Earlier this week, Hockey Hall of Famer Phil Esposito appeared on a Toronto-based sports talk show and went on an epically uncensored rant about a trade rumor concerning the two captains of the Rangers and Lightning. While on "Next Sports Star," Esposito sounded off on Larry Brooks of the New York Post for suggesting that New York and Tampa Bay were considering a swap of Ryan Callahan and Martin St. Louis.
Esposito is a broadcaster for the Lightning and actually helped found the team. Prior to that, he was head coach and general manager of the Rangers. So he's got some familiarity with the subject and, clearly, it touched a nerve.
Some highlights:
On the rumor itself:
"It's the same as this bullshit about Marty St. Louis being traded to fucking New York for Callahan because he doesn't get along with (Lightning general manager Steve) Yzerman. What a bunch of shit that is."
On Ryan Callahan:
"I like him, he's a heart-and-souler, but he couldn't score more than 25 or 30 goals in his fucking lifetime and he doesn't play all the time because he gets hurt, because he plays like he's 6-foot-5."
On Brooks:
"Some asshole in New York that writes for the New York Post, and we all know who he is, decided 'Let me put something out there so maybe we could start some controversy.' It's a bunch of shit, it's been going on for as long as I've been involved in the game of hockey,"
His co-hosts, on journalists' integrity:
"Most journalists' integrity is 1-800 go fuck yourself."
Then, somehow, the whole story is compared to the Kimmel-Sochi wolf hoax. Enjoy a listen.
[CBS]