We need one thread to talk about hockey side of Bertuzzi, and another thread saying why they hate Bertuzzi (I'm pretty sure why) / religion / extra mojo ... any chance of that?
My first thoughts when I heard the news:
@!*#^@!#
It better be a sub $2 million contract.
I may hate Bertuzzi, but if he truly did want to play in Canada, and Iginla truly did want him on our team, then maybe he wont be the cancerous anomaly in the locker room, and maybe...just maybe, he will actually put in some effort on the ice.
I'm positively giddy. He is exactly what the Flames have needed for some time now, and view this signing as a MAJOR coup - assuming the contract is $2M or less, as has been reported.
I'm absolutely disgusted with this signing but no player will ever stop me from being a Flames fan. All I can say is I hope Keenan and him dont mix and he demands a trade right away or this season goes by really quick.
on paper we are a better and deeper team than we were at this time yesterday
Im not a fan of Bertuzzi, and Im not sure that I can rationalize my way to liking this signing, so I'll just leave it at; on paper, we are a better team today than we were yesterday...we'll have to wait til october to see how that translates on the ice
__________________
Thank you for not discussing the outside world
I find myself wishing I could have chosen the first option, but reluctantly moving toward the second. I'm really upset about this signing--there's not a player in the NHL I hate more than Bertuzzi.
But being a Flames fan runs deep for me. If it were as easy as flipping a switch, then surely I would have done it during the dark years of the 90s. I didn't stop being a fan then, and I probably won't now. But I'm not happy about it.
Mostly, I'm upset that the franchise has put me in the position of having to choose between being a hypocrite and being disloyal to my team. In the end, I guess I'm a hypocrite--I can't stop cheering for the Flames. It's unimaginable to me to cheer for some other team, even living on the East Coast where following the Flames is a bit of a pain.
But I won't be happy about it. Every time he scores a goal, takes a penalty, touches the puck, etc.... there will be that twinge in the back of my head that says it's wrong to have him wear the Flaming C. And another part of me will hope that he performs poorly this year, whatever the cost to the team may be. I just don't want this guy in the NHL at all, let alone on my team.
And TBQH I think this is a pretty questionable move from a hockey standpoint as well.
I'm absolutely disgusted with this signing but no player will ever stop me from being a Flames fan. All I can say is I hope Keenan and him dont mix and he demands a trade right away or this season goes by really quick.
Keenan traded Luongo to get him (post-Moore incident). I'd say its pretty safe to say he's a fan.
None of the poll options suit me -- I'm still a Flames fan, but I hate the move, hate the guy, and won't cheer for him due to his past actions and attitude.
I really like the move. From a hockey stand point, he's undoubtedly an upgrade over Nolan. He brings another marquee forward to our top six. Plus we keep many of the features we loved about Nolan, alibi in a younger (arguably) more capable individual.
From a personal stand point. I think it's really easy to judge someone. What he did was disgusting and wrong. But he has also been crucified for it. It's obvious the incident greatly affected his game and playing style. Am I being a homer? Probably. But I do think we owe him a chance. Who is to say he hasn't learned his lesson and become a better person from that experience? If he repeats his previous behavior here, well then we'll all know he hasn't. But until then, I think he should get the chance to prove us otherwise.
Plus, I'm pretty sure he knows in the back of his mind that perhaps the only way he'll gain back a shred of respect (and this is just a shred) in the Canadian hockey market, is to bring home a cup. I think he's playing with a chip, and if it helps the Flames bring back Stanley, then this is one of the greatest FA steals of all time.
What is your reaction to Bert being signed?
