I want to revisit this debate with "Ronny" one last time and address a few things. I really would like to move on from the thing and obviously I'm not doing that by writing another article. I turned comment registration on because I wanted to see if "Ronny" had enough guts to register himself before making a comment. Clearly he didn't.
This isn't meant as an attack on the guy (or gal... but one can probably assume). I rather enjoy the debate and I don't have a problem with someone having a different opinion, even if that opinion seems veiled, to some degree, in motives we can't entirely confirm.
First off... "Ronny" didn't throw this out initially but when challenged claimed that he had played 5 years of Major Junior and had coached at that level. I don't have any way of knowing whether this is true or not but let's assume that it is. I'd have a few questions.
My guess is that you are neither of these things... and thus none of these questions will ever get answered. And that's fine. I'm certainly curious to know who you are but I'm certainly not going to lose sleep over it.
Secondly...
Here is why I still think you're wrong.
Your argument is based on the theory that Barzal has been "given" ice-time and has been anointed as the golden child from the beginning and that this "culture" has made Barzal a cancer in the locker room and is slowly killing the team.
If this is true, shouldn't this have been true in the first 16 games of the season as well as the last 5?
Your argument is based on the theory that playing time should be earned, not given and that players on the team must be unhappy playing in Seattle because the 16 year old "phenom" isn't really a phenom and he is being handed the "keys". That he has been given his hype by a consortium of people from the Seattle organization all the way back to his midget and bantam days and that everyone, including myself, has bought into the hype.
I hope I have the argument right. I'm really trying not to exaggerate this thing. You believe that good organizations like Portland and Calgary stick their 16s on the 4th line and let them develop and that Barzal should be installed on the 4th line simply by his age and that the veterans on this team have earned their way.
The problem is... your argument eats itself. You're telling us that playing time shouldn't be given to Barzal and that playing time has to be earned yet you're literally giving ice-time to veteran players based on how old they are. You would say that the veterans on this team have "earned their place on the team" and thus ice time. More on that in a minute.
Players, regardless of their age, should have to earn playing time. Barzal has been benched, Delnov has been benched, Elliot has been benched... just to name a few.
I may not agree with everything Coach Konowalchuk has done but to an outsider he clearly isn't "giving" playing time to anyone.
Playing time should be earned in practice and on the ice regardless of how old you are. Your "winning culture" defines playing older players regardless of whether they have earned it or not.
What has the current roster done to earn their playing time besides have a birthday each year?
Let's run down the roster real quick:
McKechnie - Like his game... but hasn't been here and thus has to earn his ice time.
Elliot - Been here for 5 seasons and has 29 points in 271 games while being a Thunderbird during the worst teams in franchise history. Has to earn his ice time.
Eansor - 1st season and lately has played as well as anyone and has earned his additional minutes. Or is he just being given those minutes?
Hickman - Captain, works hard, probably has earned some benefit of the doubt.
Troock - Hurt constantly, hasn't earned anything.
Gropp - Talented, hasn't been here. Needs to earn ice time.
Barzal - Needs to earn ice time and I believe he has and when he hasn't he's been benched.
Honey - Has earned his playing time in my book.
Yakubowski - Same as McKechnie, like his game... still has to earn it.
Swenson - Has earned it to an extent. Still has to go out and show it and he mostly does.
Delnov - Disappears at times and was -33 last year. Still needs to earn it.
Kolesar - Needs to earn it.
Lipsbergs - I'd put him in the Hickman and Honey group. Has mostly earned it.
Holub - Needs to earn it.
The only guys in my book who have previously earned some benefit of the doubt is Honey, Hickman and Lipsbergs.
Look... I don't go to practice, I don't sit in the locker room. I don't "know" who has earned playing time and who hasn't but unless you're going to tell me who you are and your name is Tyler Alos and you're telling me that you watch practice every day as well... I'm going to tell you that based on what I've seen on the ice, Barzal has earned his ice time as much as anyone else has.
I'm not willing to hand ice time to veterans who have lost a vast majority of their games with this franchise in the past 3-4 years.
Ice time is earned. Not given based on age.
You said so yourself.
Program Note: I'm taking a bit of a break from the team tonight. No tweets and I'm probably going to pass on watching the game. I need a bit of a mental break from the team and maybe that will bring them a win tonight.
This isn't meant as an attack on the guy (or gal... but one can probably assume). I rather enjoy the debate and I don't have a problem with someone having a different opinion, even if that opinion seems veiled, to some degree, in motives we can't entirely confirm.
First off... "Ronny" didn't throw this out initially but when challenged claimed that he had played 5 years of Major Junior and had coached at that level. I don't have any way of knowing whether this is true or not but let's assume that it is. I'd have a few questions.
- Why are you commenting mostly-anonymously on a teams fan blog? I have no affiliation with the team and I'm most certainly not "part of the problem" because I have exactly zero control or influence over what the team does.
- Why won't you identify yourself? Why are you hiding behind a keyboard? Are you still looking for a job at the WHL level? Why would you care what the Thunderbirds think if you are critical of what they are doing?
- Lastly... and this offer still stands... why not email me privately? I feel as though I've been pretty civil in this entire discussion and at least I can give you proper credit for your level of expertise. People contact me privately about the blog all the time and I've never put anyone on blast.
My guess is that you are neither of these things... and thus none of these questions will ever get answered. And that's fine. I'm certainly curious to know who you are but I'm certainly not going to lose sleep over it.
Secondly...
Here is why I still think you're wrong.
Your argument is based on the theory that Barzal has been "given" ice-time and has been anointed as the golden child from the beginning and that this "culture" has made Barzal a cancer in the locker room and is slowly killing the team.
If this is true, shouldn't this have been true in the first 16 games of the season as well as the last 5?
Your argument is based on the theory that playing time should be earned, not given and that players on the team must be unhappy playing in Seattle because the 16 year old "phenom" isn't really a phenom and he is being handed the "keys". That he has been given his hype by a consortium of people from the Seattle organization all the way back to his midget and bantam days and that everyone, including myself, has bought into the hype.
I hope I have the argument right. I'm really trying not to exaggerate this thing. You believe that good organizations like Portland and Calgary stick their 16s on the 4th line and let them develop and that Barzal should be installed on the 4th line simply by his age and that the veterans on this team have earned their way.
The problem is... your argument eats itself. You're telling us that playing time shouldn't be given to Barzal and that playing time has to be earned yet you're literally giving ice-time to veteran players based on how old they are. You would say that the veterans on this team have "earned their place on the team" and thus ice time. More on that in a minute.
Players, regardless of their age, should have to earn playing time. Barzal has been benched, Delnov has been benched, Elliot has been benched... just to name a few.
I may not agree with everything Coach Konowalchuk has done but to an outsider he clearly isn't "giving" playing time to anyone.
Playing time should be earned in practice and on the ice regardless of how old you are. Your "winning culture" defines playing older players regardless of whether they have earned it or not.
What has the current roster done to earn their playing time besides have a birthday each year?
Let's run down the roster real quick:
McKechnie - Like his game... but hasn't been here and thus has to earn his ice time.
Elliot - Been here for 5 seasons and has 29 points in 271 games while being a Thunderbird during the worst teams in franchise history. Has to earn his ice time.
Eansor - 1st season and lately has played as well as anyone and has earned his additional minutes. Or is he just being given those minutes?
Hickman - Captain, works hard, probably has earned some benefit of the doubt.
Troock - Hurt constantly, hasn't earned anything.
Gropp - Talented, hasn't been here. Needs to earn ice time.
Barzal - Needs to earn ice time and I believe he has and when he hasn't he's been benched.
Honey - Has earned his playing time in my book.
Yakubowski - Same as McKechnie, like his game... still has to earn it.
Swenson - Has earned it to an extent. Still has to go out and show it and he mostly does.
Delnov - Disappears at times and was -33 last year. Still needs to earn it.
Kolesar - Needs to earn it.
Lipsbergs - I'd put him in the Hickman and Honey group. Has mostly earned it.
Holub - Needs to earn it.
The only guys in my book who have previously earned some benefit of the doubt is Honey, Hickman and Lipsbergs.
Look... I don't go to practice, I don't sit in the locker room. I don't "know" who has earned playing time and who hasn't but unless you're going to tell me who you are and your name is Tyler Alos and you're telling me that you watch practice every day as well... I'm going to tell you that based on what I've seen on the ice, Barzal has earned his ice time as much as anyone else has.
I'm not willing to hand ice time to veterans who have lost a vast majority of their games with this franchise in the past 3-4 years.
Ice time is earned. Not given based on age.
You said so yourself.
Program Note: I'm taking a bit of a break from the team tonight. No tweets and I'm probably going to pass on watching the game. I need a bit of a mental break from the team and maybe that will bring them a win tonight.
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