Ovechkin at Colonna restaurant in Moscow.
Alright, I know, these are old news, but YouTube video is new.
Can elite athlete smoke hookah or tobacco? Yes, there are examples of such people, but it is rare. And Ovi said he would never advertise cigarettes. He knows it is bad. Oh well...
ESPN interview with Mario Lemieux:
Dan Patrick: In Gretzky's book, he said there was one piece of advice he had for you -- quit smoking.
Mario Lemieux: Oh, I did stop smoking a long time ago.
Oh, OK.
That was my first couple years in the league where, you know, I was smoking quite a bit, probably two packs a day.
How did that happen? How did that start? Were you trying to act tough?
No, not really. I think people in Montreal smoke a lot, and I used to smoke when I was 17-18, and just picked it up when I was playing juniors. But I think I stopped when I was 22, which was a big decision in my life.
Update:
To be fair Evgeny Malkin smokes hookah too. Here's an excerpt from his recent interview at Sports.ru:
How old were you when you first tried a cigarette?So... smoking hookah is not smoking? ...hmmm...
I've never smoked, honestly. I smoked hookahs, cigars a couple times, but never tried a cigarette. Now in general the trend is that more women are smoking, not men. If I meet a girl, one of the first conditions, perhaps, not very serious, so she doesn't smoke. I think when a girl smokes, it looks ugly just in general.
Here is the list of famous people who use snus. Ovi is included.
Watch Ovi, he has something in his mouth. Our Swedish reader commented that Ovi got snus from Marcus Johansson...
The rumor is 50% of Swedish hockey players use snus.
It is actually healthier to use snus than to smoke hookah. Where is Marcus Johansson when you need him? :-)
Link to the latest post
Donate to The One Fund - Boston 2013
Posts
10 comments:
Ovie is a grown man, capable of making his own decisions about his health. What I or the Russian commenters think about his eating or smoking habits is irrelevant. If Ovie is using snus as a substitute for more harmful tobacco, that's his choice. However, he has to make his decisions solely based on objective evaluation as to whether or not his habits will interfere with his performance on the ice playing hockey. Other than that, Capitals management shouldn't have any say in what he does in his spare time.
Having said that however, Ovie seems to behave at times as if there are no consequences to his actions. Why, for example, he would smoke hookah given his father's smoking and resulting heart health problems is a mystery to me. This type of behavior is in the same category as Ovie taking dangerous risks while behind the wheel of his fast cars. I also find this baffling given the fact his older brother Sergey died from complications after an automobile accident. I sometimes wonder what exactly it will take for him to change his ways and give up actions that are dangerous and potentially lethal.
I wonder if the whole hookah thing isn't being blown way out of proportion. I know several people who will have one cigarette a year--they aren't smokers, but they will decide one night at the bar to just smoke that night. Couldn't that be the case here? Would it really be such a big deal?
Personally I smoke cigars sometimes... but I don't inhale... haha
@Stephanie: yes of course Ovie's hookah smoking could have been a one time thing. Although I recall a photo from the past where Ovie and his pals were posing together and a hookah pipe was visible in the photo. This doesn't prove Ovie is more than an occasional social smoker either.
But as I said, he's a grown man, he makes his choices. And unless photographers can follow him 24/7, IMO we won't know for sure what the extent of his smoking is. The restaurant scene is only a snapshot in the photo album of Ovie's life.
I just find it curious that Ovie seems to engage in risky behaviors given his family history.
@TJ: oh...yeah...the "I don't inhale" thing. I've said that before too whenever...
Never mind. :)
It's true that he is a grown man and he can do whatever he wants, but he should control himself if he really wants to win something the next season and if he wants to stay alive.
I really love him as a player, and as person. I want him to have success and a long healthy life. That’s why I always ask him to stay fit and healthy, but people from those Russian websites don’t seem to care at all. They are always talking shit about him and other athletes.
I’m sorry, but it’s the true. The news paper, the magazines, the websites, the writers, editors and the readers are always talking shit! Ranting Ovi is not going to help. Only his coach, family and friends can help him to take the right decisions, the rest of the world should just stay away.
Real fans never rant players; they only do constructive criticism and write supportive words. The rest are just a bunch of haters!
♪Haters gonna hate♪
Like always, thanks for the post Tj.
Aren't Russian men known for taking stupid risks? That's why there's such a huge gap between mens and womens life expentancy in Russia (well at least it's one of the reasons). I seem to recall reading that Russian men are (on average) expected to live to a ripe old age of around 60 while women last about 12 years longer. So basically Ovie just behaves like a typical Russian? Others do stuff like that too. There was a huge scandal in Russia when they caught some of the Sbornaja smoking during the world cup.
A friend of mine once said (more as a joke) that Russians are subconciously trying to kill themselves...
SO WHATTTT??????????!!!!
First of all... Ovie is on vacation, he can do whatever he wants;
Secondly, a hooka is NOTHING!!!! and its tradition in Moscow;
Thirdly, he can win on his own carrying the entire team. Everyone needs to step up to the plate as you could see with the Bruins winning the Stanley Cup!!!!!
We need tough players!!!!!
Ooops, I meant to say *Cant win on his own. McPhee needs to get tough players!!!!
@Anonymous,
Unfortunately a hookah is not "nothing." This is a misconception that need to be broken. Now that studies are actually beeing done on hookah smoking doctors are learning that it is as bad, and in some ways worse, than cigarette smoking. Users inhale more smoke in one session than if they were smoking a cigarette (it could be equivalent to a pack of cigarettes). There are toxic substances in the tobacco and the smoke and there are the same health risks as other forms of smoking.
Additionally, since the pipe is shared, this can spread other health problems. You don't know how healthy all the people are who share your pipe and you don't know how well the pipe is cleaned between uses by the restaurant or bar. Oral herpes could be the least of your problems.
I agree with others that it is sad that Ovie doesn't see the connections to his own choices and the consequences similar choices have had on his family. I sometimes wonder if his behavior is a form of defiance - specifically his driving since the traumatizing death of his brother happened when Ovie was a boy and it is anyone's guess how the effects of that are still playing out in his adult life.
Post a Comment