2873 replies to this topic

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

It's all oh so complicated.
I mean Detroit and Pittsburgh? Malkin is not going to be a Penguin forever playing second fiddle to Sid the Skid. If Zach signs there long term he better be prepared for the game plan of the Pens front office which is "Be really good for 7 years, then suck and tank for 7 years."
And Detroit? C'mon! Have you ever seen the Joe Louis arena on a weekday game. It rivals the rock as far as turnout Monday through Friday. I'm sure if we had as many fans not living in Michigan as Detroit we'd be in better shape.
It's all down to our financial problems. If Zach goes he goes and he's not a standup guy like Shane Doan, he's a punk tailcoat rider like Paul Martin.

I'm not of the camp that if Zach signs here, automatically he's a swell guy, but if he doesn't, he's not only a turncoat, but won't possibly have it as good anywhere else as he had it here. The league is as year-to-year as it gets these days...if he goes to the Pens or the Wings, he could very easily win a Cup with either team.

Life will go on for the Devils and Devil fans with or without Zach...if he doesn't return, we'll find out what Lou's Plan B is soon enough.

[ghdi]

Um, he'd be choosing between Detriot, Pittsburgh and New Jersey and you think New Jersey is the least attractive place to live of the three?
Detriot is a sh!thole and Pittsburgh is so nice that the outer realm of Pittsburgh, in the winter, was used to film "The Road".

Pittsburgh is a great city for sports. I can't sh!t on it. I really enjoyed it there. They'll embrace him. He will also be rich, so its not like he'd be living in 8 Mile if he went to Motown. The Detroit suburbs are not downtown. He plays in Newark right now for fvcks sake lol.

[CarpathianForest]

I think so too. It might be a bumpy ride for a few years, but in the end, I think we'll be ok. Dallas and the Texas Rangers under Tom Hicks were an even bigger sh!t-storm, and they're both doing ok now.

If not overpaying for Zach is the worst that happens when this is all done, that's not so bad.

Losing Zach will be a bitter pill to swallow though, especially if he ends up signing with the Penguins.



Ok tough guy, would you leave $20 million on the table to be a "standup guy". Because I think that's what it ultimately comes down to.

Hey, I'm not being a tough guy. What I'm saying though is that there should be some loyalty. Marty was grossly underpaid under his last contract but stayed out of loyalty. And yes, if I was guaranteed somewhere in the range of 7.5 million dollars over a span of time I might consider leaving it on the table. It's not like he's getting paid hourly or anything like that. 20 mil or not, Zach would still be sitting pretty for the rest of his life.
Plus, both Detroit and Pittsburgh got knocked out in the first round this season. The Devils went to the Stanley Cup. I know we have financial issues, but I don't see what's blatantly more attractive about those two clubs when the team you're currently with came within 2 games of winning the big enchilada.

[maxpower]

Pittsburgh is a great city for sports. I can't sh!t on it. I really enjoyed it there. They'll embrace him. He will also be rich, so its not like he'd be living in 8 Mile if he went to Motown. The Detroit suburbs are not downtown. He plays in Newark right now for fvcks sake lol.

Detriot is still a depressed mess that people are fleeing. And Pittsburgh is hardly beautiful either. I'm just saying your point makes no sense, you make it sound like it's the choice between Scottsdale, Maui and Camden. And Pittsburgh is a great town for sports, if you're the Steelers, if you're anyone else, you better be winning. Or do we forget the Dick Tarnstrom era?

[CarpathianForest]

I'm not of the camp that if Zach signs here, automatically he's a swell guy, but if he doesn't, he's not only a turncoat, but won't possibly have it as good anywhere else as he had it here. The league is as year-to-year as it gets these days...if he goes to the Pens or the Wings, he could very easily win a Cup with either team.

Life will go on for the Devils and Devil fans with or without Zach...if he doesn't return, we'll find out what Lou's Plan B is soon enough.

Well so far Lou's plan looks like it involves Cam Janssen.

[ghdi]

Detriot is still a depressed mess that people are fleeing. And Pittsburgh is hardly beautiful either. I'm just saying your point makes no sense, you make it sound like it's the choice between Scottsdale, Maui and Camden. And Pittsburgh is a great town for sports, if you're the Steelers, if you're anyone else, you better be winning. Or do we forget the Dick Tarnstrom era?

"If you're winning" goes for just about every single sports city in this country, and even more so for hockey. Pittsburgh isn't beautiful, there are parts that are, but its hardly a DMZ or the worst place you can consider going. Again, he's currently playing in NEWARK. Just about any city with hockey in this country is a step up from that. Newark is still a sh!thole for the most part. As is Detroit. But he doesnt live in Newark and he wont be living in Detroit.

And we're forgetting Minnesota. Minneapolis is gorgeous compared to the three cities we're discussing and even better outside of it.

Edited by ghdi, 01 July 2012 - 06:43 PM.

[Daniel]

Um, he'd be choosing between Detriot, Pittsburgh and New Jersey and you think New Jersey is the least attractive place to live of the three?
Detriot is a sh!thole and Pittsburgh is so nice that the outer realm of Pittsburgh, in the winter, was used to film "The Road".

Pittsburgh is actually pretty nice. The surrounding suburbs of Detroit are some of the best in the world. Same as the suburbs of Newark I would add.

I don't think location matters, except that I don't think he was ever going to sign with a Canadian team.

[CarpathianForest]

Detriot is still a depressed mess that people are fleeing. And Pittsburgh is hardly beautiful either. I'm just saying your point makes no sense, you make it sound like it's the choice between Scottsdale, Maui and Camden. And Pittsburgh is a great town for sports, if you're the Steelers, if you're anyone else, you better be winning. Or do we forget the Dick Tarnstrom era?

Don't forget he'll have a silly little Penguin on the front of his jersey or a winged wheel that doesn't have anything to do with Detroit anymore. I'd rather have that dancing banana on my jersey over those two silyl little "icons".

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Well so far Lou's plan looks like it involves Cam Janssen.

We'll see what it is after Marty and Parise either return or leave. This all has a ways to go yet.

[Devs1965]

Well so far Lou's plan looks like it involves Cam Janssen.

That's so if Zach signs in Pittsburg he can knock out Cindy!!!

[maxpower]

"If you're winning" goes for just about every single sports city in this country, and even more so for hockey. Pittsburgh isn't beautiful, there are parts that are, but its hardly a DMZ or the worst place you can consider going. Again, he's currently playing in NEWARK. Just about any city with hockey in this country is a step up from that. Newark is still a sh!thole for the most part. As is Detroit. But he doesnt live in Newark and he wont be living in Detroit.

And we're forgetting Minnesota. Minneapolis is gorgeous compared to the three cities we're discussing and even better outside of it.

Minnesota is a non-factor. If he wants to go there, he wants to go there, it would be a decision based of "where I want to live" more than it would be "where I want to play hockey".

Still not getting it, the Pens are a huge "since 2006" fanbase. They were drawing like the Pirates.

[CarpathianForest]

I forgot about Josefson on the third line so:

Kovy-Zajac-Henrique
Jagr-Elias-Sykora
Clarkson-Zubrus-Josefson
Carter-Bernier-Gionta

I don't give a fvck who the Penguins or Rags dress, that's still a hell of an offensive roster at a budget price.

[Satans Hockey]

Pittsburgh is a great city for sports. I can't sh!t on it.

Only for the Steelers otherwise it's only if the team is winning.

[Daniel]

Still not getting it, the Pens are a huge "since 2006" fanbase. They were drawing like the Pirates.

Yeah, but we've been an elite franchise, more or less, for 18 years, and we still draw like the Pirates.

[Devs1965]

Well so far Lou's plan looks like it involves Cam Janssen.

That's so if Zach signs in Pittsburg he can knock out Cindy!!!!

[CarpathianForest]

Minnesota is a non-factor. If he wants to go there, he wants to go there, it would be a decision based of "where I want to live" more than it would be "where I want to play hockey".

Still not getting it, the Pens are a huge "since 2006" fanbase. They were drawing like the Pirates.

Well they also have the backing of the NHL and NBC so they're pushed tremendously. If Cam Janssen signed with Pittsburgh Pierre McGuire, the TSN, NBC and NHL network hacks would all be lauding him as the missing piece in the cup dynasty. Paul Martin has been persona non-grata since joining the Pens, but he was supposed to be the piece that pushed them over the edge into greatness. He's been a big bust, but you never hear about him or the guys who sh!t the bed on that roster. Why? Because it doesn't play into the narrative that the Pens are hockey's equivalent to the Chicago Bulls of the nineties. Once Zach signs(he will, he's a douche) with the Pens, he'll get his own NHL 36, spotlights on him during intermission, Selke consideration, product endorsements, all that. He won't get that with New Jersey. I've been saying it all season long: New Jersey doesn't fit the narrative to bring in the big bucks. The Pens are the golden boys.

[MadDog2020]

Only for the Steelers otherwise it's only if the team is winning.

I spent my freshman year in college in the Pittsburgh area. The Pens definitely have their hardocre die-hards, no doubt about it. But you're right- the Steelers are the only team in that town that can lose at will and still sell out every game. I was able to buy a ticket for a Pens-Flames game at the Igloo 10 rows off the ice for $10 30 minutes before game time back in '98. No joke.

[ghdi]

Still not getting it, the Pens are a huge "since 2006" fanbase. They were drawing like the Pirates.

And they're likely going to continue to draw as long as Crosby and co. are there. Its not like they're going to dip down to those levels anytime soon. I get that Pittsburgh is "what have you done for me lately", but what city is Zach considering going to that isn't?

What is there not to get? Pittsburgh is CURRENTLY a great town for hockey and don't look to be dropping off. Detroit are good at re-loading but have trouble drawing because the economy there sucks. We have a good or a bad team and dont draw for sh!t. This is still the franchise that had trouble selling out Finals games the day of in 2003. You're lucky to get a ticket from the box office in Pittsburgh these days.

[maxpower]

Yeah, but we've been an elite franchise, more or less, for 18 years, and we still draw like the Pirates.

No, it's pretty much the same year to year. They don't have years where they have to fudge constant 5K gates. The Pens are boom or bust, they either pack the place every night or play to crickets.

[Daniel]

Well they also have the backing of the NHL and NBC so they're pushed tremendously. If Cam Janssen signed with Pittsburgh Pierre McGuire, the TSN, NBC and NHL network hacks would all be lauding him as the missing piece in the cup dynasty. Paul Martin has been persona non-grata since joining the Pens, but he was supposed to be the piece that pushed them over the edge into greatness. He's been a big bust, but you never hear about him or the guys who sh!t the bed on that roster. Why? Because it doesn't play into the narrative that the Pens are hockey's equivalent to the Chicago Bulls of the nineties. Once Zach signs(he will, he's a douche) with the Pens, he'll get his own NHL 36, spotlights on him during intermission, Selke consideration, product endorsements, all that. He won't get that with New Jersey. I've been saying it all season long: New Jersey doesn't fit the narrative to bring in the big bucks. The Pens are the golden boys.