Quote:
Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler
Kipper can do no wrong, but if he is all about family, should have retired right after the birth if there were issues. But... say what? He still wants the $1.5M (or whatever) is owed to him for the rest of the season, even though he is not actually showing up? Interesting. He has no NMC, but won't report because "he wants to be a Flame". Awesome... but... say what? Oh, he'd report if the other team threw another 2 years and $10M his way? Interesting.
Family first my behind. Well, except in the sense that more dineros help the family...
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Sorry to pick on you Vlad..
These are exactly the types of comments that I think a lot of people have issue with - the part I bolded above. I have seen it in a few comments already since the story leaked about "Kipper refusing" and "Kipper retiring".
What makes people think he 'isn't showing up'? Did he not have a bad run not too long ago where he got the bronx cheer? Was he 'not showing up' then either?
I think that sometimes people forget that hockey players are human too. That things affect them in life, just as they do us. It doesn't matter how much you are making - you just don't turn into a robot just because you are paid a certain dollar figure. It is obvious that there is something not right about Kipper - there are extenuating circumstances, and he is obviously rattled.
To call him out and say: "He isn't showing up" - how many of you are 100% productive at your jobs all the time? Error free? Even when you go through a tough period of time in your life that no matter how much you try and focus, it just becomes impossible to perform your job the way you usually do. Now think about having a job where you have to try and stop pucks shot by the best players in the world, at all different kinds of angles, behind a team that is playing defence like hot garbage, and you start to doubt yourself... Is that 'not showing up', or is this more than likely 'going through a bad time' or even 'rattled at the moment'?
Also, after that announcement, it sure sounds like Kipper isn't exactly retiring. The trade came with a contract extension, and that apparently was tempting for Kipper. You can still deal Kipper in the off-season if he gets things under control more, and decides he wants to play another few years.