Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee
Sure, yeah, I get it, however this is a hockey message board to lay out ideas, thoughts and opinions... like I am doing. I’m definitely not at all “frustrated”, and the insinuation is both hilarious and bizarre. Again I’ll repeat it for clarity but I don’t know if it’s fair to say players should or shouldn’t be judged for opting out. There could very well be some asinine and ridiculous reasons for some players to opting out. Just like how there could be some good / legitimate ones. Since we’ll probably never know the reality one way or the other, I guess we’re all left to simply speculate which as you know happens all the time with the highest profile athletes and celebrities we have made these people out to be.
It’s similar to say, not being allowed to have an opinion about what a celebrity does or doesn’t do. Now you can sit there and say who are you to judge on your high and mighty stance, but I’m not sure all the money, power, fame and influence these people have should come free or more to the point, that just because they are celebrities and we’re not allowed to judge anything or anyone anymore because of hurt feelings or... something? Reality check time. Everybody judges everybody, all the time, every day. So people can stomp their feet and say “who are you to judge” all you want but opinions are opinions and people think?
So why is it that people believe the players and the NHL should be allowed to have it all ways. Have their cake and eat it too? Are they not extremely wealthy for their craft, on the backs of fans? Who pays these salaries ultimately? Why do people pay so much money to watch these specific players? It’s because they’re the best at what they do. We know that. So should fans be okay with forking out similar dollars for suboptimal players? Isn’t that what the NHL markets, that it’s the best league in the world because it has the best players? Or is it possibly the best collection of players that feel like their up to it?
I think the NHL and pro-sports is in for a wild reality check because you’re spot on, there are more important things in life and COVID really has taught many people that. It’s also going to reallocate entertainment dollars. So if I’m a multimillionaire athlete you bet I should be feeling crazy pressure to play to preserve the business model as best as possible. Anyway fun to speculate and think about and if a player decides to stay home I hope they have a good reason is all my point is, because fans have become accustomed to watching the best and if they don’t, maybe the market will help the NHL decide what’s best. If not, good on them- but also if not- it’ll prove the players value is not what they think it is and IMO would justify reducing salaries but extracting the same value on the product because fans don’t care to watch the best players play. It’s one way or the other here. Do people watch for the best players, or do they watch for the team? Why do they watch? We’ve been long taught that it’s because it’s the players so it is quite an odd stance to have such a take it or leave it attitude depending on who “feels like it” (potentially...).
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I think the exception I would have to this is that we shouldn't need to know the reasons why they have chosen to opt out. If all of the reasons for doing so are not largely made public we have no choice but to assume they are all valid. But if some make their reasons known their might be additional pressure on others to defend their position and reasoning- I don't think that's fair. We all have varying degrees of extenuating circumstances in our life that have been exasperated by the current global situation. Just because one isn't privy to every detail of someone's life (whether or not they are a public figure) shouldn't give one the ability to sit in judgement of a decision they are likely making out of fear or concern. Frankly we shouldn't be privy to all of the details of (pick on Johnny again) Gaudreau's Dad's health. They have a right to privacy, they haven't entirely given it up just because they play for our favourite team.
Out of that same respect that we extend them the right of privacy, we should extend them the ability to make this decision for themselves and their families without undue scorn or malice.