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“You’re Trying to Make (it) Something that it’s Not” – Rick Tocchet is Sick of Answering Matvei Michkov Questions
Published:
Rick Tocchet during Monday’s pregame availability:
“We’re 17-10, we’ve got a good record, I’ve answered six Michkov questions. Enough’s enough, guys. I’m getting a little (annoyed). We’ve got (Dan) Vladar having a great year, (Jamie) Drysdale playing really good 5 on 5 for us, (Cam York) is doing a really good job. We’ve got a lot of other players playing good and a team game. I mean, this is the fifth question. I know you guys (have a job to do), I appreciate it, but you’re trying to make something that it’s not. He’s got to learn to play the game and he’s trying. He’s a lot better defensively. He’s a lot better playing a team game. That’s how you win hockey. It’s not about catering to one person. I hate to tell you guys. That’s it.”
Listening back to the first three minutes of that presser, there’s nothing incendiary. Tocchet was asked about the viral television shot of his Saturday discussion with Michkov, and he said the topic was about switching with Denver Barkey on the power play. Good, finally some clarity on that front.
Then there were a couple of follow ups about Michkov’s attitude and how long his shifts are. That led to him being frustrated and giving the quote above.
But nothing from the media was out of line. In fact, Michkov remains the top story of this Flyers season. Fans care about the young and exciting superstar and want to know why he hasn’t been at his best this season. They want to know what the new coach thinks of the player and whether or not he’s fat and slow and came into training camp out of shape. They want to know why his ice time is what it is.
Tocchet is getting frustrated with these questions, fair enough, but what’s funny is that he goes on to answer the one that annoyed him anyway. Those last couple of sentences equate to a response. I’m sure he understands that fans and media care about the big stories. Nobody gives a fuck that Dan Vladar is having a great year. We know he’s having a great year. There are no questions about Dan Vladar because nobody is concerned about Dan Vladar, but there are questions about Matvei Michkov for obvious reasons.
This would be like Andy Reid telling the media in 2004 that he doesn’t want to answer any more Donovan McNabb questions.
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com