Lidstrom & Datsyuk suspended for skipping ASG

[Outsider 42]

Wow did anyone hear what Brian Burke said when they were interviewing him on CBC? He want's people to stop whining about the all star game, and thinks that doing away with it would for a world cup would not be a good idea. Then when asked about Lids and Dats missing a game he agreed 100% with it. Then said they should have done what "Sid the Kid"(yes he called him that) did. He said more, and was practically throwing Lids and Dats under the bus.

To call Brian Burke "pond scum" would be an insult to pond scum.

You're surprised by his comments?

[Duck Guy 86]

To call Brian Burke "pond scum" would be an insult to pond scum.

You're surprised by his comments?

Brian Burke is a Blundering moron it feels good to say that... ahhhh lol Blundering moron O.o

Disclaimer: you all know my stand on this issue me calling burke a idiot has nothing to do with that I am just pointing out a simple fact...

Edited January 26, 2009 by Duck Guy

[Proud 2 B a Wings Fan 0]

Hopefully Holland tells any Wings selected next year for the All Star Game to stay home and take the 1 game suspension. Screw Bettman and the rest of His croonies!

[AtomicPunk 296]

Must have been nice for Bettman to get booed by the Montreal fans at the end of the All-Star game with the chairman of Honda Canada standing next to him. Good for business, I'm sure.

At least now he is not getting booed just in Detroit.

A-hole.

Props to Ron McLean (AGAIN) for asking him the tough questions sitting about a foot away from him and looking right into those beady little eyes.

[MTU_Huskies963 398]

Must have been nice for Bettman to get booed by the Montreal fans at the end of the All-Star game with the chairman of Honda Canada standing next to him. Good for business, I'm sure.

At least now he is not getting booed just in Detroit.

A-hole.

Props to Ron McLean (AGAIN) for asking him the tough questions sitting about a foot away from him and looking right into those beady little eyes.

Gary was getting angry you could see it on his face, he almost raised his voice on one of his answers. He had a smile on his face when talking about the suspensions though. Like he was thinking haha I got the Red Wings.

[Outsider 42]

Must have been nice for Bettman to get booed by the Montreal fans at the end of the All-Star game with the chairman of Honda Canada standing next to him. Good for business, I'm sure.

At least now he is not getting booed just in Detroit.

A-hole.

Props to Ron McLean (AGAIN) for asking him the tough questions sitting about a foot away from him and looking right into those beady little eyes.

I find it funny, ("funny" peculiar, not "funny" ha-ha), that Colin Campbell commented on the fact that it was "unfortunate" that the League was "forced" to implement this type of thing, due to the fact that there were too many of the Games star players who were skipping out on the event, without good reason.

Here's a clue, gentlemen:

Put a HOCKEY MAN in the Commissioner's seat, rather than a weasely little rat-faced lawyer. A man who knows, and LOVES, the Game, the Players who play it, and the Fans who watch it. A man who will truly have the League's best interests at heart, rather than a man who's sole mission has appeared to be to drive the NHL into obscurity, and to make it the laughingstock of professional sports.

Put a hockey man in the Commissioner's seat, and allow him to market and promote our beautiful Game the way it should be marketed and promoted - to it's strengths, not as though he's trying to make it a cheap imitation of some other League/Sport.

A man that the Owners, the Players, AND the Fans can get behind and trust, really trust, with the future of our Sport.

Gary Bettman is boo'ed because he's a carbuncle on the butt of hockey. He's the human equivalent of something hockey fans look down at and disgustedly attempt to scrape off the bottom of their shoes after having stepped in it.

Put a hockey man in the Commissioner's seat, and watch the Pride come back to an "event" which used to be a showcase of the best our Sport had to offer, but has, (under the watch of Gary Bettman), become a joke, a farce, and now, (apparently), yet another way for him to exert his petty little illusion of control over the players who make this Game the greatest on the planet.

Edited January 26, 2009 by Outsider

[wingschamps 0]

I find it funny, ("funny" peculiar, not "funny" ha-ha), that Colin Campbell commented on the fact that it was "unfortunate" that the League was "forced" to implement this type of thing, due to the fact that there were too many of the Games star players who were skipping out on the event, without good reason.

Here's a clue, gentlemen:

Put a HOCKEY MAN in the Commissioner's seat, rather than a weasely little rat-faced lawyer. A man who knows, and LOVES, the Game, the Players who play it, and the Fans who watch it. A man who will truly have the League's best interests at heart, rather than a man who's sole mission has appeared to be to drive the NHL into obscurity, and to make it the laughingstock of professional sports.

Put a hockey man in the Commissioner's seat, and allow him to market and promote our beautiful Game the way it should be marketed and promoted - to it's strengths, not as though he's trying to make it a cheap imitation of some other League/Sport.

A man that the Owners, the Players, AND the Fans can get behind and trust, really trust, with the future of our Sport.

Gary Bettman is boo'ed because he's a carbuncle on the butt of hockey. He's the human equivalent of something hockey fans look down at and disgustedly attempt to scrape off the bottom of their shoes after having stepped in it.

Put a hockey man in the Commissioner's seat, and watch the Pride come back to an "event" which used to be a showcase of the best our Sport had to offer, but has, (under the watch of Gary Bettman), become a joke, a farce, and now, (apparently), yet another way for him to exert his petty little illusion of control over the players who make this Game the greatest on the planet.

[Kira 451]

To put it well and succinctly...make Steve Yzerman the Commissioner of the NHL. Problem solved.

Oh, I heard that Theo Fleury put the boys under the boss. Yeah, the poster boy for good behavior (not)...like he's got room to criticize.

As for Burke, remember the sign at the '02 playoffs: "Shut Up...Lose...Go Home" . Still applicable.

[Outsider 42]

To put it well and succinctly...make Steve Yzerman the Commissioner of the NHL. Problem solved.

Oh, I heard that Theo Fleury put the boys under the boss. Yeah, the poster boy for good behavior (not)...like he's got room to criticize.

As for Burke, remember the sign at the '02 playoffs: "Shut Up...Lose...Go Home" . Still applicable.

Kira....I'll have to respectfully disagree with your nomination.

The Captain is too understated, too humble, and far too respectful, for the job at hand. It needs more flash. More "BANG!". And a bit more showmanship.

Brendan Shannahan would be my choice. Smart. Savvy. Irreverant. And with aspirations. Oh yes....

Yep. Shanny would make an excellent Commissioner. As a matter of fact, I'll go so far as to say that Shanny will make and excellent Commissioner.

Let Shanny be the face. And keep Stevie where he belongs, where he's always belonged....

The brains, and the heart, behind the operation.

Silent, but deadly.

[Kira 451]

Okay, I can go along with that...I defer to your wisdom.

You know, I'd like to hear what Pasha and Nick have to say about all this, but I bet you they will sit it out quietly and not raise a fuss. They are both too classy and dignified to make a stink.

[wingschamps 0]

If anyone comes across a video of the Bettman interview with Mclean, would you mind posting it?

[Ratbastrd 90]

So basically, Duck Guy, you're saying that you think these two should show up no matter what??? That even if they were on a pain med that the doctor would not let them travel on, they should defy their doctor's orders and show up, just to sit and get grilled by the media??? I think not. I don't see why they should give up their time off just to kiss the asses of some newspaper writers who hate the Wings to begin with. You would give up your vacation just to show up for some lame-ass question and answer session with a bunch of writers who could care less about you ??? Sorry, but not me. If the boys are in some undisclosed location recuperating, even if it's at home, I'd be damned if I'd tell them to go to Montreal and kiss media ass.

The best revenge to this joke is for the Wings to win the Cup again...in Detroit. Make Buttman give the trophy to Nick, and also for Pasha to win the Smythe. Wouldn't that piss him off??? And to do it in Detroit, so we can all tell him what we think of him.

As for your team, I'm sure your little puppets will dance very nicely when their strings are pulled.

Because (like it or not) they represent the NHL, a league that is trying desperately trying to reinvent itself after a disastrous lockout, as well as increase revenues which will to some degree be used to pay for their next salary bump. You sell your soul to the devil, don't ***** when he "invites" you to dinner.

I have generally had a fair amount of respect for the posts on this board, but this thread is sort of pathetic.

[Yzersyukstromberg 0]

This is ridiculous. Get off your f***in asses and go represent the league that that fills your bank account with millions of dollars every year. Are we honestly supposed to feel sorry for Lidstrom and Datsyuk because they have minor injuries? These guys live like kings and have opportunities with their families that most of us can only dream of and we're supposed to feel sorry for poor Nick because he wants to see his kids and his elbow hurts? Un-f***in-believable.

Seriously... this s*** sickens me. All they have to do is go represent for ONE f***IN DAY!!! They don't even have to play. I find it laughable and embarassing to our team.

Queue the Red Wing slappies to tell me what an ******* I am...

It's not that you're an *******, it's that you think that just because these men are making millions of dollars, that they should be forced to follow a rule that was switched at the last minute...the amount of money they make is irrelevant. As for the number of days they'd be expected to attend....try 3, not 1. Bettman expected injured players to be present for the entire weekend, not just 1 day...

There's more to this story than you obviously have taken the time to read up on, or you're just not interested in addressing all of the facts, because whether you like it or not, this suspension is unwarranted, and has even more effect on other teams in the hunt for a playoff spot that it will on the Red Wings. Think about if you're a team like Minnesota, Phoenix, Dallas, etc, fighting for the 8th playoff spot....end of the season comes, and you lose out by 2 points to Columbus, who was the beneficiary of a game versus a Red Wings team who was forced to sit out their two best players due to a suspension that has nothing to do with regulation hockey........that's the problem. This suspension is having an effect on more teams that just the Wings. It's going to affect the integrity of the standings, and that should be the biggest issue at hand, honestly.

Just my opinion.

[wingschamps 0]

It's not that you're an *******, it's that you think that just because these men are making millions of dollars, that they should be forced to follow a rule that was switched at the last minute...the amount of money they make is irrelevant. As for the number of days they'd be expected to attend....try 3, not 1. Bettman expected injured players to be present for the entire weekend, not just 1 day...

There's more to this story than you obviously have taken the time to read up on, or you're just not interested in addressing all of the facts, because whether you like it or not, this suspension is unwarranted, and has even more effect on other teams in the hunt for a playoff spot that it will on the Red Wings. Think about if you're a team like Minnesota, Phoenix, Dallas, etc, fighting for the 8th playoff spot....end of the season comes, and you lose out by 2 points to Columbus, who was the beneficiary of a game versus a Red Wings team who was forced to sit out their two best players due to a suspension that has nothing to do with regulation hockey........that's the problem. This suspension is having an effect on more teams that just the Wings. It's going to affect the integrity of the standings, and that should be the biggest issue at hand, honestly.

Just my opinion.

Hey, do you know where i could find that picture in your avatar?

[Ratbastrd 90]

the funny thing is that not having wings players attend asg might only hurt the red wings fans watching the game, but does it really hurt NHL overall? red wings fans will watch wings regardless through out the season, so who cares. I wish Bettman spend this much energy on promoting Alex Ovechkin to help hockey instead of running around suspending Norris and Lady Bing winners...

This comment really brings it all home; so if the league fails who are the Wings going to be playing?

The point of this entire debacle is that it is not about the individuals, it is about the league. Sorry if you have a bump or bruise or you are tired. If you want to play in this league and reap the rewards that it offers, you need to pay your dues when they are asked of you.

For all the bitching everyone around here does about Crosby, at least he demonstrated the requisite professionalism to show up for the company picnic.

You guy's have had it so good for so long, yet I don't think you really appreciate it...JMHO

Edited January 26, 2009 by Ratbastrd

[Ratbastrd 90]

It's not that you're an *******, it's that you think that just because these men are making millions of dollars, that they should be forced to follow a rule that was switched at the last minute...the amount of money they make is irrelevant. As for the number of days they'd be expected to attend....try 3, not 1. Bettman expected injured players to be present for the entire weekend, not just 1 day...

There's more to this story than you obviously have taken the time to read up on, or you're just not interested in addressing all of the facts, because whether you like it or not, this suspension is unwarranted, and has even more effect on other teams in the hunt for a playoff spot that it will on the Red Wings. Think about if you're a team like Minnesota, Phoenix, Dallas, etc, fighting for the 8th playoff spot....end of the season comes, and you lose out by 2 points to Columbus, who was the beneficiary of a game versus a Red Wings team who was forced to sit out their two best players due to a suspension that has nothing to do with regulation hockey........that's the problem. This suspension is having an effect on more teams that just the Wings. It's going to affect the integrity of the standings, and that should be the biggest issue at hand, honestly.

Just my opinion.

Bulls***!

[Coolio Mendez 7]

I agree 100%. IMO, the rule shouldn't even exist. I understand that things can be amended. However, the commish instated the rule. If he had any intention whatsoever of changing it, he should've let it be known he would change it long ago. But you are correct, he lacks any foresight whatsoever. He's a moron and this entire fiasco is further proof.

You can thank the team owner - Mike Ilitch, he was one of the two governors (Alan Cohen of Florida was the other) who wanted this stupid rule.

[55fan 5,133]

... Says the guy who let two players decide when they want to show up for the season.

:clap: :clap:

Yeah, let the Ducks' stars come and go as they please. Make the Wings' stars rebook flights for families of 3-6 people after they cancelled them, find hotel accomodations after they cancelled them, replan their weekends after they had remade their plans.

Then call for their heads if they don't do this within hours of being told it is expected of them.

[Broken 16 381]

It's not that you're an *******, it's that you think that just because these men are making millions of dollars, that they should be forced to follow a rule that was switched at the last minute...the amount of money they make is irrelevant. As for the number of days they'd be expected to attend....try 3, not 1. Bettman expected injured players to be present for the entire weekend, not just 1 day...

There's more to this story than you obviously have taken the time to read up on, or you're just not interested in addressing all of the facts, because whether you like it or not, this suspension is unwarranted, and has even more effect on other teams in the hunt for a playoff spot that it will on the Red Wings. Think about if you're a team like Minnesota, Phoenix, Dallas, etc, fighting for the 8th playoff spot....end of the season comes, and you lose out by 2 points to Columbus, who was the beneficiary of a game versus a Red Wings team who was forced to sit out their two best players due to a suspension that has nothing to do with regulation hockey........that's the problem. This suspension is having an effect on more teams that just the Wings. It's going to affect the integrity of the standings, and that should be the biggest issue at hand, honestly.

Just my opinion.

Suspension was warranted. It's the original rule. It was voted on and passed by the GM's. This rule has been in effect all year. I don't blame the league that teams didn't take the rule seriously and make arrangements when all they had to do was pick up the phone and handle it like Crosby did. Think before you post.

Lidstrom could have went and, in my opinion, should have. He's not injured. He has sore elbows.

The bottom line is that the Wings could have, and should have sent SOMEBODY. I'm sure more than a few younger players would have been thrilled to go. It looks to me like the Wings basically thumbed their nose at the league. The Wings are at fault here too, in my opinion. Obviously not as much as Bettman.

[Ratbastrd 90]

:clap: :clap:

Yeah, let the Ducks' stars come and go as they please. Make the Wings' stars rebook flights for families of 3-6 people after they cancelled them, find hotel accomodations after they cancelled them, replan their weekends after they had remade their plans.

Then call for their heads if they don't do this within hours of being told it is expected of them.

You guys are f'ing hilarious. I am fairly confident that the Wings players are not so abused as to have to make their own travel and accomodation reservations.

What a tough life it must be being a Wing player, what with all of the persecution and injustice heaped upon you.

LOL Do you guys actually read the s*** you post?

[Coolio Mendez 7]

Suspension was warranted. It's the original rule. It was voted on and passed by the GM's. This rule has been in effect all year. I don't blame the league that teams didn't take the rule seriously and make arrangements when all they had to do was pick up the phone and handle it like Crosby did. Think before you post.

Lidstrom could have went and, in my opinion, should have. He's not injured. He has sore elbows.

The bottom line is that the Wings could have, and should have sent SOMEBODY. I'm sure more than a few younger players would have been thrilled to go. It looks to me like the Wings basically thumbed their nose at the league. The Wings are at fault here too, in my opinion. Obviously not as much as Bettman.

I've agreed with all your post.

Edited January 26, 2009 by Coolio Mendez

[Kira 451]

I'm going to assume that you have never had tendonitis before, and don't know what it can do to you. Speaking from experience, it hurts and can play merry hell on your ability to perform even the simplest tasks.

Nick and Pasha would not ask for time off like this if they were not hurting...they are not that type of person. Neither one of them.

[Outsider 42]

You guys are f'ing hilarious. I am fairly confident that the Wings players are not so abused as to have to make their own travel and accomodation reservations.

What a tough life it must be being a Wing player, what with all of the persecution and injustice heaped upon you.

LOL Do you guys actually read the s*** you post?

And who is it, do you think, who makes travel arrangements for Nick Lidstrom, his wife, and their four sons, if they were to decide to go to....say.....Hawaii for the All-Star Break? Or perhaps to Disneyland? The Bahamas?

And how simple do you think it would be to switch all of those plans, for a family of 6, and all within less than 24 hours notice of the League advising that "you don't have to play, but you have to show up"?

Do you actually read the s*** you post?

[2probert4 8]

Sorry dude but all these teams are making money even the Islanders, and which one of Bettmans Southern Hockey project have failed?

I to do not like the All Star game, and wouldn't mind if the NHL would do away with it.

Nashville is having to buy their own tickets in order to qualify for the full revenue sharing....Their first owner lost between 70 to 90 mill. They have struggled ever since the franchise has been in existance. This year is no different. Ownership is giving them the first 10 games after the break to try and make a move or more than likely we'll see the farm system for the remainder of the season. San Joses owner and Dallas owner both have been reprimanded by Bettman for making comments about this franchise's financial troubles.

Phoenix is in deep trouble, their ownership has reportedly lost 30 mill per for at least the past 2 seasons, and is on track to lose 45 mill this season. The league is currently allowing them to borrow against their revenue sharing, and player movement has to be approved by the NHL front office. They have improved their attendance this season with their current 5th or 6th place standing in the West, but they have a horrible deal with the city of Glendale, who runs that Jobing.com arena. One crazy stipulation is that its free parking for the fans, but the Coyotes have to pay a fee to the city for each vehicle that parks in their lots. Ends up being around 7 million per season.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/Pag...orce_login=true

thats from January 16th, but I think you may only get part of that article. May have to purchase the rest. Gretzky admits they are in financial difficulty though.

Atlanta is in not so good shape, their team is terrible and nobody goes to see that team play. When Kovalchuk is dealt or leave in free agency, it will only get worse.

Need I continue ??????

[redwashington2000 42]

Bulls***!

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