Polak did not move after hitting the boards, and was taken off the ice on a stretcherGETTY IMAGES
Bruins TV play-by-play announcer Jack Edwards said he stands by his "real-time call" of Stars D Roman Polak's injury last Thursday, according to Chad Finn of the BOSTON GLOBE. Polak had "crashed into the boards awkwardly while trying to check the Bruins' Chris Wagner." Polak's right shoulder "hit the boards, then his head." He "did not move and was eventually taken off on a stretcher." Edwards on NESN then commented that there was "a little bit of bad hockey karma" in the play. That reaction has "drawn the ire of many, including Polak's agent, Allan Walsh, on Twitter." Walsh called Edwards "truly a piece of shit and an absolute disgrace" for his comment. NESN color analyst Andy Brickley said that the collision "looked like it was 'self-induced' from trying to make a questionable hit" (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/5). In N.Y., Brett Cyrgalis noted the "regular, over-the-top homer-ism" from Edwards is "so distasteful." Cyrgalis: "But then there is saying that Roman Polak going head-first into the boards was 'bad hockey karma.' Gross. Good news is that after Polak was taken off on a stretcher, he did have feeling in his extremities. That must make Edwards feel better about what he said, right?" (N.Y. POST, 10/5).
TWITTER REAX: The Toronto Star's Bruce Arthur: "I appreciate Allan’s candour. Jack Edwards, meanwhile, is what happens when your schtick is seeing humans as cartoons." The Athletic's Jesse Marshall: "I am not surprised about Jack Edwards' classless comments last night considering he once compared a hockey player to Sirhan Sirhan." FanSided's Matt Verderame: "What a ridiculously bad call." One defender of Edwards was Mediaite's John Ziegler: "Edwards (for whom I once worked closely as an intern) is being universally ripped for something he said BEFORE a player was taken off in stretcher? How the hell was he instantly suppose to know how bad it was?! I had no idea people are SO bad at timelines before Twitter."
