From: mattb@ctron.com (Matt Brown)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.hockey
Subject: Re: A Lindros prediction...
Date: 22 Jul 92 17:07:25 GMT
Reply-To: mattb@olympus.ctron.com (Matt Brown)
Organization: Cabletron Systems INc.

In article <1992Jul19.201539.21066@galileo.cc.rochester.edu> kevin@sherman.pas.rochester.edu (kevin mcfadden) writes:
>
>	As far as everyone who says that every player in the league is
>going to be headhunting for Lindros, you are all a bunch spineless losers.
>I would say that most players in the league would love to be in his position,
>or even have somebody talk about them as being "the Next One."  Sure, Lindros
>did not want to play in Quebec, but he had the upper hand on the situation.
>To paraphrase George from Seinfeld " You gotta have hand" 
>...
>
>Quebec knew full well that Lindros would not sign with them before the draft.
>It is Quebecs own fault that they were stupid enough to draft him anyway.
>Who knows, maybe the Trade will be advantageous to Quebec and not to Philly.
>Maybe Hextall will finally get his worthless body back into shape so he can
>evade injuries and play the way he did in '87 (I think that is the year he 
>played like god.)
>
>Personally, I think the Trade was a decent one. I really thought Hextall was
>a big problem with the team, he just wasn't consistant.  As for the other
>players, Ricci is the only one I am sorry to see go because I am pretty sure
>he was "home-grown" and was starting to play very well.
>...
>All flames to kevin@sherman.pas.rochester.edu NOT to the net,  unless you
>really have something useful to point out that will make everyone in this
>group say "Wow that has really made an impact on my life!"
>
Coupla points, in reverse order:
1) This is intended as non-flame discussion, but as always, a few sparks 
   might ignite something.  Useful, I hope; impact? nah.

2) The trade could help both Q and Ph.  Q, if they do a better job of signing
   the tradees than they did with Eric and family.  But have Aubet/Page
   learned anything? Fat chance.  For Philly, if the remaining goalies produce,
   and Eric avoids the goonies, it should work out.  From the mgt side, I can't
   wait for them to go the players and fans with hat in hand and cry about
   how they can't make any money, when they gave up 5 players and what amounts
   to 30 mil (ransom + contract) for Eric.  Violins please!

3) As far as Quebec is concerned, I don't know if their motto should be "it's
   smart to be stupid" or "it's stupid to be smart."  My own feeling is that
   they stupidly thought they could wave enough money to convince Eric to play,
   and that they did not wise up enough to trade him and improve their lot
   last season.  It is quite possible that the offers just weren't that good
   until the distraction of the season was past, and other clubs started to
   think (giving them credit) "Hey, we have to sell those season tickets 
   again! Shit, how're we gonna sucker these fans this time?"
   
   Once they committed to trade, they got a package worth far more than a
   discontented Lindros would be worth _to them_ (not a knock on Philly). But
   they did it in a manner that was ham-handed even by NHL standards.  What
   a display of greed and bad faith on the part of all.  Just our seasonal
   reminder that nowadays sports cease to be sports when the players reach
   puberty.

   We'll see if Hextall and agent stop posturing and whining soon enough for
   him to get into shape.  As the Grant Fuhr experience shows, he'd better be
   ready to face a few extra shots per game, even coming from Philly.  His
   flamboyance, if he can control his temper, could make him very popular in
   QCity, and it could give this team the spirit it desperately lacks.

4) Now to the fun part.  I agree that this "kill Eric" stuff really sucks.
   The rejoinders, at least the serious ones, are just as bad.  The only
   situations (if any) where this kind of talk is justified is when a thug
   injures or persecutes another player.  Even then, the goon simply deserves
   a good physical dressing down, not an injury that costs games.  Taking 
   games away is the league's job, but unfortunately, they botch it up more
   often than not, leading to fans and others closer to the game encouraging
   more goonery.

   As far as players wishing they were in Eric's skates, most of them know
   they just ain't got the stuff, but I agree that most don't begrudge it,
   and they know that they can weasel a little more if Eric's heightens the
   salary bar.  (Don't get me wrong here.  I'm not anti-player.  On my scale
   of relative greed, most players come in a distant third to the owners and
   agents.)
 
   However, I thiink there are some players who will hold it against Eric that
   (relatively) untested, he will earn more than they'll earn in a 20 year
   career.  Be they goons or grinders, they'll give Eric an extra "welcome
   to the show" whack the first time.  I think that particularly some of the
   Quebec players might resent him, be it for snubbing their team, or for 
   escaping from L'Hellhole with full pockets, depending upon their attitude
   or ethnic background.  Mr. Hextall, never to be confused with the author
   of "Goaltending Ethics" might well give him a chop or two.  The Patrick
   Div boys might also give him a rough time.  But I agree that there won't 
   be a contract out on him.

   Personally, I thiink he can take it, and perhaps dish it out in return.
   If Philly is lucky, he'll turn out to be a faster Cam Neely, with a 
   better passing touch.  But the attention (fan, press, and player) may
   well be a bigger problem for a u-20 Eric, and the burden of leadership
   may also be too heavy for a guy who seems kinda solitary.  All told, this
   looks like a damn interesting season coming up.  I can't wait.

Matt
It makes sense to me, at least, that the Bruins would draft Bears.