I hope the Devils never do what the Red Sox did

[Triumph]

Easy to see both sides of the 'retirement tour' - fans would've felt upset if Jeter said yesterday 'Oh by the way, I'm retiring', and he would've had to deal with the questions all year long and would have to find a new way to stonewall every week and the endless speculation.  So he ended all of that and just said he was done after this year.  Anyone that wanted to see Jeter's last moments in the league did - no one feels cheated in that respect.  People might be bored or annoyed at the constant Jeter veneration, but to me he did right by his fans and it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.

[squishyx]

If Marty played one final year with us and announced it was hist last I bet quite a few teams would honor him in a similar way. Idk about the Rangers, but I wouldn't rule it out.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Easy to see both sides of the 'retirement tour' - fans would've felt upset if Jeter said yesterday 'Oh by the way, I'm retiring', and he would've had to deal with the questions all year long and would have to find a new way to stonewall every week and the endless speculation.  So he ended all of that and just said he was done after this year.  Anyone that wanted to see Jeter's last moments in the league did - no one feels cheated in that respect.  People might be bored or annoyed at the constant Jeter veneration, but to me he did right by his fans and it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.

 

Agree completely.  Yeah, the media can beat anything into the ground (and we knew this would happen as the final day grew closer, especially with the Yankees being a playoff non-factor), but with his contract expiring, if he hadn't made an announcement, the local media would have been asking about his plans for next season constantly.  No matter what he did, he couldn't have pleased everyone, so I think he what he did was fine...fans got to celebrate his career one last time, got to make plans to go see him play knowing this would be the last year that they could...some will try to knock the player for doing the retirement tour thing, will make it about the player's ego, etc...what are you going to do? 

[MadDog2020]

Yup good point, here. At MSG last week for Devils-Rangers, the Rangers fan next to me scoots over to me and my girlfriend and goes, "So, whattaya gonna do when da Devils move?" I was like, "Move? Excuse me? You'd like that wouldn't you, all Rangers fans would LOVE it if the Devils moved, we're that neighbor with the hotter wife, nicer car, and more successful kids," which shut him up for a second and he was like, "Nah, I read it in da news that the Devils are gonna move," and I was like, "Well I read in the news that the Rangers are gonna have to move in 9 years. What are you gonna do when you have to come to Prudential Center or Nassau Coliseum to see your team play?" and he shut up. Realized he messed with the wrong fan. My girlfriend was like, "Easy babe, I think he was trying to be nice and make conversation," and I was like hell no, I know better than to think that.

Yankees/Red Sox fans don't engage in that kind of petty garbage, and frankly disrespectful (considering our accomplishments vs. theirs) banter. Devils fans always have to be on the defensive, like we're the freaking Florida Panthers or something... And for that, I'll never show an ounce of respect back to the Rangers, not in my lifetime. I'll be Lundqvist's biggest fan the moment he's traded to a contender when he's 35 or 36, but until now, any "Rangers aura" is dead to me.

This is one of the main reasons I have zero- ZERO- respect for the Rangers, their fans, or that piss-smelling dump they call home. The Rangers and their fans silently WISH they were the Devils, or could have even half of the success we've had. They have one little fluke run to the Finals where they get their fvcking asses handed to them and you'd think they won the last 5 Cups in a row the way they acted. I would've laughed at that fvckbag after dumping my beer over his head. Edited September 29, 2014 by MadDog2020

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Yup good point, here. At MSG last week for Devils-Rangers, the Rangers fan next to me scoots over to me and my girlfriend and goes, "So, whattaya gonna do when da Devils move?" I was like, "Move? Excuse me? You'd like that wouldn't you, all Rangers fans would LOVE it if the Devils moved, we're that neighbor with the hotter wife, nicer car, and more successful kids," which shut him up for a second and he was like, "Nah, I read it in da news that the Devils are gonna move," and I was like, "Well I read in the news that the Rangers are gonna have to move in 9 years. What are you gonna do when you have to come to Prudential Center or Nassau Coliseum to see your team play?" and he shut up. Realized he messed with the wrong fan. My girlfriend was like, "Easy babe, I think he was trying to be nice and make conversation," and I was like hell no, I know better than to think that.

 

Yankees/Red Sox fans don't engage in that kind of petty garbage, and frankly disrespectful (considering our accomplishments vs. theirs) banter. Devils fans always have to be on the defensive, like we're the freaking Florida Panthers or something... And for that, I'll never show an ounce of respect back to the Rangers, not in my lifetime. I'll be Lundqvist's biggest fan the moment he's traded to a contender when he's 35 or 36, but until now, any "Rangers aura" is dead to me.

 

He said all of that?  Usually when Rangers fans open their mouths, all I hear is "Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..."

[dmann422]

Easy to see both sides of the 'retirement tour' - fans would've felt upset if Jeter said yesterday 'Oh by the way, I'm retiring', and he would've had to deal with the questions all year long and would have to find a new way to stonewall every week and the endless speculation. So he ended all of that and just said he was done after this year. Anyone that wanted to see Jeter's last moments in the league did - no one feels cheated in that respect. People might be bored or annoyed at the constant Jeter veneration, but to me he did right by his fans and it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.

there is a happy medium to be had. He could have come out 3 weeks ago when the yanks were effectively out of it and announced it. But then he and Steiner wouldn't have made the millions they did on the commemorative patches and all that junk all season long. Jeter was a great player but if Willy Mays, Hank Aaron and Ken Griffey jr didn't have season long retirement tours I think Jeter's fans would have gotten by with shorter notice. But we can agree to disagree.

[DJ Eco]

He said all of that?  Usually when Rangers fans open their mouths, all I hear is "Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..."

 

Well, he "reads da news"....

[MadDog2020]

Well, he "reads da news"....

Since he probably can't read, someone must've read it to him. Edited September 29, 2014 by MadDog2020

[Satans Hockey]

Since he probably can't read, someone must've read it to him.

I heard it on da Boomahh and Carton show and Boomahh is da best cause he's true blue brah

[MadDog2020]

I heard it on da Boomahh and Carton show and Boomahh is da best cause he's true blue brah

Boomah is da man brah, he knows so much about hockey and da Raingiz. Da King is da best goalie ever cuz Boomah and Cahtin said dey love da King. Da Debbies play da twap and ah boring cus of da twap.

[Onddeck]

cmon guys, be better with the insults.  or just make them funny or something.. you're better than that

[Satans Hockey]

cmon guys, be better with the insults. or just make them funny or something.. you're better than that

Debbie downer

Edited September 29, 2014 by Satans Hockey

[Triumph]

there is a happy medium to be had. He could have come out 3 weeks ago when the yanks were effectively out of it and announced it. But then he and Steiner wouldn't have made the millions they did on the commemorative patches and all that junk all season long. Jeter was a great player but if Willy Mays, Hank Aaron and Ken Griffey jr didn't have season long retirement tours I think Jeter's fans would have gotten by with shorter notice. But we can agree to disagree.

 

Ken Griffey wasn't Derek Jeter.  He came back to Seattle and was terrible as the DH and then the next year he came back for some reason and retired mid-season.  Willie Mays is famously held up as a player who held on too long.  Jeter's final season will look similar in the record books.  If Willie Mays had said he was playing a final year in 1972, who would've been surprised?  Mays probably thought he could keep playing until he was 45.  A lot of guys do.  Ty Cobb retired as a Philadelphia A and Babe Ruth a Boston Brave.  Brodeur wants to retire as a something else other than a Devil.

 

Jeter and the Yankees made a lot of money as a result, but that doesn't mean it wasn't the right thing to do.  He would've had to answer a question about his retirement every day.  Look how often Brodeur was asked this past season.  It's a little different for Mariano Rivera because he was an immortal - he was still an amazing pitcher when he retired.  He could've pitched for 5 more seasons, probably, had he remained without injury.  He would've gotten worse, but he was still a top reliever when he retired.  It was Jeter's choice to announce his retirement, and he was making life easier on himself and the Yankees by doing so.  It was Mays, Griffey, and Aaron's choice to do it how they did.

Edited September 29, 2014 by Triumph

['7']

This is one of the main reasons I have zero- ZERO- respect for the Rangers, their fans, or that piss-smelling dump they call home. The Rangers and their fans silently WISH they were the Devils, or could have even half of the success we've had. They have one little fluke run to the Finals where they get their fvcking asses handed to them and you'd think they won the last 5 Cups in a row the way they acted. I would've laughed at that fvckbag after dumping my beer over his head.

 

Too many Rangers fans is such a high and mighty elitist that they don't even believe we (or the Islanders) have a right to exist. I mean they constantly like to cut us deep whenever our franchises have any financial issues (as many NHL franchises have had, from St. Louis to Edmonton to Minnesota) and then they get all bent out of shape when we say they "SUCK!"

[CarpathianForest]

Has a lot to do with the city too. NY and LA always get a lion's share of coverage because those are the two media hubs. As a result the media thinks everything revolves around NY and LA. LA has won 2 cups recently and all of a sudden they're one of the most storied franchises in NHL history. Everyone ignores the majority of years they were relegated to irrelevance.

[devilsrule33]

There is no way that not wanting to be distracted by the retirement questions all year would be more distracting than everything that went on this year...for Jeter and the team.

 

As for a retirement tour with rivals, I think it could be done in hockey, but very few players could gather that respect from most organizations that Jeter did. Nik Lidstrom could have probably been honoured by Chicago or Colorado or any team if he wanted a retirement tour, although the average fan probably couldn't appreciate how great he was. There was just no one in hockey other than Lemieux or Gretzky with any profile close to Jeter.

[NJDevils1214]

Without the hated rival, there is no rivalry. Think of how empty things would be if we didn't hate the Rags not just for what they are, but who they are. I think we can all respect that, and by extension, respect the player regardless of the stupid blue jersey. Wanting to take a win away from the Queen is part of the fun, so if I was at his last game at the rock I would probably send him off with an applaud as well. 

[dmann422]

Ken Griffey wasn't Derek Jeter.  He came back to Seattle and was terrible as the DH and then the next year he came back for some reason and retired mid-season.  Willie Mays is famously held up as a player who held on too long.  Jeter's final season will look similar in the record books.  If Willie Mays had said he was playing a final year in 1972, who would've been surprised?  Mays probably thought he could keep playing until he was 45.  A lot of guys do.  Ty Cobb retired as a Philadelphia A and Babe Ruth a Boston Brave.  Brodeur wants to retire as a something else other than a Devil.

 

Jeter and the Yankees made a lot of money as a result, but that doesn't mean it wasn't the right thing to do.  He would've had to answer a question about his retirement every day.  Look how often Brodeur was asked this past season.  It's a little different for Mariano Rivera because he was an immortal - he was still an amazing pitcher when he retired.  He could've pitched for 5 more seasons, probably, had he remained without injury.  He would've gotten worse, but he was still a top reliever when he retired.  It was Jeter's choice to announce his retirement, and he was making life easier on himself and the Yankees by doing so.  It was Mays, Griffey, and Aaron's choice to do it how they did.

just to be clear, I have no problem with jeter deciding to announce his retirement 6 months in advance. What I have a problem with is the justifying it with the idea that it was "for the fans." It's silly...This was a coordinated, calculated plan between jeter, the Yankees and Steiner to take advantage of fan loyalty and Jeter's iconic image. Now they can peddle infield dirt that jeter walked on for 20 bucks a pop.

That is why I bring up guys like Mays and Griffey, equally iconic players who had just as many fans who lived perfectly healthy lives without 6 months advanced notice of the retirement.

[mouse]

There's a big difference between Yankees sox and Devils rags. Yankees six is to a large degree a relationship between equals. Storied franchises, die hard fan bases, crazy media with an annoying tendency to hype everything. Deep down, many Yankees and sox fans respect and understand each other. In hockey, rags have money and longevity. Devils have quality. Devils fans love and understand hockey. Rags fans love bad beer, the sound of their own voices, and spreading stupidity. This ensures that there will never be respect between the franchises (though we rightfully respect a guy like Lundquist even while rooting against him, in a way rags fans never respected Marty or Stevens). The farewell tour wouldn't fly here, and for good reason.

As for the other stars who retired differently, none of them dealt with the media the way Jeter did. Griffey's the only one young enough to deal with 24 hour coverage, and he never played in a market like NY. We found Chere to be annoying and distracting dealing with Marty this year. Multiply that by 1000 and you get what people would have done with Jeter if he hadn't announced his retirement early. No question the tour went over the top, and got weird and annoying, but it's nowhere near the distraction speculation would have caused.

There's a big difference between Yankees sox and Devils rags. Yankees six is to a large degree a relationship between equals. Storied franchises, die hard fan bases, crazy media with an annoying tendency to hype everything. Deep down, many Yankees and sox fans respect and understand each other. In hockey, rags have money and longevity. Devils have quality. Devils fans love and understand hockey. Rags fans love bad beer, the sound of their own voices, and spreading stupidity. This ensures that there will never be respect between the franchises (though we rightfully respect a guy like Lundquist even while rooting against him, in a way rags fans never respected Marty or Stevens). The farewell tour wouldn't fly here, and for good reason.

As for the other stars who retired differently, none of them dealt with the media the way Jeter did. Griffey's the only one young enough to deal with 24 hour coverage, and he never played in a market like NY. We found Chere to be annoying and distracting dealing with Marty this year. Multiply that by 1000 and you get what people would have done with Jeter if he hadn't announced his retirement early. No question the tour went over the top, and got weird and annoying, but it's nowhere near the distraction speculation would have caused.

[95Crash]

 

The Devils barely do that with players who have come back after signing elsewhere and I've always hated that. I'd be happy with honoring players when they come back who were important to the team, i.e. Parise, Niedermayer, Gionta, etc. It's sad, and it shows Lou doesn't concern himself with the history of the game and how it important it is to the game and fans. It is contradictory to everything else Lou talks about in terms of respect and doing things the right way. They've been on the wrong side of this for years.

 

+ 1

 

It's pretty cool sometimes when teams do stuff like that.

[NJDevs4978]

just to be clear, I have no problem with jeter deciding to announce his retirement 6 months in advance. What I have a problem with is the justifying it with the idea that it was "for the fans." It's silly...This was a coordinated, calculated plan between jeter, the Yankees and Steiner to take advantage of fan loyalty and Jeter's iconic image. Now they can peddle infield dirt that jeter walked on for 20 bucks a pop.

 

Honestly the Rivera thing felt far more organic even though he also announced his retirement in advance and got the tour/gifts.  It wasn't nearly as transparent a moneymaking/publicity tour as Jeter's was though.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Honestly the Rivera thing felt far more organic even though he also announced his retirement in advance and got the tour/gifts.  It wasn't nearly as transparent a moneymaking/publicity tour as Jeter's was though.

 

If it had been Jeter first and Rivera second, would you feel the same way?  I think part of whatever backlash exists against Jeter is a little "retirement tour overload". 

 

The other thing is, in many fans' eyes, Rivera is one of the best (if not THE best) closers ever to play the game and was still going strong in his final season.  Jeter was clearly on fumes in his last year, and Jeter debunkers seem to want to knock his numbers and make it sound like he was overrated (usually by comparing him to players who didn't play SS)...but the fact is, when compared to other SHORTSTOPS, his offensive numbers are way up there, and he never switched positions the way many top SSs ultimately did (though to be fair, he was clearly not a good defensive SS over the last 5 years or so of his career).  He's clearly a Top-5 SS all-time...not sure how anyone can knock that. 

[NJDevs4978]

I just don't remember Rivera doing all the stuff with Steiner sports that Jeter did or all the ancillary stuff (special hats and the like) being sold then.

[redruM]

And sometimes you have to remember the players are bigger than the teams too. It's an appreciation for the entertainment and effort these guys put on the ball field/ice they are showing appreciation. Jeter lost to the Sox as well - many times, and never pouted, smashed Boston fans, etc. He lost with class and won with class.

 

Lundqvist will retire one day and probably with the NYR, and if he plays another 8 years and somehow wins a Cup or two (god hope not) and did a farewell tour (again hockey doesn't do it) - but if he did and the Devils recognized him in some fashion during the last tv timeout thanking him for years of contribution to the rivalry and service to hockey while making a donation to a charity - by all means - I'd stand and cheer. Things are bigger than the game. These are people. Henrik by all measures is pretty much all class, hard working and passionate. He leaves it out all on the ice. I can appreciate that. It's stupid hockey logos on jerseys we root for, but the players who do it are bigger.

You mised my point. I meant when players come back with another team and play against the Devils for the first time.

even Holik's first game back against the Devils with the Rangers - there should've been some acknowledgment of the service he gave to Devils hockey. Same for Gomez, Parise, Gionta, Madden, Niedermayer, Arnott, and so on....these guys won Cups here and when they returned to NJ as players on other teams for the first time, the Devils couldn't be bothered to say "thanks".

They are playing for other teams, they got the BOOs they deserved!

[DevsMan84]

I just don't remember Rivera doing all the stuff with Steiner sports that Jeter did or all the ancillary stuff (special hats and the like) being sold then.

 

I think it is because the retirement tour and all the attention it got kinda of caught Steiner off-guard.  When Jeter announced his, Steiner was ready and more than willing to cash in on this.  I bet they will be doing it for other players too in the future as part of the norm.