I'm just happy that I can go back to hating the Stars again. When Belfour left, they became a bit less hateable, and that made me sad. They also had (for a brief time) Arnott playing there, one of my favorites. And the performance they put on this playoff season (although it ousted the Sharks) was a valiant one. I actually found myself not hating the Stars, which kind of screwed up my entire hockey Chi. But now they signed Avery, I freakin' hate them again, and all is right with the world.
Were is this economy pinch I keep hearing about in the NHL? The current CBA must be REALLY effective to allow teams to offer and spend nearly $4 million on an "agitator", regardless of his locker room presence. Isn't this the same league that was throwing around phrases like "Canadian teams being forced to fold" and "bankrupt franchises" just a few years ago? Not just Avery's and Hossa's contracts, but many others have been reported by ESPN in the last few days. I thought the Penguins were in such dire straights two years ago, they were auctioning off Lemieux artifacts, and now they spend over $90 million long term signing Fleury, Malkin and Orpik? I'm not saying any of these players aren't being paid 'current market value', I am just asking who in Pittsburgh crapped a money printing press. It really is no wonder so many players were willing to leave Stanley Cup contenders (and winners) to file for free agency. Just wait...the owners will screaming about contract spirals soon enough again
What kind of fan would you be if you quit following a team because one player on a roster of around 25 is a douchenozzle? I'd be the kind of fan who wouldn't be interested in seeing his team succeed with a jackass like Avery on the roster. I like winning, but I don't like it at that cost. As for the fellows you named, I don't see the parallel. While I may not like any of them (okay, I don't really dislike Owens), the only one I know as a foul-mouthed, cheapshotting jerk is Rodman, and it's difficult to overestimate how important he was to the Pistons and Bulls. What exactly is Avery going to bring that you couldn't find elsewhere without him being a huge tool at the same time? Oh, and I don't buy any of this bullshit either. Avery said something to Blake and not a fucking one of his Ranger teammates would come out and say he didn't. They just forced Berger and the station into a corner with the possible libel lawsuit, which, as far as I can tell, was never filed.
Isn't the 'douchenozzle' that part that actually gets up inside the good stuff? Is that really such a great cutdown in every aspect? I mean if I were Heide Klum's douchenozzle, it wouldn't be all that bad.....
What exactly is Avery going to bring that you couldn't find elsewhere without him being a huge tool at the same time? I don't know. But it does seem like teams are a lot tougher to play when Avery is on them, and the Stars were pretty close to the finals last year.
His toughness hasn't really helped his teams thus far. What's the deepest playoff run that LA and the Rangers had with him in the lineup?
Holland explains himself here. [via] Ken Holland no longer has to explain himself, in my eyes. He gets a free pass for at least the next 5 years... I was one of the people saying that he wouldn't be as effective a GM with a money constraint, but he proves me wrong every year. The Wings are in a very enviable position right now...they're highly successful and the players that have been here for a while want to stick around, even taking far less in terms of money than they can get on the open market, just for a chance to win the Cup. And that attracts other like-minded players to the organization, players that would rather win than make gobs of money on a losing team. It's a great time to be a fan, if you ask me...I'll take this over the 70s and 80s any day...
