his clock cleaned. Youtube Sean Avery and you will find wonderful videos about him diving and turtling away from fights.
Rangers fans are pathetic, they would love Adolf Hitler if he wore the jersey. Avery adds nothing to a NHL team and does a dissappearing act when it comes to the playoffs.
I CANT WAIT until he gets Lundqvist injured.

[Devilswede]

Avery making those comments means only thing; Clarkson got to him and the better of him! I love how Clarkson is better than Avery at his own game! God I love David Clarkson! :)

[Tibbs]

Sean Avery is a joke. He has a role and he does it well BUT he should back up all the yapping with acts on the ice. Don't back down from a fight with Clarkson if you have guts!!! He just totally lost his credibility last night, if not before that.
Why Sean Avery is a joke..., it is all there: http://devils-new-jersey.blogspot.com/2007/11/why-sean-avery-is-joke.html

[jules]

Props to Marty, Clarkson and Parise for staying professional and ignoring Avery. Geez, what a tool. He's only willing to go at it with a skill guy like Parise? He sounds like he's still in grade school.

[Scott]

You can just feel how frustrated Avery is that the Devils didn't respond to his goading. Avery is a pest who gets in his own head when teams ignore him like the Devils did last night.

[Billington4Vezina]

I know its a little OT, but did anyone catch the comments Barry "1 minute of airtime" Melrose said about Newark?
"Beautiful new arena but don't go there if you have a wallet on you. Its beautiful on the inside but the area around it is horrible."

http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/...goryId=2459791

So Imus gets fired for "Nappy ho" but Melrose still has his job?

[Nick]

If Cam Jansen was playing lastnight, Cam would have cleaned Avery's clock real good. We need Cam back.

[chris]

He grade A prick and thats all he will ever be. I dont by the fact that he is different in real life. He was probably a prick all his life.

[Frankie Due]

By the Devils talking about Avery, he is succeeding in his plan. The best way to beat him is to simply ignore him. Don't go out of your way to hit him and risk taking a penalty. Just ignore him.

[Kelly]

Haha... going back to the accent thing. He's PLAYING in NYC!! How does he survive!? I mean, you see a plethora of accents in the NHL. NYC has even more!

It's Avery at his lowest. This is something we would expect.

[Mike Smith]

Looking at Sean Avery's career numbers kind of makes me wonder, "who is this guy and why should we care about him?"

[Jofa6000]

Avery is a guy you want on your team and hate him is his not. We loved him in L.A., he has talent and plays hard all the time, he just need to do control his mouth.

[avery]

you guys are a bunch of bonehead minor league bloggers.