Rechecking the temperature

This post is a follow-up to an earlier one called "Temperature check on Thrashers ECHL prospects."

I spoke to Gladiators head coach Jeff Pyle about that post last night. First, he had no issue with the way he was quoted. The entire conversation with him was reported beginning to end, nothing added or taken out, in the order it happened. I've never in five years had someone say I misquoted them. That streak continues.

His issue was in bringing Dan Turple's actions up at all, saying Turple is a good kid and not a problem in the locker room. I agree with both of those things. Turple is a good kid, and that's exactly why this was newsworthy -- because it was so unusual.

Making a mountain out of a molehill? Pyle made the argument that none of Turple's noted behaviors were all that unusual for any player on a bench at any given time. This is where we strongly disagree. I've never in my life seen a goalie at any level do these things. Can you imagine Johan Hedberg leaving the bench with 20 seconds to go for example? I cannot. I wasn't the only one to notice something was amiss with him that night either.

Turps was back to his normal self last night on the bench, which I think underlines the point that last Saturday was unusual. And therefore notable.