Guys love the bench press because it gives you a fixed, indisputable number. You can compare the figures, charting progress as the weight increases, or stepping up efforts as it declines. But mental toughness can't be measured. You can't put it on a scale or attach a number to it. Anecdotal evidence is the only way to determine how much an athlete has, searching for clues as a career progress from infancy to retirement.
The 2007-08 season has offered the most significant clue in the 11-year career of San Jose Sharks captain Patrick Marleau, and the current progress report doesn't look good. When it comes to mental toughness, the ability to overcome obstacles and rebound from failures, Marleau is a magnificent failure.
Through the first 58 games of the season, Marleau had recorded 29 points and a -20 plus-minus. He was averaging a disappointing 0.5 points per game and hadn't notched a single game-winning goal. Personally, I hadn't witnessed such a horrid performance since Speed 2: Cruise Control hit theatres in the summer of 1997. However, Marleau has seven points in seven games since the trade deadline - a tidy point-per-game average. He's also a +4 over that stretch, with three game-winning goals in his last three games.
Jonathan Cheechoo has experienced a similar turnaround recently, shaking off the inconsistency that had plagued him over the first half of the season. Injury was the culprit, and Cheechoo claimed he'd finally recovered from the offseason's double hernia surgery.
In Marleau's case, we don't have the same logical explanation. Shark fans breathed a collective sigh of relief last week when Drew Remenda mentioned Marleau had been afflicted by mononucleosis early in the season. Finally it all made sense. Thinking it was true, we had had to marvel at the man's ability to take the ice under such a heavy burden. But it turned out to be a hoax, an enigma wrapped in a riddle that left far more questions than answers.
Neither illness nor injury played a role, so the most popular theory about Marleau's improved play has been the trade deadline. It's possible he was so nervous about being dealt that his play suffered, and he's flourished now that he has the security of remaining with the club for the remainder of the season. If there's any truth to this, it only confirms the reasoning that Marleau shouldn't be an NHL captain.
NHL players have to rebound from bad games or off nights, showing up ready to play hours later. In Marleau's case, one bad playoff series resulted in a nine-month hangover. A few trade rumors and some adversity transformed an all-star center into an overpaid version of Wes Walz, minus the physicality and defensive awareness. This might have been an acceptable scenario if Marleau was a 14th forward, struggling to secure an NHL paycheck, but he's the captain and leader of an NHL franchise.
How can Marleau's teammates look to him for leadership? How can they have confidence in his ability to calm the waters when adversity strikes? Everyone wonders why the Sharks have folded like a group of paper cranes during their last three trips to the postseason, outscored 6-1 in two straight losses to Calgary, 17-8 in four straight losses to Edmonton, and 9-3 in three straight losses to Detroit. The answer is embarrassingly clear, and it all starts with the man wearing the C.
Funny as it might sound, Marleau's improved play has provided the clue behind his mental deficiencies. If he hadn't pulled his play out of the gutter people would have maintained he had an off year, giving him a shot at a fresh start in 2008-09. Ironically, the timing of it all lends credence to the idea he was playing under a mental burden which crippled his effectiveness. While Shark fans will take the increase in production, the mental frailty casts another cloud over Marleau's career.
Looking around at the current state of newspapers, you'll find an industry decimated by wave after wave of layoffs. Journalists are mindful of the struggles, knowing at any moment they could receive that tap on the shoulder that signals it's time to clean out their desks. That's real adversity, but you won't see writers turning nouns to verbs over it. They remain professionals, going to work and churning out a quality product with diminished resources. Marleau's issue revolved around whether he'd spend the next two seasons raking in $12.3 million in San Jose or some Eastern Conference market. You'll have to pardon me if I don't exactly sympathize with his dilemma.
Ultimately, you have to figure Marleau is in his last days with the franchise. Given San Jose's current salary structure, general manger Doug Wilson will have to decide between keeping either the longest-serving Shark or newcomer Brian Campbell during the offseason. It would appear to be a no-brainer, somewhere along the lines of deciding between pot roast or modeling clay on the dinner menu.
Enjoy the current nine-game streak Shark fans, savor some of the best hockey in the history of the franchise, but don't get those hopes too high for the ultimate prize. Like it or not, accept it or not, San Jose won't hoist Lord Stanley's Cup with Patrick Marleau at the helm.
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Big thanks to Chetan and Louis for having me on the Teal Spiel last night. It was a lot of fun and they do a great job putting on the show every Sunday night from 8-9:30 p.m. on 1220-AM KNTS. It's great to see the Sharks community growing, and I think it's up to SharksBuzz and the Teal Spiel to keep the conversation going.
San Jose is a fantastic area, and some of the NHL's best fans have been ignored/shunned/mocked by some of the big radio networks and newspapers in the Bay Area, so it's great to partner with the boys at Teal Spiel and help get the word out. Keep up the great work guys.
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This sounds crazy, but the weekend was way too long and I feel it's time to talk some Sharks hockey. Join me and Mark tonight at 10pm PT on SharksBuzz. You can call us at (724) 444-7444, talkcast ID# 74909. Thanks for all your support and we look forward to hearing from you tonight.
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