This is my first attempt, but here goes...
When I hear ASADA, I think of the NRL and all of the drama that has substantiated this year. There are many clubs, and personnel involved within the investigation of usage of certained banned substances. But, the beginning of the investigations this year didn't even begin at an NRL club, but infact at an AFL club residing in Melbourne, the Essendon Bombers. At the beginning of the year, back in February, Essendon invited the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (more commonly known as ASADA) to investigate a supplements program which was run by Stephen Dank, A sports scientist working for the club. Dank had previously worked with NRL clubs such as the Cronulla Sharks, Penrith Panthers and the Manly Sea Eagles. The Australian Crime Commission release a report of the "blackest day in Australian sport" and it is revealed that the Essendon players were urged to have 40 injections each last season.(Herald Sun, 2013).
Fast forward to March and the investigation is turned to the NRL also, targeting many clubs and up to 22 players, but mainly the Cronulla Sharks.(Daily Telegraph, 2013) This put a huge cloud over the Sharks as a whole, and many doubted them to make it anywhere near as far as they did this year. But why were they targeted? Stephen Dank used to work there. Already at this point it seemed like wherever he went or had been, trouble was to be there. Dank had only been at the club for 4 weeks before leaving, leaving concerns of why he had left so soon, and off site treatment adding to the confusion and suspicion. Throughout the course of the season, ASADA had been named and mentioned numerous times, with players, and clubs all being interviewed as part of the process of investigation. We as Australians I believe, do not like cheating, or using anything to gain an unfair advantage, such as the use of peptides.
April comes around, Dank claims that he never used anything that was a banned substance, and never did so without consulting and achieving consent from ASADA or WADA(World Anti-Doping Association) "Nothing was ever used without asking them first", "never once was anything indicated to me that we would have issues in terms of what we used". (Sydney Morning Herald, 2013) In June, ASADA came up again in the media, with new information on their trail. Text messages between the controversial Dank, and several players including Paul Gallen, the NSW captain, and Sandor Earl, Canberra Raiders winger. (Daily Telegraph, 2013) The Telegraph revealed that Dank had been "under close watch" and that text messages had been obtained from his phone to further assist their investigation. At this stage, I wonder how suspicious this Dank character is, and what is to come of it. Two months later Dank is refusing to be interviewed by ASADA despite being a main link in the drugs in sport probe. He said that both Cronulla and Essendon had nothing to worry about in the investigation as no one involved from either club had ever taken any banned substances. "Not at all, not one banned substance". (The Age, 2013)
Now only last week, the Footy Show on Channel Nine aired a full extensive interview of Sandor Earl by the usually funny Karl Stefanovic, where Sandor explains the entire process of his time when he was accused by ASADA to have been a drug cheat, back at the Panthers in 2011 whilst undergoing a double shoulder reconstruction. The man in charge of what Earl had found out to be breaking the law? Stephen Dank. He had offered an opportunity to help Sandor reduce his recovery time by up to three months, which of course any NRL player is going to chomp at the bit for, especially when you're a young player being held back by injury. Sandor explains meeting Dank, and learning of the treatment which Dank repeatedly told Earl that he was not breaking any rules. He was taken away to an off-site treatment facility (much similar to the one mentioned above I would think), the doctor there even assured Earl that he "wouldn't trust anyone more than Stephen Dank". Sandor apparently never paid for any of the substances, and he never received any major benefits from the drugs taken, and to him it seemed more credible. (Sydney Morning Herald, 2013) He says looking back now it looks a bit suspicious, but there isn't much he can do about it now.
Quite simply, I think that Dank should own up to what he has done, to further stop this happening and destroying players futures and even as far as the sports themselves. With this kind of reputation, who will want to fund it, watch it or support it in any way. I personally feel sorry for Sandor Earl, who asked many times "can i get in trouble for this?" to which Dank had replied no. I would too name and shame this man who has torn apart, even if only temporarily, this young man's footy career. As for ASADA asking Sandor to further assist their investigation into naming other players, not so sure if I would do that, or think he should. Dank is guilty, and I firmly believe he should be punished.
References:
Massoud, J. Sharks Players could be stood down following ASADA investigation. March 7, 2013.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/at-least-six-cronulla-sharks-players-in-sights-of-asada-officials/story-e6frexnr-1226591552380
Herald Sun, Essendon drugs scandal: The story so far. August 27, 2013.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/essendon-scandal-the-story-so-far/story-fni5f6kv-1226635822954
Wilson, R. ASADA is tackling a trail of texts between Stephen Dank and NRL players. June 16, 2013.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/asada-tackling-a-trail-of-texts-between-stephen-dank-and-nrl-players/story-fni3gol8-1226664369778
Proszenko, A. I always had ASADA's consent: Dank. April 9, 2013
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/i-always-had-asadas-consent-dank-20130408-2hhgk.html
The Age. Stephen Dank still won't bow to ASADA interview request. August 9, 2013
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/stephen-dank-still-wont-bow-to-asada-interview-request-20130809-2rnbx.html
Webster, A. Dank didn't come clean with me: Earl. September 27 2013.
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/dank-didnt-come-clean-with-me-earl-20130926-2uh9r.html
Monday 30 September 2013
Saturday 21 September 2013
Alex Rodriguez Drug Scandal
Alex Rodriguez Drug Scandal
A-Rod the Banned Plays on
On August the 25th
Major League Baseball (MLB) handed down Alex Rodriguez’s Drug related
suspension that was to extend through the 2014 season. In a statement from the
MLB, the ban was for the “use and possession of numerous forms of prohibited
performance-enhancing substances, including testosterone and human growth
hormone over the course of multiple years.” (cbsnews.com, 2013). Rodriguez was
one of 13 players to have been suspended by the MLB for their link to a now
defunct biogenesis clinic in Florida. This clinic has been accused of
distributing banned performance-enhancing drugs to athletes across a number of
professional sports. (cbsnews.com, 2013). As A-Rod has stated he will appeal
his suspension which is to cover 211 games, if unsuccessful the suspension will
further continue into the 2015 season. (thestar.com, 2013). Through all the
controversy of simply just the findings of the investigation, there is even
more controversy that has been created by Alex Rodriguez’s appeal. Due to
current rules of the MLB, as the arbitrator who is looking over A-Rod’s case
(Frederic Horowitz) won’t be ruling till November or December, Mr Rodriguez
will be allowed to continue playing for the rest of the MLB season.
The other players that have been
notified of their suspension from Major League Baseball have already accepted
their bans. The players to have accepted their 50 game bans are, Antonio Bastardo
(Phillies), Everth Cabrera (Padres), Francisco Cervelli (Yankees), Nelson Cruz
(Rangers), Fautino De Los Santos (free agent), Sergio Escalona (Astros),
Fernando Martinez (Yankees), Jesus Montero (Mariners), Jordan Norberto (free
agent), Jhonny Peralta (Tigers), Cesar Puello (Mets) and Jordany Valdespin
(Mets), (theguardian.com, 2013) with Ryan Braun accepting his 65 game
suspension from his involvement with the biogenesis clinic. A-Rod is as said
before the only player to ‘vow to appeal’ (theguardian.com, 2013) and us such
is still playing in the MLB.
A-Rod is due to miss games this year, it doesn’t seem
right how a player who is so heavily embedded in a drug scandal, handed a 211
game suspension and can now affect games and ultimately the pennant race. There
is no justice in the MLB as long as the long-time Yankees third baseman
is allowed to keep playing. (bostonblobe.com, 2013). To everyone the fact A-Rod
appealed is not due to him trying clear his name, but instead to rain in as
many pay checks before the ban is put into place. Alex Rodriguez is the highest
paid player in Major League Baseball, earning $29,000,000 for the year,
(data.newsday.com, 2013) he clearly wants to get as much of his salary possible
before he is thrown out of the game. What also provides another embarrassing
moment in this whole drug scandal is the situation with pitcher Ryan Dempster.
The Red Sox pitcher took justice into his own hands by hitting A-Rod with a
pitch on his fourth try, now Ryan will be missing games due to his suspension
on the hit before Mr Rodriguez does.
This appeal process that is part of the MLB system at
the moment is only paving the way for justice within the game to be put in a
state of suspension. Allowing a player to continue playing whilst under heavy
evidence of drug related offenses is simply laughable. A-Rod has assisted the
Yankees with a batting average of .281 in keep the baseball club in the race
for finals this year. (bostonglobe.com, 2013). In addition with the Yankees
edging closer to a wild card spot, only being 2.5 games shy of clinching the
spot, if they were to succeed then the appeal hearing would be further delayed.
(Sportsworldnews.com, 2013). With reports confirming that if the Yankees are “still
standing come September 30, the hearing for Rodriguez’s grievance will be
pushed back to allow him to focus on the playoffs.” (Sportsworldnews.com,
2013).
In conclusion, I can’t believe that Major League
Baseball has this system in place. It is an utter failure. Take away the fact
that this 211 game ban is the biggest in MLB history, how can a drug ban system
have this type of appeal system where it takes so long to get a hearing, let
alone allow the player to continue playing. It’s not hard to come to the
conclusion that this appeal from A-Rod is clearly financially driven, the MLB
has to fix up its regulations so this cannot continue. If the Yankees were to
make this years’ post-season, then it will be interesting to see how the MLB
will react and deal with the A-Rod situation. In the end the evidence is
stacked high against A-Rod and much of the baseball community including myself
can come to their own conclusion on what will happen when the hearing on his
drug related ban occurs.
References:
(2013, August 5). Alex Rodriguez hit with drug suspension
through 2014 as MLB drops hammer.
CBS
News. Retrieved from
Mike S. (2013, September 19). Alex Rodriguez Suspension
Hearing September 30 Delayed If Yankees In Wild Card Chase?
Sports
World News. Retrieved from
Christopher G. (2013, August 23). Alex Rodriguez’s appeal is
a sham.
The Boston
Globe. Retrieved from
Pedro G, T. J. Quinn. (2013, June 5). MLB seeks to suspend
A-Rod, Braun.
ESPN.
Retrieved from
Ronald B. (2013, August 5). MLB drug scandal: Alex Rodriguez
can play during appeal: report.
The
Star. Retrieved from
Ronald B. (2013, August 5). MLB bans A-Rod, 12 others in
Biogenesis drug scandal.
The
Star. Retrieved from
David L, Steve B. (2013, August 6) Alex Rodriguez and 12
other players suspended in Biogensis PEDs scandal.
The Guardian.
Retrieved from
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/aug/05/alex-rodriguez-suspended-mlb-peds-drugs
Telegraph Sport. (2013, August 5) New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez banned for 211 games after drugs scandal.
The Telegraph. Retrieved from
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/baseball/10224420/New-York-Yankees-third-baseman-Alex-Rodriguez-banned-for-211-games-after-drugs-scandal.htmlTelegraph Sport. (2013, August 5) New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez banned for 211 games after drugs scandal.
The Telegraph. Retrieved from
Brown J. (2013, August 6) A-Rod, 12 others suspended in Biogenesis scandal.
The Miami Herald. Retrieved from
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/08/06/3543980/a-rod-12-others-suspended-in-biogenesis.html
Jones T. (2013, June 6) No sympathy for A-Rod, others in latest baseball drug scandal.
Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved from
http://www.tampabay.com/sports/baseball/rays/players-in-latest-baseball-drug-scandal-draw-no-sympathy/2125278
Thursday 19 September 2013
Ryan Braun
Ryan
Braun
The Major League
Baseball (MLB) is infamous for its professional athletes using sports enhancing
drugs. Some of the high profiled
all-stars that have been caught include the names of Alex Rodriguez and Barry
Bonds (Gilman, 2013). However, the
latest all-star that has been caught is Ryan Braun. Braun was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers
and has been with the club ever since (Baseball Reference, n.d.). He was picked fifth overall in the 2005
draft, and there were very high expectations for him (Baseball Reference, n.d.). As each year passed, he became a more
confident and frightened left fielder and slugger. By the year 2011, he won the National League
Most Valuable Player, and was rewarded with a contract extension worth 145
million dollars throughout the 2020 season (Gilman, 2013). Everything seemed to be going great for Braun
and the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers
had just come off one of their most successful seasons as of late. Unfortunately, this all came to a crashing
stop. The Brewers’ all-star, Ryan Braun
had been caught taking sports enhancing drugs.
This action of unethical play sent the next portion of Ryan’s life into
a whirlwind of deceit and lies, in hopes of clearing his name of any doping
accusations.
Ryan Braun was having a
stellar season in 2011, hitting between .315 and .330, smashing about 35
homeruns, and driving in around 115 runs (Watson, 2013). He was a crowd favourite in Milwaukee, and
even a favourite across America. His off
field presence with the media was very likeable (New York Daily News, 2013). He simply came across as a very easy going,
free spirit. Due to his good natured
attitude, it was a shock to the MLB world when it was revealed that he had been
caught doping in 2012 (Watson, 2013).
However, an interesting fact also surfaced at the end of 2011. Reports show that Braun had in fact failed a
doping test at the end of his MVP season (Watson, 2013)). Luckily for him though, he was let off on a
technicality that his sample was improperly handled and tainted with (Gilman,
2013). Nowadays though, one can infer
that Braun was in fact doping in his MVP season too. Therefore, when he was officially caught in
2012, further investigation took place to see if he had been doping for his
entire baseball career. As investigators
dug deeper, more and more information pointed towards the fact that Ryan had
been doping for a very long time. In
fact, a college friend from the University of Miami came forward and declared
that Ryan was also doping then (Grant, 2013).
Therefore, it can be speculated that Ryan has been doping for at minimum
of seven years now.
With all of the
speculation surrounding Ryan, the public wondered how he would react. Initially, Ryan went into defensive mode (USA
Today, 2013). He denied all of the
allegations. He denied them so
intensively that he in fact started to believe his own lies (USA Today, 2013). It was at this point that he realized that
enough was enough. It was time to come
clean and own up to his mistakes. Ryan’s
first move was to set up a meeting with the MLB board (USA Today, 2013). It was at this meeting that he revealed that
he had violated the drug policy, and was now willing to discuss an appropriate
suspension (USA Today, 2013). After a
long and strenuous meeting, the final results ended in a suspension of the rest
of the 2012 season. He missed a total of
65 games (Gilman, 2013).
Ryan did not only miss
out on 65 games, but he also lost more important things. First, Ryan had many high profile sponsors
(ie. Nike) that dropped him after the truth about his doping surfaced (Passikoff,
2013). Also, since Ryan had publically
denied all the doping rumors initially, his fans truly stood behind him. However, once the truth was out, he lost all
of their respect. Apparently, even
players of the Milwaukee Brewers lost respect for him too (Grant, 2013). It is evident that Ryan Braun has made some
massive mistakes in his career, which may never be fully repaired.
Ryan now officially
takes one hundred percent of the responsibility for his actions. He truly feels sorry for all of his fans,
family, teammates, and club that he has disappointed (USA Today, 2013). He also goes on to say how much admiration he
has for the game of baseball, and how embarrassed he is for disrespecting it (USA
Today, 2013). He knows that the mistakes
he has made are tremendous, but he hopes that he can eventually win back the
respect of most. To conclude, Ryan has
paid the price for his unethical actions.
He really has lost everything in the world of MLB. The burning question that everyone has is if
he will ever be able to recapture his magical 2011 season. Luckily, time will tell.
References
Baseball
Reference. (n.d.). Ryan Braun.
Baseball Reference. Retrieved
from http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/braunry02.shtml
Gilman A. (2013, July 13). Major League Baseball suspends Ryan Braun for
using steroids. WSWS. Retrieved from http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2013/07/30/brau-j30.html
Grant
E. (2013, August 16). Ryan Braun Releasing Statement Admitting PED
Use. Bleacher
Report. Retrieved from http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1741096-ryan-braun-reportedly-plans-to-admit-to-using-peds
New York Daily News. (2013, September 9). Ryan Braun helps build homes for veterans
with Habitat for Humanity during 65-game suspension. New York Daily News. Retrieved from http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/braun-lends-hand-vets-suspension-article-1.1449723
Passikoff
R. (2013, July 7). Nike Nixes Ryan Braun Sponsorship. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertpassikoff/2013/08/07/nike-nixes-ryan-braun-sponsorship/
USA
Today. (2013, August 22). Ryan Braun’s Statement Apologizing for
Doping. USA Today. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2013/08/22/ryan-braun-statement-apology-steroids-suspension/2690041/
Watson P. (2013, September 15). Looking Ahead to 2014, What Can Milwaukee
Brewers Expect from Ryan Braun? Brewers 101. Retrieved from http://www.sportsmedia101.com/milwaukeebrewers/2013/09/15/looking-ahead-to-2014-what-can-milwaukee-brewers-expect-from-ryan-braun/
Saturday 14 September 2013
New Orleans Saints Bounty System
The
Bounty System
The
desire to win for an individual is of grave importance. Especially, if this individual is a pro
athlete. Unfortunately, it is quite
common nowadays to hear about pro athletes getting caught taking sport
enhancement drugs, in order to increase their chances of winning. Even the most unlikely of athletes are being
caught; the ones that have been role models for the youth. It is true, that pro athletes are steadily
going to more extreme measures, just to win.
However, coaches of these professional athletes are also doing the
same. These coaches are performing
unethical acts in unambiguous ways, in hopes of not getting caught. Fortunately, some have been caught and
publicly shamed. In the case of the New
Orleans Saints Football team, their coach (Sean Payton) has been caught in the
act of a “crush-for-cash” bounty system (ESPN, 2012). Further investigation into this system
reveals the true danger that this unethical system put on all players in the
NFL.
The
New Orleans Saints had been at the bottom of the league for many, many years (Samuel,
2013). The fans were so embarrassed of
their team’s performance, that they would in fact wear paper bags to home games
(ESPN, 2012). However, this all began to
change in the mid 2000’s. The team began
to turn around, acquiring great players, and great coaches (Brady, 2013). One of these coaches was Sean Payton. He has been praised for his coaching ability,
and his treatment towards players (Brady, 2013). Many believe
that he was an integral piece in the New Orleans Saints winning the Super Bowl
in 2010 (Corbett, 2013). They then went
on to have another successful season in 2011, but the end result was not
another Super Bowl ring. However, that was
not the big news of that season. The big
news was that coach Sean Payton and staff had been allowing the pooling of
large amounts of cash to be handed out to defensive players that took out
specific players of opposing teams (Holder, 2013). This news rocked the NFL world.
As
reported, the “crush-for-cash” system worked in a simplistic way. A player would receive $1,500 for a knockout,
$1000 for a cart off, and these payments could double or triple in the playoffs
(ESPN, 2012). Another appalling fact
about this system is that it was targeted towards star players of the opposing
teams (ESPN, 2012). Some of these
players included the talents of Aaron Rodgers, Brett Favre, and even the up and
coming quarterback Cam Newton (ESPN, 2012).
Due to the unveiling of this system, the NFL cracked down hard on all
members associated with it. The
individuals that were hit the hardest were general manager Mickey Loomis,
assistant coach Joe Vitt, and head coach Sean Payton (ESPN, 2012). Mickey Loomis was suspended for the initial 8
games of the 2012 NFL season (ESPN, 2012).
Some believe that this punishment was not harsh enough, as they believe
Mickey obviously knew what was going on with the bounty system imposed. Although, Mickey does own up to the actions
of the team, he does not entirely state that he was integrally involved. Joe Vitt was suspended for the first six
games of the 2012 season (Fox News, 2012).
He was suspended because it was believed that he associated with the
bounty system. Next, Sean Payton
received the severest punishment of them all.
He was banned from coaching for the entire 2012 NFL season (Fox News,
2012). On top of all of these suspensions, the team
was also fined 500,000 thousand dollars, and stripped of their second round draft
pick in 2013 (Holder, 2013). All of this
happened due to a coach’ desire to win, at any means necessary.
Many
would think that Sean Payton would never get hired by another professional
football team ever again. The bounty
program that he supported was unfair, unethical, and posed serious risks to the
health and safety of professional athletes.
Most fans and players seemed to be absolutely disgusted that such a
program even existed (ESPN, 2012). However, fast
forward a year later, and Sean Payton’s suspension has been served. Almost simultaneously, he was given his job
as head coach of the New Orleans Saints back to him (ESPN, 2012). Sean Payton has been quoted for saying that
he has learned from his mistakes, and his previous unethical behaviours are not
acceptable (Corbett, 2013). He has also
taken full accountability of the situation and blames no one. He has demonstrated (to most) that he is once
again ready to gain back the respect of the League (Corbett, 2013). However, every step he now makes will be
under a microscope. Only the 2013 NFL
season will reveal whether or not Sean can recapture the magic that won his
team the Super Bowl in 2010.
To
conclude, I believe that Sean Payton has learned from his mistakes. As stated above, he has taken one hundred
percent of the responsibility for the bounty system. He also served his suspension with little to no
despair. These actions alone show that
he is ready to leave his past behind him, and move forward towards the 2013 NFL
season.
Brady E. (2013, September 4). The Payton Saint of New Orleans returns. USA Today. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/saints/2013/09/04/sean-payton-returns-from-suspension-high-expectations-new-orleans/2761281
Corbett
J. (2013, August 18). Sean Payton Marches on With New Outlook. USA
Today. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/saints/2013/08/18/saints-sean-payton/2669429/
ESPN. (2012,
March 22). NFL Hammers Saints for
Bounties.
ESPN. Retrieved from http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7718136/sean-payton-new-orleans-saints-banned-one-year-bounties
Fox News.
(2012, March 21). Saints coach Sean Payton suspended for 2012
season by NFL. Fox News.
Retrieved from http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2012/03/21/saints-coach-sean-payton-suspended-for-2012-season-by-nfl/
Holder L. (2013, August 30). New Orleans Saints' bounty scandal timeline as Sean Payton prepares for return. NOLA. Retrieved from http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/2013/08/new_orleans_saints_bounty_scan_2.html
Samuel
E. (2013, January 22). New
Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton reinstated by NFL after season-long
BountyGate suspension. NYdailynews. Retrieved from http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/saints-payton-reinstated-nfl-year-long-ban-article-1.1244854
Sunday 8 September 2013
Handling Roberto Luongo
Handling Roberto Luongo
It
can be argued that the NHL (or any other professional league) is purely a business,
and the players are simply the strategic pieces. From this perspective, there is no regard for
the players’ feelings or families. The
management does what they think is in the best interest of their club, at the
cost of their player’s well-being (Woodley, 2013). However, is there a line that can be
crossed? Some believe that this line was
in fact crossed in Vancouver (Rosen, 2013).
The history behind the situation was that Roberto Luongo was gradually
replaced throughout the 2012-2013 hockey season, by up and coming goaltender
Cory Schneider. Nothing seems unethical
about this process so far, except for the fact that throughout it, Roberto was
ridiculed by fans and management (NHL.com, 2013). The hostility towards Luongo was too much for
him to handle, so he began requesting for a trade (Rosen, 2013). However, due to his overpaid contract, no
team could afford him. Therefore, as the
season ended, the Canucks were still stuck with two great goaltenders, and one
had to go. To the dismay of most, Cory Schneider
was the goalie that was traded. Now, the
Vancouver Canucks are once again relying on the goalie that they mocked and
disregarded.
From Luongo’s view, many may wonder if
he will have the same desire to win for the Vancouver Canucks. After facing so much controversy, why would
someone ever want to represent such a team again? Management insists that they have rekindled
the relationship with Luongo and that he will be ready to play come puck drop
(Woodley, 2013). In their defense, hockey
is a business, and they play to win.
Management claims that they have the utmost belief and faith in Luongo
(Woodley, 2013). To prove this, they
constantly bring up past facts such as that Luongo was the goalie in net when
the Canadian Olympic hockey team won gold in the 2010 Olympics (Woodley, 2013). But, does Luongo have the same faith in
himself, and in his team? The
reassurance that everyone still believes in him is tough, as the belief in him
a few months ago was minimal.
The last season of hockey has been a
whirlwind of emotions for Roberto Luongo.
No doubt, he will have to physically and mentally prepare himself in the
off season for a highly anticipated return to the net of the Canucks in their
home opener. Every fan across the nation
will be watching his every move, just to see if he truly does believe he is
still the Canucks number one goaltender.
If he isn’t able to return to his previous form, then who is to
blame? Is it fair to blame management
for making a hockey decision (negatively effecting Luongo), or is it fair to
blame Luongo because he should know that the NHL is strictly a business? Either way, the blame will most likely fall
on Luongo, if he indeed underachieves this season. To conclude, the way the Vancouver Canucks
management handled the goalie fiasco in Vancouver was a nightmare. There was little to no respect for either
goalie, and to now expect Luongo to fully commit to the Vancouver Canucks again
is going to be tough. Hopefully, the
Vancouver Canucks organization can learn from this experience and treat their
players in the future with the utmost respect.
All in all, the decision made by management was a strategic one, but the
process of handling the players within the transaction was poorly conducted,
and could be viewed by some as unethical.
References
NHL.com. (2013, June 29). Canucks: Teams have inquired about Cory Schneider. NHL.com. Retrieved from http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=675736#&navid=nhl-search
Rosen D. (2013, June 30). Canucks part with Schneider, turn to Luongo. NHL.com. Retrieved from http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=675856#&navid=nhl-search
Rosen D. (2013, July 1). Questions linger in wake of Schneider-to-Devils deal. NHL.com. Retrieved from http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=676053#&navid=nhl-search
Woodley K. (2013, July 24). Canucks GM says Luongo 'working his way through'. NHL.com. Retrieved from http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=678815#&navid=nhl-search
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