GDT: All-Star Weekend

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

Yep just pin it all on the league, they are the ones who caused all of this.

Right?!?

They aren't the ones who set him up -- that was the "fans", being the dumbasses that fans all too often are.

Huh? He even mentions in the article how he is pretty sure the fans voted him in as a joke. Things would have been fine, and the league could've just brushed it off, but who tries to belittle someone by asking them if they think their children would be proud of them? The league is largely to blame for this being a story. There was no reason to uproot him and his family, it's the freakin' all-star game. It's a joke event for the fans.

 

[BoxOfChocolates]

Not to rehash all of this but this would have been a nothing non-issue if the NHL had even a modicum of ability to be self-deprecating about itself and just rolled with a goof.

This.

Huh? He even mentions in the article how he is pretty sure the fans voted him in as a joke. Things would have been fine, and the league could've just brushed it off, but who tries to belittle someone by asking them if they think their children would be proud of them? The league is largely to blame for this being a story. There was no reason to uproot him and his family, it's the freakin' all-star game. It's a joke event for the fans.

And this.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Not to rehash all of this but this would have been a nothing non-issue if the NHL had even a modicum of ability to be self-deprecating about itself and just rolled with a goof.

A goof. That says it all.

And no I don't want to open the debate back up, I've said my piece. But there's nothing to congratulate here. I don't disagree with him in the game but the sooner it happens and is over the better.

I'm actually a bit shocked a man with a wife 9 months pregnant with twins should even be away from home at this point tbh.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

My GF always hits me with the question "If I was in hospital having a baby and you were in the NHL and had a playoff game at the same time what would you choose?"

Of course I'm smart and because that scenario would never happen I give her the answer she wants to here. I'm still amazed that some men haven't figured that out in those dumb hypothetical scenarios.

 

[ArWKo]

She's so far along she may well go into labor over the All Star weekend. Watch after all of this craziness she goes into labor Saturday night and Scott misses the game.

 

[CobraAcesS]

My GF always hits me with the question "If I was in hospital having a baby and you were in the NHL and had a playoff game at the same time what would you choose?"

Of course I'm smart and because that scenario would never happen I give her the answer she wants to here. I'm still amazed that some men haven't figured that out in those dumb hypothetical scenarios.

I like to say stuff like, 'I'll let you know when I get to the NHL' in those situations. Much more entertaining to leave her thinking about it lol

I get to both point out how ridiculous the question is, and not answer it, leaving her in a hole she dug herself and fell into, in a single sentence.

Those moments are priceless

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Absolutely fantastic read. A really good insight into Scott and the life he's lived. He absolutely deserves to be at the All-Star game, anybody who thinks other wise are simply wrong.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Absolutely fantastic read. A really good insight into Scott and the life he's lived. He absolutely deserves to be at the All-Star game, anybody who thinks other wise are simply wrong.

Yeah, that was an award worthy article IMO.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Yeah, that was an award worthy article IMO.

I dunno if it was actually written by him, or if a ghost writer did it on his behalf. But I dont think it should matter.


It was a fantastic job. A lot of emotions come out reading that towards Scott and his family. He's living his dream right now. Who did the NHL think they were to try and take that away from him?

 

[Cousin Eddie]

Absolutely fantastic read. A really good insight into Scott and the life he's lived. He absolutely deserves to be at the All-Star game, anybody who thinks other wise are simply wrong.

I don't think he deserves to be at the All-Star game in any way whatsoever. BUT because of the flawed system and the fans making a mockery of him I do however think he doesn't deserve to be removed from the All Star game like they tried to do.

There are hundreds of journeys just like Scott's. He doesn't deserve to be an all star more than any of them or especially more than any of the elite NHL stars who didn't make the cut.

Great article though.

 

[CobraAcesS]

I dunno if it was actually written by him, or if a ghost writer did it on his behalf. But I dont think it should matter.


It was a fantastic job. A lot of emotions come out reading that towards Scott and his family. He's living his dream right now. Who did the NHL think they were to try and take that away from him?

Well considering he has a college degree in Engineering, it's not out of the realm of possibility that he wrote it. I'd imagine it may have been edited by the publication though.

It's in a bit of a different format than you'd normally see as well IMO. However the pauses as you read make for a even more powerful emotional connection. As you can almost imagine yourself in his shoes sitting there thinking this out to himself.

 

[CobraAcesS]

I don't think he deserves to be at the All-Star game in any way whatsoever. BUT because of the flawed system and the fans making a mockery of him I do however think he doesn't deserve to be removed from the All Star game like they tried to do.

There are hundreds of journeys just like Scott's. He doesn't deserve to be an all star more than any of them or especially more than any of the elite NHL stars who didn't make the cut.

Great article though.

The line about his kids, and how they'll view him is probably the most powerful IMO.

That's what sticks with me, and the fact that he was obviously traded as a combination of punishment and a way to possibly keep him from going is fairly painful to read as well.

Especially when you add in moving his kids and 9 month pregnant wife on top of it. Which I'm sure NHL players have to be prepared for, but what caused it makes it more egregious IMO.

 

[henchman21]

IMO Scott doesn't deserve blame and he should take full advantage of it. By hockey standards he doesn't make much money and there is a chance to win 90k... hell of a start to a college fund for those twins. But mostly, this is literally a once in a lifetime opportunity for him. He has never been an all-star before and never will be again. If the fans voted me in to play a fancy game of shinny with the best of best against the best of the best... you can make goddamn sure that I would be there and I can barely skate anymore.

The NHL and the fans can share in the blame, but IMO, the NHL is mostly at fault. The fans didn't make a joke of the all star game until after the NHL themselves made it a joke... and this isn't the first time fans have abused the voting privilege. The NHL should have learned that lesson already and taken the voting away... not cry like a baby when fans made a mockery of your mockery and along the way treating a player like crap because you don't deem him worthy.

 

[tigervixxxen]

If fans (or really it was puck daddy wasn't it) were smart they would have chosen to vote in Pronger.

And no the intent was never to give him money or honor the fan favorite enforcer or any of that, it's just how it's justified now.

 

[The Shermanator]

My All-Star Gloves.

What a brilliant piece.

 

[Hans Landaskog]

Is it wrong for me to hope that the players will rig the game so that Scott gets the MVP?

 

[ArWKo]

I won't be at all shocked if at the very least the guys he's out there with spend a ton of time setting him up for some scores. Seems like most of the players are totally on board with playing with Scott.

 

[Tweaky]

I went with Neal and Buff. Benn and Seguin will be joined at the hip. And I think they will try to keep a Pred on the ice at all times. So that makes it Neal+Buff, or Tarasenko+PredD, or Kane+OtherPredD. I also think they are going to want the most dynamic paring together...so Kane+Tarasenko makes sense.

I bet they mix it up a bit too. Give each of the guys to play a shift or two with eachof the others.

 

[Tweaky]

On the Scott thing.

The ASG is a goof anyhow. So why the heck would folks get bent out of shape about a goof player being there. He deserves to be there because he was put there by the rules of the game (for this year at least). The BS the NHL pulled with the trade and demotion but all the blame squarely on their shoulders. For trying to protect the "integrity of the game" that the real stars try to avoid half the time? Not very impressed by Arizona management for not backing up their player and refusing to trade him.

Yes, some of the initial blame rests with the fans that started it, and the media that promoted it. But all that does is show that those folks wanted to see him at the game. Whatever their rationale, they wanted to see him there. So he should be there.

But now we all know that next year, the system will be different. Fan voting will be gone...or at least the 10 votes a day crap will be. Maybe one vote per email, editible until the end so votes aren't blown on injured guys? Or one vote per ticket stub? Or no fan voting at all?

 

[TheStranger]

I will watch 0 seconds of this All Star weekend. Watched a bit of the skills comp last year and it was cringe worthy. I think I've gotten too old for it, as I used to love it as a kid.

The skills competition was nowhere near this ridiculous back then. It's become a complete joke. They managed to ruin the one part of the all-star weekend that wasn't a farce.

 

[frog]

Scott article was great, should open a lot of eyes. Nhl should've have treated him better

 

[TheStranger]

Scott article was great, should open a lot of eyes. Nhl should've have treated him better

I mean, the NHL wouldn't want the all-star weekend to become a mockery or anything!

 

[Avs_19]

Two of the biggest stars on two of the best teams would rather miss a game and lose a game cheque than go to the all-star game.

Dreger said the league is wondering if one game is enough or do they need to start going to something like three games to prevent this. Since we're talking about the NHL, I could actually see them doing something incredibly stupid like that.

 

[frog]

I mean, the NHL wouldn't want the all-star weekend to become a mockery or anything!

so you agree with the nhl

 

[TheStranger]

There should be absolutely 0 ramification for a player telling the league to shove it. It shouldn't be mandatory at all. If a player doesn't want to go, that should be their prerogative.