And have also come to terms with the bad luck of injuries and poor play of Atlanta. Gonna keep up with my fanatical devotion to them but now I’ve now resolved to enjoy it more, no matter the outcome.

I can sum up my feelings about Vinny in one word; starts with B, ends in -itch. Or whiny bitch if you prefer. This kid has boatloads of talent, and its pretty obvious. And I know maybe the Lightning pushed him into situations before he was ready in his first couple years, but that is no excuse for some of his behavior. The coaches know more than he does, they have seen it and done it before. You listen to them, you learn from them and you grow as a player. Simple formula, one he has seemed to resist much too often.

Granted, he has been getting better at it the last little while. But his previous behavior still cannot be excused. I don’t know the whole story and I never will but for his sake I’m hoping that behavior did not stem in any way from the talent he has. I’ll just say he needs to drop every bit of attitude and play. If he does poorly, accept the criticism and learn from it. Repeat as necessary until that great talent really comes out. But at this point I’m almost hoping he doesn’t fulfill that talent, call me vindictive. Here endeth the rant.