Bryzgalov: Stalin a good guy who went a little too far

[radoran]

He apparently has some choice words about Philly, too.

He may have just written his own check for $1.5M a year for the next 14 years.

At this point, I certainly hope so.

[Mad Dog]

What really makes his comments inexcusable is the fact that he is Russian. It's one thing for someone who has no knowledge of the Soviet history to make these sorts of comments. But he was born there. He read books, he heard stories from those who survived the repressions and those who lost their family members to the repressions. I can’t imagine he doesn’t know that Stalin killed hundreds of thousands of totally innocent people.

I am just not sure whether he is genuinely so ignorant and dumb or if this is part of his clown-like persona that he has been wearing since he got here.

[Clarke2Leach]

I took Bryz for a bright guy, but apparently he can't see past what he's learned in the Russian school system. Then again, Americans still celebrate Columbus as some kind of hero and some even fly confederate flags. Canadians vote for Stephen Harper. There's a lot of ignorance everywhere.

[radoran]

What really makes his comments inexcusable is the fact that he is Russian. It's one thing for someone who has no knowledge of the Soviet history to make these sorts of comments. But he was born there. He read books, he heard stories from those who survived the repressions and those who lost their family members to the repressions. I can’t imagine he doesn’t know that Stalin killed hundreds of thousands of totally innocent people.

I am just not sure whether he is genuinely so ignorant and dumb or if this is part of his clown-like persona that he has been wearing since he got here.

Well, he does acknowledge that there were excesses under Stalin and that innocents were harmed.

There is a strong strain in Russia that views Stalin as the savior of the Great Patriotic War (World War II in Russia) - despite the loss of innocent life. That's in large part due to the tremendous propaganda machine that whitewashed Stalin's cupability in the Purges that destroyed Red Army leadership, the famines which devastated the country, and then the refusal to acknowledge his Pact with Hitler had been broken (among many other things).

It doesn't surprise me that that happens.

Reality should trump propaganda, but it rarely does.

[Mad Dog]

Well, he does acknowledge that there were excesses under Stalin and that innocents were harmed.

But that's the thing. I don't know how that whole period of time can be charcterized as "excesses". That's just it. Those were not excesses. Those were massive murders with nightly arrests followed by excile, imprisonment, or death. That was a normal state of life. People were living in terror, not knowing who will be next.

There were massive, countless "cleanses" in the army, in industries, and just about everywhere else... That became a routine part of life.

Can you imagine when a 15-year-old is asked, in front of his/her entire class, to disown his father because his father is an "enemy of the people"?

Edited May 16, 2013 by Mad Dog

[Phlyer1]

Political diatribe is not needed but IMO I think his remarks about Philly are a definite display that he does not want to be there I also believe this has an influence on his play.

[phlfly]

Political diatribe is not needed but IMO I think his remarks about Philly are a definite display that he does not want to be there I also believe this has an influence on his play.

well if he meant about North, West philly i will agree a lot people are sucking the welfare system for good. I was worked as furniture assembler at that time and I was all over the Philly, and saw a lot bad place and depends on welfare but buy expansive furniture.

[JackStraw]

I keep telling you, ruxpin is not Frank Seravalli.

JackStraw, however...

I heard that.

[Phlyer1]

well if he meant about North, West philly i will agree a lot people are sucking the welfare system for good. I was worked as furniture assembler at that time and I was all over the Philly, and saw a lot bad place and depends on welfare but buy expansive furniture.

Philtret replied: That is what somebody said onm Facebook when I posted the article. I am not sure why that is the main focus since mosst of the USA is aware of these conditions. I still think if you are not happy where you work it is time to move on.

[ruxpin]

i really dont care about his personal life, im worried about the team and his play right now, not his personal life.

I'll bet my right sneaker you don't even know who the hell Stalin was.

[ruxpin]

Glad he wasn't asked about Jane Fonda.

[radoran]

But that's the thing. I don't know how that whole period of time can be charcterized as "excesses". That's just it. Those were not excesses. Those were massive murders with nightly arrests followed by excile, imprisonment, or death. That was a normal state of life. People were living in terror, not knowing who will be next.

There were massive, countless "cleanses" in the army, in industries, and just about everywhere else... That became a routine part of life.

Can you imagine when a 15-year-old is asked, in front of his/her entire class, to disown his father because his father is an "enemy of the people"?

Obviously, I'm in complete agreement with you. I did post a rather extensive list of Stalin's "achievements."

I'm just saying that there is a strain of thought in Russia that the very things you mention were necessary to save the country. I think that line of thinking comes directly from the propaganda the population was fed - even with "deStalinization".

Many of the things you mention, I'll wager vast numbers of people know nothing about.

[JackStraw]

A Russian Flyers fan on hfboards took the time to translate the interview with Bryzgalov:

http://hfboards.hockeysfuture.com/showpost.php?p=66107723&postcount=48

One thing I notice is that when he talks about the ghettos in American cities and people not working he is not referring specifically to Philadelphia, but rather big American cities in general.

Edited May 16, 2013 by JackStraw

[radoran]

A Russian Flyers fan on hfboards took the time to translate the interview with Bryzgalov:

http://hfboards.hock...23&postcount=48

One thing I notice is that when he talks about the ghettos in American cities and people not working he is not referring specifically to Philadelphia, but rather big American cities in general.

Well, forget about Stalin and decrepit American cities - now we get THIS outrage!

Q: Why did you go with the “Star Wars” team this year?

A: I had no ideas in mind when I urgently needed a back up mask. I did not have time to think the painting through. The painter had offered me Star Wars theme and I liked it. I like the movie.

Q: Who is your favorite character?

A: Obi-Wan and Yoda. He is very wise and has a lot of strength.

Q: Which episodes did you like the most?

A: The newest 3.

Jackass probably thinks Greedo shot first , too.

[ruxpin]

A Russian Flyers fan on hfboards took the time to translate the interview with Bryzgalov:

http://hfboards.hock...23&postcount=48

One thing I notice is that when he talks about the ghettos in American cities and people not working he is not referring specifically to Philadelphia, but rather big American cities in general.

You know, I don't like the Stalin stuff. I do think on some existential level I understand the vague point he is trying to make, but I also think that the horror that Stalin visited upon his people vastly outweighs what Bryz is attempting to get at.

As for the American city thing, it's something most of us have said. In addition, he's doing an interview IN Russia and trying to paint a realistic picture--in his eyes--of what he has experienced in a place that many of those readers will never see. I actually don't think his picture was horribly unfair, either. So I don't have much problem with what he shared about his time and various experiences in the US/Canada.

The Stalin stuff is just...wow.

[JackStraw]

Well, forget about Stalin and decrepit American cities - now we get THIS outrage!

Jackass probably thinks Greedo shot first , too.

On top of all that, last year he voted for Malkin over Giroux for the cover of NHL 13. Send his butt back to Russia!!!

[ruxpin]

Well, forget about Stalin and decrepit American cities - now we get THIS outrage!

Jackass probably thinks Greedo shot first , too.

I'm old enough to think the first three movies were vastly better than the more recent three. But if you're into political commentary, you really can't beat the third of the most recent installments.

[flyercanuck]

Political diatribe is not needed but IMO I think his remarks about Philly are a definite display that he does not want to be there I also believe this has an influence on his play.

Why'd he sign a 9 year contract then? I mean other than the 51 million reasons.

[DaGreatGazoo]

Unless I am forgetting something in the transfer agreement, all he has to do is retire from the NHL. He is then free to go play in Mother Russia. Who knows how that works, exactly?

[JackStraw]

I'm old enough to think the first three movies were vastly better than the more recent three. But if you're into political commentary, you really can't beat the third of the most recent installments.

Empire Strikes Back was probably the best of them all. The acting in the first three was kind of lame (particularly Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher). Not that Hayden Christensen reminds anyone of Laurence Olivier, but he didn't really have to act all that much. Just kind of go around and complain about not being a Jedi Master and stuff. I liked the recent ones as much as the originals, but for different reasons.

[ruxpin]

Empire Strikes Back was probably the best of them all. The acting in the first three was kind of lame (particularly Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher). Not that Hayden Christensen reminds anyone of Laurence Olivier, but he didn't really have to act all that much. Just kind of go around and complain about not being a Jedi Master and stuff. I liked the recent ones as much as the originals, but for different reasons.

This seems to be most people's favorite. I have to say it was by far my least favorite of the first three. I'm not sure I can articulate why, but it was.

Of the more recent films, I hated--and I can't stress "hated" enough--The Phantom Menace. If I had to list least favorite movies of all time it makes my top (bottom?) five list. At the moment, I'm struggling to think of one I disliked more but I know there has to be (I'm actually struggling to think of ANY movies at the moment). Oh, Mummy 2 was an abortion, so that goes ahead of Phantom Menace. The second one--Attack of the Clones--I didn't hate but it was absolutely forgettable for me. Together, the first two were so bad--for me--that I wouldn't have gone to see the third except it had "Star Wars" in the title and I really just felt attendance was mandatory.

I really enjoyed Revenge of the Sith. I think largely because at the time it was released it was--for me--an explicit commentary on our government and fear mongering at the time. I just came out thinking it was terrific.

I agree about the acting in the first three, by the way. But it worked for me because it had kind of a comic book/action feel to it and I really wasn't looking for academy award material. Plus, I was all of 9 years old when the first one came out and "good" acting probably would have been lost on me anyway. I saw Jaws in the same time period and it wasn't Roy Scheider that I remembered when asked if I wanted to go in the water at Sea Isle City. It wasn't until later that I realized how riveting the drinking scene on the boat was.

(By the way, I cannot discuss Jaws ever without asking this: Did you see this movie when it was first released? Do you remember the woman whose boy was killed after asking for five more minutes and who later slaps Roy Scheider in the face? Here's the question: Did you EVER believe she was young looking enough to be believable as the boy's mother? I thought she was like 50/60 years old at the time. She wasn't, but you'd think they could have cast someone that looked like she could have a kid that age!)

[ruxpin]

Trying to find her name, but this woman is ancient:

http://www.wingclips.com/movie-clips/jaws/my-boy-is-dead

[Bertmega]

[JackStraw]

@ruxpin - to answer your question, I did not see Jaws when it first came out. But when I did see it I thought the same thing about that woman. She looked like she should have been the kid's grandmother rather than his mother. Maybe she was related to Spielberg and really wanted a part in the movie.

On the subject of movies I hate, I may be the only person who thinks that the 3 Lord of the Rings movies were among the worst movies ever made. Lots of bad acting and a complete bastardization of the novel.

[ruxpin]

@JackStraw

I liked the Lord of the Rings movies. Which is saying at least something because I waited 25 years or so for them. I read them all in junior high and several times since and was dying for them to put a decent version on the screen (they'd attempted to do a weird version in--I think--the 80s and it was simply horrible). I didn't mind most of the "liberties" they took and the change in some of the order of things made sense to me keeping non-readers (I mean those who hadn't read the books) in mind. Two things really stood out as bothering me. 1) The Liv Tyler character. I thought that whole "story line" was wholly unnecessary and if she's not in an Aerosmith video with Alicia Silverstone, Liv Tyler really doesn't work for me anyway. So the story line didn't even have that going for it--for me. The other thing --well, two things but I'll put them together--was the nosebleed drawn out ending of King that was minus the Scouring of the Shire. The latter is probably a more important "bother" but I remember sitting in the theater thinking "please, end already!" Especially when it became apparent that the Scouring wasn't going to happen. My brother was a huge fan of the books but absolutely hated the movies. So you're not alone. And don't worry, it's not the fact he hated the movies that makes me certain he's an idiot.

I also waited probably 30 years or so for a live-action Hobbit. I'm sure I'm probably the only person or at least one of only a few that actually HATED the movie. The cinematography was very good. But I found myself bored to tears with battle scenes that I knew were added in and had to end a certain way. I sat thinking, "can they end this so we can get on with it already?!?" I enjoyed the Riddles in the Dark scene but that's because of Golum. Outside of that I was bored by the movie and thoroughly disappointed.

--

Jaws--exactly. I initially thought it was the kid's grandmother. I'm told she was only in her 30s at the time (I haven't yet found her name to look it up), but she looked ancient. If she was in her 30s she may well be the worst aging 30-something in the history of 30-somethings. I wouldn't touch her with a hefty bag and you pushing.

The Amityville Horror was extremely disappointing, since we've suddenly hijacked the thread. I read the book when I was 10 or 11 and the Margot Kidder / James Brolin version was horrible. My 10 year old imagination was vastly better. I was kind of intrigued when they came out with a new rendition but was amazed by the fact it was actually WORSE than the original and had very little--other than the house--to do with the book.