Stevie Y being cool

[VM1138 1,921]

mmmm cougar!!!!

Back on topic:

Notice how in most sports now when the game ends players from both sides are friends, not away from the rink, field, pitch, court, whatever, right on the field they shake hands smile and talk. Rivalries and hatred are all fan driven now.

Even the Sox v. Yanks rivalry is just fan based, they players don't give a s*** anymore, they have more allegiance to their alma mater than they do their current team, because it is a job. They play for the pay check now. That is no more evident than watching a football game, at the end of it all of the players meet on the field and talk about old times with big smiles on their faces. How many times do you think Probie walked across the rink to say hi to an old buddy from the other team?

Every one wants athletes to be role models, won't somebody think of the children, but I am of the Charles Barkley school of thought, "You don't want me(chuck) to be your child's role model, you want it to be a Teacher or Doctor or you!"

Something to that effect!

Well, hasn't the amount of trades in the NHL skyrocketed? Isn't an average stay for a player only like a year or two now. They have the opportunity to build more friendships with players. Severe punishments for players who break the rules too much also deter player rivalries. So we just need to relish our mini-rivalries with Anaheim and Colorado.

[Guest Four]

That's Buffalo, not St. Louis.

I said the Blues to my brother until I watched it over and noticed that too >.<

[Opie 308]

VM1138,

OH I was just ranting about the unfortunate state of Pro sports in this era, they are just not what they were in the late 80's early 90's, but then again that was when the sports were still trying to get on something besides ABC's wild world of sports. Sports went from entertainment to big business in a hurry.

[Hank 0]

Opie, you're right again. Money and the union has destroyed any kind of hatred players used to have for one another.

Ted Lindsay hated anyone not wearing a Wings jersey and I think Red Kelly once said "I get paid to play hockey, but I'd beat the Leafs for free!".

In fact, back in the day when teams still rode trains for road games, there were occassions when two teams had to ride the same train.

It wasn't uncommon for players from opposite teams to cross paths between cars and start fighting - eventually brewing into an all-out brawl on the train.

Now you'd have guys organizing poker tourny's.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want players loathing each other to the point that they're burning down their homes, but it would be nice to have some honest anger towards another player on the other side of the ice.

Some of that still exists but it's more common to see guys yapping over the redline during warmup than whacking them like Avery's prone to do.

Everyone seems to hate Avery but that's exactly the kind of thing Lindsay would do back in the day and he was loved in Detroit.

Can you imagine any of the Wings today pretending their stick was a rifle and mock-shooting at fans while on the road? It'll never happen but I'd love to see that again some day.

Edited July 7, 2008 by Hank

[Hank 0]

Here's another great Stevie highlight:

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[irishtemper14+25 11]

I just watched a sweet interview from like 2 months ago about his new book, it was really funny and i learned some things I never knew

for example: In 97 or whenever when Joe Kocur was playing in an over 30 league he came into the chicago lockerroom and told probert that the hawks had to go rough up the wings so he could get his job back, so that game the hawks really gooned it up. Probie fought shanny and another hawk KO'ed a wing defenseman and the next day Joey got a call to be back on the Wings.

Ill post it once i find it again

edit: Found It!

Edited July 7, 2008 by irishtemper14+25

[Hank 0]

I just watched a sweet interview from like 2 months ago about his new book, it was really funny and i learned some things I never knew

for example: In 97 or whenever when Joe Kocur was playing in an over 30 league he came into the chicago lockerroom and told probert that the hawks had to go rough up the wings so he could get his job back, so that game the hawks really gooned it up. Probie fought shanny and another hawk KO'ed a wing defenseman and the next day Joey got a call to be back on the Wings.

Ill post it once i find it again

edit: Found It!

Thank you brother! I didn't realise this book was out!

This is a must buy for me!

[ManLuv4Clears 7]

Thank you brother! I didn't realise this book was out!

This is a must buy for me!

Hearing that interview brought back some memories. I think I may have to hit Border's up as well.

[ManLuv4Clears 7]

mmmm cougar!!!!

Back on topic:

Notice how in most sports now when the game ends players from both sides are friends, not away from the rink, field, pitch, court, whatever, right on the field they shake hands smile and talk. Rivalries and hatred are all fan driven now.

Even the Sox v. Yanks rivalry is just fan based, they players don't give a s*** anymore, they have more allegiance to their alma mater than they do their current team, because it is a job. They play for the pay check now. That is no more evident than watching a football game, at the end of it all of the players meet on the field and talk about old times with big smiles on their faces. How many times do you think Probie walked across the rink to say hi to an old buddy from the other team?

Every one wants athletes to be role models, won't somebody think of the children, but I am of the Charles Barkley school of thought, "You don't want me(chuck) to be your child's role model, you want it to be a Teacher or Doctor or you!"

Something to that effect!

Right on target again. As you mentioned in your earlier post, society has just gone a different direction the last 15 years. Maybe some day we'll get back to athletes giving a s*** and fans being a little less sensitive about drama and a little physicality.