Thorndike would be giddy reading through this thread. Baertschi is a great example of Thorndike's Halo Effect. Those who became invested in him early on, and did not practice any sort of detachment, have elevated him to a level he cannot maintain. When he was surrounded by a collective of ugly prospects he stood out as being a gem, a true beauty for all to behold, and it established an immediate perception adopted by many. The support from management and media further enforced this perception. Because of this enhanced perception, and the lack of quality comparables, it made Baertschi that shining light, making him less likely to be held accountable for his performance on off ice behaviors. Sadly, as better prospects filtered into the system Baertschi wasn't capable of maintaining his lofty status as the beauty in the group. Those who did not invest themselves in Baertschi were quick to see this. Those who were invested struggled with altering their established perception and seeing the situation for what it was. Even after the unceremonious departure of the player there are still those that refuse to acknowledge the failings of the player and instead attempt to lay the blame elsewhere. The one thing I can really take away from the Baertschi era is that Feaster was very effective in selling his product and establishing a narrative early on which became an established perception for many fans.
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