Since Taylor Leier plays for the Philadelphia Flyers, the default assumption is that he's a flawed human being. Always goes into the corners with his elbows up, probably steals parking spots from old ladies, kicks sleeping puppies, etc., etc..
Or is it possible, based on this video, that Taylor Leier is that rarest of species, a Philadelphia Flyer we can actually root for?
The video itself isn't much; it's Leier, a 23-year-old veteran of 16 NHL games prior to this season, calling his mom and telling her he made the Flyers opening-night roster, which causes his mom to essentially lose it. But the subtext is deep: professional sports are cruel, the journey there is long and tortured, and for moms who likely pulled their young hockey player out of bed and shuttled them to endless games and practices, making an NHL roster -- even if it is the dreaded Flyers -- is what the kids call a #BFD. Have a look:
By the way, next to the flow of raw emotion on both sides, the best moment of the exchange is Leier's mom pressing forward with the inevitable, "What did they say?" follow-up, and the player going all "I can't get into it now." It's further proof that you can ascend to the highest level of your chosen profession, have your games broadcast in three languages, but your mom is still going to want to know EVERYTHING.
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