Stupid, stupid, stupid. Handled horribly. If the girl speaks the truth then so be it, ask her to quietly stop. If she lies then ask her quietly to stop. You don't kick your team captain because of his wife! So bush league, this hurts the reputation of the league, especially to foreigners who are seriously considering the KHL as a playing option. I was hoping the league stepped in to mediate the situation.
Stupid, stupid, stupid. Handled horribly. If the girl speaks the truth then so be it, ask her to quietly stop. If she lies then ask her quietly to stop. You don't kick your team captain because of his wife! So bush league, this hurts the reputation of the league, especially to foreigners who are seriously considering the KHL as a playing option. I was hoping the league stepped in to mediate the situation.
Agree but I do not think KHL has anything to do with this. It is rather a complicated issue because Kazakhstan is mainly a Muslim country.
How does Islam work into it if she's criticizing corruption in the country?
Will be interesting to see whether he stays in the KHL, jumps to Sweden or Switzerland, or comes back to North America. Is he good enough to be an NHL regular or is he more of a 7th/8th d-man, call-up type of player?
Quote:
Originally Posted by SirBoddington
What happened?
His wife criticized corruption amongst government in the country. She was exiled and he had his contract terminated. He was also captain of the team, no less. http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl...221339603.html
First of all it is not certain that Barys kicked anyone out.
His wife was asked to leave the country and I am assuming that is why the contract was mutually terminated since they would not be able to be together.
But his wife was completely ignorant cussing out the country that is paying her husbands' salary, and where she is a guest. She stepped completely out of line; like who does that!? who the hell does she think she is, a political activist?
I can only imagine Canadian media if Kovalev's wife for example ran an anti-Canadian blog. Just the thought would be insane
Its not about bush league, KHL, or anything like that and whoever thinks so is clueless.
Its one thing to write a bit of a rant or something. And maybe apologize if it goes out of hand. But to straight up extensively to the core insult a nation by calling the people what she did, and to afterwords restate it is despicable.
Any country or any league would act similarly.
Moreover any club in the KHL that signs him next should be ashamed of themselves.
I feel bad for Kevin, good guy and player. Too bad his wife had to ruin it for him. Actually I think it would be acceptable if he proceeds with Barys while his wife remains outside of Kazakhstan.
Malkinfan, this doesnt hurt the reputation of anyone but the Dallmans.
The only thing that has happened here is that whatever petty Kazakh bureaucrat that thought it was a good idea to expel Mrs. Dallman from the country has proven her right.
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Originally Posted by yunost
Any country or any league would act similarly.
I feel sorry for you if you truly believe that any genuinely democratic country would ever expel a woman for speaking her mind in a blog post.
But he didn't go to Astana because of democracy. He went there to collect a bigger paycheck than he was going to get anywhere else. That's the risk they took when they chose money over comfort.
Well, it's Kazakhstan, what did they expect? How dare he expose state-wide corruption? But yeah, Kazakhstan will now lose some appeal in eyes of foreign hockey players.
But he didn't go to Astana because of democracy. He went there to collect a bigger paycheck than he was going to get anywhere else. That's the risk they took when they chose money over comfort.
I doubt either of the Dallmans are shedding any tears over their expulsion. That doesn't mean that what happened isn't a tremendous ****-up from the side of the Kazakh government. They've made themselves look like a bunch of absolute clowns.
First of all it is not certain that Barys kicked anyone out.
His wife was asked to leave the country and I am assuming that is why the contract was mutually terminated since they would not be able to be together.
But his wife was completely ignorant cussing out the country that is paying her husbands' salary, and where she is a guest. She stepped completely out of line; like who does that!? who the hell does she think she is, a political activist?
I can only imagine Canadian media if Kovalev's wife for example ran an anti-Canadian blog. Just the thought would be insane
Its not about bush league, KHL, or anything like that and whoever thinks so is clueless.
Its one thing to write a bit of a rant or something. And maybe apologize if it goes out of hand. But to straight up extensively to the core insult a nation by calling the people what she did, and to afterwords restate it is despicable.
Any country or any league would act similarly.
Moreover any club in the KHL that signs him next should be ashamed of themselves.
I feel bad for Kevin, good guy and player. Too bad his wife had to ruin it for him. Actually I think it would be acceptable if he proceeds with Barys while his wife remains outside of Kazakhstan.
Malkinfan, this doesnt hurt the reputation of anyone but the Dallmans.
I doubt either of the Dallmans are shedding any tears over their expulsion. That doesn't mean that what happened isn't a tremendous ****-up from the side of the Kazakh government. They've made themselves look like a bunch of absolute clowns.
That the Kazakh gov. is showing its true colors doesn't mean Ms. Dallman was justified throwing common sense out the window. She's a hockey wife overseas, not a political activist.
I commend her for her opinion, but there's a time and place for expressing it and it isn't when you're a guest of the country you're ripping into.
While well intentioned, her blog cost Dallman his job and won't change a thing for the Kazakh people.
I would probably be more sympathetic to Mrs. Dallman's idea that the country is all about greed, money, and whatnot if her husband wasn't just in Kazakhstan to make a ton of money for his family.
Guess they learned that you can't bite the hand that feeds?
I would probably be more sympathetic to Mrs. Dallman's idea that the country is all about greed, money, and whatnot if her husband wasn't just in Kazakhstan to make a ton of money for his family.
Guess they learned that you can't bite the hand that feeds?
Exactly. Even if it all was true, he was part of that system. She should have think twice before she started *****ing about that.
So hockey wives are not allowed to be political activists?
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Originally Posted by Theokritos
Living in a foreign country (="being a guest") means you're not allowed to criticize that country?
I think their point was Ms. Dallman failed to assess the situation properly because her actions interfered with her husbands ability to make a living in Kazakhstan......especially considering the Dallmans were there because of hockey and not 'political activism'.
I'm not saying it's fair (the Kazakh Government looks like ****), but it is what it is. When you're in a foreign country and choose to accept food, it's ill-advised to bite the hand that feeds you.
I think their point was Ms. Dallman failed to assess the situation properly because her actions interfered with her husbands ability to make a living in Kazakhstan......especially considering the Dallmans were there because of hockey and not 'political activism'.
I'm not saying it's fair (the Kazakh Government looks like ****), but it is what it is. When you're in a foreign country and choose to accept food, it's ill-advised to bite the hand that feeds you.
Fair enough, but at least what Yunost said goes beyond saying she acted "ill-advised", he's pretty much taking the side of the Kazahk Government:
Quote:
Originally Posted by yunost
I absolutely think the right thing happened.
...
Any country or any league would act similarly.
Moreover any club in the KHL that signs him next should be ashamed of themselves.
...
this doesnt hurt the reputation of anyone but the Dallmans.
I'm not taking the Kazakhs side, I am simply stating that it was not her place as a visa holder in a country where her husband was a working expat, to run a blog about how sick of that country she is and how much she hates their way of life.
If anybody somehow gathers that I am against the right to free speech or expression and support corrupt and oppressive governments is purely immature or shallow.
In fact this is not about politics or democracy. When I say any country would do it, I mean it.
This is about common decency. There could be many negative point found in any country. I hear Canadians insult Russian players as just being here for the money all the time!(Don Cherry on National TV for example) And thats with them not doing anything at all. Imagine foreigners blogging about how they have come to despise American culture, or how the obesity rates are disgusting them or (insert any insulting opinion). Imagine Americans in Slovakia talking about how abysmal the living conditions are compared to their home and how sorry they feel for Slovakians (exactly what mrs. Dallman did to KZ).
This is simply wrong and indecent.
Especially after Kazakhstan and its people love Dallman so much make him their captain resign him for the longterm, nurture him and his family with the best schools for the kids, etc, etc, this is more like a spit in the face.
You guys are missing the point. Its not whether or not she was in the right or the wrong. The whole situation should have been handled internally, behind closed doors. Like I said, Dallman was a huge part in bringing in the other NA players (no secret that Barys relies heavily on foreigners) and in the future guys will definitely not want to go there. If you don't think players call up every guy from NA that played on a KHL team recently before going there than you no nothing.
You guys are missing the point. Its not whether or not she was in the right or the wrong. The whole situation should have been handled internally, behind closed doors. Like I said, Dallman was a huge part in bringing in the other NA players (no secret that Barys relies heavily on foreigners) and in the future guys will definitely not want to go there. If you don't think players call up every guy from NA that played on a KHL team recently before going there than you no nothing.
C'mon, hockey isn't THAT important.
In the big picture, the Kazakh Government doesn't give a toss about some hockey team....however, it cares greatly about some blog that's being used as propaganda by those opposed to the current regime.
You guys are missing the point. Its not whether or not she was in the right or the wrong. The whole situation should have been handled internally, behind closed doors. Like I said, Dallman was a huge part in bringing in the other NA players (no secret that Barys relies heavily on foreigners) and in the future guys will definitely not want to go there. If you don't think players call up every guy from NA that played on a KHL team recently before going there than you no nothing.
I disagree. In fact I have seen many interviews with Dallman and he has never even given a sense that he has a problem in Astana. Everything he mentioned was positive and he even resigned with the team when he had an opportunity to go elsewhere (even a 1 way HNL contract if I remember correctly). I just think his wife ruined it for him, and even she mentions in her blog that Barys is very fair and always pays in full. I doubt that Kevin would have too many bad things to say, unless he is whipped by his wife and 'changes' his views.
Either way any athlete looking to go and play hockey, and earn money shouldn't be affected at all by this. Unless he has some family members with him that are just plain ignorant, and plan to publicly behave in such way for no reason at all.
I travel to Kazakhstan at least once or twice a year and Stacey Dallman is completely right.There is a huge income disparity and an "Elite Class" that takes advantage of the poor there. It's this way in most if not all former Soviet Countries. Live a little in places like Kazakhstan and you will understand why there are so many people pining for the days of the USSR.
Now being right doesn't mean that she did a smart thing. In a way she is ******** where she eats and that is not the best thing to do in life. Kazakhstan is free to dispel and revoke anyone's visa they want. Every country can do this. Even in the United States you can have your visa revoked for political activity, you can be found inadmissible for political activity and you can even lose your US citizenship as a naturalized citizen if you have joined a subversive group within 5 years of naturalization. This doesn't mean that as a state it is a smart thing to do to expel people due to posting your political views on a website. As if Kazkhstan's government has nothing more to do to improve the country but to expel all the people who write bad things about it.
That said, I def support Stacey Dallman in this situation and as it was stated earlier, Barys has nothing to do with any of this.
I disagree. In fact I have seen many interviews with Dallman and he has never even given a sense that he has a problem in Astana. Everything he mentioned was positive and he even resigned with the team when he had an opportunity to go elsewhere (even a 1 way HNL contract if I remember correctly). I just think his wife ruined it for him, and even she mentions in her blog that Barys is very fair and always pays in full. I doubt that Kevin would have too many bad things to say, unless he is whipped by his wife and 'changes' his views.
Either way any athlete looking to go and play hockey, and earn money shouldn't be affected at all by this. Unless he has some family members with him that are just plain ignorant, and plan to publicly behave in such way for no reason at all.
You didn't read my post. I said Dallman loved it there, and was a huge advocate in bringing in Dawes, Hutch, Boyd etc.. Now things have changed, you really think he is going to say, "oh ya guys it was great, my wife only got banned from the country, but other than that it was great!" Your dreaming. Of course he is going to be supportive of his wife, its not like that would be considered being whipped, its his wife - not his pet who got out of her cage (Borat reference). The fact that his wife did a lot for the Loko relief doesn't look well for Barys either.
And players do do their homework. They call all of the players who they might know before they sign someone abroad.
But yeah, Kazakhstan will now lose some appeal in eyes of foreign hockey players.
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