This is something I've wanted to get off my chest for a while. KCK_Halo and I agree on many things, but I cannot see eye-to-eye with his thoughts about Alexander Ovechkin.
How can you call him cocky, arrogant, and spoiled, a prima donna, and say you don't like him as a human being? All he said was that after he plays here a long time (19-20 years), he would like to go back to his home country of Russia many years down the road. When he's done with his likely Hall of Fame Career, he'd like to play a bit back home before he calls a career.
Somehow, because of that statement, you now view him like he's Terrell Owens. What's so bad about that? Jaromir Jagr went back to the Czech Republic after 18 years in the NHL, yet I don't recall him getting that treatment.
As for the other players you said you'd rather have over him- I'll give you Malkin and Crosby, I'll give you Getzlaf, even Toews.
If you want to say you'd rather have those players, I'll give you that.
But I or most hockey fans cannot say with a straight face that I would have rather have Kopitar- he's had one 30-goal season and never scored more than 77 points. Also, Ovechkin's Capitals have evolved in a legit Stanley Cup threat, while Kopitar's Kings languish at the bottom of the Western Conference as a cellar-dweller.
Kopitar has yet to lead his team to the playoffs- get back to me when he plays in the postseason.
Ovechkin's so-called "self-centered" antics are entertaining. Hockey NEEDS excitement- the NBA embraces this type of emotion, ditto for the NFL. It's a nice change of pace- I like hockey players with emotion that want to entertain.
What's so bad about wanting to entertain the fans?
God help us if a hockey player shows some emotion and excitement instead of sounding like he's at a dentist.
How can you call him cocky, arrogant, and spoiled, a prima donna, and say you don't like him as a human being? All he said was that after he plays here a long time (19-20 years), he would like to go back to his home country of Russia many years down the road. When he's done with his likely Hall of Fame Career, he'd like to play a bit back home before he calls a career.
Somehow, because of that statement, you now view him like he's Terrell Owens. What's so bad about that? Jaromir Jagr went back to the Czech Republic after 18 years in the NHL, yet I don't recall him getting that treatment.
As for the other players you said you'd rather have over him- I'll give you Malkin and Crosby, I'll give you Getzlaf, even Toews.
If you want to say you'd rather have those players, I'll give you that.
But I or most hockey fans cannot say with a straight face that I would have rather have Kopitar- he's had one 30-goal season and never scored more than 77 points. Also, Ovechkin's Capitals have evolved in a legit Stanley Cup threat, while Kopitar's Kings languish at the bottom of the Western Conference as a cellar-dweller.
Kopitar has yet to lead his team to the playoffs- get back to me when he plays in the postseason.
Ovechkin's so-called "self-centered" antics are entertaining. Hockey NEEDS excitement- the NBA embraces this type of emotion, ditto for the NFL. It's a nice change of pace- I like hockey players with emotion that want to entertain.
What's so bad about wanting to entertain the fans?
God help us if a hockey player shows some emotion and excitement instead of sounding like he's at a dentist.
