Mike Commodore answers the WTF question

Perhaps the greatest mystery of the 2009-2010 Columbus Blue Jackets season was "WTF happened to Mike Commodore?"  After signing for the 2008-2009 season, Commie never really came out of the blocks for the 2009-2010, playing poorly when he was on the ice and suffering from perhaps every possible injury that an NHL defenseman could face.  Most classic among them was the roughly quarter season-long charley horse, something that surely baffled medical professionals on both coasts.

Commie spoke truth to power about the team's performance last season, but he never explained what happened in his case.  So imagine my excitement when I hear that Scott Arniel said at the first night of Season Ticket Holder Q&A that Mike Commodore was the one player with the biggest motivation to improve this season.  YES!

I still vividly remember the Commie of 2008-2009, paired with Jan Hejda and pretty much shutting down the NHL's top forwards on the somewhat improbable run to the playoffs.  Perhaps most vivid to me (and my oh-so-impressionable nephew, who saw it with me live and still talks glowingly about it to this day) was the connection that Commie made with Evgeni Malkin's face and the goalie crossbar in the Pittsburgh game on March 12, 2009.  Such positioning, such finesse, such "Who me?" brutality.  He was playing like the Bill Laimbeer of the Columbus Blue Jackets; sure, he played like a jerk, but he was OUR jerk - and don't you forget it!  Almost made me want to go buy a bathrobe on the spot.


Apparently, the same style of question and answer came up on the second night, and Bart Logan of Fire The Cannon asked Mike Commodore himself via Twitter:

@commie22 Last night Howson said the best thing for your offseason training was getting you out of LA ;) Thoughts?

As you might know, Commie has his own Twitter account, @commie22, and occasionally engages in banter with the CBJ fanbase.  He tossed back a multi-part reply (remember, Twitter is only good for 140 characters per message):

@bart_logan he's right. But not for the reasons ur thinking. I worked way harder and put way too much time in the gym doing the wrong things (Link)

@bart_logan I did way too much training last year and burnt myself out and got too heavy. Tried something new, didn't work. (Link)

@bart_logan but because it was LA everyone assumed I did no training and partied all summer. Which couldn't be farther from the truth (Link)

In a nutshell, that little exchange is what makes Twitter so great.  It connects people to each other in ways that allows us to get the answers that nobody else seems to get.

Commie suggests that he's working hard again this summer and will be back strong for the 2010-2011 campaign.  I'm thrilled to hear it and can't wait to see him wreaking havoc from the blue line once again.