Stupid Madden, Rossi, Anderson et al Tricks Part V

[exHornet]

I caught some of your comments a few days ago. Can you shed any light on this Neal wants out BS? Any truth to it?

That wasn't me. I'm the guy who said you are all going to be very unhappy if Morehouse is more involved in hockey operations.

Somebody thought that I said that because of some bizarre political stance. Another person surmised it was because I'm unhappy because my college graduate kids got pushed out of a position with the Bantam Pens Elite.

Whatever. I know nothing about James Neal, other than to say on the surface, I hope and pray my daughter never brings him home for Sunday dinner.

 

[SHOOTANDSCORE]

I don't completely believe Neal. There's probably some truth to him wanting out which got blown out of proportion by the media.

 

[DegenX]

He put his house up for sale a while after he signed the deal. Something could've happened during that time period.

I would think that when J. Martin was brought in it sent a pretty clear message to Bylsma that he was on his way out. In light of all that's been said on the subject, especially direct quotes from Mario and Burkle, the bizarro stuff that Bylsma was doing makes a lot more sense. I think we were seeing Bylsma vacillating between 'OMG, they're going to fire me, what do I do, I don't want to lose my job' and 'Meh, who cares, I do what I want, let them fire me.'

If there was already tension in the room, that was rumored even before the season started, Bylsma's actions could only make it worse. Which might be that 'something', or at least part of it.

The media was pissed at Neal for not being nice to them and skipping out on exit day interviews so they tried to turn the public against him by saying he demanded a trade?

I read something recently, and I don't remember where, that was from a reporter who was talking about how Neal used to be great with the media and then all of a sudden he was a dick. Since I've already done some serious speculation in the reply above, here's a thought ... Neal became the media whipping boy this season. Which came first ... the press openly criticizing him or Neal being a dick to the media?

Remember the reactions of people on this board anytime Neal would take a penalty? Even when it was clearly a makeup call or the refs just being bad at their jobs? I'm not going to rehash the whole Marchand incident, but that's when it really started. He was totally vilified. And if that's what started his bad attitude with the press, can't say that I blame him.

 

[Stad]

I wouldn't blame Neal if he wanted out. The media in Pittsburgh is the worst. All they do is make up ******** stories about players most of the time.

 

[Waffle Fries]

With this group it wouldn't surprise me, they're a ridiculous bunch. Wasn't he also mean to Rossi once?

Remember #Twitturkeys and chicken little (or whatever it was)? And then they did actually implode.

Multiple times.

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1177417

And then the whole F3 thing.

 

[billybudd]

Obviously it's in Neal's best interest to not allow himself to be painted as a malcontent, so he could be lying.

However, I'm sensing something of a pattern here.

Team: "Bennett broke his hand"

Bennett: "I never broke my hand"

Team: "Psst, Neal asked for a trade"

Neal: "I didn't ask for a trade"


It's not out of the realm of possibility that the decision to move Neal has been made and these leaks about a trade request are a BS attempt to deflect blame.

 

[Mischa]

Obviously it's in Neal's best interest to not allow himself to be painted as a malcontent, so he could be lying.

However, I'm sensing something of a pattern here.

Team: "Bennett broke his hand"

Bennett: "I never broke my hand"

Team: "Psst, Neal asked for a trade"

Neal: "I didn't ask for a trade"


It's not out of the realm of possibility that the decision to move Neal has been made and these leaks about a trade request are a BS attempt to deflect blame.

if the decision is made then that means its by someone currently employed by the team and not the future GM and that goes against what they say they want to do and generally would just be terrible

 

[billybudd]

I wouldn't blame Neal if he wanted out. The media in Pittsburgh is the worst. All they do is make up ******** stories about players most of the time.

Our media sucks, but it's nowhere near the worst. Hell, one of the beat writers in Philly tried to fight Mike Richards at a press conference after Richards took exception to the same guy calling him a drunk in print.

And Philly's beat writers have nothing--nothing on the guys in Toronto and Ottawa.

And don't get me started on Gary Lawless' Enquirer reporting on Evander Kane.

 

[Mo Wanchuk]

Missed this article when it came out.. but this caught my eye. This is Rossi talking about Neal.

I do know that at some point our relationship changed for the better after a rocky start, and that was when he told me his opinion of my questions. He did not always understand them. He thought they were crafted to trick him into saying something he should not say.

They were. They are.

http://blog.triblive.com/chipped-ice/2013/12/10/rossi-what-i-know-about-james-neal/#axzz32Toc2ZW4

 

[Waffle Fries]

if the decision is made then that means its by someone currently employed by the team and not the future GM and that goes against what they say they want to do and generally would just be terrible

Exactly. We don't have a GM. I don't think any decisions have been made.

 

[SHOOTANDSCORE]

Madden's producer knows who the source is and then said maybe Neal said that to a fellow player in the locker room but never actually followed through with the trade request. So maybe the source is a player? That would explain the Adams snitch revelation too.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Madden's producer knows who the source is and then said maybe Neal said that to a fellow player in the locker room but never actually followed through with the trade request. So maybe the source is a player? That would explain the Adams snitch revelation too.

I think Madden has said that multiple players have told him things. You know, the ratting each other out to people thing might be a problem.

It's a ****ing game of telephone.

 

[billybudd]

Exactly. We don't have a GM. I don't think any decisions have been made.

Believe Friedman said that any NHL trades involving big-money, long-term guys usually go through ownership in a 30 thoughts column. This would have been around the time of the Kesler rumors.

James Neal seems like a player that management and/or ownership would want to have input about his future.

 

[Waffle Fries]

I read something recently, and I don't remember where, that was from a reporter who was talking about how Neal used to be great with the media and then all of a sudden he was a dick. Since I've already done some serious speculation in the reply above, here's a thought ... Neal became the media whipping boy this season. Which came first ... the press openly criticizing him or Neal being a dick to the media?

Remember the reactions of people on this board anytime Neal would take a penalty? Even when it was clearly a makeup call or the refs just being bad at their jobs? I'm not going to rehash the whole Marchand incident, but that's when it really started. He was totally vilified. And if that's what started his bad attitude with the press, can't say that I blame him.

Yeah I don't really care if Neal is a dick to the local media, they deserve it.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

So in Madden's world. Pouliot is the successor to Martin and now Dumoulin is the successor to Orpik. This continues to confuse me so much.

 

[Mischa]

Believe Friedman said that any NHL trades involving big-money, long-term guys usually go through ownership in a 30 thoughts column. This would have been around the time of the Kesler rumors.

James Neal seems like a player that management and/or ownership would want to have input about his future.

having input is fine. deciding it themselves not so much

 

[glees68]

I didn't know whether or not to ask in here or the Pirates thread, but is there a way to get Madden's "Stairway to Heaven?" I thought it was great haha like does he do a podcast or something? Would be a shame for it to be wasted.

 

[Jacob]

I don't completely believe Neal. There's probably some truth to him wanting out which got blown out of proportion by the media.

or maybe the media doesn't like how Neal treats them so they concocted the rumor.

 

[SHOOTANDSCORE]

or maybe the media doesn't like how Neal treats them so they concocted the rumor.

It wouldn't surprise me.

I could also see a media guy floating it to see who will take it public and get egg on their face, and at the same time make Neal look bad.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I think Madden has said that multiple players have told him things. You know, the ratting each other out to people thing might be a problem.

It's a ****ing game of telephone.

No wonder they're a mess on the ice. Based on all this stuff coming out about snitching, players being unhappy, coaches losing the locker room, players wanting out, etc., it's like they're a bunch of high school girls gossiping and calling each other names behind their backs.

And Bylsma's the creepy school councilor who wants desperately to be friends with the cool kids and attend their parties, even though he's in his late 30s.

 

[gordie]

I want a fellow countryman on Geno's wing but I'm not looking to trade Neal if I'm the Pens unless you have a replacement in mind. Taking in account that Sid wanted to play with Neal and now Neal says he never requested a trade, which at this point I chalk up to Bylsma's soon-to-be-departure.

 

[nhindian]

Missed this article when it came out.. but this caught my eye. This is Rossi talking about Neal.





http://blog.triblive.com/chipped-ice/2013/12/10/rossi-what-i-know-about-james-neal/#axzz32Toc2ZW4

Rossi is writing Malkin's biography????

 

[Whale Mingo]

You know, I'm way past the point in my life where I give a crap what most of these overpaid uneducated athletes think, but really, if you had a $30million contract, would anybody in their right mind bother to talk to Mark Madden on twitter?

Dear lord, my dogs are smarter than most of these athletes.

Rossi was right about 1 thing... Nealer listens/reads what people say about him.

I can confirm this. I'm absolutely nobody in the grand scheme of things and Neal DM'd me on Twitter pissed about something I said during the lockout last year.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Madden saying that a Pens defenseman told him that the coaches wanted them to make the wrong pass. If true, awesome.

 

[SHOOTANDSCORE]

I can confirm this. I'm absolutely nobody in the grand scheme of things and Neal DM'd me on Twitter pissed about something I said during the lockout last year.

Awesome. No wonder #askneal got under his skin so much