Big Lead Sports Bar

7/03/2008

JIM COLONY'S EXTRA POINT ON MARIAN HOSSA

Jim Colony is a jack-of-all trades at ESPN Radio 1250 in Pittsburgh. He hosts, he does the news, he's on the scene...and he's such a nice guy that he's agreed to share the transcripts of his Extra Point segments, which you can hear regularly on 1250. So whenever possible (or whenever Jim feels like sending them), we'll be able to share in the wisdom of a man that sparred with Mark Madden on a daily basis. Enjoy!
JIM COLONY'S EXTRA POINT

I was standing in front of Marian Hossa when, two mornings after losing Game Six of the Stanley Cup Finals, Hossa declared that he'd take less money to play for a good team...and did he ever. Of course, we thought he meant the Penguins. Silly us.
Instead, after finally getting the Pens to extend their $7 million-plus offer for up to seven years - and also enticing others to offer multi-year deals (a reported $9 million per from Edmonton) - Hossa signed with a good team, alright...Detroit. For $7.4 million. For one season. One season!
Hossa tried his best to not disrespect Pittsburgh in a conference call yesterday, saying all the right things...but, in fact, Hossa did exactly that. He said the reason he chose Detroit for one season is that it gives him the best chance to win a Stanley Cup. Like playing alongside Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin for seven seasons wouldn't?
Don't think Sid and Geno didn't take note. Now, let's hope for the rematch next spring.

I’M JIM COLONY … ON 1250 ESPN.

14 comments:

HotDog_Zanzabar said...

Well said Kernelberg.

Hossa did the other 29 teams in the league a major disservice by placing an enormous chip on the shoulder of Sidney Crosby. As motivated a person as he already is, Hossa backstabbed Sid into a 150 point season.

Unknown said...

"He said the reason he chose Detroit for one season is that it gives him the best chance to win a Stanley Cup. Like playing alongside Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin for seven seasons wouldn't?"

I see no disrespect. Detroit was the better team this year, and would have been favored to be the better team next year, with or without Hossa.

The six years beyond that are irrelevant. Hossa can always rejoin the Penguins afte his contract expires in a year.

Unknown said...

Benedict Arnold, Judas Iscariot, Marian Hossa. Sounds about right.

Unknown said...

He was brought in to be a rent-a-star. He did just that. He played well.

At the end of the season, he indicated it wasn't all about money and that he would take less to play for a winner. He did just that. He chose to play for the best team in the NHL.

Benedict Arnold?

HotDog_Zanzabar said...

You can rationalize all you want John, but I hate to inform you that you are in the vast minority. He's a despicable mercenary and he slapped our organization in the face by taking a deal with the team that just beat us. He never broached the subject of a one year deal with the Pens.

Anonymous said...

What can we do about it? It sucks that he wont be on our side next year but this stuff happens.

Unknown said...

We get upset when a star leaves the team for money. Now we have a star, ur, a rent-a-star that leaves the team for not monetary reasons and we still are upset.

Did Hossa leave the team for money?

Did Hossa break his contract?

Did Hossa behave like a
Jagr-esque diva while playing?

Did Hossa become Terrel Owens like diva while playing?

Did Hossa trash the city or the team?

Lastly, when is it acceptable for an athlete to leave the city of Pittsburgh? What could Hossa have done to avoid the rath?

The Duke from Dukes Court said...

What i really want to know about this situation is did Hossa ever give the Pens an opportunity to sign him to a similar 1 year deal? Are the Red Wings that much better than the Pens?

Oddly I see the logic of going for a one year deal for Hossa. The salary cap is going up every year, which means that player salaries will be going up with the cap. Hossa has to be thinking that he can get a long term deal next offseason for more than 7 million per.

Unknown said...

Ah John, Benedict Arnold and Judas Iscariot were traitors. You're saying that what he did wasn't traitorous?

I know that what he did pales in comparison to what Judas did and I don't expect him to go out and hang himself after he realizes the gravity of his actions. But did you hear that Sidney even called this guy asking him to stay?

Hopefully he, like Judas, will enjoy his shiny silver coins.

Good luck in Detroit...seriously! I want to face your team again in the next Stanley Cup final.

Unknown said...

Since when is leaving your employer when your contract expires traitorous, especially if your goal is to win the Stanley Cup and the Stanley Cup Champions are willing to have you own their team. Teams dump players. Players leave teams.

I repeat my question - when is it acceptable for an athlete to leave the city of Pittsburgh?

Steve said...

Obviously John is imagining himself a future sports agent. I'm sure at the next MLB strike, we'll know where you stand on the issue...ironically enough, probably wearing a Detroit-Hossa jersey, but only if they win the cup next year.

Oh, and to answer your question: It's acceptable to leave only after giving the team, city and fans a reason to respect the athlete and a reason to feel that athlete has at least made an attempt to repect them in return. Hossa fails on both counts.

ManBearPig said...

I didn't hear anyone knocking Ryan Malone for leaving. Are they disappointed? Sure. Did the team make him an offer? No. Can any of us blame him for cashing in on all of his hard work done here? Hardly.

Oh, and anyone who wants to make this a white/black thing, forget it. Malone never was offered one fourth of the money that Bonds turned down, so he (Bonds) deserved to be booed.

As for Hossa, what he did was worse than what Jagr did. Jagr trashed the city with his "dying alive" comment. Hossa trashed the Pens entire team by saying that he wanted to go "where he had the best chance of winning the cup"...and at roughly the same money that Shero offered him!

He will be forever villified here. Just wait until next year's final. That's where he'll have to pay for his actions.

Unknown said...

'Hossa trashed the Pens entire team by saying that he wanted to go "where he had the best chance of winning the cup"...and at roughly the same money that Shero offered him!'

Since when is leaving a team for another team that has a greater chance of winning the Stanley Cup 'trashing the entire team'. That makes no sense.

Unknown said...

'It's acceptable to leave only after giving the team, city and fans a reason to respect the athlete and a reason to feel that athlete has at least made an attempt to respect them in return. Hossa fails on both counts'

He agreed to be traded here. He played his butt off while he was here. He didn't act like a diva. He wasn't a malcontent. He didn't make negative comments about the team or the coach while playing. He honored his contract. When the contact expired, he signed with the team the stands the best chance of wining the cup next season. I see no disrespect.