Brad Marchand spent time with a sports psychiatrist prior to the start of the 2014-2015 Bruins season.
Took a lot of balls for him to admit to that. Especially in the NHL.
I could see baseball players admitting to that but nobody else. At least as far as the 4 majors go.
The NFL and the NHL are all about macho. Who the hell is going to admit to needing psychological assistance? Opposing players would target your psyche on every play.
The NBA is even more of a joke when it comes to feigned toughness. You ever watch NBA players attempt to fight? It is hilarious. Flailing away like limp windmills.
Yet they strut around like they are the toughest guys on the planet.
In their baggy shorts.
At least NHL fights are exciting. When the ref backs off and lets them go at it, every once in a while solid blows are landed and blood flows.
Ah, the beauty and grace of the fastest game on ice.
Apparently Marchand has a reputation for losing his mind on the ice. He also goes into scoring droughts triggered in part by his attitude.
I guess he is all bravado on the ice and in the locker room but not always on the inside. It is so hard to consider this when you are talking about an NHL player. These guys give the appearance of pure swagger, barely contained violence, on the ice.
From an article by CBS columnist Matt Kalman, Marchand said:
"Yeah, you know it's crazy in this game how if you miss a breakaway or even a penalty shot, those things can get in your head and you have to realize that you have to let it go," Marchand said. Talking about discussions he had with his line mates....."We found we were throwing pucks away for no reason, just because we weren't confident enough to hold onto it until there was a play to be made."
Not confident enough. These are words you never expect to hear spill out of the mouth of a pro athlete. In fact I believe it must be written into the unwritten code of sports - never admit to weakness, fear or self-doubt.
Even though these are supremely human attributes, especially in situations where your health and safety are at risk.
Like football and hockey.
From an article by WEEI columnist DJ Bean, Marchand said:
"You've got to realize what you are and what you bring to the table. Once you start thinking that you are something else and you're better than you actually are - I think a lot of guys tend to do that in this league. They get to a certain point and they think they're bigger then they are, bigger than other guys. I think that might have been a little bit of my case."
.............."In this game, I think in a lot of professional sports, guys get complacent. When you do that you make yourself replaceable."
These are heavy duty comments from a sports insider. A professional athlete. He is admitting to the things many fans suspect and complain about, especially when you ponder the money these guys make.
Marchand is having a pretty solid year this year.
I think all this head stuff is way over done these days. Feels to me like every difficult situation is treated like a horrendous psychological affliction. Like we are treating adults as children and pampering them beyond belief.
However, a little psychoanalysis properly conducted in the right situation can be of enormous benefit to a struggling human being.
This seems to be Marchand's experience.
The fact that he has the guts to admit to it and to openly express truths about professional athletes that 99% of them would kill to cover up, says a lot about his character.
I spent a little time seeing a shrink and accomplished only a little. Of course my brain is pock marked with emotionally deficient craters, intelligence blockage and a little known psychological malady typically diagnosed as stubbornness.
I may get back to it when the 17 feet of snow in my yard melts.
Until then maybe I'll just watch the Bruins and live vicariously through Brad Marchand.
Pretending I am him as he smashes an opponent into the boards. And pretending that opponent is my boss.
See how much progress I have made?
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