'We Must Do Better Than This,' Jacob Trouba Responds To 'Game Notes' Classless Commentary

It is not every day you see talking heads directly addressing classless commentary they make about athletes. Unless we are talking about June, 2024 when that is every day.

On June 1st Barstool Sports podcast "Game Notes" featured Pasha Eshghi, a producer for the company's hockey shows. The moment he entered the livestream, he began a child-like tirade about Jacob Trouba as a player and person.

"Trouba and his wife founded the Trouba Expressive Arts Program which offers art services to adults with epilepsy and seizures, "Eshghi read off his laptop.

"Want to know the irony of this situation, Troubas wife is a neuroscience major. Maybe he should go home and get a lesson from his wife on the dangers of concussing guys on a daily basis being the dirtiest player in the league....The fact they are parading him around as a humanitarian is a joke."

Eshghi has built his online imprint on unprofessional outbursts against the New York Rangers organization, identifying as a New Jersey Devils fan.

"Suicide rates have doubled in the past 20 years in U.S. college athletes. 11 days ago, a golfer tragically took his own life after a mental health battle and people asked how that was possible. We must do better than this," Trouba responded to the show's social media post on Wednesday via X.

Both hosts of the show, Colby Armstrong and Matt Murley did not intervene or condemn Eshghi for his commentary on the podcast and have not taken accountability for the statements since its release last Saturday.

"He does a lot for the community. Get Body Checked is run by just him and his mom," said Mike Grinnell, the podcast producer.

Armstrong bounced off of Grinnell by speaking specifically about Trouba as a player, " I blasted guys into outer space when I played too...That's his game, he has to provide that. He has a chip on his stack. This is hockey and it's the playoffs."

On May 14th, the 30-year-old rearguard was awarded the 2024 Mark Messier Leadership Award for his humanitarian efforts with Hockey Fights Cancer and Jacob Trouba Art.

"The Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award has been awarded since 2006-07. It is given to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice during the regular season," reports NHL.com.

"Suggestions for nominees are solicited from fans, clubs, and NHL personnel, but the selection of the three finalists and the ultimate winner is made by Messier."

Trouba and his mother began "Get Body Checked Against Cancer" with AstraZeneca to promote a new cancer awareness campaign this year. A commercial for the initiative is often featured on NHL Stanley Cup playoff broadcasts.

According to Bleacher Report, Trouba will donate all proceeds from his art prints for the next 30 days to "Athletes For Hope."

"The only people who are comfortable talking like this about players are the ones who would never — and could never — step into a locker room and actually cover a team. Big man over here using a player’s wife and charity as a punchline. Gross," said New York Post beat reporter Mollie Walker, who responded on X the same night the video was published.

On Monday, Caitlin Clark was called a "white bitch" by Pat McAfee on his show, and Steven A. Smith was criticized for hypocritical WNBA commentary on "First Take" by analyst Monica McNutt. Including Esghis embarrassing podcast appearance, all three incidents happened on consecutive days.