Quote:
Originally Posted by Wild GM
Funny I view it as the opposite, that people are assuming this is a massive conspiracy that the league has bought into, and for reason other GMs are also going to be fine with.
Is that more realistic or is it more plausible that the guy has a legit medical condition?
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What are you referring to? The only information that I have seen has come directly from the Blackhawks and team doctors. The way I see it, this could have played out three ways:
1) Hossa retires at exactly the moment that he planned to when he signed that ridiculous contract and the Hawks a heavily penalized for their cap circumvention
2) Hossa continues to play when he doesn't want to anymore, either for the Hawks or some other team
3) Hossa develops some kind condition or suffers an injury that prevents him from finishing the contract, the Hawks pay out the last 4% or whatever of the contract and use up the LTIR space that becomes available. Unfortunate for Hossa, but works quite well for the Hawks.
Now... all of a sudden Hossa reveals that he has a skin condition. It wasn't so bad last year when his salary was much higher, but the side effects of the medication are getting worse so it's best not to push it. The team comes out and starts a PR campaign to start messaging how plausible all of this is. Elliott Friedman reports it like a complete hack and transparently lectures all of us to not make fun of it because it's so serious and believable. Then the local Chicago media posts a story about another guy who had a DIFFERENT CONDITION but it's sort of skin related so we shouldn't be so skeptical that stuff happens to skin sometimes.
All of this happens right after a major trade window closes... and you think that the people who are skeptical are the ones who are out to lunch? Sorry, but I feel like the Blackhawks are counting on your credulity here and taking advantage of it.