Lets face it, the inevitable is going to happen and the Pittsburgh Penguins are going to be face to face with the Detroit Redwings on June 5 when the puck is dropped inside Joe Lewis Arena for the beginning of the Stanley Cup finals. The one thing that is on every Penguin fans mind is showing Marian Hossa how stupid he was for leaving.
I have heard people say that if we win they are going to frame picture of Sidney Crosby shaking Hossa’s hand after the win, I have heard sort of the same that they want a framed picture of a dejected Hossa after the series. No matter how you look at it, I have not heard anyone say that they want revenge on the Detroit Redwings for beating us last year, it’s all about “the Hossa.”
The one thing that I personally am tired of hearing is that people respect Marian Hossa for taking less money for a chance to win the cup. This is 100% not true. Marian Hossa signed with the Detroit Redwings for $450 thousand more than what the Penguins were offering him. The Penguins offered him a 7 million a season for 5 seasons, Detroit offered him $7.45 million for one season. Hossa figured he would win the cup then sign a long term more lucrative contract with some hapless team who was willing to put up the big bucks.
The true reason Pittsburghers hate him, like they hate Barry Bonds, is that when he left the city he kicked us in the nuts. “I could get more money somewhere else, but I was looking for the best chance to win the Stanley Cup.” Hossa said on the way out the door. Here we are full circle with a chance to kick him back in the nuts and every Penguin fan is relishing the moment. Count me in as one of the fans that want to see him lose, and to have him have to sit there and have to watch it up close and personal would make it that much better.
I have heard a fan say that if Hossa wanted to come back and play for the Penguins next year that they would welcome him back with open arms. I strongly disagree. Hossa has no respect for the city of Pittsburgh and our hockey team. We are on the verge of something big here with this team and the last thing we need is to do is toss a selfish bad apple into the mix.
you guys have been arguing “bad” apples and oranges for days. Krundle is arguing that Hossa would be a bad apple in the Penguins locker room right now, Pierre is arguing that Jagr is a more well known bad apple.
If it makes it easier, you are both right, though I haven’t heard anyone talk about Jagr as a bad apple in a while, I think all the Rangers players liked him.
If you are arguing who out of the two would be the bad the apple in the Penguins locker room is (the only part worth discussing). That would be Hossa, these are 20 year old kids, not seasoned veterans, they took that comment personally and they remember it more than ever now that they are reminded of it 10 times a day. There is no way one of them will mention to the media that they were hurt by the comment. I’m not sure anyone on the team ever played with Jagr to even consider him a bad apple.
Jesselvis
Awesome stuff and a well thought out perspective.
I do believe that we lost sight of the original debate.
The 1000 people in the poll would not include you me or Krundle. They would include people that are actually involved in the BUSINESS that is the NHL. The debate began with a simple question ….If you had to pick between Jagr and Hossa, which one would you describe as a “selfish bad apple”. Imagine yourself as the GM of the Calgary Flames and you had to send in your choice. Which player would you pick?
By the way….if we are in the business of getting viewings to this post we have succeeded!!!
Louie Armstrong:
“And I say to myself……..what a wonderful world”
I feel that I must jump back into this. I’m siding with Krundle so make that 2 out of 1000 people.
Lucky Pierre I believe maybe if you looked at it more like a business. You just had 20 guys work their butts off to get a big account just to have them lose it to another business. A guy that works for you leaves and decides to go work for the company you lost the account to. This is all fine no hard feelings right.
On the way over to the other company the guy says the reason he is going there is because your company and the people who work their are not competant enough to land a big account.
Now imagine when he says that and it gets in all of the papers all over the world that your company and the people that work there are not good enough to land the big account. Your workers are going to be offended and dislike the guy who made them look bad in front of the world.
The only way you could believe that the players would not take offense to this is if you Lucky Pierre believe that the Penguins hearts are not in it for the love of the game.
Like Krundle said, he kicked them when they were down, when he could have just left and took the money.
Other than the name calling…. on that we can agree. I do live in a wonderful world.
It must be a wonderful world you live in Clueless.
Krundle,talk about living in the past. Your link is from last November…..Heres a quick cut and paste from TODAYS POST GAZETTE….. HOSSAS SNUB NOT MOTIVATION
“It was made to be a big deal, but there was never an issue in [the locker room],” center Sidney Crosby said.
“He made his choice, and that was it.”
Thats it for me too.
This is it and I give up Clueless Pierre. Maybe you should read Dave Molinari’s article from the post gazette titled “Talbot bitter, angry about Hossa’s exit”
Here is a little bit of what Talbot said:
“Oh, yeah,” Talbot said. “There’s anger. You can’t forget about something like that because everybody in the organization and the players, we expected him to come back. We thought he was comfortable here, and he was really good with Sidney Crosby as his center, and stuff.”
“The way he left was kind of, a blow to the heart, but you have to live with that. … You have to respect his decision, but, for us, it’s not the best thing that could have happened.”
Hence: Hossa = Bad Apple
Very few players if any tell the papers their true feelings about stuff. You can watch Bull Durham and learn how atheletes interview. Max was one of the few that did tell the way he feels about it and if you truly believe what Orpik said, then it must be a wonderful world you live in.
Here is the link:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08315/926811-61.stm
Krundle- I said the last post was my last post on this but I cant help but respond. When Brooks Orpik (locker room resident) told Mike Prisuta yesterday that Marion Hossa was a “great teammate” and that he “would take him back in a minute”,I believe him. He has absolutely no reason to offer that information in an interview unless he truly feels that way. Especially when he knows how the fans feel about Hossa right now.
As far as holding a grudge against Jagr you obviously aren’t even reading the posts that you are responding to. I have absolutely no grudge against Jagr. I will repeat to you one more time….. The comparison is which player would best be described as a selfish bad apple Jagr or Hossa.
Brooks Orpik just described Hossa as a “great teammate”.
The Penguin players want revenge against Hossa because he is on the team that could prevent them from winning a cup and no other reason.
You can’t seriously believe that hockey players, who are people, do not hold grudges. Did you see Erik Cole take on Orpik in a fight first game back against him a year later?
These are people who have feelings. They will never say it in an interview, but one thing I promise you that is on many of their minds is getting revenge on a guy that belittled them by saying they don’t have a chance at winning the cup. It is on their minds way more than the fans because he is the guy that “kicked them in the nuts” when they were down.
If you can stop holding your grudge against Jagr, from EIGHT years ago, you won’t get mad every game when you look up in the rafters in a few years.
Krundle-There is no question that locally Hossa is public enemy #1 with the fans of Pittsburgh. PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY PLAYERS would not hold grudges like fans do. If they did Sid would’ve sulked when they traded his best friend Colby Armstrong to get Hossa in the first place. I will allow you the last post on this if you choose. Its time to focus on beating this Redwing Team and bringing the cup back to the city of Pittsburgh. Maybe next year they can get Jagr and Hossa and have them play on the same line….perhaps adding Sean Avery as the center.
LP – you would be wrong. The track record is that one is and has been appointed captain of many clubs in 3 countries.
Hossa left for selfish reasons instead of sticking with the team makes him selfish, by offending every player on our team when he said that he thought he stood a better chance of winning on the other team would make him a bad apple in THE PENGUINS locker room.
You are right about the selfish bad apple quote, that was mine, you can read it in the article.
Krundle, The “bad apple” quote was yours not mine.Jagr was an outstanding player and provided us fans with a countless number of unforgetable memories. I am simply comparing Hossa to Jagr and trying to determine which player comes closer to being described as a selfish bad apple. (again,your description)The track record of each of these players as judged by their peers would lead me to beleive that the poll of 1000 would remain the same …. Jagr 999 to 1.
So Lucky P – I guess you are saying that all of the coaches that made Jagr the captain of their NHL teams put a “selfish bad apple” as their captain. Plus the Czech Republic Olympic commitee and Czech Republic World Championship Commitee that made him captain of their gold medal teams put a “bad apple” in charge. Your living in the past lucky, he made one comment “I’m dying Alive” which happened to be true, the Penguins dumped every decent player around him while Lemieux was suing the team.
I’m going to stick with the professionals opinion of him if that’s alright.
Krundle- If you could poll 1,000 hockey people and gave them the description of “selfish bad apple” and told them that they had to pick between Marian Hossa and Jaromir Jagr to match the description 999 of them would pick Jagr.
The situation with Jagr was not the same as Hossa. I still love Jagr. He helped us win the two Stanley Cups and provided some great years after. Especially, when we did not have Lemieux. As far as I am concerned. It is beat Detroit first. Hossa is just icing on the cake.
Lucky P – Yes, I am the guy who wants to bring Jagr back. Why do you ask?
Hey Krundle…. After reading the last paragraph of this article I am trying to remember…..Aren’t you the same guy that wanted to bring Jagr back????
Personally, I may be the only Pens fan here that could care less about Marian Hossa. The way I took that slap in the face was totally different than most. I was relieved that he was leaving. I believed Ray Shero was making a big mistake in offering Hossa that kind of contract. If he took it, then who goes and how long can we keep Malkin? Too much for too long! There`s talk now, that in four years Jordan Staal will have be traded because of money. I like what Shero did in trading for Kunitz and Geurin. Keep the core and let`s shut the door on the Wings. Hossa`s situation is only icing on the cake if we win the cup. The real deal is beating the Detroit Red Wings for the Stanley Cup. Let`s Go Pens!
At this point I would not want him back on the team. The young team has bonded, and bringing in someone who left and said it was for a better chance to win the cup would just cause bitterness in the locker room, whether the players say it or not, it would.
I can’t wait to beat him though, oh, and win the cup again!