Toronto Maple Leafs: Top 5 Wilsons Who Are Not Tom Wilson
The Toronto Maple Leafs recently got into a bit of a dustup with the Canucks over the Zach Hyman injury.
The Toronto Maple Leafs Wayne Simmonds took on Alex Edler of the Canucks in response to his kneeing penalty on Hyman, but it was nothing in comparison to what happened last week in New York.
It’s been nearly a week since the infamous Monday night incident that shook the entire sporting world and had people in New York screaming at their television sets. Yes, that Dominic Smith game-ending fly ball that sealed a 6-5 victory for the St. Louis Cardinals sure made those Mets fans mad!
Also, there was a New York Rangers-Washington Capitals game in New York that saw Capitals tough guy Tom Wilson channel his inner Lex Luthor by body-slamming a helmet-less Artemi Panarin (Yokozuna, Artemi is not) to the ice, effectively ending the Ranger star’s season.
Wilson, with five NHL suspensions already under his belt, isn’t exactly known for his clean play and so his actions against the Rangers, exacerbated by him escaping with only a minor financial ding to the wallet, naturally caused many an uproar in the media and amongst those who frequent the interweb. Oh, and the New York Rangers were also a tad bit steamed.
Wilson phil-lips out but Hold On
But what else can be said that already hasn’t been said? Guys like Carlo Colaiacovo and Matthew Barnaby, via twitter, have pointed to the mass-attention the Wilson incident has garnered, arguing that fans love it and that any team would pay to the gills to have Wilson play for them.
Sean Avery (as per his ‘No Gruffs Given’ podcast) thinks that teams should basically maim opposing star players, thus ending further WWE ladder-match, Tom Wilson-esque antics. And Ilya Mikheyev believes that a hockey net is not to be scored into, but only to exist so that a player can shoot perpetually into a goaltender’s pads.
So instead of spending anymore time pontificating about suspensions, fines, retribution and Mikheyev’s complete inability to propel a rubber disc into a large, unobstructed measure of space, let’s take a look at the less controversial Wilsons of the world:
#5. Owen Wilson
Forget his odd, country bumpkin-ish manner of speaking and his may or may not be broken nose; Owen has been endearing us for years. ‘Meet the Parents’, ‘Starsky and Hutch’, ‘Zoolander’ and ‘Wedding Crashers’ are all top-notch comedies and ‘Hall Pass” could also perhaps qualify as a comedy.
He has appeared in multiple Wes Anderson films and voiced the lead character in the ‘Cars’ trilogy. Much like Auston Matthews’ scoring pace, Wilson is ‘so hot right now.‘
#4. Thomas F Wilson
If you don’t recognize this name then you’re a butt head! Wilson played none other than Biff Tannen in the classic ‘Back to the Future’ films and has had minor standout roles in smaller features like the Melissa McCarthy vehicle ‘The Heat’ and the short-lived but critically acclaimed series ‘Freaks and Geeks.’
Thomas also performs stand-up and is responsible for this fantastic song about people who berate him with BTTF questions.
Boy, Biff “Mad Dog” Tannen sure would look good in a Caps uniform.
#3. Wilson from ‘Cast Away’
Hey, I never said this list wouldn’t be stupid.
‘Cast Away’ (another Robert Zemeckis film, I just realized), is a classic; featuring a powerhouse performance by the always dependable and likeable Tom Hanks (The Mats Sundin of movies, perhaps?) Stranded alone for years on an island, Hanks has no companionship but a Wilson volleyball named…wait for it…Wilson.
When that volleyball gets lost in the water in Hanks’ escape attempt late in the movie it’s a heck of a thing. Who knew that a cheap piece of sporting equipment with a drawn-on face could evoke so much emotion? (And I wonder how easily Wilson could fit through Frederik Andersen’s five hole?)
#2. Brian Wilson
The ‘Beach Boys’ front-man has been responsible for over two-dozen top 40 hits and the album, ‘Pet Sounds,’ is “considered by many to be one of the greatest albums ever made” (from brianwilson.com/brian).
Wilson is one of the world’s most respected popular musicians and as as songwriter has only Bob Dylan for a peer. The 2014 film, ‘Love and Mercy’, chronicles Brian Wilson’s life and struggle with mental illness and is a must-see for any Wilson fan. Love and mercy, of course, are two things that probably would have benefited the Washington Capitals earlier this week.
#1. Russell Wilson
A Seattle third-round pick in 2012, Wilson has played his entire career for the Seahawks and is only one of four quarterbacks in NFL history to have a career passer rating over 100 (all info from Russell’s wikipedia page).
He has appeared in eight Pro Bowls, two Super Bowls (winning one); is part owner of Seattle’s MLS team and actually has professional baseball rights, which are owned by the New York Yankees’ Double-A affiliate.
The Best Wilson is the 2020 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year for his ongoing charity work in the community and for his Covid-19 relief donations. If he had been the Wilson at the center of things last Monday he probably would have gently laid Panarin down to the ice and propped his dangling locks up on a cozy pillow.
Good thing too. Imagine having to pay off a five thousand dollar fine with only a 140 million dollar contract at your disposal?
Three Leafs With Job Security Issues. dark. Next
That concludes the list of best Wilsons.