Post by oneillthegiant on May 25, 2013 19:06:49 GMT
Q&A with Giants enforcer Sean McMorrow 2010
Firstly Sean I would like to thank you for kindly taking time out to answer these questions on your career as a hockey tough guy.. Then I would personally like to thank you as a Belfast Giants fan for keeping us entertained this season with your fights, GTV shows, your goal celebration, and also for looking after our team on the ice.. You have a massive fan base around the league, among other teams fans as well as our own. Not many other players are able to generate that kind of support. It goes to show the impact a guy like yourself can have in this league and I wish every team would go out and bring in a guy similar to yourself
Ok Sean here's the questions I've put together for you...
A.O 1. So what was life like for a young Sean McMorrow growing up?
S.M... I had a lot of fun and adventurous memories as a child,I grew up in a loving and supportive family headed by my mother Shiela McMorrow.
A.O 2. I hear you have a brother who's also a talented athlete, do you come from a sporting family?
S.M ... Everyone in my family is very talented and athletic as well as tall, My brother Liam played Division 1 basketball @ Marquette and is 7’1 followed by myself at 6’4, my brother Patrick at 6’3, my mom Sheila at 6’0 and my sister Kathryn at 5’11
A.O 3. What made you take up Ice Hockey in the 1st place? and did you always want to be the tough guy on your team?
S.M... My mother who has supported me my entire career got me started in Hockey as well as almost every other sport. The tuff guy role started in the OHL where I changed positions from Defense to winger as told to by the Buffalo Sabres who drafted me.
A.O 4. Which hockey team in the NHL do you support, and who was the player you liked the most as a kid growing up?
S.M... Well as anyone knows growing up in Toronto you are born into the Maple Leaf nation that soon changed as I was lucky enough to play against Toronto Maple Leafs for 2 preseason games and 1 regular season
A.O 5. You started to make a name for yourself as a tough guy in the Juniors playing in the OHL.. What do you remember most about your OHL days.?
S.M... I remember having a great time, although i played for 6 teams I had great experiences on every team, my last year being told I was the Heavyweight Champ was very humbling
A.O 6. What was the jump like in the standard of tough guys when you left the OHL for the AHL, seeing as a lot of the tough guys in the AHL were older and more experienced than you at that time.?
S.M... The jump was very extreme, when I entered the AHL the league was filled with a lot of great heavyweight fighters who were bigger, stronger and smarter fighters at that time.
A.O 7. Which guys did you rate as the toughest AHL fighters you faced, as your fight card is littered with top fighters, some who are now considered among the best in the NHL today.?.
S.M... Well the toughest guy I still believe I have faced in my career was my rival in my Rookie season with Syracuse’ Trevor Ettinger. Brian McGrattan, Dennis Bonvie, and Derek Boogaard are other ones I rate above the rest as well..
A.O 8. You had a few call ups to NHL camps and pre-season games with the Buffalo Sabres, what kind of experience was that like for you and were you disappointed not to get a NHL contract.?
S.M... I was a part of the Buffalo Sabres organization for 6 years and was lucky enough to go to 6 training camps while playing 7 pre-season games and 1 regular season game the unfortunate thing for me was my best year was the NHL lockout year, and my last year was least productive due to the rule changes from the NHL lockout
A.O 9. Sean you had a couple of season's in what's widely regarded as the toughest league in the world, the LNAH in Quebec. What was that like for you playing in this league.?. And congratulations for putting up the record of most fights in a single LNAH season.
S.M... The LNAH was an incredible experience that strengthened my character as an enforcer. I was put in situations where mental and physical toughness had to outweigh any fear or excuses
A.O 10. You fought Steve Bosse numerous times in that league and I remember in one fight he dropped you fairly badly with his famous right hand. What's it like fighting a guy that many people consider as one of the hardest punchers in the minors.. . ?.
S.M... Steve Bosse is the hardest puncher in hockey and is the only guy to put me down the way he did. The hardest challenge for me was my next game which was against Les Chiefs and Steve Bosse, I fought him right away and beat him in the fight
A.O 11. You and Brandon Sudgen had a big rivalry going over your careers in the AHL and then the LNAH 12 fights between you's. I remember Sugden saying in a interview that he did not like to fight you because of your style as a fighter?. What do you think about Sugden as a fighter and have you anything to say on the comments he made.?.
S.M... Branden Sugden is a good technical fighter who has done well over his career I can give credit when credit is due but the reality is that Sugden knows that I have won the personal one on one series between us which he can’t swallow and he has used every excuse in the world to defend himself. I had the advantage in our season fights with Amerks /Crunch the same goes for the playoffs series fights – I even scored a AHL playoff goal which was my first pro goal in the same playoff game in which i won our fight. I have given him black eyes, busted noses and deep gashes which he has gotten zipped up during our games but he has had excuses for all, when we went to the LNAH I never fought him except for my first game in the league because I was the NUMBER 1 for my team where he was the NUMBER 3 or 4 for his team, and he would sometimes lose to my teams 3rd or 4th guys. I have respect for Sugden as a fighter but not the guy who has trashed talked the whole time, giving no respect to me and cant except the the loses making up excuses.
A.O 12. You fought Brett Clouthier numerous times in your career and I'm sure you know that Cloots was widely regarded as the toughest guy in the EIHL for the past 3 season's.. What's your memories of fighting Cloots and were you disappointed that he left the season before you came to the EIHL.. ?
S.M... My memories of fighting Cloots were that they were always good clean scraps. We have a lot of respect for each other but our fights were real spirited battles
A.O 13. I heard a rumour that you were nearly a Newcastle Vipers last season, what made you decide not to go.?.
S.M... I was considering going to Newcastle because guys i played with were there and knew the Vipers management. But talks broke off when I had got an invitation to Edmonton Oilers training camp
A.O That was lucky for the rest of the league, you, Andre Payette and Chris McAllister in the same team would of been frightening..lol..
A.O 14. Some fight fans don't like the fact that you sometimes jersey guys in fights. Have you anything to say about this.?. Personally speaking I don't see anything wrong with this
S.M... Well I am a hockey and fight fan myself as well a participant, and the truth is everyone knows that if a player is extremely successful that they are going to be picked apart by opposing fans for it's their tough guy who is losing the fights... I can throw Rights, I can throw lefts, I can throw upper cuts, jabs, I can tie guys up, jersey them, wrestle them down, flip them, TKO them too. I am a very consistent fighter who wins the majority of my fights and a lot of my success I believe is because i am very proud of the team and the city I play for, and I think of myself as my team-mates big brother who protects them in games
A.O 15. Sean what do you think of the EIHL compared to the leagues back in North America.?. and do you plan to stay about?. I hope you stay as the more characters in the league and tough guys the better
S.M... The EIHL has a lot of potential and has great players which are comparable to a low end AHL or high end ECHL team and I do plan on staying and starting a trend of tuff guys returning to EIHL, first player to follow being Mke Sgroi.
A.O 16. So your happy about Mike Sgroi joining the EIHL, I know us fight fans are looking forward to seeing you two playing against each other.
S.M... Sgroi signing is best news all year hopefully it starts a trend..
A.O 17. Toughest fighter you have fought in hockey.?
S.M... Trevor Ettinger
A.O 18. What was your own personal favourite hockey fight.?
S.M... My first fight in my return to AHL NOV 1 2008 vs JON MIRASTY
A.O 19. Finally Sean I would like to finish on some quick questions to round the Q & A session off...
A.O British Girls or American Girls.?
S.M... American
A.O Worst dressed Giants player.?
S.M... No comment...
A.O If you could be any animal what would you be.?
S.M... Lion
A.O Would you rather score a goal or win a fight.?
S.M... Either would be fine with me
A.O Best trash talk line you have heard in hockey.? My personal favourite is Flyers enforcer Dave Brown to Tim Hunter ''Hay Timmy, you got them @#*@ing gloves cemented on''
S.M... '‘If you want to die why are you making me responsible for doing it’'
A.O Which away fans give you the most stick in the EIHL.?
S.M... Coventry Blaze fans
A.O I'm not surprised by that answer they give it out good in Coventry. lol.
A.O What is Sean McMorrow scared off.?
S.M... losing
A.O Person you would most like to meet.?
S.M... Muhammed Ali
A.O Who's the toughest enforcer playing the game today.?
S.M... Eric Godard
A.O He's up there for sure, great enforcer and fighter
OK Sean that's the end of the question and answer session and again I would like to thank you for taking the time out to answer these questions... It's very much appreciated ..... Good luck with the rest of the season and hopefully you can help the Giants win a trophy this year.....