News Article: Is Mario a Hypocrite?

[The Underboss]

http://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/p...steve-downie-makes-mario-lemieux-a-hypocrite/

"In the winter of 2011, Penguins owner Mario Lemieux sent a strong and public message to the NHL in regard to a “sideshow†brawl between his franchise’s players and those of the New York Islanders. Calling the incident a “travestyâ€, the retired Hall of Famer went on to talk about the type of league and game he wanted to be associated with:

“We, as a league, must do a better job of protecting the integrity of the game and the safety of our players,†Lemieux said. “We must make it clear that those kinds of actions will not be tolerated....â€"

Click to read more...

 

[LeapOnOver]

I don't know if these signing's necessarily qualify him as a hypocrite....but the guy certainly is a whiner. I respected him as a player only because of his battle to overcome illness and just the overall spectacular skill he possessed, but as an owner he's a bit of a blowhard.

 

[Rehabguy]

I didn't even have to read the article to answer that question.

Screw him!

It would be a dream of mine for the league to have a old-timer rematch of the 93 Islanders versus Penguins and have Kaspar pound this guys face a few more times.

 

[Kevin27NYI]

He threatened to walk away from the game if conduct like that continued. A month later..



Yes, he's a hypocritical *****.

 

[Rehabguy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoJqaswC7vw

Legendary shift!

 

[A Pointed Stick]

Hey Mario - Bring it *****!

Matty Marts will rip both their heads off and **** down their necks and he will use your autographed Topps card to wipe afterwards.

 

[SLAPSHOT723]

Didn't read the article yet but yes he's a hypocrite.

 

[Benedict Kovalchuk]

IIRC the Pens lead the league in fighting majors when he whined about the Pens getting whooped by the Isles in 2011. So yes, he is a hypocrite whiner.

 

[Talain]

http://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/p...steve-downie-makes-mario-lemieux-a-hypocrite/

"In the winter of 2011, Penguins owner Mario Lemieux sent a strong and public message to the NHL in regard to a “sideshow†brawl between his franchise’s players and those of the New York Islanders. Calling the incident a “travestyâ€, the retired Hall of Famer went on to talk about the type of league and game he wanted to be associated with:

“We, as a league, must do a better job of protecting the integrity of the game and the safety of our players,†Lemieux said. “We must make it clear that those kinds of actions will not be tolerated....â€"

Maybe he should ask himself who was employing Matt Cooke at the time. Oh... yeah... about that...

 

[PK Cronin]

Yeah, and it's not only because of those two players. He employed Cooke and Neal, who are both some dirty d-bags. At least Neal can play, but he really is a dangerous player.

 

[Bones45]

He's not a hypocrite.

He never played like that. He called out the Isles in that game for playing like goons. No argument there. As an Isles fan, it was a very memorable game, if it were any other club, we would shaking our heads at them. Lets be honest guys.

Signing a known "agitator" for a one year deal to improve him team and giving the other guy a "professional tryout deal" (whatever that is) , is irrelevant.

He is trying to improve his team. If two guys play like the Isles did that night, and aren't disciplined by Pens mgmt and continued to get ice team to play like goons.. THEN you'd have something to squawk about.

I'm not sticking up for those players --- truth be told is that there is less and less room for players like these in the NHL today. Their aggressive and illegal ways are penalized and scrutinized now more than ever.

Didn't Matt Cooke change his game over the past couple of years? I know it was the worst of the worst at some point, but I vaguely remember him playing a much cleaner game recently.

Let's just not give someone that title unless they truly deserve it. Mario calling out the Isles for their play in that game is something that any normal GM (except ours of course) would do. Making a signing of a shady 4th liner to protect his superstar(s) (ARE YOU LISTENING GARF??) also is a good move.

Nothing to see here, please disburse...

 

[SLAPSHOT723]

He's not a hypocrite.

He never played like that. He called out the Isles in that game for playing like goons. No argument there. As an Isles fan, it was a very memorable game, if it were any other club, we would shaking our heads at them. Lets be honest guys.

Signing a known "agitator" for a one year deal to improve him team and giving the other guy a "professional tryout deal" (whatever that is) , is irrelevant.

He is trying to improve his team. If two guys play like the Isles did that night, and aren't disciplined by Pens mgmt and continued to get ice team to play like goons.. THEN you'd have something to squawk about.

I'm not sticking up for those players --- truth be told is that there is less and less room for players like these in the NHL today. Their aggressive and illegal ways are penalized and scrutinized now more than ever.

Didn't Matt Cooke change his game over the past couple of years? I know it was the worst of the worst at some point, but I vaguely remember him playing a much cleaner game recently.

Let's just not give someone that title unless they truly deserve it. Mario calling out the Isles for their play in that game is something that any normal GM (except ours of course) would do. Making a signing of a shady 4th liner to protect his superstar(s) (ARE YOU LISTENING GARF??) also is a good move.

Nothing to see here, please disburse...

He can call out the Islanders all he wants, and he would be right because they were a very undisciplined team that night even though it was one of the most fun games I've ever watched.

The fact that he employed Matt Cooke when he was still scum, turned James Neal into scum after he was traded to Pittsburgh, and allows Crosby to fight with the refs after every whistle, makes him a hypocrite. He allows his team to do what the Islanders did that night, but on a smaller scale. If he's okay with Matt Cooke hitting Ryan McDonagh from behind and ruining Marc Savard's career, as well as letting James Neal knee Marchand in the head while he's down, then he shouldn't be talking about having a more disciplined team, he should start employing players that don't play dirty.

And I didn't watch Mario back when he was playing, I was too young, but from what I've heard from people who did watch him he wasn't exactly a saint himself. I'm not saying he was Cooke/Neal level, but very Crosby like with complaining about every call and still doing dirty things here and there.

Although I do agree that signing Carcillo to a PTO is being a little blown out of proportion.

 

[JeffNYI]

Mario Lemieux is so far past being a hypocrit ... that the light from hypocrit would take 500,000 years traveling through space to get to him...

To score 9 goals in that game and to bully the league's darling team with its darling owner and darling players - to watch Mario Lemieux be so embarrassed with his team that he threatened to quit the league was just epic..

He wasn't threatening to quit the NHL when the NHL Network endlessly looped footage of the Penguins bench laughing at us from the previous game.. I'll never understand any Islanders fan who isn't GLAD we served the Penguins the biggest all-around ass-whooping in recent NHL history that night..

And the next thing we need to do is NO MATTER WHAT -- we make DAMN SURE Ho-Sang wears #66.

 

[Bones45]

He can call out the Islanders all he wants, and he would be right because they were a very undisciplined team that night even though it was one of the most fun games I've ever watched.

The fact that he employed Matt Cooke when he was still scum, turned James Neal into scum after he was traded to Pittsburgh, and allows Crosby to fight with the refs after every whistle, makes him a hypocrite. He allows his team to do what the Islanders did that night, but on a smaller scale. If he's okay with Matt Cooke hitting Ryan McDonagh from behind and ruining Marc Savard's career, as well as letting James Neal knee Marchand in the head while he's down, then he shouldn't be talking about having a more disciplined team, he should start employing players that don't play dirty.

And I didn't watch Mario back when he was playing, I was too young, but from what I've heard from people who did watch him he wasn't exactly a saint himself. I'm not saying he was Cooke/Neal level, but very Crosby like with complaining about every call and still doing dirty things here and there.

Although I do agree that signing Carcillo to a PTO is being a little blown out of proportion.

Ill assume that at this point you read the "article" ?

Undisciplined is a team which takes too many penalties in the offensive zone -- they were GOONS that night.. Lets call it what it was.

He "turned" a player into something else? He "allows" Crosby to complain? And "letting" another player do something else? (although I'm sure that Marchand deserved it. I would love him on our team). GM's can't change players. God knows that Bailey and Kvasha would have been turned into something productive by now, right? LOL.

I'm not going to defend Cooke -- or any other actions of any other players, b/c we all know that on any given day, almost any player can be drawn into a shady play.

I just think you can't blame Mario, or point a hypocritical finger at him, b/c he signs players to try and complete his team. If he defends their actions on a dirty play, that's one thing --- trying to make an underachieving team, a winner is another.

And from what I remember, I don't recall Mario whining about stuff that Sid does. Course, you also have to remember that there was FARRR more ice to work with back in Mario's day, so the clutching and grabbing/complaining/embellishment was far less.

 

[Strummergas]

Mario Lemieux is so far past being a hypocrit ... that the light from hypocrit would take 500,000 years traveling through space to get to him...

To score 9 goals in that game and to bully the league's darling team with its darling owner and darling players - to watch Mario Lemieux be so embarrassed with his team that he threatened to quit the league was just epic..

He wasn't threatening to quit the NHL when the NHL Network endlessly looped footage of the Penguins bench laughing at us from the previous game.. I'll never understand any Islanders fan who isn't GLAD we served the Penguins the biggest all-around ass-whooping in recent NHL history that night..

And the next thing we need to do is NO MATTER WHAT -- we make DAMN SURE Ho-Sang wears #66.

I agree, except for the Gillies hit on Tangradi. All the other fights were targeted to the ******** who had been running the Isles all season. Tangradi was not part of that crew. Gillies lost his friggin mind that night and made a very dangerous hit. Hell, even if he boarded Talbot like that, it would've been ****ed up (notice I didn't say Cooke).

 

[Isles5513]

I agree, except for the Gillies hit on Tangradi. All the other fights were targeted to the ******** who had been running the Isles all season. Tangradi was not part of that crew. Gillies lost his friggin mind that night and made a very dangerous hit. Hell, even if he boarded Talbot like that, it would've been ****ed up (notice I didn't say Cooke).

I agree with this. We were defending ourselves. Aside for the Gilles hit, everything was called for from the previous game. I believe it was Comeau who got a concussion, as DP breaking his jaw, and their whole bench laughing at us. That game was pretty much our goons targeting their goons, who crossed the line the game before. I continue to watch highlights from that night and enjoy them Pittsburgh deserved it. And yes, Mario is a hypocrite. Not only for employing a few goons now, but for also enploying some of the dirtiest players from that decade then and making that statement and complaining and crying like a baby.

 

[JeffNYI]

I agree, except for the Gillies hit on Tangradi. All the other fights were targeted to the ******** who had been running the Isles all season. Tangradi was not part of that crew. Gillies lost his friggin mind that night and made a very dangerous hit. Hell, even if he boarded Talbot like that, it would've been ****ed up (notice I didn't say Cooke).

Tangradi or Talbot.. Cooke or Crosby.. it was a unique situation where it made no difference..

You'll have to take my word for it, but I'm not some lunatic fan guy.. I have never even sought an autograph (not that autograph seekers are loony but you get my point).. however I will say that it wasn't "just sports" during that period between our teams.

At that point in time it was more than hockey.. some of our teams' bones were literally broken, they were physically attacking us and laughing about it and the league did NOTHING -- aside from showcase it.

And again you can say "dude it's just sports" and yet there was absolutely no sense of sportsmanship from anyone toward us.. the people who were supposed to ensure fairness looked the other way on and off the ice.. Mario Lemieux showed no sportsmanship toward us either, did he? If he was so concerned about the game's image, one phone call from him to the NHL Network and I'm sure they would have toned down the coverage of the Penguins injuring us and laughing...

It's not like we spent the rest of the season playing like goons.. but for that one night we needed to beat them in every way possible without mercy and not stop until there was 0:00 on the clock in the 3rd period..

Need I remind everyone that there was a string of violent acts against our guys..

There are situations where when you're responding you need to go above, beyond and even overboard.. We overpowered a bully and I'll never apologize for approving of that...

That's life.. and I would teach my kids to do the exact same thing the Islanders did in that situation..

 

[Kevin27NYI]

Bones,

This is the part I take issue with, and why I view him as a hypocrite.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?id=6120121

"If the events relating to Friday night reflect the state of the league, I need to rethink whether I want to be a part of it," Lemieux concluded in his statement.

Needs to rethink whether or not he wants to be a part of the league for those actions? When he had Matt Cooke on his roster? Neal? And yeah, I like to call him on his ******** for when a month and a few days later Matt Cooke levels McDonagh with an elbow to the head after his statements.

 

[PK Cronin]

Ill assume that at this point you read the "article" ?

Undisciplined is a team which takes too many penalties in the offensive zone -- they were GOONS that night.. Lets call it what it was.

He "turned" a player into something else? He "allows" Crosby to complain? And "letting" another player do something else? (although I'm sure that Marchand deserved it. I would love him on our team). GM's can't change players. God knows that Bailey and Kvasha would have been turned into something productive by now, right? LOL.

I'm not going to defend Cooke -- or any other actions of any other players, b/c we all know that on any given day, almost any player can be drawn into a shady play.

I just think you can't blame Mario, or point a hypocritical finger at him, b/c he signs players to try and complete his team. If he defends their actions on a dirty play, that's one thing --- trying to make an underachieving team, a winner is another.

And from what I remember, I don't recall Mario whining about stuff that Sid does. Course, you also have to remember that there was FARRR more ice to work with back in Mario's day, so the clutching and grabbing/complaining/embellishment was far less.

Mario is essentially complaining about how horrible guns are, how they hurt people, and that nobody should have them...and then turns around and own 5 of his own.

Mario's day had more clutching and grabbing then there is today, I'm not sure what you're talking about there.

 

[scott99]

Still love that game, a 9-3 beatdown, as well as a physical beatdown. If you want to have some real fun, watch the video on youtube where it's from the Penguin's announcer's perspective, it is so fun to hear them cry and whine about the fights. Still have the game on my DVR.

 

[Kevin27NYI]

Still love that game, a 9-3 beatdown, as well as a physical beatdown. If you want to have some real fun, watch the video on youtube where it's from the Penguin's announcer's perspective, it is so fun to hear them cry and whine about the fights. Still have the game on my DVR.

Hamonic's best game of his young career.

Also, loved their tone early when it was Adams vs Haley. Acting like Adams was going to pummel him and Haley just demolished him!

 

[doublechili]

Yes.

But then again, pretty much everyone's a hypocrite if you pick one thing. So IMO the term "hypocrite" should be reserved for people who are hypocritical to the core of their being. And Mario doesn't meet that standard.

 

[crashthenet]

I lost respect for him after his comments and his continued employment of Matt Cooke. It wasn't until the league stepped in that Cooke was finally held somewhat accountable that there was any change in his cheap and dirty play. At that point, the chief penguin dispatched him.

Love the Darius clip. Great to see Mario and his classy line-mate rick tocchet.

 

[Isles5513]

Still love that game, a 9-3 beatdown, as well as a physical beatdown. If you want to have some real fun, watch the video on youtube where it's from the Penguin's announcer's perspective, it is so fun to hear them cry and whine about the fights. Still have the game on my DVR.

I do that all the time. Something happened to my DVR so it's not on mine anymore. I always watch the 17 minute video of the fights on YouTube. I put it in my favorites.

 

[scott99]

Hamonic's best game of his young career.

Also, loved their tone early when it was Adams vs Haley. Acting like Adams was going to pummel him and Haley just demolished him!

You have to hear the Pittburgh announcers announce that fight between Adams and Haley. They say something like, Haley wants some of Adams, he's going to get some, or something like that, and then they go silent as Haley pummels Adams, lol.