Lidstrom & Datsyuk suspended for skipping ASG

[Drake_Marcus 890]

::::::::Bangs head on computer screen::::::::::

<sigh> Good post Drake.

Thanks

What new information is in that post exactly? you're quoting and highlighting the rule from a local sports site, not any text from the actual rule. I think this article has already been quoted in the existing thread.

Wings GM Ken Holland had conversations with Colin Campbell early in the week regarding the ASG and his players not attending. Lidstrom informed him on Monday about the tendonitis.

This is a rule that Ken Holland and the other GM's agreed to last year. So Holland and his management can find draft picks in the last rounds, can land the biggest UFA in Marian Hossa, can sustain a great franchise even under the cap, but he gets none of the responsibility for this??

He agreed to this rule a year ago. Of course there is no appeal process because it isn't in the CBA. It was basically a gentleman's agreement between the NHL and the GM's that they would enforce this rule with their players. It would've occurred to any poster here at LGW to clarify if a player would have to attend, or would have to play to avoid the suspension.

If the players weren't aware of this rule, or weren't aware that they could just attend the festivities, that's Holland's fault. That's not Bettman's. And them being unaware is no proof that Bettman made some special deal with Crosby. I love it how people think Holland can pull off anything, but then don't think he takes any responsibility for this as GM of the team.

The reality is Holland thought it was a stupid rule, which it is. But it's one he agreed to a f*cking year ago. And his line about not even knowing where Lidstrom and Datsyuk are is total bulls*** too. You don't think he knows where two of his franchise players are every week of the season? or couldn't find out with one phonecall?

The point he was making was that he wasn't going to make that phonecall. He wasn't going to back down. He didn't and now they have to sit a game. If he wanted to play along with Bettman and make the "Crosby exception" I'm sure he could have. But he didn't. Not that big a deal. Not a conspiracy.

This only verifies your case to you because you're once again reading between the lines and making assumptions about what happened.

Lidstrom and Datsyuk both knew about the missing the game portion of the rule but not the Crosby Clause? Odd... it's like they only read half of it then buggered off.

Both Dats and Lids clearly back up the argument I subscribe to in their quotes. One argument doesn't make sense in the context of what Dats and Lids told Khan. And he's a fairly good source- he has the most journalistic access to the Red Wings and he's certainly NOT going to screw that up by misrepresenting their discussions with him in an article he credits them with being the source of. What interest is that to him? Does he want to endanger his livelihood by alienating his most important sources of information?

Making small logical assumptions based on evidence is pretty standard stuff for a person that isn't omnipotent.

Did Crosby do some evil back door dealing? No- he was looking out for his own ass. I'd do the same thing in his situation. Where he deserves scorn is the way he spoke of his fellow players when interviewed after the s***storm.

Bettman brought this on himself by handling the situation so poorly- both with the media, the Wings and with Crosby.

If Bettman's spin were true he'd provide the exact quote of the rule from the minutes of the meeting in which they were proposed. He hasn't. The onus is on the NHL office to provide that documentation.

How is it that before the Crosby Clause TSN and everyone else used the specific wording of "missed the All Star GAME"? Why is it that the Wings management and others inside the know used that wording? Everything points clearly to the Crosby Clause being a matter of fact. Hell, the biased as f*** TSN reporters gave the song and dance about Crosby calling and asking what he had to do to avoid the suspension and Bettman laying out a compromise on late Friday afternoon/early evening SportsCentre.

Wow dude, get over yourself.

Dude- I try. God knows I try. Every time I think I've gotten over myself I end up doing something super cool like a back-flip and suck myself right back in again.

The point, is that on Friday Bettman made an exception to the original rule, created back in February stating you had to PLAY in the ASG, for Crosby. Great for Crosby, a single 22 year-old living with Mario Lemeiux who could drop his video game and get on a plane, but not exactly great for Lidstrom and Datsyuk who have familes and injuries as well.

The later character assassination enjoyed across the league stems from the perception that Lidstrom and Datsyuk knew "all along" that this exception was in place and "all they had to do" was "show up" to avoid the suspension. That is obviously not the case, as the exception did not even exist until the day they all of sudden were required to be there for.

Even more upseting is Bettman and Crosby actually encouraged this perception.

Egroen's the earliest trumpeter of this cause and again, he's the far more succinct and impactful responder

[Casey 145]

Yeah I'm pretty sure it's a done deal - as usual ESPN is out of sync with the NHL.

Is it too much to ask for one of our goalies to steal us a game for once this season, while two of our stars sit out? Or for our D to play a solid game - yes sans Nick and Stuart? Hopefully the Wings are motivated by this, play a solid game, beat Columbus, and we can just move on....

Conks has 5 shutouts... there's 5 stolen games. How soon they forget.

[Jedi 1,865]

What's weak is you just repeating the same bulls*** over and over. Dress it up however you want, the fact remains that Crosby received an exemption where others did not. Who gives a s*** exactly who dialed the f***in' phone or how it went down? He got the exemption didn't he?

And waaah f***in' waaah, look who's got the Crosby man-love now? Poor Crosby was just trying to appease the league? He was trying to play the next game back period. If the regulaur season game penalty wasn't in effect for missing the ASG, NO ONE from Pittsburgh would've been calling Bettman. Poor little angelic Crosby, we're all just ganging up on him!

Alright... This one's run it's course...