Alexander Ovechkin v. The World

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by 442scotty

This guy sure seems to get a lot of empty net goals.

47 of 766

Edit: Jagr had 22

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

What's the consensus. How many have turned on Ovie for the record because of his quiet allegiance to Putin (even though he doesn't advocate war)?

Do we disregard politics, or do we just look at the hockey player, whom most enjoy and support?

I personally don't know where to draw the line.

Both for me. Dislike the person, like the player.

Same as Fleury

[activeStick]

Originally Posted by getbak

He's had one season in his career where he didn't score at least 30 goals, and that was last season when he had 24 in 45 games.

Yeah, I'm certainly not betting against this guy haha. He's also one of my favorite players and I want him to break the record. Was just commenting more on how unreal what he's doing is at his age against today's coaching, players and goalies especially. Remarkable.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

What's the consensus. How many have turned on Ovie for the record because of his quiet allegiance to Putin (even though he doesn't advocate war)?

Do we disregard politics, or do we just look at the hockey player, whom most enjoy and support?

I personally don't know where to draw the line.

I still hope he breaks the record - but I also hope opposing arenas start playing the Ukrainian national anthem whenever he scores.

[Mathgod]

I get why people are rooting for him to break the record. I honestly do.

But for me, this is one of those put yourself in someone else's shoes type of situation. If you or someone close to you lost family members in Ukraine because of Putin's senseless, barbaric, psychopathic war, would you still be so willing to set politics aside and cheer for the player?

Let's remember, Ovechkin has a past of very extensive, very overt support of Putin; this has included actual election campaigning efforts. He still refers to Putin as "his president". To this day his instagram profile picture is him & Putin.

He still has not said anything to walk any of this back, except to say "no more war" and wanting the world to be peaceful. To me, that isn't nearly good enough. For me he's in the Djokovic/Rodgers category of pro athletes, until he does an actual mea culpa.

[btimbit]

What can I say, I'm complicated.

I wish Michael Jackson died in prison instead of at home, but I still like Thriller

[GioforPM]

It’s a shame because I have liked Ovechkin’s personality. That commercial with Backstrom is as funny a hockey commercial as I’ve seen (though TBF Ovie’s wife makes it work).

I can see how he has trouble walking anything from the past back now. I wouldn’t expect him to do much. But having the pic still up etc ain’t great.

This “no war” statement is something I’ve seen from a number of Russian athletes. I think they use it because it isn’t anti-Putin and falls in line with his characterization of the invasion.

[GIODUDE]

Originally Posted by Mathgod

I get why people are rooting for him to break the record. I honestly do.

But for me, this is one of those put yourself in someone else's shoes type of situation. If you or someone close to you lost family members in Ukraine because of Putin's senseless, barbaric, psychopathic war, would you still be so willing to set politics aside and cheer for the player?

Let's remember, Ovechkin has a past of very extensive, very overt support of Putin; this has included actual election campaigning efforts. He still refers to Putin as "his president". To this day his instagram profile picture is him & Putin.

He still has not said anything to walk any of this back, except to say "no more war" and wanting the world to be peaceful. To me, that isn't nearly good enough. For me he's in the Djokovic/Rodgers category of pro athletes, until he does an actual mea culpa.

Good idea, put yourself in his shoes and imagine you have family living in Russia and you're worried that if you go against Putin you would be putting your family at risk.

I think Ovy has done enough over the years to show his good nature and character. Everyone really needs to stop virtue signaling. It is getting nauseating.

[djsFlames]

Ovie seems like a good guy. There's been good stories from him coming through Calgary over the years too.

Just made ties with bad people, his president being one of them.

He probably wants to return home some day, and has family there. It's a tough position to be in when your country's ruler is a ruthless dictator who can enforce just about anything without moral bounds.

He is lacking in courage I would say, and that's the disappointing part, but I don't know if some self preservation here isn't out of bounds when you're so high profile and your country is literally screening people's phones, monitoring what people are saying and cracking down on those that are vocally in opposition.

[Mathgod]

Originally Posted by GIODUDE

Good idea, put yourself in his shoes and imagine you have family living in Russia and you're worried that if you go against Putin you would be putting your family at risk.

This doesn't justify him saying that Putin is "still his president" or the instagram profile pic.

I have a hard time believing that Ovie has been, for all these years, oblivious to the fact that Putin is a murderous dictator and a madman. If it really is about the safety of his family, he should have got them to move out of Russia a long time ago.

Originally Posted by GIODUDE

I think Ovy has done enough over the years to show his good nature and character. Everyone really needs to stop virtue signaling. It is getting nauseating.

Remaining loyal to a murderous dictator is destructive, shameful behavior, no matter how good natured the person may be otherwise. Believe it or not, this stuff matters, it's not just "virtue signalling".

[GIODUDE]

Originally Posted by Mathgod

This doesn't justify him saying that Putin is "still his president" or the instagram profile pic.

I have a hard time believing that Ovie has been, for all these years, oblivious to the fact that Putin is a murderous dictator and a madman. If it really is about the safety of his family, he should have got them to move out of Russia a long time ago.

Yes, just get him to move all his relatives out of their country. problem solved. are you even serious? Could you convince all of your relatives to move out of the country? I hope he kicks the #### out of 99's record!

[GioforPM]

Someone said, and I have no idea if its true, that Ovie’s family is actually part of the connection he has with him. That they are high ranking military or something.

The whole “Team Putin” thing, his wedding present and message at his wedding, etc is problematic.

[Mathgod]

Originally Posted by GIODUDE

Yes, just get him to move all his relatives out of their country. problem solved. are you even serious? Could you convince all of your relatives to move out of the country?

If my family was living in an autocracy and I had 9-figure career earnings and could easily set my family up with a very comfortable life in a freer, safer country, absolutely I would do everything in my power to convince them to move.

I hope he kicks the #### out of 99's record!

Good for you buddy.

[Ducay]

He was pretty egotistical and annoying before, but didn't really have any reason to hate him before (as a good chunk of NHLers fall into that catagory). But nowwww, hmb whilst I boo this man. Booooo

[djsFlames]

I can see both sides of the fence which is what makes it so difficult to come to a verdict on this.

None of us are in his shoes, and don't know what its like to have those connections and be so strongly tied to your country in a public light. At the same time what Putin is carrying out are crimes against humanity and freedoms and by the same token you could say its a guy with his stature's responsibility to speak up and not remain negligent or passive toward what his president is doing because its wrong on every level.

As for the he should've relocated his family, its not an easy thing to simply abandon your native country and evac your whole family. Look at Ukrainians who refuse to leave despite their lives being in peril. It's their home, and people have their own motives. Doing that based on a hunch of things going sideways just wouldn't fly with most people. Now its too late. But many were still taken off guard by the actual invasion even with all the talk leading up to it.

I guess my take is just disappointment in him not taking advantage of his name to stick it to Putin, but at the same time not passing judgment on his character without fully comprehending what its like to be in his position with family in Russia.

[GioforPM]

Take this FWIW:

https://twitter.com/user/status/1498418442659143686

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by Mathgod

If my family was living in an autocracy and I had 9-figure career earnings and could easily set my family up with a very comfortable life in a freer, safer country, absolutely I would do everything in my power to convince them to move.


Good for you buddy.

Everyone should give this a read.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europ...=pocket-newtab

Ovi grew up in this environment, and a lot of his worldview is likely still informed by many of his loved ones living in (and perhaps as mentioned an integral part of) this 'alternative reality'.

I'm not sure when/where we should have expected him to become enlightened...he's kinda occupied with hockey while he's in N.A., and presumably spends a lot of his off-season in Russia. All the while he's living in a bubble-world of a rich+famous pro athlete.

I don't know how many of his teammates majored in philosophy or geo-politics...most of the non-Russian teammates in his life also come from privilege and haven't had a lot of higher education.

[GioforPM]

^^ I have no doubt Ovechkin’s been taken in by Putin. Though I’m a little put off by his present “I’m not into politics” stance when he was pretty involved in Putin’s campaigns.

[dammage79]

Hasn't his whole family been tied to the upper echelon of Russian hierarchy? Like his parents were world class athletes top weren't they?

Sometimes, the reality is that's all he's ever known, raised in rarified Russian Aire of aristocracy. And even if you wanted out, I'm guessing they see the o ly way out is likely death because they KNOW what Putin is. Sadly, it's likely a case of the entire Ovechkin family made their beds with a scorpion in it and now have to sleep in it.

Edit: or OV is gonna be the greatest goal scorer of all time and is a crazy Russian fascist. Cant erase that record once it's broken.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Hasn't his whole family been tied to the upper echelon of Russian hierarchy? Like his parents were world class athletes top weren't they?

Sometimes, the reality is that's all he's ever known, raised in rarified Russian Aire of aristocracy. And even if you wanted out, I'm guessing they see the o ly way out is likely death because they KNOW what Putin is. Sadly, it's likely a case of the entire Ovechkin family made their beds with a scorpion in it and now have to sleep in it.

Edit: or OV is gonna be the greatest goal scorer of all time and is a crazy Russian fascist. Cant erase that record once it's broken.

Yes I looked it up and his dad was a top soccer player and his mom was a world class athlete - two time Olympian. He got his foot in the elite sports school because of them.