fanaticV3.0

Every once and a while I forget there is a poster here that uses that as his screen name. You should see my face for those few seconds before I realize what is actually going on.

I think there's a portion of the fan base that does it just as much. I still see his name pop up on message boards, my FB feed, the comments section in articles, blogs written by fans, and it's not just from the media. I think he is just someone a lot of people - both fans and media alike - wanted to see come here and they can't get over the fact they lost out on him.

Why not? Many people have turned down opportunities or taken lower paying jobs to put family first. His teammates and fans? F-ck that, he plays a sport for a living. He gets paid to play a GAME. It's meaningless in the grand scheme of life. So he wants to see his kid more and your outraged he didn't put a game over that? LOL.

If that is true, they must have an absolutely horrible relationship for him to request being traded and to NY of all places.

Is that what it is? I said on the winners/losers thread I just didn't get that trade. The team is good, he's been a staple in that organization for years, why would you trade him? It makes sense when you hear he wanted out, but why did he want to leave?

No. Hockey players are like baseball players, they can be very streaky. I think the length of the season makes it hard to sustain a level of play all year and lends itself to up-and-down play.

I love this kid and it's only a bonus that we got him and Schenn at the same time. I don't care about the Cup, because I can't compare a team accomplishment to a couple of individuals. I have to compare the players in the trade and not simply whether the teams involved won a Cup or not. There's so much more involved in winning a championship than 1 or 2 guys. They turned one good player into what looks like two. We don't know their ceiling yet, but I'm happy with both Schenn and Simmonds.

Got ya. Did it help that we got one of the picks back for Mez? I was talking to a friend on FB last night and she was annoyed we didn't get more for him. I'm not so sure he's worth much more though. He's got some skill, but is a healthy scratch at times for a reason.

So would I, but apparently he's the worst human being on the planet. He's 3rd on the Phantoms in points and that impresses me considering the organization has dicked around with him so much this last year or so. He's not a center either and that's always a bonus with this team.

If I'm wrong, feel free to correct me, but weren't you just saying the other day about Homer doing the same thing over and over again when commenting on the McDonald trade?

Why don't I take Marian Gaborik seriously? The guy will finish his career between 400-500 goals, but I can't help and shake this feeling he should be better? Is it because he's never really been on a good team? Injury problems? I don't know why, but I also don't think he'll be great in LA. Also, can someone explain the St. Louis trade to me?

Yeah, the penalties are definitely a problem. I cannot wait until Downie is gone. I know he's not the only one, I just want nothing to do with him. He's definitely cooled off compared to his absolute peak, but I have a hard time figuring out just how inconsistent he is with the D and all. It's hard to figure out how much of it is him when team D really needs a lot of improvement.

It's definitely both of those things that appeals to me.

If team defense wasn't an issue and he still blaming others, I'd be worried. But since team D is such an obvious issue, I think he's right. The team played poorly in that third period last night.

A Matt Carle type player is not what they needed imo. The bigger need was focusing on keeping the puck out of the net. He still sounds like an ok move though. Certainly not as bad as some are saying. I agree him resigning is also a big factor.

I wouldn't make a move just for the sake of making a move, but I'm also not going to avoiding making any trades if we don't find a player who is an an exact match for what we need. I want to improve in our own end, but if McDonald is better than Grossman, Gus, or Mez, I'm ok with that.

You say he's fine, others say he's horrible, I can't do much with that. It's nothing perosnal, I just don't know who to believe. I just have to wait and see how he is in his own end. He sounds like an ok enough player, but not what they lack (defensive play). I think people are totally overreacting because some of them just like to cry about the moves Homer has made. I can say that if he's not very good in his own end, he's not what I would have wanted, but even taking that into account he sounds like a decent player.

Biathalon, yeah, I think that's awesome. I like the vast different between the very physical element and then making them slow down and concentrate after totally exhausting them. Plus, it has a bit or a survival element to it and it reminds me of something that was spawned from an older time when those skills were useful.

It's cool to complain about Homer. He's not very well liked, people want him gone, and they just want to pile on instead of breaking down each move he makes. I don't know a lot about him to be completely honest. Just from reading up on him he's a good shot blocker and decent offensively. Personally, I think they need someone who is more capable of his own end. Defense is the team's biggest need, not offense from the D. That being said, the trade is not so bad that it warrants the level of crying it's receiving from some, especially since you will probably get some of those picks back in another trade (Mez, I'm guessing).

I can honestly say it's not something I've thought about before. I don't get the chance to watch skiing very often, so that's why. But when we were watching the event I was thinking about it, especially since my knees bother me more the older I get (that's depressing to even type).

I just want to make the POs. I hope they continue to play well and go into the POs on a winning note, but if they simply made it I'd be happy. This group of young players needs that confidence if they are to take steps in the right direction in the future.

You're blind. This thread is filled with Gagne over Vinny comments and was before I even showed up. It only increased once I told those people they were nostalgic fools.

I'll take the X-Games stuff over curling anyday, lol. It was just so entertaining. I really got into it. I didn't even care about the hockey that much, but once it was on TV I was hooked. I was actually pissed for a few days after the U.S. loss and I don't remember the last time I cared that much. The skiing amazes me because there are so many different types and they require different muscles or types of endurance. The cross country stuff is pure cardio. It's so exhausting. The downhill stuff isn't as exhausting, but the muscles it requires to make those turns.

I have never liked him, but when he returned he looked pretty good, so I kept quiet about my dislike of him and gave him credit. But that little bit of good play doesn't even come close to measuring up against the rest of his season. He's a bad hockey player. He makes stupid decisions, he's lazy, and he's obviously not happy. Adios!

He's been terrible most of the season. Outside of the spark he provided earlier in the year - which wasn't even him alone, it was his linemates - he's done nothing. The bad far outweighs the good with him.