Theo Fleury: Why Johnny Gaudreau has it easier

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

This thread proves there's people far worse than theo out there

Agreed... kind of funny some of the stupid things being said alongside critisizing Fleury for not being humble or PC.

(Count me as a Theo fan, even with comments that are probably kind of cocky.)

[TheDebaser]

I understand why players speak in such cliches when this is the backlash someone gets for speaking openly. We don't know just how this topic came up. What if a reporter asked him his opinion on whether or not a smaller guy would have an easier time making the nhl in this day and age. Then this doesn't really seem to me like him blabbering his cocky mouth, it would just be him answering the question.

Odds are that that's what people are getting upset about, Theo answering a question honestly. ####ing ridiculous if you ask me.

It's like Dylan said though, if you give a room full of people forks and knives, they're going to cut up something.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by TheChief

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

Outside of the attempted comeback a few years ago, Fleury has not played with the Flames for fifteen years. I suspect that a huge number of today's Flames fans don't honestly remember a lot about Fleury when he played in Calgary.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by TheDebaser

...Odds are that that's what people are getting upset about, Theo answering a question honestly. ####ing ridiculous if you ask me...

No, that's not it. At least not for me, anyways. Like I said above in an earlier post, there is a way that Fleury could have answered the question—whatever it was—honestly and diplomatically without making the topic all about what a great player he was, and how little credit he gets for it. There is a big difference between "being honest" and "just telling it like it is" and being an egotistical blowhard. Too often when Fleury speaks one is left with the impression that it is self-serving attention-getting more than informative or even nostalgic. This is no exception, and it really isn't good public behaviour.

I understand that there are reasons behind why Fleury will say what he does, and why he thinks what he does. But those reasons do not excuse his comments for too frequently being tactless and narcissistic. I don't have to like it, and I don't have to excuse his distasteful public persona on account of his past personal tragedies. As much as a number of posters have rightly chided others for dredging up Fleury's past issues as part of their criticisms, so too I would say that we shouldn't be using his miserable history as an excuse for every time he makes the conscious choice to say inappropriate or off-putting things in public.

[Dion]

wrong thread

[DeluxeMoustache]

Theo had a lot of issues. Some due to the challenges of being a short man in a game where most people were larger. Some due to his own set of adversarial circumstances . He powered through a lot and excelled. More power to him

Johnny is small but driven differently. Theo had a lot of anger and this is something lifelong for him that he made an integral part of his game. Johnny seems like a guy playing a game that needs a different and lower, easier, more cerebral chip on his shoulder

I love seeing Johnny as a good tempered young man that can channel his challenges appropriately.

I met Theo, he was very gracious. Johnny is a supremely skilled guy but without demons. I hope for him to succeed without off ice dramatics

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Outside of the attempted comeback a few years ago, Fleury has not played with the Flames for fifteen years. I suspect that a huge number of today's Flames fans don't honestly remember a lot about Fleury when he played in Calgary.

I wonder what the median age of Flames fans is? I suspect it's well over 30. Sure, there's a big cohort in their 20s. But all those 30, 40 50, 60 and 70 somethings add up.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

I wonder what the median age of Flames fans is? I suspect it's well over 30. Sure, there's a big cohort in their 20s. But all those 30, 40 50, 60 and 70 somethings add up.

Yeah, who can say? Median or average? I agree that there are surely many in the +30 demographic, but how many of those are fans today because of the time Theo Fleury spent with the team in the 90s? Very few, I would warrant.

[lvsteven]

Could a 21 year old fleury in the same shape play in today's NHL? Would he excel even due to the rule changes, or would his conditioning be sub par?

It's a shame people want to throw shots at him, I feel he shouldn't take the shots, but he does has the right to say anything he wants doesn't he?

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by lvsteven

Could a 21 year old fleury in the same shape play in today's NHL? Would he excel even due to the rule changes, or would his conditioning be sub par?

It's a shame people want to throw shots at him, I feel he shouldn't take the shots, but he does has the right to say anything he wants doesn't he?

He has the right to say it, people have the right to comment. I see what he was trying to say, but he sure has trouble expressing himself without sounding like a jerk (not just cocky IMO). BTW, I am old enough to have thought of him as a kid when he broke in. I was and am a huge fan. I think he's struggled post-career, hit drug or booze-wise, just in going from pro athlete to citizen. He's had a couple business ventures hat failed, and he is unfortunately not very good at media, so he couldn't go the sportsnet route. I think he still likes the attention, which is why the kind of embarrassing battle of the blades thing happens, and why an interview about a short NHLer turns into him talking about himself in the 3rd person.

He has a point, like I said, and I don't mind cockiness, but this was at someone else's expense, so it is not as well received and he should have thought better of it.

[Ryan Coke]

If we excuse his personality because of his past, then the same is true of pretty much anyone's undesireable behaviour. The reality is there are many people who have overcome the bad hand they were dealt, and don't have to use their past as an excuse for their toxic behaviour.
Good for Theo for overcoming his addictions and abuse, too bad he hasn't been able to overcome his toxic personality.
Also, for the anecdotal 'he's a great guy in person' I also have heard several stories that he is just as self absorbed and unpleasant in person. Too bad.

Id really rather just watch his old highlights and not hear from him.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by lvsteven

Could a 21 year old fleury in the same shape play in today's NHL? Would he excel even due to the rule changes, or would his conditioning be sub par?

Could a 21 year old MacInnis, Gilmour, or Mullen in the same shape play in today's NHL? Nope. If they had to be in excellent shape in order to make the NHL would they have taken fitness a lot more seriously when they were younger? Yep.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Outside of the attempted comeback a few years ago, Fleury has not played with the Flames for fifteen years. I suspect that a huge number of today's Flames fans don't honestly remember a lot about Fleury when he played in Calgary.

The attempted comeback was Sutter getting Fleury reinstated so he could collect his pension more than anything.

[Arya Stark]

Originally Posted by T@T

The attempted comeback was Sutter getting Fleury reinstated so he could collect his pension more than anything.

First I've heard of this so I doubt this is true. Source?

[locsofblu]

I love Fleury as a player but as a person he needs to stfu.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by Arya Stark

First I've heard of this so I doubt this is true. Source?

Do you really think there would be an available printed source on this? 2 people in the know told me this...I believe them.

Theo would have loved to make the team and he really tried but the real reason was to get reinstated.

Do you remember Sutter saying "this is not just about hockey..it's about life"?

[ignite09]

Originally Posted by T@T

The attempted comeback was Sutter getting Fleury reinstated so he could collect his pension more than anything.

Any links to this, or is this just you being you.

[AcGold]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I understand that there are reasons behind why Fleury will say what he does, and why he thinks what he does. But those reasons do not excuse his comments for too frequently being tactless and narcissistic

You are misinterpreting his words as narcissistic. Tactless maybe, egotistical and narcissistic no. Lifetime I've probably spent 200 hours around the guy and he never came off as narcissistic. When the microphone is on he gets it in his head that it's his moment to shine and he doesn't think his answers through enough but don't confuse that for a self-righteous egotist please.

[browna]

Originally Posted by Arya Stark

First I've heard of this so I doubt this is true. Source?

I thought that was fairly common knowledge, at least in so far as properly retiring as an active NHL player (and the benefits, which included a pension, that "active" status allowed), if not explicitly presented as such at the time. The Flames weren't going to say it, and Fleury wasn't going to say it as motivation, that's for sure.

Since 2003 he was suspending and considered in the substance abuse program, then never played, and while in that program, couldn't get his pension...so he was stuck in that. His comeback started with the Flames vouching for him a few weeks or so in the preseason, asking Bettman to get him re-instated. As soon as he cleared that hurdle, whether he played an exhibition or got, that pension kicked in.

So, another example of the Flames helping Fleury in his career when he didn't want to seem to help himself (no idea why Fleury didn't try and get re-instated himself in the time since 2003) to restore some dignity as being/retiring as an active NHL member again, and get his pension.

[Arya Stark]

Originally Posted by T@T

Do you really think there would be an available printed source on this? 2 people in the know told me this...I believe them.

Theo would have loved to make the team and he really tried but the real reason was to get reinstated.

Do you remember Sutter saying "this is not just about hockey..it's about life"?

That's funny because Fleury was reinstated before he tried out with the Flames. Sounds like your imagination at play.