Was Babs pumping up Sammys image for a reason?

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

Here is a question, because downey fought and the team lost does that mean he had a s***ty night too.

I mean he didn't score, his fight didn't turn the energy, Zetta has been hurt, all of the things that Downey being on the ice that he was supposed to bring to the team and none of it happened .

Downey sucks and is lazy!

Why do you always post this opie? I know you dislike the Sammy bashers, so tell them why Sammy isnt that bad. You dont have to go after Downey just because people like him. They are 2 entirely different players. That Zetterberg point is moot, he didnt hurt his back while playing.

Anyways, Sammy will never be a superstar, but getting a couple goals out of him is nice.

[Opie 308]

Why do you always post this opie? I know you dislike the Sammy bashers, so tell them why Sammy isnt that bad. You dont have to go after Downey just because people like him. They are 2 entirely different players. That Zetterberg point is moot, he didnt hurt his back while playing.

Anyways, Sammy will never be a superstar, but getting a couple goals out of him is nice.

Detroit # 1 Fan,

I am going to assume that because of the Holidays you haven't been around to see me post 15 x's a day (I exaggerate a little but not much) about how he provides a lot of things for this team. But here are the reasons I post ones like the one you quoted:

Because when I post his stats, or the things he has done, the Sammy haters (which most are Downey lovers, not all) give the credit to his linemates, being on the pp, luck, freak indoor blizzards (I kid).

When I post about how he gives the team the ability to keep the top line together and the top pp together there is no response, and on the nights he does get points when I look at the board the Sammy haters are no where near the Sammy threads.

They stay away, until the minute he makes a bad play. Then the board is filled with the Haters, holy s*** did you see that bad pass that didn't but almost led to a goal. He is going to cost the wings the cup... blah blah all the other bulls***. They want Micheal Ryder, who has worse stats and has been benched, or they scream and yell for his head and a trade but do not offer any logical trade.

Yet Downey stepped up and did his job, according to the Downey Lovers. He was supposed to stop Z from getting hurt (go back to the early Downey threads for proof of this accusation), he was supposed to bring energy to the game with the fight. But he gets to skate (no pun intended) on any responsibility for the loss, yet some how Sammy will cost the team the cup.

I bring up Downey to prove a point, most of the haters have different expectations for Downey, because they look at the game he provides and set different goals. The problem being they only do that because he fights.

Sammy does not fight so for some reason he is expected to produce nightly like he is D or Z. He is expected to play flawlessly like Lids.

Guess what as you admitted, he is not of that caliber of player, so for each player on this team we as fans must look at what they bring to the table and evaluate them with a different set of standards. It has always been that way, their were different standards for Hull, Luc, Feds, Igor, Stevie Y, Shanny, etc...

I have posted this before in other threads but here it goes again, Sammy is a career bottom 6 forward that has offensive upside, the wings are short one top 6 forward, he fills the role on the 2nd line that few currently on the roster can fill. The only other forward that could take that spot is Cleary, Cleary's chemistry with Draper is getting better and better, breaking up that line would be a mistake.

Sammy is not, really not even close, to what Babcock made him out to be. But he is closer to that than what these threads and posters make him out to be.

My advice to the Sammy haters, if you aren't willing to post when he is on a 5+ game point streak, don't post when he has one bad game in a row. It is like being a poor weather fan, you know instead of fair weather fans posting only when a team or player is doing well, these people only post when they do badly. Remember in the beginning of the year Huds and Flip were being talked about as being underachievers who should be traded. My how people tunes change!