Failing the smell test

Shea Weber FAIL

The more that I get to read about the Shea Weber story then the more I think that this whole situation fails to pass the smell test. From the details of the contract to the claims that Weber thinks that New York was too big for him to play in; there are just too many questions which the answers smell awfully bad.

The only thing that I can be sure of is that I for one am glad to discover how little character Shea Weber has and that he fits the profile of Philadelphia to the T. Boy to think that I really wanted to see Weber as a Ranger, that's a mistake that I am glad the Rangers avoided.

When Ryan Suter signed his contract with the Minnesota Wild; there was Weber professing how shocked he was that Suter was leaving the Predators. So I wonder other than the Nashville fans who is shocked that Weber is wanting to leave the Predators now?

I do so love the hypocrisy of Bill Daly who defended this offer sheet, while at the same time sitting at the negotiation table with the NHL players.

Bill Daly, the N.H.L.’s deputy commissioner, said the Weber offer was mentioned “in a lighthearted way” during the collective bargaining negotiating session. He said there was nothing unusual about the Flyers’ offer.

“We have a collective bargaining agreement that doesn’t expire until Sept. 15, and clubs are operating their businesses consistent with the current terms of our collective bargaining agreement,” Daly said. “That’s the way it should be.”

I for one would like to hear what Gary Bettman thinks of this contract and how he can justify demanding all these concessions from the players. I'm not expecting a miracle where Gary Bettman admits that the reason the owners need these concessions is because the owners lack self-control.

Forget the change in how the revenue is divided and focus on the contract limits, the elimination of signing bonuses and the changes to free agency. Ask yourself at the very least, why the NHL is not even making even the slightest of public outcry regarding this contract?

This offer sheet is the poster child for just about every demand being made by the NHL in their first offer. On September 15th when the NHL locks out their players, will Bill Daly joke about it "in a lighthearted manner" just as he did the Weber contract?

The same article makes a claim that Weber had no idea regarding the terms of the contract. Now am I the only person here who thinks that's a bunch of BS?

We're expected to sit here and believe that? Who accepts any kind of job offer without knowing the details before agreeing to them?

"Shea here is a 14 year $100 million contract, sign it and don't worry about those petty details like no trade/no movement clauses, salary versus signing bonuses as you can trust us. We are your friends"

Perhaps the only thing so far that I have seen is true is that Shea Weber will not wear a New York Ranger uniform. Go right ahead and say that this is sour grapes on my part but Shea Weber's actions in this whole affair does not fit in with being a New York Ranger.

Despite my dislike of John Tortorella, that he demands that his players be of good sound character and judgment is what disqualified Weber. Saying things like things changed after Ryan Suter left Nashville to sign with the Minnesota Wild/

What really Weber should be saying is, he took one look at what his good friend is getting from Minnesota and decided he wanted that kind of deal too. At least it would've been an honest answer on Weber's part.

But that's not the road he chose to travel and I for one can't wait for the first time Weber finds himself in a slump. He will discover how loyal those Philadelphia fans can be when things are not going good.

The next crock has to be Weber's explanation as to why he would not want to play for the Rangers. I would like to meet the person who said that part of being a New York Ranger requires that they live in Manhattan.

(Weber's agent Jarrett) Bousquet said his client's main deterrent with New York was the prospect of living in Manhattan.

"(Weber) is a small-town guy and (New York) is a huge city," Bousquet said. "With New York, it was nothing personal. He thought everything, from the ownership to the hockey operations to the coaching, was unbelievable. (Philadelphia) just seemed to be a better fit at this time in his career."

If I make any grammatical mistakes from this point forward, it is because I am forced to wear a gas mask due to the stench from all the BS being said. Yes Philadelphia, the only city in America that has a courtroom in one of its stadiums is a much better fit for that small town boy.

I don't believe for a second that the New York Rangers would not have taken Weber on a tour of New York, of the Rangers practice facility as well as the kind of environment he would've been living in.

When the Rangers bring a free agent in as part of their "wooing" tactics the Rangers put on a first class tour designed with the player in mind to make him comfortable. Part of that tour includes meeting with realtors who would find the players the kind of living quarters best suited for that player.

Please don't insult Ranger fans by making such an outrageously false claim. All Weber would've had to do was ask where he could live as a Ranger, they would've shown him all of his options.

I really liked what Adam Proteau wrote when he said:

That’s why owners such as Snider (a notorious hawk in all previous negotiations with the NHLPA) and Leipold (who got a sweetheart deal that removed him as Predators owner and gave him the keys to the much more profitable Wild) are such monstrous hypocrites when it comes to collective bargaining negotiations.

They haughtily demand NHLers tighten their financial belts each and every time the league needs a new labor deal, then proceed to make a mockery of the agreement from the minute after it’s signed to the second before it expires.

Yet the NHL on September 15th is going to want you to believe that when they lock out the players; it will be because they care of the sport and want to protect it from the rising costs of player salaries.

They will blame the players, they will blame the Rangers but they will never once point the finger of blame at the true stinkers; themselves.

One last thought, even if the NHLPA caved in on every NHL demand and gave the NHL what they want; the ink will not even be dry on the next CBA before someone starts working on finding and using a loophole.

Remember that.