Good for Billy. Not a huge fan of his, but glad to see him bow out gracefully.
Any word on whether or not he's accepted a job with the Pens as a scout (as per the rumors)?
doesn't sound like it. from the pens' site:
Quote:
Guerin said his future is still up in the air. He's currently doing some television appearances for Versus Network, and has traveled with Pens assistant to the GM Tom Fitzgerald to learn the ropes of the hockey operations side of the game. No matter what though, Guerin wants to be involved in the NHL.
"I’m trying to figure that out right now. … There are so many different levels on what you can do in this business and I’m just trying to figure that out. First and foremost I’m just trying to spend time with my family. My kids have been without their father from time to time since the day they were born. I want to spend time at home. I’m trying to figure out exactly what I want to do and that may take some time. I do want to stay in the game."
You know, I absolutely hated Bill Guerin before he came to the Pens. I always had this preconceived notion that he was one of the biggest jerks in the league. He really proved me wrong. That rookie in Edmonton that he pummeled must have really deserved it.
Awesome he's retiring as a Pen...Say's a lot about Billy G as well as the Penguins organization.
Not to sound like a jerk...but how exactly does this say a lot about Billy G OR the penguins?
He wanted to continue playing (for a rival at that) but was cut....Him retiring says that he's old and wasn't good enough to play anymore. He just happen to play his last games as a penguin.
What says something about this organization is how while playing he talked about how young he felt again. Like coming here revitalized him and his passion for hockey. What says something about Billy G is how he won the hearts of 99% of the fan base in such a short time. But him 'retiring as a penguin' is nothing more than the fact that he played his final days here.
I love Billy G as much as the next guy....but let's not make sweeping pseudo-deep comments about the entire situation.
Seriously not trying to sound like a jerk or rain on the parade...i just don't understand comments like this.
Last edited by Duck Paddy: 12-06-2010 at 01:43 PM.
Not to sound like a jerk...but how exactly does this say a lot about Billy G OR the penguins?
He wanted to continue playing (for a rival at that) but was cut....Him retiring says that he's old and wasn't good enough to play anymore. He just happen to play his last games as a penguin.
What says something about this organization is how while playing he talked about how young he felt again. Like coming here revitalized him and his passion for hockey. What says something about Billy G is how he won the hearts of 99% of the fan base in such a short time. But him 'retiring as a penguin' is nothing more than the fact that he played his final days here.
I love Billy G as much as the next guy....but let's not make sweeping pseudo-deep comments about the entire situation.
Seriously not trying to sound like a jerk or rain on the parade...i just don't understand comments like this.
“On the backside, the last team that I ever played for was the Penguins. It was one of the most positive experiences of my life. They were great in bringing me here. My family and I bonded with this team and with this community. Fortunately, we were able to win the Stanley Cup as a family together. It was amazing.”
“I was OK with it being over. My heart was here, and there was no reason for me to keep hanging on. I ended with a good year. That’s how I wanted it. I feel like I’m going out on my terms.”
“I knew it was different when Kara and the kids came to the first game and they had their signs up. They kept getting on the jumbotron,” Guerin said. “People in Pittsburgh I think related to us and we related to the people here."
Yeah, I don't get what would be BS about that. Paul Martin even said as much that he took a discount because of this organziation's reputation as being first-class and very player friendly.
Teams in the NHL compete on about the same level in hard power (i.e. cap space, the rules around acquiring players), so any advantage you get in soft power (reputation, prestige) can be turned into a competitive advantage, if managed correctly. If our reputation as being player-centric and friendly enables us to acquire top-flight free agents like Martin at a discount, that's a good thing.
Alright, fair enough. I didn't read this before my post (i learned my lesson). And in no way was i trying to dismiss the reputation of the Penguins organization or front office. The comment i replied to just seemed a little knee jerk to me. Sort of like how every eulogy talks about how magnificent the deceased was... Not everybody is a good person let alone extraordinary, if you see my analogy (which obviously doesn't apply well in this case...)
Hence, me =
Still not sold on "going out on my own terms" though. But either way...
Post of the day so far.
