What happened to Wayne Gretzky?

[Titan2]

Originally Posted by BOSSY

I used to work with a guy that played with Ray Ferrero (who is a legit good guy and person) and bunch of those guys and has golfed a few times with Gretzky and buddies - says Gretzky really is a POS and an absolute bottle... But also says its important not too confuse the amazing player with the absolute amazingly POS person - he doesn't owe anybody anything he was a hockey player and his obligation ends there...

Interesting post defending a former player there MIKE!!

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

They should call it Connor McDavid Dive.

Boulevard of Broken Dreams

[Party Elephant]

Lol curves, Bezos is a despicable fascist too!

We've had multiple anti-amazon protests here in Montreal since they pulled out of the province after the workers unionized. Has that news not made it outside Quebec?

"It's not fair to call Gretzky a fascist because Jeff Bezos is also a fascist and I don't hear anyone complaining about him!" What a take.

[Whynotnow]

It’s sad to watch him associate with who he is to be honest. I’d also add his son in law is a pga golfer and that group seems to be full Trump too.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by Ferarri

I think it’s safe to say that Wayne Gretzky is Canada’s most recognizable figure both at home and abroad. However, I can’t stop and wonder what happened to his moral compass and his devotion to Canada. It’s no secret that he’s a Trump supporter and MAGA bootlicker, but it seems so odd to me that he would sacrifice his iconic status to his home country.

While he is disliked for obvious reasons here (Oilers) at one point he did seem to have a strong affiliation to Canada. He was the Executive Director for the Salt Lake gold winning team and one of the Olympic torchbearers at Vancouver 2010. At the 2002 Olympics he gave an impassioned speech about people taking shots at Canadian hockey and wore his heart on his sleeve.

His affiliation with Trump can certainly explain his recent actions, but if you dig a bit deeper it appears that the fracture was a long time in the making. In 2009 he was awarded Canada’s greatest civilian honour, the Order of Canada, but never attended the ceremony and still hasn’t made the trip to Ottawa to pick it up.

Apart from being completely disrespectful, I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that he’s turned his back on his Canadian roots. In this country he was a national treasure and a hero and arguably the most popular figure in the history of Canada. In the United States he really isn’t anything special. Americans have their heroes, and he certainly doesn’t register on anyone’s list of all time greats.

Is this strictly him falling into the MAGA cult or are there other reasons which would explain his change of tune that I’m not aware of. His actions as Canada’s honorary captain last night were embarrassing. Giving the Americans thumbs up and not even making an effort to acknowledge the Canadians was just bizarre. Why sacrifice your legacy and chose this path when you were once idolized in Canada?

If you’re Wayne Gretzky rich, it’s perfectly understandable why you prefer a Trump presidency.

“His policies” are great for Wayne’s net worth.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by btimbit

Both Janet and Rick Tocchet took the fall for him, I have no doubts

Wait, are you saying that his model/actress wife who clearly had a long running passion for sports betting was not the one involved in the sports gambling ring and that it might have been Wayne who was the boss of the convicted gambling ring organizer who may have been involved in sports betting?

Next thing someone will tell me is that the Oilers teams of the 80’s had massive drug problems and only one guy got nailed for it. The one guy who this beauty of an article attached was beholden to the Oilers in ways that border on indentured servitude and could take the fall.

Note - the whole article is a banger and a highly recommended read.

https://vault.si.com/vault/1986/05/1...20NHL%20cities.

As for his players' financial and legal difficulties, Sather says, "Anybody in the league can have these same problems." But it's unlikely that anybody has any worse problems than Fuhr. "He threw money around like it was playing paper," says a former acquaintance. "He bought whatever he saw: videos, stereos, clothes...." Sather himself recalls an outstanding bill at a local bar for about $3,500. "He was running a tab and everybody in town was using it. He didn't know what he was getting into," Sather says. "Grant's not exactly a wizard when it comes to finances."

The deal Fuhr signed, Sather indicated, was for three years and $300,000—which translates to $72,000 a year in U.S. dollars. It is an extraordinarily poor contract for a player of Fuhr's caliber; Hartford's Mike Liut, who is the only goal-tender even mentioned in the same breath as Fuhr, makes about $400,000 (U.S.) a year. "Grant was paying Watters seven or eight percent," Sather says in his own defense, explaining that by dealing directly with him, Fuhr didn't have to pay his agent seven percent of $300,000. (Watters says his fee actually was 5%.)

Sather is now Fuhr's unofficial financial manager. Sather says that when he learned that Fuhr was paying some $1,200 a month in rent, he suggested that the Oilers buy the house for him and arrange mortgaging so Fuhr could both build equity and lower his monthly payments. In December 1984, the Oilers advanced Fuhr $91,890 toward the purchase and now hold a lien against the house. They also directly handle Fuhr's monthly mortgage and utility payments for him. "He's had his utilities shut off because he never pays them," says Sather. "So what I have done is watch his money. I tell him what he can and cannot do. I also charge him $100 a month for accounting. And interest [on the house loan]. Why do we manage his money? Why do we have to have a lien against him? Because he can't take care of his money. The problems Grant's got come from a kid that is dumb."

[Regorium]

Originally Posted by curves2000

What I am saying is that you need to keep things level, even keeled, fair and balanced. People want to go after Gretzky for his support of Trump, strip him of his Order of Canada, call him an awful Canadian, question his loyalty etc. Go after to it. It doesn't matter to me. I find it strange to politically target people for support if its only one sided.

Apply the same or similar standards to others who have shown support or enabling Trump. Apple CEO Tim Cook gets a pass because he politely sits in the front row and is kissing a** while Trump gives a speech about taking away LGBTQ rights and mocking all who believe certain things. I thought something like those rights is paramount to Tim Cook, why are you there? So that you can maintain your compensation and status? Or is he there making sure that Apple products are still going to be made in China tariff free?

Jeff Bezos and his Climate Change Arena in Seattle get a pass? Guy was happier than hell sitting there with Trump while he's bragging about Drill baby Drill and climate change hoaxes. Is anybody going to stop buying products and services from them?

People can go after Gretzky all day long but also go after the other political side too. Go after your own side for enabling and making deals with Trump. People want Gretzky's head on a platter now for wearing a hat and showing support but others in left leaning and progressive circles get a pass? Why? Trump wrongfully goes crazy about DEI policies and people go batty but progressive billionaires do the same and all of a sudden its crickets? Does anybody have a backbone? Or is it just applied to one side and all about the money, power, status for everybody?

You really need to respond to the folks calling you out for this.

In what world is Bezos, Tim Cook, Zuckerberg or other billionaires considered "left-wing"?

[Derek Sutton]

Originally Posted by Whynotnow

It’s sad to watch him associate with who he is to be honest. I’d also add his son in law is a pga golfer and that group seems to be full Trump too.

Actually he is a LIV golfer, they’ll do anything for money

[curves2000]

Originally Posted by Regorium

You really need to respond to the folks calling you out for this.

In what world is Bezos, Tim Cook, Zuckerberg or other billionaires considered "left-wing"?

Your going to sit here and tell me that people like those above are what? Republicans? Strong conservative boys? Bezos, Cook, Zuckerberg, Sam Altman and many more are progressive, Democrat voting and donating people. I am stunned that this is not universally known.

All I am trying to say is that for all the absolute nonsense we have been fed by the above mentioned losers about LGBTQ, climate change, progressive policies and a lot more, they don't hold an ounce of conviction if your sitting smiling and excited to be there. They can be called out by their left leaning lovers and fan club as well cause they sure as heck are showing support for Trump. He said kill DEI policies and before the ink was dry the most liberal companies in the world cut it faster than the ink could dry. Where is the conviction? Why is nobody standing up?

Can Tim Cook really say another thing about LGBTQ rights with all honesty? That guy would sell out his mother and his lover and screw them both with a MAGA dildo bought off Amazon.

I have no problem with people calling out Gretzky or even hating the guy for his stance on Trump. If people want to penalize him as well, so be it. Don't let the other side off the hook is all I am saying. Send a message back to the side for once. S*** runs both ways.

I feel the absolute the the same way when it comes to my political side and nonsense. I am not a political homer nor am I a sports homer. I routinely get into debates with friends when they bring their biases into it cause they think we can't call out our own sides. I say **** em all and if they get out of line, a bullet for them all. Just so people know, all the Republicans and MAGA fan's who let guys like Trump bash them and their families/wives in public are just as pathetic as others.

[Yamer]

That was alot of words to say nothing of any substance.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

It’s just the long-winded, say-nothing curves’ version of “people are allowed to have different opinions.”

Yet none of the folks that trot this out have the guts to actually think critically about these things or address what people are actually taking issue with. Just hand waving using surface level musings. It’s not like you have to have a doctorate in literature to actually understand what people are saying here.

Sweet! I can finally give up on that doctorate!

[Nancy]

Originally Posted by curves2000

Your going to sit here and tell me that people like those above are what? Republicans? Strong conservative boys? Bezos, Cook, Zuckerberg, Sam Altman and many more are progressive, Democrat voting and donating people. I am stunned that this is not universally known.

Yes, they are Republican converts, and, even more, they are responsible for Trump winning the election.

Here is a great podcast on this subject: https://www.economist.com/podcasts/2...h-donald-trump

Or, some articles:
https://www.seattletimes.com/busines...tune-on-trump/

https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/3...rg-bezos-thiel

[MRCboicgy]

Yeah. I'm guessing with Dustin Johnson getting that Saudi blood golf money, they're all rolling in that bubble that eschews the reality of the world.

[nik-]

#### Wayne Gretzky

[Looch City]

#### all fascist pieces of ####.

[Party Elephant]

Originally Posted by curves2000

Your going to sit here and tell me that people like those above are what? Republicans? Strong conservative boys? Bezos, Cook, Zuckerberg, Sam Altman and many more are progressive, Democrat voting and donating people. I am stunned that this is not universally known.

All I am trying to say is that for all the absolute nonsense we have been fed by the above mentioned losers about LGBTQ, climate change, progressive policies and a lot more, they don't hold an ounce of conviction if your sitting smiling and excited to be there. They can be called out by their left leaning lovers and fan club as well cause they sure as heck are showing support for Trump. He said kill DEI policies and before the ink was dry the most liberal companies in the world cut it faster than the ink could dry. Where is the conviction? Why is nobody standing up?

Can Tim Cook really say another thing about LGBTQ rights with all honesty? That guy would sell out his mother and his lover and screw them both with a MAGA dildo bought off Amazon.

I have no problem with people calling out Gretzky or even hating the guy for his stance on Trump. If people want to penalize him as well, so be it. Don't let the other side off the hook is all I am saying. Send a message back to the side for once. S*** runs both ways.

I feel the absolute the the same way when it comes to my political side and nonsense. I am not a political homer nor am I a sports homer. I routinely get into debates with friends when they bring their biases into it cause they think we can't call out our own sides. I say **** em all and if they get out of line, a bullet for them all. Just so people know, all the Republicans and MAGA fan's who let guys like Trump bash them and their families/wives in public are just as pathetic as others.

Once you realise that all the oligarchs are on the same side everything makes a lot more sense. Sure some of them may donate to and vote for the democratic party (and they use their power and influence to keep said party from doing anything meaningful on wealth inequality, climate action, stopping genocides), and they may have the occasional pissing match between each other, but at the end of the day their main interest is protecting their own wealth and power. You're right that Tim Cook doesn't care about LGBTQ rights, and Jeff Bezos doesn't care about climate change because none of them do. Same side!

And as for your "why is nobody standing up" question, have you not seen any of the protests in the last month? Like any at all? There's been tons like for example the 50 state capitols protest this week, or the marches that shut down freeways in LA the week before. Many more will follow.

"I say **** em all and if they get out of line, a bullet for them all." On that we can agree, and they've been out of line a long time.

[chemgear]

[getbak]

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by WideReceiver

We’ve made many American friends who aren’t like that. Otherwise they wouldn’t be friends.

Remember, even though he won the electoral college by a wide number, he only beat Harris by about 1%, and Trump only garnered about 77 million votes out of a country of 340 million.

Now to be clear, that 77 million is a concerning number, but it doesn't come close to representing the majority of America. Still lots of really good people here.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by curves2000

If the situation was reversed and he was America's sports king, lived and made his living in Canada and supported a much more left leaning Canadian PM who was considered deplorable, American's would not be clamoring to do harm to him, question his love of America and stripping him of honors. It's bizarre behavior.

Hilarious take. Kaepernick, the Dixie Chicks, "Shut up and dribble". Just a few random examples that spring to mind of incredibly mild actions by American celebrities prompting dramatic campaigns against them.