The Vincent Lecavalier Thread-Part III: Philly loves dumb contracts (22.5/5, NMC)

[Coldplay]

Many of you act like Montreal has the right to all French born players. The fact that you are all trashing a player you do not even know personally is why no one wants to play for your team.

Because everyone wants to play for the Leafs.

Loving how all of HF is suddenly an expert on how we as fans can or cannot feel about a player. Vinny led this fanbase on numerous times in the past, more than your standard French-Canadian. He outright said playing in Montreal is something he would love to do, something he considered, and now he was given the opportunity to cap off a stellar career with a swan song in the hometown he claimed, repeatedly, he wanted to play for one day and he passes it up. And for what? "External factors"? Since if you ask his agent, money and term were not the issue with the Habs offer. Translation: he didn't want to play here, no matter what he said previously. We have every right to feel cheated/shafted. He should've just shut up instead of offering up any glimmer of hope at all, let alone painting the picture this is a place he wanted to play in.

So yes, we are more butthurt about Vinny because of the way he's handled himself over the years in regards to this city. All tease, all the time. This isn't the same game most of the local boys play - Vinny was supposed to be different. Or so we thought. He's no different. This has nothing to do at all with the fans here feeling like French-Canadians owe this city something. It has to do with Lecavalier and Lecavalier only for, shamelessly, setting himself up to be a hero here only to resort to cowardice by choosing a city where he won't be as revered as he would be here.

Vinny can take his BS and save it for when the media and fans are moaning about his untradeable contract in 2-3 years and guys like B. Schenn, Couturier, and goaltending need to be accounted for. I'm more than happy Bergevin didn't give in on term AND hand him a NMC.

 

[Agnostic]

taxes?

Yes, Lecavalier has established American residency and gets the tax benefits of that, moving back to Canada would make it difficult for him to keep his tax home in the USA.

 

[19VJ17]

And there she is -- the ex-girlfriend who calls 12 times a day, parks outside your apartment wanting to analyze what went wrong, threatens to kill herself if you don't come back, hacks into your email to see who you're dating, sends daily texts saying how much she loves you and then leaves voice messages screeching about what a cold ******* you are.

There is a portion of our fan base in serious need of a restraining order...

This is very true. The crazy habs fans need to relax.....or bet yet become Toronto Maple Leaf fans

 

[1993]

The sad part that i see in all of this is that Vinny not only could have made great money off endorsements but established himself in the community for life after hockey and likely a job in the organization. I did not care if we got him as it was confirmed to me that he could care less about winning...it is all about the money. We dodged a bullet and lets move on and do not look at a guy like Briere. I put him in the same class as Vinny.

 

[PunkinDrublic*]

Ridiculous. Yeah, I'm sure a free agent looking for a place to play checks a team's HFBoards section first to see what the fans are talking about him like...

Haha you didn't know that 150 HF posters equal the Habs total fan base ?

 

[waffledave]

At the end of the day it's all about money. He signed for cash, term and a NMC. He doesn't care about winning, hasn't for a long time. Just like many have said before, he lost his passion. If he truly wanted to win, he would have signed with a team that had a goalie, at least. Now he can float behind Giroux, no pressure at all, cash his paycheques and continue not to care anymore.

 

[Agnostic]

At the end of the day it's all about money. He signed for cash, term and a NMC. He doesn't care about winning, hasn't for a long time. Just like many have said before, he lost his passion. If he truly wanted to win, he would have signed with a team that had a goalie, at least. Now he can float behind Giroux, no pressure at all, cash his paycheques and continue not to care anymore.

Well said. This is the bottom line.

 

[Habs 4 Life]

At the end of the day it's all about money. He signed for cash, term and a NMC. He doesn't care about winning, hasn't for a long time. Just like many have said before, he lost his passion. If he truly wanted to win, he would have signed with a team that had a goalie, at least. Now he can float behind Giroux, no pressure at all, cash his paycheques and continue not to care anymore.

Couldn't have said it better, still hate him though

 

[Coldplay]

Rob Rossi ‏@RobRossi_Trib 1m
Letang: 'having a chance to stay was most important. It's not NY, with crazy media. Not Montreal, where you can't go out to dinner.'

And **** you too.

 

[waffledave]

By the way this "betrayed your own kind" crap is truly stupid. Vinny, like most Quebecers who leave the province, lost his connection to this place. He's an American. When you live here, you love it deeply and you never even want to think of being somewhere else. But when you leave and experience life somewhere else, you quickly realize that other places are just as easy to fall in love with. Without all the problems Quebec has, especially recently.

 

[Habs 4 Life]

And **** you too.

what a loser

 

[Gustave]

And **** you too.

Yeah right, guy used to hang out at the 10-30 clubs all summer long. Didn't seem to be such a cruel way to live.

As if I needed more excuses to despise that dude.

 

[waffledave]

Yeah right, guy used to hang out at the 10-30 clubs all summer long. Didn't seem to be such a cruel way to live.

As if I needed more excuses to despise that dude.

I don't blame any Quebec born player for not wanting to play here.

Look at this thread. Look at the absurd and borderline psychotic sense of entitlement you people have towards these players. It's insane. Deny it all you want, but this is why they feel they can't go out in public.

 

[Coldplay]

I don't blame any Quebec born player for not wanting to play here.

Look at this thread. Look at the absurd and borderline psychotic sense of entitlement you people have towards these players. It's insane. Deny it all you want, but this is why they feel they can't go out in public.

As I elaborated higher up on this page in my post, I don't feel like (at least, personally. Can't speak for everyone) we're entitled to Quebec-born players, but I feel like in this particular case Vinny led us on with his comments over the years. And with the opportunity to deliver on those comments/expectations he set, he chose not to. Hence the sense of betrayal.

I don't feel any betrayal beyond that - we're not entitled to French players, even though many here are acting like we are.

 

[Myron Gaines*]

And there she is -- the ex-girlfriend who calls 12 times a day, parks outside your apartment wanting to analyze what went wrong, threatens to kill herself if you don't come back, hacks into your email to see who you're dating, sends daily texts saying how much she loves you and then leaves voice messages screeching about what a cold ******* you are.

There is a portion of our fan base in serious need of a restraining order...

This is easily the greatest post in this thread.

 

[windycity]

I don't blame any Quebec born player for not wanting to play here.

Look at this thread. Look at the absurd and borderline psychotic sense of entitlement you people have towards these players. It's insane. Deny it all you want, but this is why they feel they can't go out in public.

this. totally agree. Some people seem to think because they make tons of money they just have to suck up the bad stuff too. They're human, can't blame a guy for wanting to play outside of Montreal to avoid the ridiculous scrutiny

 

[windycity]

Glad we didn't sign Lecavalier for that deal, Philly will likely regret it in 2-3 years

Don't get the hate on Lecavalier though

 

[void]

I don't blame any Quebec born player for not wanting to play here.

Look at this thread. Look at the absurd and borderline psychotic sense of entitlement you people have towards these players. It's insane. Deny it all you want, but this is why they feel they can't go out in public.

This SO much.

 

[Tyrus]

And you guys wonder why no one signs here. Ive been lurking this board for quite some time now, and its astonishing that you guys are surprised. RDS had him in a Habs jersey on their website hours after he was bought out, you guys put him as your avatar, saying that if he didnt produce there would be tons of pressure, discussing school situations for his kids and what his wife and mom would like, drawing up possible line combos!!!! Seriously, STOP!!!!

He hadn't even signed here yet and he felt the pressure. Just relax, let him make a decision. Another example is this Cristian Thomas kid. No one has probably ever seen him play and you are already putting pressure on him...

I love the Habs, but I would never never EVER want to play here. Would hate to put up with all this on a dialy basis.....Actually, I would love to get you guys to hate me because I know how much it pisses you all off....

Crazy, it's almost as if these athletes, paid millions of dollar per year mind you, were paid to offer some sort of mediatised entertainment, reinforced by the idea of very defined fanbases and rivalries. How dare we, the people who these players are playing for and depend on to maintain their job in the first place (because yes, without that they're just ****ing adults playing hockey games), go as far as to have expectations towards them.

 

[windycity]

Crazy, it's almost as if these athletes, paid millions of dollar per year mind you, were paid to offer some sort of mediatised entertainment, reinforced by the idea of very defined fanbases and rivalries. How dare we, the people who these players are playing for and depend on to maintain their job in the first place (because yes, without that they're just ****ing adults playing hockey games), go as far as to have expectations towards them.

Don't equate most other NHL markets with Montreal. The level of scrutiny in Mtl is ridiculous, given a choice (and ignoring taxes and other issues), why would a player want to subject themselves to that when they can live a more normal life elsewhere?

 

[Miller Time]

I don't blame any Quebec born player for not wanting to play here.

Look at this thread. Look at the absurd and borderline psychotic sense of entitlement you people have towards these players. It's insane. Deny it all you want, but this is why they feel they can't go out in public.

thing is, it's no different for pro athletes in other sport-mad markets...

yet it's almost unimaginable that a kid from the bronx, who had the opportunity & offer to play for the Yankees, wouldn't jump at the chance...

ditto a Socal native basketball player suiting up for the Lakers...

or Wisconsin kid playing for the Packers...

the scrutiny & obsessivness of the fan base is also what makes the place a "shrine" to the sport... why players league wide regularly talk about montreal as one of their favorite places to play on the road.

Yes, I get how some would want to avoid the spotlight & irritations that come with being a celebrity, but on the other hand, part of what makes pro athletes great, is their immense ego's. You don't get nearly the same ego boost playing in a market where hockey is at best #2 or 3 on the radar vs playing in a city where the team is on an almost religious level.

all it's going to take is for 1 star franchophone player to play here AND enjoy some success for this whole perception of it "not being worth it" to change.

To a degree, I imagine that the Roy fiasco, & the way he subsequently went on to greater heights in a US market, followed by the 7-10 years of non-playoff mediocrity that ensued (and the overall negative/pessimistic aura around the team and it's players -especially the french guys like Brisebois and Thibault, who were both overly hyped & unfairly chastised given that we simply didn't have any real talent in the organization) has had a deep impact on the league-wide perception of playing in montreal for franchophone players.

one look at Fucale's families reaction gives hope that the notion that it's a huge honor and privilege for a native quebecer to play for the "St-Flannel" is slowly returning...

all that said, i think it IS perfectly fair for a fan base to view as cowardly the decision for natives to avoid/turn down opportunities to "come home".

how could one view it any other way if they truly hold their franchise in the iconic esteem that most habs fans view their team.

this isn't the Atlanta thrashers... the Kansas City Royals... the milwaukee bucks...

this is THE franchise in the NHL... greatest history, deepest rooted fan support, and for some time now, complete ownership support/commitment to spending on/building a winner

i don't think you even have to be a habs fan to see the appeal in putting on that jersey, even more so for an athlete who grew up worshipping at the altar.

 

[25get]

L.A. Lariviere ‏@L_A_theRiver 12h

Lecavalier's agent : Habs were finalists, BUT "It was complicated with MTL. Marc and I tried different proposals to make it work." #NHL

2/2 "If we had more time to make a decision, it would have been easier. Not a matter of contract, but factors that concern Canadian teams"

what exactly do you suppose this means?

Harper.

This is the only burden that all Canadians share.

 

[All-Star]

Philly overpaid; can't blame the guy for taking it...

I'm happy MB knew when to walk...

 

[Born in 1909]

How is the RDS/Journal de Montreal crew taking the "crushing" news today?

Nilan just laid it out on TSN 690

Vinnie is ALL about the money.

 

[sandysan]

Guy's got a point.

so as a professional hockey player you would rather play in a bandwagon market where no one cares if you or your teamates are dogging it ? That wins and losses really dont mean anything and there is no demand to increase the on ice product ?

I've said all along, it would be nice to have vinny don the CH but NOT at any cost. All I wanted was for MB to look at the plan going forward, see how much wiggle room he had and then make the best offer withing these confines to try and get VL. I think he pretty much did this. No one is obligated to play for the habs, and if they want to play elsewhere, so be it.

Montreal has not had a " french canadien face of the franchise" since, who ? Lafleur ? I dont understand what philly is going to do in net ( i doubt thomas will take a lowball offer, although if its the best chance he might do a one year deal to simply get eyes back on him for the olympics) or get rid of the logjam they have at center but that's their problem.

As long as we dont compound this dissapointment by signing Briere as some sort of very small consolation prize, I'm okay with it.