Bob McKenzie's Draft Ranking - June 23 5:30PM MT - TSN

[dammage79]

Mr.Ho-Sang , They're going to pay you MILLIONS of dollar to play a game. Grow up, shut up and conform. A life of stability can be at your door if you swallowed one teeny bit of pride.

I hate that, the god given talent he has is going to be wasted by his inability to be a professional. I suppose every man has his price for their soul, and what the NHL is offering isnt enough.

[19Yzerman19]

Originally Posted by dammage79

I suppose every man has his price for their soul, and what the NHL is offering isnt enough.

Wait, how isn't this a good thing? I'm not sure how I feel about Ho-Sang's attitude, but is your view that selling out who you are for the money and hiding the way you think is the right way to do things? If this is who he is, at least he's honest about it.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by 19Yzerman19

Wait, how isn't this a good thing? I'm not sure how I feel about Ho-Sang's attitude, but is your view that selling out who you are for the money and hiding the way you think is the right way to do things? If this is who he is, at least he's honest about it.

No, I see it like this. The attitude he is carrying is immature, at least how he vocalizes his beliefs is. Its a life of financial stability that 90% of us will never see. Of course when you see it from our point of view it's cocky, brash and stupid to toss away the golden goose sitting right at your feet.

Hiding the way you think and acting as a professional athlete are two very different things. How many of these guys are just like him but can face the world and the media with some professional conduct and pleasing demeanor? Is it THAT hard to put on a face for 15 minutes a day and carry on in your private life they way you believe?

Apparently it is for him.

But whatever, like I said selfish pride is going to cost this extremely talented athlete and to jeopordize a lofty career in a professional sport because he can't walk around the media "stone faced and without character" or act like he is a part of the team.

[Point Blank]

Originally Posted by A Shot Wide

I'm pretty sure there wouldn't even be a practice. As soon as both stepped on the ice a black hole would spontaneously form and swallow the known universe.

It wouldn't be the first thing a blackhole swallowed. Though it is in the void of nothingness that cannot be ever reached, Ho-Sang and Keenan will be in good company with the winning culture of the Oilers and the entire Canucks roster's testosterone.

[Point Blank]

Originally Posted by 19Yzerman19

Wait, how isn't this a good thing? I'm not sure how I feel about Ho-Sang's attitude, but is your view that selling out who you are for the money and hiding the way you think is the right way to do things? If this is who he is, at least he's honest about it.

Though I think dammage79 was exaggerating a bit, the core point of what he wrote is true. It's not like Ho-Sang is asked to reconstruct his entire core values or beliefs, he's just asked to learn what it takes to be a successful human being in general. It's not limited to the NHL, no one who is belligerent and tells people they disagree with that they are idiots will get very far in life without criticism. I don't think any team says he must conform to a stone face, but he needs to temper his pride a bit so that it can be seen as confidence rather than cockiness. It's not like the NHL requires you to sell your soul for a doughnut. I think it's very reasonable what many GMs are asking for in terms of overall attitude.

And if millions of dollars are on the line, why not at least swallow your pride a bit and try to figure out why people have been criticizing you instead of playing the race card?

He can definitely contribute to a winning culture with an attitude like that, but as of right now, it's not constructive and it's too much of a question mark to extrapolate whether or not he will change for the better.

[19Yzerman19]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Is it THAT hard to put on a face for 15 minutes a day and carry on in your private life they way you believe?

...
he can't walk around the media "stone faced and without character" or act like he is a part of the team.

I still don't know why you want him to do this. I realize it's expected for hockey players to all give the same canned team-first scripted answers that don't offend or surprise anyone, but that's often a source of criticism.

As for your last point, not sure how his perspective implies in any way that he is not "part of the team".

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by 19Yzerman19

I still don't know why you want him to do this. I realize it's expected for hockey players to all give the same canned team-first scripted answers that don't offend or surprise anyone, but that's often a source of criticism.

As for your last point, not sure how his perspective implies in any way that he is not "part of the team".

Ugh, really? You cherry pick the post to suit your rebuttal when the answer was in the entire post in the first place? Doesn't take a rocket technician to see that most teams in the NHL would want him to do this? You know, act like a professional? Why would he give two flying craps what I think? But he sure as heck better give a crap about what teams scouting him and potentially wasting a pick on him think. My god.


I'm not wrong. We'll agree to disagree and leave it at that.

[irrevocable]

Originally Posted by 19Yzerman19

I still don't know why you want him to do this. I realize it's expected for hockey players to all give the same canned team-first scripted answers that don't offend or surprise anyone, but that's often a source of criticism.

It gets old real fast. Ho-Sang does seem to have a massive opinion concerning his game but at least it isn't scripted monotony.

[Sandman]

I gotta agree with dammage here-i've got no respect for players who upset the balance of the room because they think they are better than everyone. Comparing himself to McDavid? C'mon man...

[Badgers Nose]

Originally Posted by irrevocable

It gets old real fast. Ho-Sang does seem to have a massive opinion concerning his game but at least it isn't scripted monotony.

Yeah, it's disrespectful, stupid and immature. Much better.

Ho-Sang is a mouth breathing idiot trained to play a sport. Other than muscle memory and some canned cliches he knows nothing. Certainly not more than any coach likely to be working with him at this level.

Also, to prove how stupid he is: his own big mouth has cost him draft position and contract leverage, which equals dollars. Yet he still presents himself to the media to dig his hole even deeper.

Might as well tattoo 'cancer' on his forehead. He would probably kill all the progress made last year if he were magically drafted by the Flames. I see no scenario where that happens even if he is still on the board with the Flames 3rd pick. At least I hope they avoid him.

[irrevocable]

Originally Posted by Badgers Nose

...

Umm, yeah. I'm not defending the kid against people who think he's 'dumb', a 'mouth breather', etc. I'm just commenting that I've enjoyed seeing certain individuals break the script.

Oh and I suppose I enjoy the confidence. Is it tangible? Or is he just talking ####?

That's why it makes the draft more interesting. I can't wait to see who picks him up, how he handles the pressure of being a professional, and can he reach the vision for himself that he believes so strongly.

Is it draft day yet?

[nik-]

some people seem to be taking Ho-Sang's attitude like a personal slight

[mile]

TSN2 will have the draft preview tomorrow:

James Duthie ‏@tsnjamesduthie “@SWhyno: Duthie just had Sam Bennett did pull-ups in a playground. "The myth is over" Watch it 7:30 et Thurs. #tsn #shamelessplug

[sureLoss]

Fallout from the Steve Simmons Ho-Sang article:
http://kuklaskorner.com/hockey/comme...medium=twitter

Josh Ho-Sang wants to make one thing perfectly clear. He has no issues with Windsor Spitfires general manager and co-owner Warren Rychel.

“Just make sure that everyone in Windsor knows that I love playing in Windsor and I love Warren,” Spitfires forward Ho-Sang said over the telephone. “I have a really good relationship with Warren. He and Bougie (Spitfires coach and co-owner Bob Boughner) have done so much for me.”

If you read a Sun Media article about Ho-Sang and the upcoming NHL entry draft, you might think there were some serious issues afoot between him and his GM. In the article, Ho-Sang, who is black, was quoted as saying that Rychel made comments regarding his play that had something to do with the colour of his skin.

“When I start dangling, my GM calls me a Harlem Globetrotter,” Ho-Sang was quoted by writer Steve Simmons. “Why am I a Harlem Globetrotter? Analogies get related to basketball all the time with me. I don’t play basketball. I’ve never played basketball. I’m a hockey player. Why are they doing that?”

Ho-Sang insists that wasn’t what he meant at all.

“I was talking about associations (made to his play), not how I was treated,” Ho-Sang said. “Warren and I will joke around about me being a Harlem Globetrotter. I think it’s funny and I told him that. (Simmons) asked me about the comparisons I had. I said, ‘Some of the harsher ones are . . .’ and then I went on to say some of the less harsh ones are like what Warren says. (Simmons) kind of took that out of context. He took quite a bit out of context.”

[Point Blank]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Fallout from the Steve Simmons Ho-Sang article:
http://kuklaskorner.com/hockey/comme...medium=twitter

Goodness, he isn't even drafted yet and more articles sprouting up and Ho-Sang already has to clarify his comments to the media.

To be fair I have nothing against him and think he has lots of potential to be a star player with a good attitude. But honestly I don't see how his Globetrotter comment could be taken out of context. The original article didn't really use that quote to imply him having bad relations with the staff. It was about racism the whole time and his quote makes it quite clear that Ho-Sang meant it that way.

In any case, glad he is at least trying to clarify things. But I still think the whole race this is silly.

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by Point Blank

The original article didn't really use that quote to imply him having bad relations with the staff. It was about racism the whole time and his quote makes it quite clear that Ho-Sang meant it that way.

He might have meant it that way but we don't know for sure, reporters have a way of twisting things, that's why politicians are afraid of saying anything off script. That being said Ho-Sang is already in a hole and he should stop digging.

[kn]

Do not want the drama...

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by Jacks

He might have meant it that way but we don't know for sure, reporters have a way of twisting things, that's why politicians are afraid of saying anything off script. That being said Ho-Sang is already in a hole and he should stop digging.

Lets see, either I take a hockey players word or Steve Simmons' word. Since Simmons' isn't worth anything, I'll side with the hockey player.

[ignite09]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

Lets see, either I take a hockey players word or Steve Simmons' word. Since Simmons' isn't worth anything, I'll side with the hockey player.

Yup, if Simmonds was the only one with a problem with Ho-Sang that might mean something. Ignoring the majority of scouts on the matter though seems like voluntary ignorance.

[djsFlames]

Some drama stemming from swagger for the game is better than a room full of quiet guys who go about their days trying not to step on anybody's toes and say the 'right' things (the same, boring answers to everything). Which is apparently what we have now.

I wouldn't mind having some character here again. At least Phaneuf brought that, in a fun and entertaining way for fans.

I'd actually like to see our guys genuinely piss off players on rival teams. Even Van/Edm games are getting too pedestrian in recent seasons (outside of the Tortorella stuff).