PA Tool Takes One Last Shot - Larry Brooks

[Slangston]

His seemingly never ending crusade against the owners is coming to an end. Perhaps the last article of this kind from Brooks?

http://www.nypost.com/sports/49846.htm

Here's a highlight for ya....

LET'S get this straight. The players owe no one an apology for fighting the good fight they did last season against submitting to a salary cap system that, in both the short and long runs, will provide windfall profits to NHL owners but will prove ruinous to the game as we have always known it.

Click to read more...

 

[danaluvsthekings]

Come on, don't pick on Larry. He's been writing these columns for well over a year now. It's got to be hard to realize he's going to have to go back to making up ridiculous trade rumors and that he can't bash Bettman and the owners anymore.

 

[Scoogs]

He has that kinda face that you just want to smack...

 

[Vomiting Kermit*]

lmao @ the thread title.

Well done.

in both the short and long runs, will provide windfall profits to NHL owners but will prove ruinous to the game as we have always known it.

I don't know what he's complaining about. His Rangers will be able to continue missing the playoffs while only spending half of what they do now. It won't be as embarrassing, Larry.

 

[craig1]

Come on, don't pick on Larry. He's been writing these columns for well over a year now. It's got to be hard to realize he's going to have to go back to making up ridiculous trade rumors and that he can't bash Bettman and the owners anymore.

Actually, he's upset that he will now have to consider the cap implications for his trade rumors. It will be much easier to discredit him on many of his rumors if they are not doable based on the cap.

 

[danaluvsthekings]

Actually, he's upset that he will now have to consider the cap implications for his trade rumors. It will be much easier to discredit him on many of his rumors if they are not doable based on the cap.

Ooh, I hadn't thought about that. Poor Larry. I should send him a calculator to help him with his rumors.

 

[nhlfan79]

They conducted themselves with honor last year. Once again they showed why you'd want them — and not the other guys — in the foxhole beside you every time.

Oh, like half of the union deserting the other half to play in Europe. Yeah, good one Larry.

 

[Isleschick]

He's just worried that the Rangers capped players will "shame the sweater" as usual. Actually I think he's really upset under this new system his pal Holik may be bought out.

 

[NHLFanSince2020]

For over a year, the NHL conducted a PR war against the players, using websites to cast these athletes as greedy villains in an attempt to rally the fans against the very performers they root for, and whose jerseys the customers pay exorbitant sums to purchase.

And now the players should be expected to apologize for being butt-ended in the teeth?

The NHL conducted a PR war against the players?
I guess I missed that war. Maybe I'll see a documentary on The History Channel of it someday.

This ass is sure trying to spin a PR campaign though.

The fans who blame and even now hate the players — if you check out some of the swill posted on internet message boards, you wonder if these people despise these players so much, why they'd even bother to watch the games, unless, they're simply cheering for the laundry — won't be swayed by apologies. They'll simply want to know why they didn't apologize sooner. They'll simply demand to know why they didn't surrender last year.

Guess what Larry, I'm being swayed by the apologies.

I don't think many hated the players either, Lare. I think many didn't agree with their leaders position.

Amazing the balls this guy has thinking he has his pulse on the fans thoughts and feelings when IMO he is WAY OFF.

Apologies will accomplish nothing from a PR perspective. They will simply demean the players offering them.

I respect the players that have had the guts to apologize.

Brooks should stop writing. He really makes himself look like an ass with that article.

 

[Isleschick]

Now that I think about it, he's right about one thing. I do root for the laundry, but I have for years.

 

[BwayBshirt]

just one word: ugh

brooks is actually quite a decent read when he does factual investigative reporting for the rangers only. but otherwise...

that's the best part about this lockout ending...we don't have to see this particular garbage from him for at least another 4-5 years.

 

[borro]

Ooh, I hadn't thought about that. Poor Larry. I should send him a calculator to help him with his rumors.

Come on guys, it is obvious Brooks does not put ANY thought into his rumours. The only guarante is what he says will NOT happen. He's perfect for the Rangers.

 

[snakepliskin]

will provide windfall profits to NHL owners but will prove ruinous to the game as we have always known it ---------Once again the communist side of brooks argument is coming thru--does he not understand that any business that runs in the red year after year eventually disappears? Can he not see that teams paying an average of 1.8 mill pp on limited revenue sources especially with the tv package the nhl has is ruinous? In larry brooks and spector's ideal world the only way their league might survive is with about 8-10 teams in a very limited region and next to zero universal appeal that would eliminate 2/3rds of the position openings in the league with this 2/3rd playing for peanuts in minor leagues,, but their millionaire elite friends that drove this suicidal fight would probably have positions in this very limited nhl version which is further evidence that if goodenow-damphouse and a few others would have had their way the 3rd and 4th liners and a lot of 2nd liners would have been thrown under the nhlpa bus in order for a few to make 7-10 mill per yr instead of 4-6 mill. these hacks can cry and moan all they want but owners deserve a positive return on their investment and players deserve to make what they are worth but there is no way any of these guys are worth as much as they think they are in the current economical environment of the nhl. i will say this though, most of the players DO NOT owe anyone an apology but there are a handful and i mean guerin, damphousse and a few others that need to try to make things right with the fans and the rank and file of the players or it will be real interesting to see what happens on the ice to these guys!

 

[Boilers*]

I think Larry's looking for a stain remover for his blue dress.

 

[ResidentAlien*]

Now that I think about it, he's right about one thing. I do root for the laundry, but I have for years.

So you root for the jesey and not the players?

I for one am glad brooks writes these articles, it makes for very entertaining threads such as this one.

 

[Dave is a killer]

So you root for the jesey and not the players?

I for one am glad brooks writes these articles, it makes for very entertaining threads such as this one.

players come and go after they become UFA's after 8-9 years for one team, so I as well root for the jersey as well

 

[Face Wash]

This article is laughable. It's an embarrassment to the paper. Larry Brooks is nothing more than a union lackey disguised as a columnist. The fact is, without owners, there is no league. Without the players, there still could be.

The player's had NO leverage whatsoever. The player's leadership underestimated the owner's resolve and the fan's and media's interest and European league interest in their players.

All Larry Brooks is is a mouthpiece for the 20% or 30% of players I expect that will vote against this agreement. Larry Brooks had nothing to gain from writing this article and everything to lose, but he wrote it anyway. He proved nothing except that he's an angry, bitter beaten man, just like the players he's obviously speaking for.

I'll never take seriously what this man says as long as I live. I'll get my phony hockey trade rumors from other sources so I can be saved from reading his drek.

 

[ResidentAlien*]

players come and go after they become UFA's after 8-9 years for one team, so I as well root for the jersey as well

Of course they come and go, but the jersey is still worn by another player...
so your not really rooting for the jersey. I mean get the meaning behind it as I will always have a place in my heart for the Habs and their jersey will always remind me of being a kid and watching hockey with my dad, but, I still root for the players on the ice, without them the jersey just sorta flops around..although I did see a jersey that was thrown on the ice trip someone once....so I guess.....

 

[NYIsles1*]

This article is laughable. What happened to his bury the hatchet and both sides need to stop the name-calling columns?

Seems like Brooks does not practice what he preaches or had to put more time into his baseball article today and only had time for this. Folks are better off with nothing at all as opposed to this.

New York Hockey (all three teams) are so badly served by his efforts. His only contribution is to reduce hockey to a small market sport in New York by cheapening it with efforts like today's.

He can spin this to make it seem like the players are doing the business a favor by accepting this likely pending agreement but the players, Goodenow and his people should have been willing to look at the numbers and known two years ago that hockey was in big trouble financially and that drastic changes were needed.

Anyone willing to be realistic could see a mile away a small market sport like hockey could not survive with the players getting seventy percent of revenue with ten million dollar players or teams with 80m dollar payrolls.

That's what the PA, the players and Goodenow should be sorry about.

 

[HF2002]

So which poster is Larry? Surely an "in touch" writer such as Brooks has heard of, and even spent time here, at HFBoards.

A few guys have the guts to give their real name (Bob McK., Gord Miller) but what about Larry? And wasn't Dowbiggen here using a nickname, got into a tiff and was exposed?


"if you check out some of the swill posted on internet message boards, you wonder if these people despise these players so much, why they'd even bother to watch the games, unless, they're simply cheering for the laundry"

 

[Donnie D]

Actually, the funniest part of this whole thing is our good friend and fellow poster Eklund sucking up to Brooks today after Brooks threatened to expose him last week:

http://hockeyrumors.blogspot.com/

"There are a few points from today's column by Larry Brooks that I strongly agree with"

"I also agree strongly with Brooks when it comes to fans on message boards bashing players.."

He spends his whole column telling us just how smart Brooks is. You're a bit transparent Ek.

 

[Dogbert*]

Does anyone else find it ironic that the borderline-illegitimate Larry Brooks is the one threatening to expose Eklund?

 

[Evil Sather]

Agree or don't agree -- and no the players have nothing to be sorry about morally, it wasn't their fault the owners were too stupid to stop spending, IMO. But Brooks is by far the most entertaining hockey writer around at the moment. He at least gets you thinking and gets a reaction one way or another, and that's really all he's looking for.

To the guy who said it's because of him that hockey is a niche sport in the tri state area, well, that's just about the dumbest thing I ever heard. You think anyone read Larry Brooks and went "wow, im never watching hockey again!"? A few words for you: Yankees, Mets, Jets, Giants, Knicks. They are why the hockey is a niche sport... not Larry Brooks. You wouldn't give him that much credit, would you?

 

[NYIsles1*]

"if you check out some of the swill posted on internet message boards, you wonder if these people despise these players so much, why they'd even bother to watch the games.........

Brooks comes off like Roenick a little with comments like that.

Remember Mr Brooks (if you do read hockey boards like this one) the folks posting that swill are die-hards still here a full year since the last game was played and are as passionate about hockey as it get's. It's folks like that who help you earn a paycheck writing about hockey.

I never understood why it's cheer for the laundry or the player, you can do both.

There have been players that have left the Isles I still cheer for while at the same time there are players on the team I would not care if they ever played another game in an Islander sweater. Being a fan of one team does not carry a shelf-life of the peirod of time that particular group is on the roster nor should it be seen as rooting for laundry to support your favorite team in good and bad times.

 

[NYIsles1*]

To the guy who said it's because of him that hockey is a niche sport in the tri state area, well, that's just about the dumbest thing I ever heard. You think anyone read Larry Brooks and went "wow, im never watching hockey again!"? A few words for you: Yankees, Mets, Jets, Giants, Knicks. They are why the hockey is a niche sport... not Larry Brooks. You wouldn't give him that much credit, would you?

All due respect I did not write because of Brooks opinion/coverage hockey is a niche sport in the tri-state area. What I did write (perhaps not clearly enough?) was New York Hockey (all three teams) are so badly served by his efforts he cheapens it and only serves to reduce it even further with poor coverage to match the sports niche status.

This kind of sad show or what you would call entertainment hockey does not need and has only helped to serve a generation of players from being talked about by the public.