I have some questions about the Hemsky injury. Specifically, is this something he's been dealing with for a long time? If so, why were the Oilers playing him (and then trying to trade him, apparently) not so long ago? Also, here's hoping there are no plans to sign him long term. If it is due to the recent collision, why did it take them so long to decide on this course of action?
Curious.
Tom Renney said earlier today the Oilers will call up three players for the game Thursday night. I imagine Alex Giroux will be one of the recalls and other candidates include Brad Moran, Ryan O'Marra, Colin McDonald and Zack Stortini.
The season is gone, all hope is lost. A cup of coffee for three minor league hands is an item of interest but won't change anything. Bring out your dead, indeed.
Did Hemsky tear his other Labrum?
ReplyDeleteI certainly hope it's not the one he had repaired, but as someone who had the surgery once before, I'd imagine he'd fairly devastated over having to have to go through all that rehab all over again not even a year removed from finishing his rehab on the other shoulder.
That said, shoulder injuries shouldn't be a concern moving forward for 83 as Labrum repair makes the shoulder stronger than it was before.
My only concern is if the Oiler's rush him in September.
Ideally you're supposed to have a full year away from contact after the surgery; but will generally be cleared within 6 months.
TC starts in about 5.5 months.
Don't think they call up Storts. Guy's been shaky down there.
ReplyDeleteAnd i'd be nice to see ROM, Mcdo and other stuff up.
These guys were entertaining to some point.
The Oilers haave two contract spots open.
ReplyDeleteHere are a bunch of guys whose KHL or Swiss seasons have ended.
Name, G, A, Pts, Height, Weight, shoots:
Matt Ellison...21 29 50 Ht 6.00, Wt 185, R
Charles Linglet..20 25 45 Ht 6.02, Wt 212, L
Domenic Pittis...15 27 42 Ht 5.10, Wt 198, L
Dan Fritsche..15 18 33 Ht 6.01, Wt 195, R
Brock Trotter..9 17 26 Ht 5.10, Wt 185, R
Mark Hartigan..16 8 24 Ht 6.00, Wt 200, L
Yanick Lehoux..14 8 22 Ht 6.00, Wt 176, R
Josh Hennessy 9 10 19 Ht 6.00, Wt 198, L
Vaclav Nedorost..8 11 19 Ht 6.00, Wt 171, L
They are all Centers except Linglet.
Nedorost was drafted before Mikhnov.
I think they'd all pass through waivers.
It might be nice to see Ling Ling again.
ReplyDeletePittis! Pittis! Pittis!
ReplyDeleteBack in the day that Nedorost thing would've been called a Fun Fact.
ReplyDeleteNowadays, the Facts all lack Fun.
mingside, tonight Lex Luther takes on The Merciless in the square circle.
LT, your tone suggests management asked him to continue to play despite injury.
ReplyDeleteThat's not taken too lightly round these parts.
Years ago I was sneaking down a stairwell at Skyreach Center during an intermission and I ran into Dom Pittis (he was a healthy scratch that game). He was wearing a mustard coloured suit.
ReplyDeleteTrue story.
While I, in turn, have worn a mustard covered suit at Rexall...hmmm
ReplyDeleteRexall Place, aka *dicena* the crime.
Slipper, why were you sneaking down a stairwell?
ReplyDeleteHmmm?
This year resembles 2007 so much its scary. What a disaster.
Good thing they dumped the training staff. ;)
That's not taken too lightly round these parts.
ReplyDeleteHopefully Hemsky doesn't say anything or Hershey will have a very expensive AHL team...
Bedox: Like Reddox, but better.
Brock Trotter's the way to go.
ReplyDeleteHe's 22 years old and posted PPG in the AHL at age 21.
Hamrlik having a decent season with MTL, and watching him tonight.
ReplyDeleteHow old is Hamrlik?
He made the playoffs with the Oilers 8 years before they made the final in 2006.
His team mates on that team included Arnott, Buchberger, Deveraux, Greir, Guerin, and Kovalenko.
Brock Trotter - sign the guy with the bast name. Sounds like a baseball name.
ReplyDeleteFrom oilers website:
ReplyDeleteOilers Visit Edmonton Area Hospitals
After practice today, the Oilers headed to the four corners of the capital region to make very special visits at seven Edmonton area hospitals.
Don't want to make fun of charity work but...interesting timing to say the least.
Gret99sky: Well the Oilers have a long history of guys playing with broken wings. Remember Mike Grier? My main question involved the timing. Why wouldn't you opt for surgery weeks ago if the problem was this bad?
ReplyDeleteI'm sure there's an explanation (maybe Hemsky wanted to think about it) but there's always mysteries around injuries with the Oilers.
Colin McDonald with the only goal for OKC tonight so far. 1-0 with 25 minutes left to go.
ReplyDeleteJust hypothesizing here, but Hemsky said hes been playing through pain this season.
ReplyDeleteWhen your GM tells you he might trade you for prospects, you probably lose the Mike Grier gumption and start rehab on the injury.
Nobody minds going the extra mile for your loyal friends, but when they don't appreciate it, its easy to say F U
add to that, Hemmer dropping inside info like that to the media is uncharacteristic of him.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the bridge has been burned.
just caught a bit of hemmer with tencer on my way home. Sounded to me like the shoulder injury was there for quite a while.
ReplyDeletefierf
fierce fiefdom??
Lauri Korpikoski is one of my new favorite Finns.
ReplyDeleteIf Hartikainen can get to his level, that would be huge for the Oilers.
As someone who has had both labrum and rotator cuff injuries, I can say that these are injuries that take some time to accurately diagnose (especially labrum tears) and, assuming the damage isn't catastrophic, it is a judgement call as to when surgery is required. If this was the result of a recent collision, it wouldn't be at all unusual to take several weeks to pin down and decide on a course of action. And if he was playing with pain all season, it would be normal, if it was getting worse over time, to decide to do something about it as the season wound down. I think people are seeing controversy where there isn't any.
ReplyDeleteWhat you do with a guy that can't stay healthy due to playing style ... that's a harder problem.
Well, if you bet they can put him back together do you give him a 7 yr deal this summer at some discount, considering his ufa stock will have diminished? Hell of a player if you could have him under 5M cap hit.
ReplyDeleteAnd he doesn't break.
Sorry, that should just read Hell of a player.
ReplyDeleteWould be nice to see them let an oil-drafted star actually stick here again.
in a way that everyone who follows this org can relate to this kinda works to the oilers advantage.\
ReplyDeleteat least from the PR perspective.
A: they didn't want to keep him anyway.
B: now when they do deal him and the return isn't great they can always say - rightly or wrongly - that his value had diminished and cite that as the reason for a small return.
"Don't worry, boys. The Kings might make the final and then our 3rd round pick becomes a 2nd rounder."
ReplyDelete- Kevin Lowe through mouthfuls of breakfast.
I hope theres nothing to all of this... its just innocent downtime banter...
ReplyDeleteBUT the main thing that piqued my interest, was that Hemmer was confiding in the media that he was playing hurt.
Best case scenario, 83 signs long term at a reduced rate because of his bummed shoulder(s). Not a lot of risk considering his age isnt 35+.
Worst case is 83 has a sour taste in his mouth re: the deadline and Tambs will have to move him at the draft regardless of how crappy the package offered is.
danny: he was likely gonna do that anyway; either at the draft or at the deadline.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a little Bloggy, my parents had a bigass Boulevard of Broken Dreams framed poster in the house.
ReplyDeleteBlack Dog: Way back in the day, well before electronic entry, I used to get into any game I wanted by simply by bringing a pack of felt markers to the rink and drawing a facsimile of the smokers stamp on my hand. There were a lot more empty seats to snake back then, too.
ReplyDeleteThen in the intermissions I'd race down these unmonitored stairwells to sneak into the gold club because, well... there were hotter chicks down there.
*bette* I was more after the Veronicas back then?
Thanks for the rundown of the Tambellini interview, Woodguy, greatly appreciated!
ReplyDeleteSlipper - nice.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that the sneaking was for a good cause. I've done quite a bit of sneaking in my time. Nothing wrong with it.
Lurking on the other hand, that's a little creepy.
I love Hemsky but basically he's becoming Havlat. Which is great but you're kind of fucked if you're relying on him to get you anywhere.
The good news is they may be able to get him at a reduced rate. They surely can't move him for any value this summer. Its the deadline next year then.
Terry jones is reporting that the Oilers have the FEWEST games lost to injury in the NW division. both Colorado and Minnesota have more than double the number of man games lost to injury. Vancouver has 80% more man games lost to injury than the Oil
ReplyDeleteOilers are not 30th overall for the 2nd year in a row because of injuries (last years excuse), they are terrible because the Oilers assembled a horrible roster.
Just watched Hemsky presser, agree with LT's question: why was he playing for an extended period of time with a sore shoulder?
Oilers are not 30th overall for the 2nd year in a row because of injuries (last years excuse), they are terrible because the Oilers assembled a horrible roster.
ReplyDeleteBeing required to write this a hundred times on a chalkboard is a sanction we should dole out often around here.
Again Oilers are a young fast team that never gets better. They have been that team for years, eventually a clock is right twice. What has management really done? This is the same team every year.
ReplyDeleteTo date, Edmonton has 194 man games lost to injury, Vancouver has 190.
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying that the Oilers aren't a horrible, horrible team. I'm just saying Terry might not be the best with the rithmatics.
To date, Edmonton has 194 man games lost to injury, Vancouver has 190.
ReplyDeleteWhere are you getting those numbers? I was looking for them a few months back as part of my efforts to demonstrate that goons served no useful purpose, but I couldn't find them.
If the Oilers are going to help OKC get to the playoffs it would make sense to sign some NHL castaways to end the season here rather than their best players in Oke city.
ReplyDeleteHOw about Jamie Lundmark who just played with Lander last year? MAybe they could keep him around in Oke city next year to Lander has a bud.
Also how about Joe Vasicek. Does anyone know his contract status. Absolutely to me he is the guy the Oilers need on their fourth line next year. He's like Martin Hanzal will be at 31. 6'5, wins faceoffs, takes the toughs and scores 10-12 goals per year in the NHL. Was a plus player on the Islanders the year they finished last to draft Tavares. Is one of the top players in the KHL but I am not sure how long he signed for over there. If he is out of the playoffs and a free agent why not sign him now, maybe he will sign for next year??
Oilersfan: Tambo should take notes. And he's pounding the KHL, big time, 55 points.
ReplyDeleteFPB
ReplyDeleteFrom what I can tell the Lokomotiv are out of the playoffs but I can't find out how long he is signed there. he signed in july 2008. Oops that was the year before Tavares.
Jakub Klepis is another KHL guy the Oilers should look at. Former first round Czeck center for Florida, played on Robert Nilssson's team in th eKHL this year, is 6'1 210 and scored 26 points in 41 games. Again, someone to look at for the 3rd or 4th line so Lander can mature in the AHL instead of get thrown to the wolves
ReplyDeleteTaylor Hall on being injured.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/Taylor+Hall+injury+sucks/4445161/story.html
This guy is full of character. Love him.
Clay
ReplyDeleteWhere did you get your numbers from? And vancouvers?
Where are you getting those numbers?
ReplyDeleteSome team websites track them. Oilers
Dys (you have to total up the "games" column).
Flaimes (last update was March 4 though).
Colorado and Minny don't track. As far as a website that tracks man-games lost, I haven't found one.
Also, the NHL Game Notes track current man-games lost to injury for each team. A bit exhausting to go through though.
Hmmm. I have to appologize to Terry. I didn't add in the current injury streaks for the Canucks. That would bring their total to 257.
ReplyDelete*embarrassed*
Clay
ReplyDeleteNo sweat.
I just knew Salo and Whitney have been injured a long time, Edler has been hurt about a month and Hamhuis and Burrows have missed a dozen games or so each.
VCR in top 3 in GF, GA, PP and PK n/w/s injuries
With a properly executed strategy, the Oilers could reload the ranks in a matter of days by picking off KHL talent that should be in the NHL utilizing cap space.
ReplyDeleteSeems very odd that the "properly executed strategy" part is so damn difficult around here.
Raids worked alright for Sather...I hear he put together a good team...
Didn't have time to link yesterday, but Tencer had some audio up from Hemsky explaining his injury and how it originated last season and how he played through it until the Nashville game...
ReplyDeleteLink
As Roscoe P. Coltrain used to say, Hemsky is a "pissant" and pissants get squished!! His body was never meant to play contact sports. He's obviously not worth shit on the trade market now. Can only hope he gets pawned off to an organization with mangagement as inept as the Oil.
ReplyDeleteGene's lines...
ReplyDeleteEberle-Cogliano-Jones
Omark-Fraser-Paajarvi
Hartikainen-Reddox-MacIntyre
Smid-Gilbert
Foster-Vandermeer
Petry-Strudwick
Peckham extra.
I wondered how long it would take for Jones to be on the "Top" line.
If comedy = tragedy + time, how long will it be before we can look back at Hemsky getting injured yet again on a nothing play the day after the Oil didn't trade him for prospects and laugh?
ReplyDelete2035?
What is Hemsky made of? Paper or Glass? Discuss.
ReplyDeleteThose are some brutal lines. An infusion of talent from OKC has got to improve them, but I guess it depends exactly who they bring up.
ReplyDeleteadrat Pop-up ads on websites that you can't get block with your regular pop-up blocker.
commonfan13: I'm laughing already, actually.
ReplyDeleteHabs retired the expos.
ReplyDeletehttp://i.imgur.com/K69tX.jpg
This might be good news in a way. Hemsky's been playing hurt for some time now by his own admission. Now that he's going to have surgery and shutdown, if all goes well, and the Oilers let him rehab properly and not rush him back, when he does play again his shoulder should be stronger than ever.
ReplyDeleteAlso they might be able to sign him to a reasonable long term contract, 4-4.5M for a few years would be nice.
The writing on the wall looks like a trade for magic beans though.
So basically all the "dumb fans" that wanted to trade Hemsky weren't so dumb after all.
ReplyDeleteWho knew?
What is worse? Getting 10 cents on the dollar for Hemsky or signing him long-term?
LT: Hemsky admitted to keeping the problem with his shoulder to himself because he wanted to play:
ReplyDelete“I tried to rehab it last year and this year and it really didn’t do too much. But I missed last season and I didn’t want to say too much. I wanted to play,” said Hemsky.
The key is the last couple sentences... he didn't want to say too much and wanted to play. I saw someone tweet (Tencer?) a while back mentioning that Hemsky admitted to hiding the shoulder injury... and there's the actual quote.
So the Oilers probably didn't really know about it.
How do deadline deals work in terms of physicals? You hear about trades being conditional on guys passing physicals in the offseason, but I've never heard it come up at the deadline.
ReplyDeleteWould have been kind of fun if it had been Hemmer in a (hopefully better) LA deal that still included their first, then he immediately went down for the year and they hit the skids.
Could Oil have believably denied they knew he was damaged goods, or would it have given us a bad name with other GMs?
So the Oilers probably didn't really know about it.
ReplyDeletethis is what I would have guessed. I think this year especially, if they knew they'd likely have addressed it. However, I don't think the excuse of 'not knowing' holds water. In any business, you are responsible for your assets and making sure you have the information you need to make the right decisions. If a company were to acquire a smaller firm then after the fact discover that the firm was embroiled in a massive lawsuits and didn't own the patents they were using, the shareholders would lynch whoever made the acquisition.
Yet that's what we see time and again with the Oilers: an apparent willful ignorance both in signing players with documented injury histories and in making sure the players under contract are in shape. Whether Hemsky was hiding the injury or not, it the the role of the medical staff to go beyond self-reporting when assessing the health of their players. That is what they are paid to do. I know of no other successful business where this kind of piss-poor asset management/control goes on year after year, has a measurable and significant impact on the resulting quality of the product, and yet does nothing (it seems) to fix that.
In short, I don't care if Hemsky kept it quiet or not The Oilers were negligent in letting him play injured, especially in a season where the expectation was to tank.
"Did Hemsky tear his other Labrum?"
ReplyDeleteI think it's spelled labium.
UPR: No.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure APR was kidding.
ReplyDeleteEr, UPR.
ReplyDeleteGuess I picked the wrong day to quit jabbing myself forcefully in the brain with a pipe cleaner up the nose.
Steve: That occurs to me. But it was even less successful as a joke, so I almost hoped he was misunderstanding the term. Guess I left the giggling at vaginas kind of humour behind when I finished elementary school.
ReplyDeleteGuess I left the giggling at vaginas kind of humour behind when I finished elementary school.
ReplyDeleteYou must lead a sad, depressing existence.
Tramplog: The sum of the notches in the bedpost.
We've learned something new about Hemsky. Not only is he brittle as all hell but he's a pretty dumb dude too.
ReplyDeleteSteve: Yes I do: I'm an Oilers fan.
ReplyDeleteThis all depends on the extent and type of labrum tear, and how the surgery goes of course, but here's my take.
ReplyDeleteA labrum tear doesn't seem to be a career ender or major impacter (more worried about Gagner's wrist tendon). If the surgery goes well, sign him long term, 4-5 years at 4-4.5M if you can. Let Hemsky sit out and rehab for a year. He should be out for a year, rushing him back will only make it worse.
This is a perfect opportunity to show commitment to your players, both financially (with the contract) and health wise (forcing him to take it slow and rehab properly). He'll come back after a year (just in time for the playoffs! I kid) in the best shape and health he's been in for years, and he'll have strong loyalty to the club for how they've treated him.
Just my opinion. Unless Hemsky's injury is horrific and he's never going to be the same, or he doesn't want to resign at a reasonable rate, I'd take the risk on a long term contract.
Steve: Yes I do: I'm an Oilers fan.
ReplyDeleteLooks like I picked the wrong day to quit playing the inadvertent straightman.
Admit it Icecastles, you just didn't get it the first time around. :)
ReplyDeleteThe interwebs inform me that it can take up to a year to heal from labrum surgery depending on the severity.
This timing would be bad news if it's the case for Hemmer. The Oil wouldn't get much in a trade and it would be tough to judge his value if we wanted to resign him.
UPR: I will never admit that, even if it's true.
ReplyDeleteliksmama: no effing way am I defining that now.
Those of us who try to put positive spin on things would say that Hemsky has scored at a .928ppg clip over the past two years with a hidden shoulder injury. A shoulder injury, which by all reports, results in a stronger than natural shoulder once it's surgically repaired.
ReplyDeleteYes, maybe we could've traded ANOTHER good player away for the often-mentioned magic beans, and now he's (more) damaged goods.
I'm with the group who hopes we can get a good discount on a great player who actually says he wants to be here, and who actually might still be improving.
Trampblog: The online laments of those responsible for the sum of the notches on Steve's bedpost.
uni said...
ReplyDeleteif all goes well, and the Oilers let him rehab properly and not rush him back, when he does play again his shoulder should be stronger than ever.
Perfect. He'll come back with bionic shoulders and then promptly find a new part of his body to injure. It's time to part ways, if possible, with a player that has only managed to play 57% of the NHL schedule the past 3 seasons. Despite the obvious talent he doesn't contribute much from sickbay.
I had seriously hoped he was the one on the block vs DP at the deadline but I guess 29 other GM's were smart enough to see what ours couldn't.
Contrary to Dennis' opinion regarding Hemsky being traded for magic beans, I think he'd garner much more than that, unless of course the current injury has lowered his value considerably. Perhaps a first rounder that
would allow two top 6 picks? If not straight up then possibly along with the 31st or even the LA pick.
If this is a true 4 - 5 year rebuild then a set of picks equating to two of Larsson/Landeskog/Strome/Huberdeau would suit me just fine in exchange for a player thats a longshot to play 70 per year for the next three seasons.
Clay: those are valid points, but they don't address the reasons people are suggesting Hemsky should have been traded.
ReplyDelete1: His injury history is real and becoming progressively more of an issue. X points per game are irrelevant if you are paying a guy millions of dollars to play 20-50 games a season. His contract is a value deal only if he's actually playing. There is no value to be had in playing someone to be out of commission.
2: If we assume he won't be here forever, his trade value was likely to have been higher at the deadline when (a) teams are more willing to overpay than in the offseason), and (b) the latest significant injury was not part of the conversation.
3: He may or may not continue to improve. However when we look at the window the team now seems to be targeting to be competitive, it seems unlikely Hemsky will still be in his prime, especially given (again) the injuries. If that's the case, then it makes sense to move him while you can get pieces that will be helping the team when it matters.
Not saying he should have been traded, just that your rebuttal doesn't address this issues that suggest he should have been.
Cheer up everyone. The Flames are threatening to implode, and miss the playoffs with the worst possible outcome to their season - high enough to be in the chase until the end, then on draft day too high to be in line for any of the obvious impact players.
ReplyDeleteReminds me a lot of another team I used to support...
Edit: the above post should read There is no value to be had in paying someone to be out of commission.
ReplyDeleteA completely unrelated note: Tampa Bay is looking like they could be a contender this playoff, thanks in part to Roli starting to look like 2006 playoff Roli. Which got me all warm and tingly... until I remembered that for the first time since game 1 of the SCF in 06, MA Bergeron is on his team. If Roli hasn't posted to fmylife.com yet, he really should.
ReplyDeleteThis is a perfect opportunity to show commitment to your players, both financially (with the contract) and health wise (forcing him to take it slow and rehab properly).
ReplyDeleteAh yes. It's time to strike a long term financial commitment to a guy that is always injured.
It is important for the Oilers to send a message to the NHLPA that if you're always injured and kind of stupid then we want you on this team for as much as possible for as long as possible.
They already did that for Horcoff and Khabby.
All this complaining of Hemsky's injury history reminds me of the Gaborik debate that went on when he went to free agency.
ReplyDeleteWas he worth investing in, knowing that you wouldn't get a full season out of him each year of his contract?
magisterexx: Yeah, and Tim Thomas is old and fantastic so that must mean Khabibulin is worth the money too. I see your point but I don't think that's a realistic comparison. Gaborik has been over a PPG player for five years running, most of those being one one of the most defensively-oriented teams in the league. A team for which he holds the all-time record in goals and points. Hemsky is great, but he's no Marion Gaborik.
ReplyDeleteBut neither does his contract have to be the same as Gaborik's. The point is, when he's healthy and motivated, Hemsky plays exciting hockey.
ReplyDeleteI understand his downside, though.
Or we could get guys that don't get injured for 30-40 games every year.
ReplyDeleteIf he's really going to be on the shelf for that long, I say we have him get elective double Tommy John surgery while he's at it.
ReplyDeleteI want to see what suped-up elbow ligaments can do for a hockey player.
In checking his injury Hx at the TSN site, he seems to have had problems on and off with his right shoulder since November 2006.
ReplyDeleteHe has also had 2 concussions, problems with his left shoulder, groin, abdomen, and knee.
Hard to know whats worth more: magic beans or brittle beanstalk.
brittle beanstalk
ReplyDeleteI didn't see that on his injury report!
unwqpbe - what they called me on my african safari (and then turned away laughing)
Wasn't MAP the one with the beanstalk problems?
ReplyDeleteWasn't MAP the one with the beanstalk problems?
ReplyDeleteI think it was Thoreson who got one of his beans crushed.
Wasn't MAP the one with the beanstalk problems?
ReplyDeleteBrilliant.
"Baaggere" - MAP had this too, but a shot of penicillin cleared it up.
My Edmonton Oiler ticket salesman called me today to remind me that the deadline was this Friday for renewal.
ReplyDeleteAfter asking me a pile of questions about why he wanted "one sentence on why I wasn't renewing for my file". (My file?)
I stated:
"I refuse to give an organization money that continues to employs Kevin Lowe as a senior manager given his track record"
Probably never gets read by anyone, but it felt good to say it.
there's a lot to be said for the fact that it looks like it's always gonna be something with 83.
ReplyDeletesure, both shoulders are gonna be stronger than ever come next year but it's likely not gonna be long before he's felled by something else.
so now we wait to see if he gives the team a discount or if the club just moves him to get rid of him and doesn't spend a lot of time trying to get as much value as possible.
he's probably not gonna be moved until the deadline, now, though.
The Oilers have plenty of good young talent on the roster that they need to get busy injuring and making bad.
ReplyDeleteRookie injuries to Hall and Eberle and yet another injury to Gagner.
Don't know who the hell MPS thinks he is and we know Cogs is too dumb to get injured.
I'm coining the phrase "Oilerized" for any good young prospect that become an ineffective and always injured player.
All credit and financial opportunities from this phrase go to me.
Yesterday's contract negotiation talk reminded me on the drive home about one classic insider account that I heard years ago on the Jim Rome Show.
ReplyDeleteRome: So how did it work signing Gretzky to a new deal after you brought him over in the trade?
McNall: Well I wanted to get the deal done right away, so said to him, "Wayne, Magic Johnson makes $2.5 million a year. I think you should be the highest paid athlete in the city. How does $3 million a year sound"
Then Wayne came back at me with "I don't know Bruce, that sounds awfully high and I don't need to make more than Magic. What about $1 million a year -"
Rome: Wait wait wait, so you opened with 3, and he countered with 1?!!!
99 was one of a kind.
What if you offer Hemsky one of those long wonky contracts with low cap hit... like 7 or 8 years, 28-30M and front load it for him? Idiotic or on to something?
ReplyDeleteWoodguy, are you seriously giving up season tickets?
ReplyDeleteWoodguy I told them the same thing last year. Only I told them I wouldn't set foot in the rink... ever.. until they dumped Lowe. Obviously they don't give a shit about our opinion.
ReplyDeleteNot paying to see the slipshod Oilers is the same thing as boycotting a local store that pisses you off.
ReplyDeleteArguably it doesn't seem like it will make a difference, but in reality the same store is pissing off other customers, who without organising will boycott the place and eventually the business deservedly goes under.
Sports seem to be exempt from this marketplace reality, for some fucked up reason.
Woodguy I told them the same thing last year. Only I told them I wouldn't set foot in the rink... ever.. until they dumped Lowe. Obviously they don't give a shit about our opinion.
ReplyDeleteWhy would they? There are a tremendous number of morons in the Edmonton Oilers fanbase (Woodguy obviously not among them, and you're probably not either). If it has no impact on their bottom line, why should they listen to morons?
I mean, Kevin Lowe was a bad GM, and Steve Tambellini is one. But if the Oilers aren't reaching that conclusion from their own observations, why should they reach that conclusion because a few of their fans tell them so?
Sports seem to be exempt from this marketplace reality, for some fucked up reason.
ReplyDeleteBecause there's limited supply (the Oilers are, at least nominally, selling out every game), and because prices are set lower than they would in a pure supply/demand scenario (since there's a long waiting list for season's tickets). Therefore, pissed off fans don't have any effect on the team's bottom line, because the Oilers are still selling the same number of tickets for the same price.
Jake,
ReplyDeleteYes I am giving up my tickets.
I have had tickets since after the SC run.
I figure I have paid over $60K during that time without a playoff game. (including parking, food/bevs, and merchadise)
Their plan is now to be perennial SC competitor 4-6 years and now that I was down in Gold Club seats now I figured the amount spent would hit $100K before seeing a playoff game and I just don't have the stomach for it.
There are two main reasons I don't want to give the Edmonton Oilers my money.
1) When Vish was on HNIC and said "this is year 1 of the rebuild, my blood boiled"
Here's the guy who put the team in the shitter. Why the hell is he the one who is cheerfully telling me that I'm still years away from more playoff hockey after paying to watch the last 5 years?
It has always offended my sense of good management that he wasn't fired, but that interview just brought it home. Then days later v3.0 trades Penner to put an exclamation on what Vish said.
I see their plan, it is their choice to push back the window. Not renewing my tickets is my choice.
2) Pat LaForge
This guy has always rubbed me the wrong way, but his act since the Arena debate has started really disgusted me.
I'm pro-arena with a good funding model that includes Katz guaranteeing any short fall in $$ from the proposed revenue streams from the ticket tax and CRL. (not a fan of CRL's but I believe the resulting increase in the population density of the inner city is important enough to spend city dollars on and re-direct development away from the ever expanding outskirts)
It seems reasonable that if Katz wants all the income, then he needs to take more risk. Pretty simple business 101 stuff.
LaForge and his organization has been so obtuse, arrogant, ham fisted and mean spirited about the whole thing that it has really turned me off.
The implied threats to move, to refusal to privately open their books to the city, and the refusal to discuss guaranteeing the income stream are not the way to ask people for thier money.
The world has changed and Edmonton has some of the most secure income streams for an NHL team, you can't bully and bluff Edmonton anymore, yet he doesn't see that.
I also refuse to give my money to an organization that bluffs and bullies their fans.
You want to move Pat? Go ahead. 10 other NHL owners will start arm wrestling over who gets to move here and start trying to get out of their leases. I'd also guess they would work better with the city to develop a new arena and not try to dictate every term.
In short, fuck them, they don't get my money.
I've been an Oiler fan since I can remember and I hopped on my bike as a 12 year old and raced downtown to celebrate the first cup with my friends in 1984.
I wore my Oiler jersey to every Oiler game I could go to for the 9 years I lived in Calgary.
I will always be an Oiler fan. I just can't stand the organization behind them.
"SS",
ReplyDeleteI don't expect my words to have one iota of impact on the Oilers. It just felt really good to say it to someone in their employ.
I would have preferred to say it to LaForge.
When my customers don't like me or what I supply they stop buying.
That's all that I did.
"SS"
ReplyDeleteThey have almost no competitors for the high end entertainment dollar in this city.
Arrogance and sloth develop in organizations that don't really have to compete.
Woodguy, your viewpoints very well articulated I must say. Any chance you put that on the opinion page in one your papers??
ReplyDeleteQuestion for my fellow old timey guys? Is tonight's lineup the worst the Oilers have ever iced? I think it may be.
ReplyDelete