I thought I read prior to the official lockout starting, that Jagr had already decided at that point to play in the RSL, saying that it was the most competitive league he could join, and that's why he wanted to.
not saying that is true, or that he really believed that to be the reason for joining (and not money)... but it seems to me that he had made up his mind to join that league prior to playing any games in the Czech rep....
as far as pointing fingers at Jagr not giving back to his country and going to Russia, why not say the same thing about all those NHL stars right now that are playing in Europe - whether Sweden or Switzerland or whereever, instead of those many Canadians and Americans not playing in *their* own country??
why point to Jagr going there, and not to Thornton or Nash, or Heatley or Morrison ... shouldn't these guys also feel some sense of commitment and give back to their country and play in some lesser league here, rather than make more money playing in an elite league in Europe??
I'm no Jagr fan... and certainly no backer of the NHLPA's fight... and IMO it's wrong what many NHL players are doing by complaining about replacement players coming to the NHL, while they take away jobs - real jobs that feed the families of players that make a fraction of what these NHLers do - overseas... most of these guys can take a year or two or more off and not feel any financial burden by it, while many players lost their jobs in Europe and are struggling to keep their family out of financial trouble.
but I keep reading these threads about a player's true colors, while ignoring all the other players that are doing the same... and am also reading all these threads about how selfish all NHLPA members are because one millionaire makes a decision to play overseas - without any of us knowing anything about the situation.
bottom line is, for me, I can't blame Jagr for what he did, and ignore what all the other canadian and american players doing the same thing leaving their country to play overseas for a bigger cheque.... and I can't blame a *person* for going after the bigger cheque in the end, regardless of how much money he's made... it's easy for us to sit here and be all righteous about the "right" thing to do in life, and "giving back to" whatever you feel you should, but reality doesn't work like that...
if the truth is that Jagr simply wants to go play in Russia (as he's said prior to the lockout happening) because of the level of play there, while making a couple million to do so, then that's his right... he was never painted as a saint before for what he's done in his career, so why burn him like a devil now for his actions?
