Theo Fleury: Why Johnny Gaudreau has it easier

[waner]

Originally Posted by TheChief

Only reason why the majority of us are here now.

What?

That isn't close to being true.

[Sylvanfan]

I would like to know what 250 pound defenceman who could skate that Fleury is talking about.

The 220-230 pound defenceman in today's game is far superior to the same player in Fleury's hey day. I think a guy like Gaudreau is passionate enough about hockey that he would have found a way.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by TheChief

Theo for me will always be number one when it comes to the flames. Only reason why the majority of us are here now. Guy is an absolute legend. I'll never take his comment's as seriously as lots of people do, its just the way he has always been. We surely all know that by now....

What exactly do you mean by that?

[Chill Cosby]

Originally Posted by Arya Stark

Chill Chill Cosby. Who told him to snort another line? Who is mocking him?

You, for one:

Originally Posted by Arya Stark

I actually never asked for his opinion. Theo was a drunk drug abusing fat over weight player...

That's a sentence that's about mocking Theo as much as any other shot anyone has taken.

It's embarrassing when guys like you talk about things that better men have overcome as a way to bring them down to your level.

Do everyone a favour and don't mock someone because he turned to drugs and alcohol to deal with having been Graham James' sexual release.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

I would like to know what 250 pound defenceman who could skate that Fleury is talking about.

The 220-230 pound defenceman in today's game is far superior to the same player in Fleury's hey day. I think a guy like Gaudreau is passionate enough about hockey that he would have found a way.

I agree. And whether Fleury recognises that or not, opposing player size or skill was not the point that he was driving at. What Fleury was attempting to say was that he played in an era in which he had to fight through the clutching and grabbing. The emphasis in his sentence was intended upon the fact that "[he] was carrying 250-pound defencemen on [his] back," and not on the fact that they were 250 lbs. In other words, Gaudreau has it easy because of the rule changes.

[Blaster86]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQl5aYhkF3E

[calgarywinning]

I hope Gaudreau reads this and is motivated to outshine Theo and his Theo Ego.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Blaster86

Except that I'm not convinced that Fleury is not wrong:

Originally Posted by Theo Fleury

"He couldn’t play in the era that I played in, unless he changed his style of game."

I don't believe that is necessarily true.

[FlamesFanStrandedInEDM]

Theo being Theo...

True statement, but has always lacked the discretion on voicing it.

Same thing came up when Jarome broke his goals records.

[Table 5]

Yeah that "changed his style of game" comment made no sense to me. Changed his style to what exactly? The only way a guy like Gaudreau survives in this era, that era, or any era, is if he plays the shifty skilled game that he plays now.

[Arya Stark]

Originally Posted by Chill Cosby

You, for one:




That's a sentence that's about mocking Theo as much as any other shot anyone has taken.

It's embarrassing when guys like you talk about things that better men have overcome as a way to bring them down to your level.

Do everyone a favour and don't mock someone because he turned to drugs and alcohol to deal with having been Graham James' sexual release.

Reading comprehension fail and you cut out the rest of the sentence taking it out of context. You deserve an infraction for making things up. Nobody is mocking him. He was over weight and out of shape in a lot of his playing years. He was also a drug abusing drunk who would have a hard time playing in today's NHL which was ironic since he thinks Gaudreau can't play in his era.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by Arya Stark

There are so many things one can say about Theo that would be "truth" but usually one needs a filter and needs to understand some things are better left unsaid.

Truths!

1. Theo was a great hockey player
2. He's an a$$hole
3. He's not a hockey player anymore

So he's got that going for him.

Nobody has ever denied he was great, but the only time he was even the best player on his team was when the Flames were simply terrible. The way he tells it, he was one of the all-time greats. He wasn't, no matter which way you want to look at it.

Crappy thing is maybe (maybe) he could have been one of the all-time greats, but he was never a team player, and he flat out says in that article that he didn't listen to the coach.

[T@T]

Theo, get off the sauce and close your mouth.

[FlamesAddiction]

Trolling is what a lot of ex-sports players do. Don Cherry made a career of it and guys like Healy and Kypreos are getting paid for it. Maybe because Fleury is not getting paid for it, he is being held to a higher standard...

It's fine to disagree with him and call him out for it, but it's not like he stands alone.

[BACKCHECK!!!]

Fleury's gonna Fleury.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Typical Theo............not much else to say. Gaudreau has it easier, Iggy had it easier which is why he scored more points, blah,blah.

I want to like him, remember him for all the cool things he did on the ice. But man he makes it hard to keep cutting him slack, even with everything he's had to over come and deal with.

[waner]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Trolling is what a lot of ex-sports players do. Don Cherry made a career of it and guys like Healy and Kypreos are getting paid for it. Maybe because Fleury is not getting paid for it, he is being held to a higher standard...

It's fine to disagree with him and call him out for it, but it's not like he stands alone.

Healy and Kypreos routinely talk about how guys are doing things they never could. On the radio Healy often makes fun of how bad he was. Even Cherry while tooting his own horn gives credit to others.

I don't think I have ever heard Fleury give credit to someone else with saying why he was better/had it tougher. I don't think I havee ER heard him say something was his fault without throwing everyone else under the bus for causing it.

At least the 3 you mention give out praise and don't make everything about them, with Fleury this isn't the case.

[Blaster86]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I don't believe that is necessarily true.

There just wasn't many diminutive players back then, and it wasn't because they lacked skill.
It's an interesting debate for a lot of the smaller players. I often wonder how a guy like Kane would do in the late 80s water-ski style defense.

I don't think Theo wrong, but without seeing Gaudreau in that situation I have no way of proving it one way or another.

I do think Theo is being a dick head for saying it that way. His constant need to try and keep the spotlight on himself has made me like and admire him less.

[TheChief]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

What exactly do you mean by that?

I mean there is a lot of fans that are fans of the flames now, because of fleury?

[waner]

Originally Posted by TheChief

I mean there is a lot of fans that are fans of the flames now, because of fleury?

The number of people that are fans of the Flames because of Fleury is likely pretty small and nowhere near the majority you stated earlier.