Hockeybird.com: Larry Starts a Mutiny!

And, chances are, you're already on a certain side and not
likely to change positions. Either you think Messier bent the
team over a barrel with a hot poker, lemon and salt; or you
think the Rangers need Messier as their "heart and soul."

Uncle Larry was courageous in his willingness to explain today
that there is no way Messier will accept his fourth line
center status.

Probably by Opening Night, Messier will get Sather's tap to
lead the team as soon as we go down by a goal.

Perhaps Lindros will move to wing. Perhaps Hlavac will be sat
down. Perhaps Barnaby will be given a seat.

Regardless of how the lineup is shuffled to accomodate Messier,
it will be. Sather doesn't roll four lines, so it's inevitable
that Messier won't center that last trio.

Argue the above if you wish, but it's inevitable, so let's
keep going ... what happens then?

Perhaps, boys and girls, there are two criteria that may spur an
alternate ending than last season.

No one else in the media - not local or national - has ever reported
the on-ice truth about Messier. But Brooks, after significant earlier
pieces, finally threw down the gauntlet with his column today.

That could be a watershed ... other writers went out of their way to
avoid criticizing Messier after games. But now that Brooks made
himself the target, it opens the door for criticism.

And since the Cup win, Messier has never been criticized by the local
papers. If scribes start documenting the success (failure) rate of
when Messier is on the penalty, what then?

This will be a fascinating item to watch - which writers start
calling out Messier, and how does Sather respond with ice time?

But here's the real juicy stuff ... the rest of the team. This is not
Messier's lockerroom anymore.

Dunham, de Vries, Kasparaitis, Malakhov, Mironov, Nedved, Hlavac,
Poti, Carter, Holik, Petrovicky ... these are not his guys.

And there are two intangibles which could lead to a mutiny towards
Messier's leadership.

Unlike the roster upheaval of seasons past, there are (thankfully)
quite a few people who still have the taste from last year's failure.

So unlike first year players who take a back seat in order to get
acclimated, these guys will know what was missing and seek to fill it.

The answer, of course, is commitment to physical and defensive play,
spirited practices, and willingness to stay in a system.

So when Messier overstays shifts, cherry picks at the blueline, or
fails to pick his man on the backcheck, there will be resentment.

But here's the better part - and for this we can thank Sather - these
guys are playing for their next contracts.

Kovalev, Carter, Lindros, and others have contracts that are up in the
next year or two. So they will be less likely to accept a reshuffling
of the lines at their expense, or to continue to be associated with
a losing team.

These are not players who are overpaid by seven figures per year and
whose goal is simply not to rock the boat. These are guys who want
their big payday next season, especially since the cba will make
dollars even more competitive.

Perhaps Holik will lose it and point the finger at Messier. Or perhaps
Lindros will explose when he's made both a wing and the team's scapegoat.

But the stage seems set for an epic battle that will rival the Lord of the
Rings trilogy.

Once Messier passes Howe and the commemorative items have been sold, then
the bitterness should come to the surface. And we can thank Uncle
Larry for not only bringing the topic up now, but also for his inevitable
willingness to write about it later.

Why do the New York media and the fans always indulge in this selffulfilling prophecy? No one has put foot to ice in training camp yet and already you and Brooks are painting the worst case scenario for this team and the season.

Do really think that Sather has such a lock on his job that he would risk it by letting Messier hijack this team?

Why is it that people love NASCAR? They're waiting for a crash. I get the feeling that many Ranger Fans are only hanging around to see the next episode this continuing soap opera "As the Ice Melts". "Will Bobby Holik have a cat fight with Messier over ice time and responsibilty?" They can't pull hair because one has a little and the other has none!!

Please, I just want to see them play some hockey before all the negative BS starts.

Posted by: mhurley on September 7, 2003 02:24 PM

Actually, the article was prompted by a need to find an optimistic slant on the Messier signing.

There are those of us who simply can't see Messier being relegated to the fourth line center position. And try as we might, one player at 20 minutes a game CAN bring down a team.

So, in a distorted way, this was my way of trying to keep the faith this season.

-Gabe

Posted by: Gabe on September 7, 2003 05:55 PM

Go Get'm Larry .. the voice of the people .. unfortunately, no one will listen.

Posted by: septemous on September 8, 2003 10:10 AM

"And since the Cup win, Messier has never been criticized by the local papers. If scribes start documenting the success (failure) rate of when Messier is on the penalty, what then?"

Actually Gabe this isn't exactly true.

Back in 1997 Frank Brown while still a reporter was the lone media member to trash Messier and how he felt it was time for the Rangers to get rid of him. He actually in his own way predicted what you wrote in your article as what would happen if the Rangers kept Messier too long.

Posted by: Jess on September 9, 2003 12:31 AM

Jess - thanks for the addition. I should've been clearer that I was referencing the time since his return from Vancouver.

But, your example bring up another good point. When Messier went to Vancouver, quite a few writers were willing to place the blame on Messier for being a hockey mercenary.

I haven't heard any of those writers, except for Brooks, make the same assertions since Messier returned.

-Gabe

Posted by: Gabe on September 9, 2003 09:31 PM

"When Messier went to Vancouver, quite a few writers were willing to place the blame on Messier for being a hockey mercenary."

Oh please don't get me started on this one Gabe. Those writers at the time were so busy sticking their heads up Neil's and Checkett's backsides at that time it wasn't funny.

Mess left because he got a lowball offer right on the heels of Checketts giving Pat Ewing a rather fat and overpaid contract extension. More than anything else it was the fact that the CVC clowns were willing to given a ton of money to a player who had never won a championship while wanting him to take a paycut after what he had done for the franchise.

What I would love to see someone write in the mainstream media is why CVC brought Messier back in the first place. To me the main reason Messier was brought back was simply to give them yet another reason why they couldn't rebuild.

Posted by: Jess on September 10, 2003 10:08 PM