Russia and the lazy myth.

[Davebo*]

Lol....well look at that...I learned something new. Ok...most Russians are lazy.

Well - he's Finnish/Russian, but according to the Finns, here, he's all Finn

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Also Relevant:

That gif is complete BS. What it doesn't show is how far Ovi was from the play. There were 4 Caps player against 3 Rangers and they let that happen.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Lazy players aren't 3 times MVP at the age of 27. Lazy players don't do that.





The first shot by McDonagh broke his foot BTW. But yeah, keep listening to Milbury

 

[Elvs]

This thread screams...

Wow what a rant. Listening to this is so awkward with Karpovtsev dying in the plane crash. RIP.

 

[tucker3434]

It's pretty rare Russians are high end two way players. They always tend to be the offensive dynamos. I guess mediocre to poor defense equals lazy. Good god if Kessel was Russian he'd get roasted.

 

[PSUhockey34]

It's not so much that Kovalev, Kostitsyn or Semin are lazy, it's just that they underachieved. They never reached their full potential. Kovalev's effort was inconsistent, Kostitsyn didn't have the right priorities in life (as evidenced by the Radulov fiasco) and Semin didn't have the mental toughness to push himself to the limit.
All the talent in the world, but they didn't exploit it, it's a shame.

That's coming from a huge Semin and Kovalev fan BTW.
Most Russians are not lazy. Datsyuk, Ovechkin, Malkin, Tarasenko, Markov and Kovalchuk aren't lazy.

Semin is a weird guy, he refused to start speaking English until 2011 and the Caps had to take him to court to honor his contract when he refused to report after the lockout. I was for sure he would've bolted to the KHL after the caps let him go to free agency so I'm surprised he's still wanting to play in the NHL. That shows a desire to compete at the highest level when it would've been easier and more convenient for him to play in Russia. I don't know how much of it is necessarily a questionable work ethic more than it is that he's just that he marches to the beat to his own drum. His intensity waivers, he dominates one game and goes through the motions in the next.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Semin is a weird guy, he refused to start speaking English until 2011 and the Caps had to take him to court to honor his contract when he refused to report after the lockout. I was for sure he would've bolted to the KHL after the caps let him go to free agency so I'm surprised he's still wanting to play in the NHL. That shows a desire to compete at the highest level when it would've been easier and more convenient for him to play in Russia. I don't know how much of it is necessarily a questionable work ethic more than it is that he's just that he marches to the beat to his own drum. His intensity waivers, he dominates one game and goes through the motions in the next.

Semin didn't refuse to speak English before 2011, he just refused to give interviews in English before 2011. He seems insecure in front of the cameras.
Also, Semin didn't report after the lockout due to his military service he had to complete in Russia. Ovechkin and Zherdev got exempted from it but Semin wasn't for some stupid reason.

He has stated many times that he has no interest in going back to the KHL. As of now, Semin is a FA and is looking for a 1 year deal in the NHL. He's already been offered some contracts in Russia according to his agent, but he'd like to stay in NA.

 

[mikee*]

It's pretty rare Russians are high end two way players. They always tend to be the offensive dynamos. I guess mediocre to poor defense equals lazy. Good god if Kessel was Russian he'd get roasted.

Kessel would get the Kovalev treatment, no doubt. So would Kane and any other offensively geared players.

This all goes back to the cold war mentality. The soviets were the enemy and their government and culture (and therefore their people) were painted in a negative light for decades. Stereotypes do not go away because a wall fell or a government collapsed. Too many people grew up hearing nothing but negative messages in regards to Russia. And while there are plenty of people alive now that were born after the collapse, their parents lived through it and the people controlling the message on TV and in sports did too.

It is no different than racism. It takes time, generations in fact, for real improvement to take hold.

 

[nmbr_24]

Lately, I've read that Kovalev was lazy on the poll board, then I read that Kostitsyn was lazy on the Habs board and that Semin was lazy on the Habs board also...

I was thinking, these guys clearly aren't high motor players (Gallagher style.), but can they be considered lazy? Clearly, I doubt that.

Where does the lazy russian myth, that sticks to EVERY russian, comes from ? I mean, who was the last lazy russian ? They surely have an unconditional love for their mother land and most of them would rather be there. A lot of the don't do well in the NA culture, they have a hard time picking up the language and they usually bolt to Russia right when the season stops.

Where did the lazy myth come from ? Is there even such thing as a "lazy russian" currently playing, or that has played in the NHL ?

The three players you mention doesn't mean players from Russia are lazy, it means those three players are or were lazy. There have been more lazy Canadians than that.

 

[cgf]

I remember last year when an ESPN columnist said that he wouldn't draft Andrew Wiggins with the 1st overall pick cuz he said Canadians lack drive and are too unmotivated to succeed in the NBA. The Canadian media got so offended, go figure

Odd, you'd think they'd know that all canadian basketball players are playoff chokers like Nash...

Stronger? I highly doubt it. More skilled? I've not seen it - in best on best's vs Canada, Russia has been getting their ***** handed to them - even on big ice. Canada's game the past 5-6 years is very skilled.

I'm not sure grinding would help Russia, but skill vs skill it's Canada all the way these days.

Don't think that those results between the two nations might have a tid bit more to do with the d-men both teams have than the forwards?

 

[Mrb1p]

The three players you mention doesn't mean players from Russia are lazy, it means those three players are or were lazy. There have been more lazy Canadians than that.

I think you're missing the point.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Odd, you'd think they'd know that all canadian basketball players are playoff chokers like Nash...

Steve Nash = playoff choker. Didnt have the same drive to win the Larry O'Brien Trophy as good ol American boys.

Anthony Bennett = lazy and fat. Biggest first overall bust. Canadians just want to get paid and don't really care about getting better.

Basically you should be EXTREMELY HESITANT to draft Canadians into the NBA

 

[newfy]

I think that part of why this happens is because the Russian players who come over to North America are generally star quality scorers. There are other options that pay well close to home for guys who are going to be bottom 6 players that are Russian.

So for all the top line Russians that come over, most are good enough to hold a spot in the league without throwing their weight around, blocking shots or being a defensive stud. There isnt bottom 6 guys who lack the skill to hold down a job for a whole career coming over from Russia so you dont get as many meat and potato types working their bags off like you do Canadians trying to stay in the league.

 

[cgf]

Steve Nash = playoff choker. Didnt have the same drive to win the Larry O'Brien Trophy as good ol American boys.

Anthony Bennett = lazy and fat. Biggest first overall bust. Canadians just want to get paid and don't really care about getting better.

Basically you should be EXTREMELY HESITANT to draft Canadians into the NBA

And Nash didn't even become good in the regular season until after being traded, so no team has ever actually benefitted from drafting a canadian basketball player. The just don't have any heart...

 

[Frank the Tank]

It's a myth; however, the poor 2010 and 2014 Olympics performances with rumors of team infighting didn't really help the image of Russian players being selfish and/or lazy.

I think the true problem Russia faces is that they have stopped producing elite defenseman the past decade. Russia is not even in the same ballpark as Canada and Sweden's top-6.

 

[SLAPSHOT723]

Nikolay Kulemin is the hardest working player I've ever seen, he's Russian.

 

[habsrule4eva3089]

It's alway fun seeing the opinions of Americans and their little brother Canada who'll do anything to keep brother happy of Russians. Threads like this reminds me how hilarious it is. If only they had the brains to learn Russian, then they can see what Russians think of American Hockey and how poor a level that is. But then again, the nhl has what 30% americans? Keep em coming, those no skilled players on the third and fourth lines are doing wonders as demonstrated at the Worlds every year.

 

[PSUhockey34]

Also, Semin didn't report after the lockout due to his military service he had to complete in Russia. Ovechkin and Zherdev got exempted from it but Semin wasn't for some stupid reason.

Capitals believed that the military obligation was BS so they tried forcing Semin to honor his NHL contract and report to the AHL.

 

[NyQuil]

It's alway fun seeing the opinions of Americans and their little brother Canada who'll do anything to keep brother happy of Russians. Threads like this reminds me how hilarious it is. If only they had the brains to learn Russian, then they can see what Russians think of American Hockey and how poor a level that is. But then again, the nhl has what 30% americans? Keep em coming, those no skilled players on the third and fourth lines are doing wonders as demonstrated at the Worlds every year.

is right.

Who cares about the Worlds?

 

[oconnor9sean]

It's alway fun seeing the opinions of Americans and their little brother Canada who'll do anything to keep brother happy of Russians. Threads like this reminds me how hilarious it is. If only they had the brains to learn Russian, then they can see what Russians think of American Hockey and how poor a level that is. But then again, the nhl has what 30% americans? Keep em coming, those no skilled players on the third and fourth lines are doing wonders as demonstrated at the Worlds every year.

Yup.. you got us at the Worlds. Oh well..

 

[habsrule4eva3089]

Yup.. you got us at the Worlds. Oh well..

In defense,

You post a photo of 1980 lol. Read the table. I'm sure they teach how to count in America. If I recall there was no medal in Sochi. If I recall American Hockey has pretty much done nothing to the extent of what Russian Hockey has done for the World. And if I read correctly, American Hockey has won nothing in 35 years and counting. At least the Russians win on the international stage.

There's a reason the World of Hockey laughs when USA does well. It's called a miracle each time for a reason

 

[habsrule4eva3089]

is right.

Who cares about the Worlds?

Apparently he does.

And oh, just the hundreds of millions across this World that watch.

Do you know how many people watched the Stanley Cup finals?

Just times that by about 10000x that's what you get for viewers for the World Championships.

But then again, why watch this tournament, it's not in North America, if it's held in this continent it's important, if not, it's irrelevant.

The World runs only on this continent, right?

 

[WarriorofTime]

There's a problem with your hypothesis - he's not Russian...

Yes he is. He was born in the Soviet Union to Russian parents. Look at his last name. Just because he plays for the Finnish National Team doesn't mean he can't also be Russian. Dual citizenship... it's a thing people.

 

[SenzZen]

See... Kovalev frequently took nights off, yet he's a .80 PPG player over 1400 games, won a cup, captained a WC team... etc.

I've watched almost every games of Kovalev in Montreal, and he surely never took a night off. Surely he tried a lot more on the offensive side of things and he did slow the pace down, but to say he was lazy is stupid and a stigma that should die already.




It really shouldn't. This, the soft euro tag and the offensive player being a liability defensively... It's ridiculous.



Ovechkin was getting lynched in the streets by people like Don Cherry because he was lazy, too flamboyant, uni-dimensional...




Yakupov is pretty much the antonym to lazy. Probably one of the highest motor in hockey right now... Semin is a player commited to both sides of the puck... Radulov ? Lazy? Headcase ? Right. Lazy ? No. Ovechkin had a crap reputation just a few seasons ago...



The commitment thing has no link to being lazy and has no proof to it.

There you go. Lazy.


Doesn't mean all Russians are lazy, though.

 

[Never]

In defense,

You post a photo of 1980 lol. Read the table. I'm sure they teach how to count in America. If I recall there was no medal in Sochi. If I recall American Hockey has pretty much done nothing to the extent of what Russian Hockey has done for the World. And if I read correctly, American Hockey has won nothing in 35 years and counting. At least the Russians win on the international stage.

There's a reason the World of Hockey laughs when USA does well. It's called a miracle each time for a reason

Far be it from me to defend the USA in hockey, but...