Steve Yzerman watch

[sunshine]

Somehow under the media radar one of the great athletes and sportman this century is mulling over a one year offer from the Red Wings. Gee what about a two year offer? Makes more sense to me.He still has gas left in the tank despite serious eye injury suffered in 2004. Anyway we will know by the weekendI believe. Brendan Shanahan just re -signed so my guess is Steve will as well. He should go out with dignity, not fall off the mapafter thecruddy strikeyear. You know Detroit fans want him back.By the way Yzerman has NEVER been on the cover of SI. That is nothing short of brutal. I would like to be in charge of who makes the covers of SI. I would be fair and not like the butt sniffing dweeb who now makes that critical decision.

 

[jaxvid]

The hockey strike has been disasterous for Red Wing fans (like myself). Not only were we deprived of the best sports entertainment on the planet but the strike agreement is going to tear the wings apart.

For financial reasons they had to let go of McCarty and Hatcher, those guys were the heart and soul of the team. They always stepped up at playoff time. Yzerman hopefully will re-sign, I think he will, the year off may have been good for him, he is pretty beat up because of the hard-nosed way he has played his whole career.

The way the media has ignored Yzerman throughout his whole career is typical of the "new" way of looking at superstar athletes. He is modest, hard working, quiet and white. None of those qualities count for anything in todays sports world.

 

[sunshine]

Well put Jaxvid. Yes the strike was damaging for the Wings but for others as well. Longtime stalwarts McCarty and Hatcher were chucked aside like old car batteries. And of course we both have noticed how Yzerman has been ignored for the most part by big media. But one would be hard pressed to name a more beloved athlete on the planet. I want to see him get a proper farewell and then see the media's reaction to the absolute love Detroit fans have for the guy. I know Al Kaline was a belovedTiger but even Yzerman may be more popular and respected.IfYzerman plays this year it will force big media to watch a true connection between a player and good knowledgeable fans (Red Wings fans) and demonstrate to big media that hockey means a heck of a lot to a lot of people. There are passionate hockey fans out there and we know it. Just goes to show that the media is not in tune with the true fans.

 

[Don Wassall]

I agree with the sentiments about Yzerman one hundred percent. Another great player who deserves a proper sendoff is Ron Francis. He may not have quite the talent that Yzerman does, but it's close, and he is just as much the hard working, modest, outstanding role model that Steve is. I followed him closely when he was with the Penguins and have so much respect for the way he conducts himself. He's a beloved figure in Hartford, Pittsburgh and Carolina and among hockey afficianados, but he too has been ignored by the corporate media despite ranking as one of the top scorers and all-around players ever.

 

[Realgeorge]

Jaxvid, Sunshine and DW: Great discussion on the NHL's finest current player.


Some team will grab Stevey Y, but I hope it's the Wings. Quite a few big names are on the buyout list. Today Bobby Holik was added. We know about Pete Turgeon, John Leclair, Darren McCarty and several other old standards. It's always a shame to see an older player sent to the showers. With the new Cap system will be harder than ever to keep an old hand on hand to shepherd the young bucks to maturity


[Buy CasteFootball.US Business Cards !!!]


Yuri

 

[sunshine]

The captain re-signed with the Red Wings for one year but left the door open for a second year. This is great newsand now I can relax and enjoy the hockey season. Lots of movement probably due to the missed year--ie Chris Pronger is off to Edmonton etc.. The owners have kind of rigged up a communist system which will choke off some possibilities but we can hope with the likes of Crosby not to mention players from the 2004 draft who have yet to play perhaps the NHL will swing upward. Don't thank ESPN though. They punished the NHL due to their low ratings but ESPN is losing it on a lot of fronts. Two examples: the newStephen loud mouth Smith show and placing Joe Theismann in a key role. I wonder if it would be better for the NHL to move to another network which is more friendly and intimate towards hockey. However I do like most of the NHL people on ESPN. They should just move to the hockey network.They are dedicated to the sport but the top brass there were never big NHL backers.

 

[GreatLakeState]

Headline in Free PRess when Steve re-signed:

Now Hockey Is Back!

 

[sunshine]

Brian Leetch to to the Bruins? Times are changing in the NHL for sure. Anyway Chelios also re-signed with the Red Wings. Arguably the toughest athlete alive--anyone care to deal with that guy in a dark alley? A couple of final thoughts on Yzerman. Imagine being at his last home game--that will be one tough ticket. And if I was running SI I would put Yzerman on the NHL preview issue. A show of respect fora great athlete and leader and a plus for the NHL as a whole.And a smaller pic of Crosby. The reason is simple. SI needs to start leading by example rather than follow the advice of pencil neck geeks whotrail the trends. SI should be the one carving paths. Sadly they have been too passive. Look at the last SIcover. NFL players in training camp. WOW thats interesting.And half the magazine read like a fitness manual. We need some real sports writers who respect sports rather than this trendy crap ESPN and SI continually follow. And people wonder why the NHL is not popular? When big national media continues to hide the sport it surely suffers. And ofcourse Danica Patrick--talk about trendy.

 

[Don Wassall]

Steve Yzerman retired today. It's a sad sad day. Hockey looks to be on the upswing and has someexciting young stars, but some all-time great warriors have retired in the past year -- Scott Stevens, Ron Francis, Mark Messier, Mario Lemieux, and now Yzerman. I think the great ones in hockey come closest to representing what we want from our athletic heroes -- great ability, durability, toughness, humility, and peerless leadership. Other sports have men with similar attributes, but hockey seems to produce moreof them.


Yzerman was the ultimate team captain. Let's hope hockey can continue producing great players like the ones we've lost of late.

Edited by: Don Wassall

 

[GreatLakeState]

Love that photo.

Last spring, my daughter was playing in a soccer tournament an who was
on the sideline like every other Joe Dad, Stevie Y! ... in a Doors t-shirt

 

[sunshine]

What parent wouldn't want their children to grow up to be like Stevie Y? Then check this out for a reality check. SI covers--Mike Tyson--15 Steve Y--0. And people wonder what is wrong with the good ole USA?