Exactly Why was Blair Jones in the Doghouse?

[Pliddy]

just seems strange that it has taken this long for him to get call up, especially last year when we had so many injuries. There must be a back story, does anyone have the inside story?

[TurnedTheCorner]

Let me go talk to my ex-gf's brother's friend's sister. Her shift at Orange Julius doesn't start until 10 AM, but once I get the goods I will post them using Tapatalk.

[djsFlames]

I don't entirely understand it (Hartley mentioned conditioning and attitude as two factors after the call up). Though I know that he's rubbed a few guys on the team the wrong way, and just wasn't the most popular player with the coaches.

Yet I still remember him pissing off an entire Ducks team, almost sporting us to break the curse there, being the most physical presence on the team for several games during his first stint here, then breaking his foot making some heroic block in Phoenix. After that though he seemed buried behind our depth players and unable to surface again and claim a spot, for whatever reasons.

He definitely looks to have earned another chance, and so far has seized the opportunity. It's a very, very good sign when we have our 4th line actually putting up points. Thank god they actually got someone with finishing ability on there to play with Backs.

[Pliddy]

Can she get me a triple berry? I love their smoothies

[FlameZilla]

Blair Jones didn't play as well last season, when I saw him. He managed to get more involved in the play versus Florida last night than he did all of last season.

There were all sorts of bonkers CP rumours going around that he'd shot Hartley's dog, or felt-up his wife etc etc... From the looks of it he's changed his attitude and commitment. We probably have Troy Ward to thank for that.

[dammage79]

Jones had zero finish last year. Had many golden chances to pot that puck into the net but his stick was made of rubber. Its almost like Blake comeau cursed his sticks or something.

That and his attitude. Seemed frustration was playing a part and almost looked like he was trying to do to much when all the coaches wanted was for him to keep it simple.

[FAN]

This discussion has come up before and it's pretty much the same story. Blair Jones is a player who simply doesn't get it and pisses away the opportunities he has been given. He's 27 and since he turned pro in 2006, he hasn't spent an entire season in the NHL and you have to think there are legitimate reasons for that other than every one of his coaches not liking him. The coaches expect him to be an energy player who puts in the effort every shift he plays. He can't score in the NHL the way he can in the AHL so he needs to be a grinder if he wants to stick in the big leagues. Unfortunately he either doesn't get it or can't find a way to put it together. He shows you flashes of what he's capable of and then he disappears. He just stops being playing physically and plays without any energy. When a coach sees that they remember and you start running out of chances.

Originally Posted by FlameZilla

From the looks of it he's changed his attitude and commitment. We probably have Troy Ward to thank for that.

Don't draw conclusions so quickly.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by FAN

Don't draw conclusions so quickly.

A bit of an ironic statement given you've drawn your own conclusion already, despite the praise from the coaches that Jones has changed his attitude and conditioning.

[strombad]

Originally Posted by FAN

This discussion has come up before and it's pretty much the same story. Blair Jones is a player who simply doesn't get it and pisses away the opportunities he has been given. He's 27 and since he turned pro in 2006, he hasn't spent an entire season in the NHL and you have to think there are legitimate reasons for that other than every one of his coaches not liking him. The coaches expect him to be an energy player who puts in the effort every shift he plays. He can't score in the NHL the way he can in the AHL so he needs to be a grinder if he wants to stick in the big leagues. Unfortunately he either doesn't get it or can't find a way to put it together. He shows you flashes of what he's capable of and then he disappears. He just stops being playing physically and plays without any energy. When a coach sees that they remember and you start running out of chances.

Don't draw conclusions so quickly.

This post is even better when you can't see the quoted post and just assume the last line is linked with everything else.

[jwags]

Originally Posted by FAN

This discussion has come up before and it's pretty much the same story. Blair Jones is a player who simply doesn't get it and pisses away the opportunities he has been given. He's 27 and since he turned pro in 2006, he hasn't spent an entire season in the NHL and you have to think there are legitimate reasons for that other than every one of his coaches not liking him. The coaches expect him to be an energy player who puts in the effort every shift he plays. He can't score in the NHL the way he can in the AHL so he needs to be a grinder if he wants to stick in the big leagues. Unfortunately he either doesn't get it or can't find a way to put it together. He shows you flashes of what he's capable of and then he disappears. He just stops being playing physically and plays without any energy. When a coach sees that they remember and you start running out of chances.



Don't draw conclusions so quickly.

I've never seen this lack of energy. I've always thought he was our hardest working guys. He didn't have the best hockey sense, so the coaches never felt it was necessary to give him more than a few minutes each period. I think he got pissed off with the whole accountability thing, especially when guys like Jarome, Glencross... would take shifts off. He complains, he gets bitched out by the coaches, and was subsequently waived. At least this is what it looked like to me, not saying it's what happened.

[Bertuzzied]

Diving

[moon]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

Diving

If that is the reason then Hudler and especially Galiardi should be sent to Calgary Tyke teams they would be so far in the doghouse.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by moon

If that is the reason then Hudler and especially Galiardi should be sent to Calgary Tyke teams they would be so far in the doghouse.

I feel like you missed a golden opportunity for some sort of obedience school joke.

[Pierre "Monster" McGuire]

Blair's problem has always been that he thinks he deserves more than he gets, and when he doesn't, he gets a crappy attitude.

So yeah, Blair was in the dog house because of his attitude issues towards the coaches.

[Papa Gino]

For what its worth, I went to the Flames season ticket holder meeting in May at the dome, and had a chance to talk to Feaster for a few minutes after, as our cars were in the same direction.

One thing that he said during his address was that they needed to find "a quality fourth line center". I told Jay he had a fourth line center in Blair Jones, but Feaster responded that Hartley simply doesn't think he has the hockey IQ of an NHL player. So it seems like a real Hartley/Blair thing.

I'm actually serious. And I haven't been to Orange Julius in ten years, so take that for what its worth.

[puckluck2]

Originally Posted by Papa Gino

For what its worth, I went to the Flames season ticket holder meeting in May at the dome, and had a chance to talk to Feaster for a few minutes after, as our cars were in the same direction.

One thing that he said during his address was that they needed to find "a quality fourth line center". I told Jay he had a fourth line center in Blair Jones, but Feaster responded that Hartley simply doesn't think he has the hockey IQ of an NHL player. So it seems like a real Hartley/Blair thing.

I'm actually serious. And I haven't been to Orange Julius in ten years, so take that for what its worth.

I know Feaster loves to talk but why on earth would he tell a complete stranger that?

[Papa Gino]

^^ That was my thought too, no idea why he opened up and said that to me, but he did.

[Gaskal]

He had the nasty habit of cutting a big, smelly fart right in the middle of Hartley's away-game pregame pep talks.


Away you go, heathen, to the AHL!

[Chingas]

Something jones said last night rubbed me the wrong way.

I sort of thought he got dealt a bumb deal last year but I sensed some of the attitude undertones in his intermission interview. He said something along the lines of him being sent down as being the coaches decision. On the surface that is correct and fine but the reality is that it was, and is up to Blair to do what is necessary to stay with the big club.

It seemed to me as though he still might not get it, that he might think that he was wrongfully sent down, and that it was/is all on the coach.

Quite often us as fans loose sight of the fact that we don't see what is going on behind the scenes and what is being asked of the players. If he really is a needy player with attitude issues I hope he can get over them as I think he has the physical tools to be successful. However if he can't move forward and get over it (I'm afraid that despite recent successes he may be walking that line), I hope that the team comes first.

[Resolute 14]

In fairness, Hartley himself said in the pre-game that Blair was sent down due to the numbers game, which is basically "coaches' decision".