I just read Steve Simmons story on Josh Ho-Sang and I've got to say, it's a brilliant article, but I'm a little torn on the issue personally.
I'll start by saying I love cockiness in an athlete. Outside of hockey, some of my favourite athletes are cocky. I loved Chad Johnson when he was with the Bengals. Michael Strahan. Shaq. Barkley. Roberto Duran was my favourite boxer. And so on.
In hockey, there's something to be desired in a humble athlete. There's something innate in hockey culture about humility. Personally, it's the reason I find it hard to watch, listen or read hockey players' interviews. It's so damn boring. The entire culture of hockey is lame and not entertaining. The on-ice stuff is top notch, probably the best in the world IMO. Off-ice it's lame.
When it comes to the quotes by Josh Ho-Sang in Simmons' story, you can definitely tell the kid is as intelligent as they come (minus the race card comments). He speaks honestly and his confidence (cockiness) comes off as a naive 18-year-old, but that's awesome. I love it.
For example, this is him talking about the Maple Leafs potentially moving up to first overall in the draft:
Quote:
“The Leafs have said they want to move up to pick first,” Ho-Sang said.
“Well, they can stay at eight and still get the No. 1 pick.”
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Here's another beauty:
Quote:
“Any team should want me,” he said.
“And I know, it would not hurt a team to have one of their best players being black and have an Asian last name. That wouldn’t hurt marketability or jersey selling one bit. Just from the standpoint of making money, I feel I’d be a pretty big ticket. A lot of my goals are close to highlight-reel goals. I play an exciting game.
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Frickin' awesome. Sign me up for this kid to be on the Flames if he falls to one of our second rounders.
The hockey world needs more colourful quotes and more lively players as opposed to deadpan, mundane, buzzing-fluorescent-bulb players. Reporters and fans are dying for controversy and 'beefs', if you will. Even if they're fake beefs for the sake of showmanship (i.e., Roddy White vs. Richard Sherman). I simply think the hockey world isn't ready for players like Evander Kane, Patrick Kane, Brad Marchand, P.K. Subban, Brandon Gallagher, or Josh Ho-Sang.
My point being, if this kid is the most talented kid in the draft, as some say, take a stab at him. Who cares if he's extremely cocky? He's exciting. At the end of the article he says he'd follow rules on any team that takes him. That's promising. With the right coach (and the right coach being Hartley), I think this kid could be as cocky and as colourful as he wants on and off the ice as long as he does it within the framework of a team.
Here's the article:
http://www.torontosun.com/2014/06/24...joshua-ho-sang