Enough is enough. Lindros is a great player who deserves media attention when he is playing, but he hasn't played NHL hockey in well over a year. He's also had more concussions than starry-eyed Troy Aikman. The media (devoted to hockey) swoons around Lindros like he is Wayne Gretzky in his record-breaking prime. Unfortunately, the media frenzy that buzzes around Lindros has very little to do with his hockey prowess; it's all about drama.
Lindros vs. Bobby Clarke is a sportscaster's wet dream. Guaranteed drama. Great sound bytes. Saying that Lindros and Clarke don't get along is an understatement on the same level as saying that Mike Piazza really doesn't care for Roger Clemens. Bobby Clarke has gone old school with his name-calling, stooping to Junior High tactics. He's referred to Lindros as being "spoiled", and a "baby"; Clarke speaks his mind with such openness that even Howard Stern could take notes. If he isn't ripping into Lindros's father, he is tearing a strip off of Eric's manhood by asking why his parents have to fight his battles for him. The National Enquirer would be proud.
Clarke has even stated that he doesn't care if Lindros sits out until he is 31, which is the age when he can become an unrestricted free agent in the NHL. How is that for a staring contest? Lindros is 28 now, but he may have to wait three years before he can play in the NHL again. Unlike baseball, free agency in hockey favours the owners. Teams have the option of matching any offer made to restricted free agents, which means that Bobby Clarke ultimately decides Lindros's fate. Unless Eric sits out until he is 31, his mortal enemy is in charge of his hockey future for the next three years. Now THAT sounds like a soap opera plot to me.
Go To Page: 1 2
