Ugh. While the "ZOMG, HEZ WHATZ WRONG WIT DA NHLZ!!!11OneEleven!" type reactions, rife with overblown hyperbole are almost funny, the general "oh, but he's not as bad as (insert another pest here)" type of post in defense of him. He's a pest and like all pests, he is far from being a saint. He hits people, much of the time those are well within the rules and occassionally they are not. For a team that has so little commitment to physical play, he's a welcome addition.
At least he's never bitten anyone....unlike someone else the Sabres signed for their AHL team the past couple of weeks...
I refuse to visit that thread. It can bring only pain (to my head....much like if Kaleta decided he wanted to eat that instead of a baby)
It's the usual "oh hey, prove he's dirty", "Oh, here are some links proving he's the dirtiest", "Nuh-uh", "Uh-huh" type of crap that usually fills up a thread or two per month on the NHL Talk Board in the season.
And of course... a couple of people seem to think making it personal is ok. And that anything wearing a Sabres' crest means they have to jump in, guns blazing and mind turned off.
Just saw the signing on the main board. Thought I'd come by and say how much I loathe and despise Kaleta almost as much as Carcillo. Admittedly tho, every team needs a guy like that and I would welcome him to Boston with open arms. He does what Steve Begin was supposed to do for us last year
I truly dislike Jarko Ruutu and Avery, but Carcillo is legit. His ready-set-knockout punch was ugly but I guess one can see how that happens. He's welcome on my team any day.
If someone is an out of control animal on the ice... I'd rather it be for the team I'm rooting for than against 'em.
That said, Kaleta is very calculating in most of what he does.
There are guys like Kaleta who skirt the line and sometimes go over. I'm fine with that. Clutterbuck, Tootoo, Ott, etc. There are players who have zero respect for others or the game, however. I will never, ever get behind Avery, Cooke or Ruutu. They're at the far end of the spectrum, and they're embarrassments.
There are guys like Kaleta who skirt the line and sometimes go over. I'm fine with that. Clutterbuck, Tootoo, Ott, etc. There are players who have zero respect for others or the game, however. I will never, ever get behind Avery, Cooke or Ruutu. They're at the far end of the spectrum, and they're embarrassments.
...and that's exactly how non-sabres fans feel about Kaleta
...and that's exactly how non-sabres fans feel about Kaleta
Maybe, but they may feel the same way about Ott too. Kaleta's track record is of a guy who will cross the line with a late and/or high hit. But that represents a minority of his hits not the majority, as "they" seem to think. He also won't fight people bigger than him, which is what I think is really what gets under fans' skins, more just than the hits.
Matt Cooke's career of blatantly illegal injury attempts, Jarkko Ruutu's clownship behavior, Kaleta's nowhere near that and you know it.
Maybe, but they may feel the same way about Ott too. Kaleta's track record is of a guy who will cross the line with a late and/or high hit. But that represents a minority of his hits not the majority, as "they" seem to think. He also won't fight people bigger than him, which is what I think is really what gets under fans' skins, more just than the hits.
Matt Cooke's career of blatantly illegal injury attempts, Jarkko Ruutu's clownship behavior, Kaleta's nowhere near that and you know it.
but remember... your opinions of Cooke and Ruutu are of the same vein. You only remember the major incidents. The same goes for other fans, and the 5 or so "cheap" hits/injuries that Kaleta has thrown.
Basically... what im saying... its ****ing pointless to debate on the main board.
i ****ing love kaleta. i love everything about his game. trying to prove his value and why we love him to other fan bases is ridiculous... just like a nucks fan trying to prove to you and me how good Cooke is...
i ****ing love kaleta. i love everything about his game. trying to prove his value and why we love him to other fan bases is ridiculous....
I'm in the same fan club - whenever I think of Kaleta, I think back to his first training camp (2006 or 2007) and reading the story of how Ruff had to pull him aside after the first few days to tell him to ease up on his bodychecks for fear he was going to hurt someone and how several of the more established veterans were getting P.O.ed with Kaleta's hits. I never took anything from that story, or from his NHL play since, as being "dirty", "cheap", "gutless", etc. like all the haters whine on. To the contrary, the guy represents one of the few remaining examples of players that just love the game and play for the pure joy of the competition. He's never looked or sounded like someone that wants to injure other players - he plays all-out because of the energy he wants to provide his team. Even listening to Kaleta's interview on WGR, he kind of casually downplayed the whole contract situation as something he didn't really follow or concern himself with other than for the opportunity to be in Buffalo for a few more years.
If the Sabres had more character guys like Kaleta with that kind of genuine passion, they'd be a lot better off. That's why he's about as important to the team's future IMO as Miller, Myers or Vanek are - just as they all serve basic but primary roles any contender needs, so too does Kaleta IMO.
FWIW, in his interview on WGR, Regier clarified that Kaleta has agreed to the offer but will formally sign it tomorrow - that's probably why the dollar amounts haven't been released yet.
but remember... your opinions of Cooke and Ruutu are of the same vein. You only remember the major incidents. The same goes for other fans, and the 5 or so "cheap" hits/injuries that Kaleta has thrown.
Basically... what im saying... its ****ing pointless to debate on the main board.
i ****ing love kaleta. i love everything about his game. trying to prove his value and why we love him to other fan bases is ridiculous... just like a nucks fan trying to prove to you and me how good Cooke is...
