Joe Thornton Calls the Rangers Soft: Whaaaaaa?!

Following a 5-2 loss to the Rangers, in which his team was severely outplayed, Sharks Captain Joe Thornton called the Rangers 'soft.'  Ranger coach John Tortorella responded, according to ESPN, by telling the forward to 'just shut up.'  

Look, I'm not a professional athlete - obviously - so I can't be sure if there are unwritten rules.  But if there are, it would stand to reason that one of them should be: "Don't make fun of the other team after you get straight up beaten down."  Now I know the Sharks were at the end of a long road trip and the Rangers were in desperate need of a win, but the absolute truth of it is that a 3-3-3 team welcomed you to their building by doubling up your 6-3-0 squad in what was the only entirely good game they played all season.  In the full quote Thornton said of the Rangers, "They were probably the softest team we played on the trip.  We should have had these two points."

Really dude?  Really?  What does it say about your club that the 'softest' team you played on the trip out-hussled you to numerous pucks, including a Ryan Callahan goal that was all effort and hustle, and won 5-2?  Responding to the comments John Tortorella said, according to an ESPN article, "It surprised me, and I've never heard a player say that.  Joe's a heck of a player, but here's a player popping off about our team, and Joe hasn't won a god d--- thing in this league. He could go down as a player, being one of the better players in our league never to win anything. So what he should do is just shut up. It was uncalled for, it was classless, and I've never had it happen like that before."

Now whether or not we want to get into what Thorton has won in his career, one thing is for certain: He didn't win the game that night.  It's just stupid.  I've heard players talk the talk.  I've seen players walk the walk.  I've heard players talk the talk then not walk the walk (Brandon Marshall wasn't exactly a 'monster' in that game against the Jets was he?), but I've never heard of a player not walking the walk THEN talking the talk.  Imagine if Tom Brady came out after Super Bowl XLII and said that his offensive line wasn't going to let the Giants pass rush get anywhere near him.  Absurd.

Hey Joe Thorton.  You got your butt whipped.  Take your medicine and go home with your tail between your legs the way you should, but don't put out a comment that makes rational fans everywhere go: