Quote:
Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger
Even describing it as getting dumped is lame hyperbole. The flames didn’t get dumped. There was no relationship. Johnny was single, a free agent, and he chose his partner. It just wasn’t us. Lots of other guys will choose another team and lots of other teams will get left out when there’s only one player and 32 teams.
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The Flames absolutely got dumped.
More importantly, the city got dumped.
These teams make money by getting fans to, cheesy as it sounds, fall in love with players. When people emotionally invest in these teams as much as they do, they’re going to react with visceral emotion when they feel they’ve been done wrong.
This fan base supported this player for 11 years, after drafting him as a 140 lb child in the 4th round. We watched him tear up college hockey; we defended him against all the doubters who said he was too small etc. We watched him become a top-10 offensive talent in the game. We gave his dad standing ovations when he was on the jumbotron. We treated his family with the utmost respect.
Sure, he wasn’t “ours” just like any athlete or partner isn’t really “ours”.
But he kinda was “ours”, until he wasn’t.
After everything the city and organization did for him, he owed them better. He owed them the courtesy of a graceful exit.
Instead, he made this city into a laughingstock by turning down an extra $15M to go play for a team that most people forget even exists. And he absolutely did that. Go check the responses from other fanbases - they are laughing at us.
There’s no sense being bitter about it forever, but in the weeks after it happens?
Yeah. We’re not friends anymore.
But you know the old expression - ‘the quickest way to get over Gaudreau is to give Tkachuk 8x$9.76M.’