MAY 6th - Another Doughnut is Never a Bad Idea



I’m not much of hockey fan. Probably because where I live winter lasts for about two weeks. But I have seen all the Mighty Ducks, so I’m pretty much an expert. Enough to realize the importance of this day in 1988 in the pantheon of NHL history. Jim Schoenfeld was none too pleased with the performance of referee Don Koharski after his Devils lost to the Bruins, and confronted Don after the game. Koharski fell, and blamed Schoenfeld for pushing him, insisting that Jim would be done (suspended) and hoping the altercation was caught on video. It was. And you can clearly hear Schoenfeld’s response in which he calls, Koharski a “fat pig,” and advises him to “have another doughnut.” Things got weirder from there with injunctions, walk-offs, and replacement refs all entering the picture. All because a ref fell and a coach told him to have another doughnut. (I like the spelling ‘donut’ better, but Schoenfeld clearly put emphasis on the dough, so in order to keep the integrity of his insult, I shall continue to spell it doughnut despite the fact it is three more letters. Integrity comes at a price, people.) People can say hurtful things when they are angry, and many people have an ability to needle on some detail you are completely self-conscious about. I understand the put-down, implying Koharski was overweight and ate a lot of doughnuts. Clever. I couldn’t really see if Don was a tad on the hefty side, but I do know that if one is going to be overweight, doughnuts are considerably pleasurable way to get there. They are delicious. Glazed. Chocolate. Jelly. Boston Creme. Cinnamon. Cake. They are all so tasty. I’m not saying Koharski should have been happy, happy to have been called a ‘fat pig,’ but it is never a bad suggestion to ‘have another doughnut.” Both parties later expressed regret at how out-of-hand the situation became, but pride can be a stubborn emotion. And I can’t help but think if two grown-ass men would have taken a deep breath, and maybe sat down for a doughnut or two, the whole thing would have been dropped. Have you tried to be mad while eating a doughnut? It’s almost impossible. In fact, I'm surprised doughnuts are not used as de-escalation devices more often. Not saying the Cuban Missile Crisis could have been altogether avoided, but as I said before, another doughnut is never a bad idea.

This day has been Marked.

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