Ovechkin disagrees with Bradley and Steckel on how they used media
Scott Burnside, ESPN, reports:
Ovechkin told ESPN.com on Friday that he thought it was classless of Bradley to speak ill of his former mates.
"Well, I think if you leave a team, you can't say bad things about the players and the team," Ovechkin said. "I think it looks stupid, especially when you say that to media. If you want to say something to the face, you have to say it to the face, but why have to say it to the media?
"Why you have to do this? I don't respect that," Ovechkin said. "I think it was bad. I think the players know that. It has to be in the locker room, and nothing has to go out from the locker room. We're all players. We all respect each other, but I don't want to say bad things about Brads or different guys that left.
"I think it's stupid."
Ovi is right, but you need to remember that Matt was speaking to a local radio station over his cell phone and I believe he thought this would never be heard outside Ottawa. Wrong! Just like Semyon Varlamov talking to Russian newspaper how fat American girls are and it's right on there next moment, at Japer's Rink, at Puck Daddy. As for Steckel, he just talked to Tarik at the practice, basically said, "Yeah", and it was in the news.
The bottom line is Matt and David are gone, and Semin is here, and as a Captain, you protect your teammates...
"I'm the captain of this team and this is my team and I'm going to do my best," Ovechkin said.
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16 comments:
I don't fully agree with Ovi.
Not all things can be handled quietly. Somethings have to be said publicly so they can no longer be ignored or excused.
Too many Caps players have said similar things about Semin over the years for feelings to have been unknown in the locker room. From what has been said, teammates have given up on trying to reach Semin.
The BFF situation Semin has with Ovi also makes the situation harder. Ovi is like a protective shield around Semin.
He can't be a buddy to his friend all the time, sometimes he has to be a captain.
Also Ovi has just used the media for a message that should be in the locker room. If he has a problem with what his former teammates said, then he should have picked up the phone.
I totally agree with Ovi!!!!!!!!!!
First, you can't compare what Varly said about American girls being fat with what Brad said. Varly just said what almost all Russian men think of and talk about (including Ovi) while Brad went to say something about a team mate.
I don’t care about what Varly said because I’m not fat and because someone needs to tell the chubbiest to hit the gym. What I care is to have a team with a good atmosphere so we can f@#$%^&g win the cup.
And yes, Ovi should have kept his comments for himself or inside the locker room, but someone needs to support Semin.
Ovi is Sasha’s best friend in this team so probably he is the only one who knows what’s wrong with him. Who knows maybe they already talk about being more serious this year.
I guess my question would be whether Ovi, as captain, was aware of or open to Brads' and Steckel's concerns while they were with the team. Ovi became captain in December of 2009. To my mind, as captain, Ovi should have been aware of and working to diffuse these concerns last season -- long before they came out in the media.
I agree with both of you for different thing.
@O: The problem I had with Matt Bradley talking about him was it wasn't in a helpful way. I know he was prompted, but he should have taken it down a little. I had no problem with what Arnott said when he was on the team. Yes, both cases were true, but Arnott did it to help show where he was going wrong and help improve.
I also think Ovi needs to really talk to him because I think Semin does care, he just lack discipline and it's gotta be hard when people don't take the time to TELL you what is wrong and just bad mouth you. (Not just Brads.) Semin had same problem when he play in Russia, so it's not he doesn't want to be here. He just needs help.
I think both Ovi and Bruce need to step it up a notch and make sure he's motivated. They need less optional practices and a harder routine or at least more structured. Especially since they building new style.
Also, I think something needed to be said from Ovi. None of this situation should have been said, but it was and he'd be a bad captain if he just sat back. Matt Bradley could've picked up the phone, and he could've done it before he left the team if it bothered him that much.
@Devi: Varly's comments were a bit harsh, but I agree that it's unrelated. North America has the worst obesity record in the world. It's not fully people's fault though, if they made better food available easier and cheaper like they do in Russia and other countries, as well as better sport/activity programs they wouldn't have this problem. But America seems to focus on money too much.
I also am saying about Semin, you need to wait. Hopefully this year, make everybody will be better. Last year saw a spark in Semin and he didn't get to Worlds because of coach. I believe he will be motivated and will do well. We wait and see, yes?
I agree with Ovi. Brad's comments seemed to me to be bitter and vindictive. He did not show up in the playoffs but critized a player who did. Semin is still on the team because he did show up and Brads is now on a mediocre team because he did not. How does he know if Semin cares or not? If Semin wanted to play in Russian, he could be playing there. I don't know anything about Bradley but he doesn't seem too bright!
Sorry, I meant, "If Semin wanted to play in Russia, he would be playing there".
@Anon: I actually like Bradley, he's usually a good guy. Which is why I think I disagree with him that much. He's usually really smart about things.
You are right that if Semin didn't want to be here, he wouldn't have signed new contracts.
Like I said before, if he had a problem with Semin's effort, he's been like that long before he was a Cap, so he had all that time to say something to Semin himself, Ovechkin, or Boudreau and try to change that.
Right you are, Yulina. That's why I agree with Ovi. He needed to say something because for some reason, Bradley thought it was fine to trash his former team and one of its star players. I wonder if Bradley really said anything to anyone on the team if he didn't like things, or if he kept it inside and let it fester, so that when he was not resigned, the anger he was holding inside got the best of him. Anyway, not good judgement on his part. (I wonder what the Panthers management thinks if those are the things he says about the Caps, one of the best teams in the league. I'm sure the Panthers, one of the worst teams, has many more problems. Is Bradley going to speak up in the locker room or go to the media?)
By the way, Semin's playoff numbers are very strong (30 points in 37 games). Not so much Bradley's (11 points in 37 games).
@Anon: Yes, Semin actually preforms in the play-offs. Bradley isn't one of the guys who gets time to, so you can't really use the "he doesn't preform" thing. It's just that people use the ONE year Semin didn't show up as the basis for the rest of the time. If everyone works together, they dont need to blame any one person.
Or anyone at all because they bring nice shiny cup home. I'd love to be at Moscow or Krasnoyarsk when they brin it back!
Whatever, Ovi. The team better pick it up and actually perform in the playoffs, including Sasha... It's not Brad's comments that are "stupid." It's the performance of our team in the playoffs that is a joke and Ovi, being a captain, is on the hook. I agree with O - as a captain, Ovi should "keep it in the locker room" himself. Hoping to finally see more than 2 rounds in the playoffs and our "young guns" to finally grow up.
By the time the playoffs come around, that'll be the time to prove Bradley and Steckel to be right or to be wrong. It's up to the Washington Capitals to determine that.
Those posters blasting Ovi are crazy. Bradley had no reason to say what he did AFTER he was no longer on the team. GMGM and the team knew there were problems and were handling it BEFORE Bradley said what he did. Remember GMGM going to talk with the players about changes? Remember BB and Ovi having a heart to heart where BB asked Ovi to be more vocal--all before Bradley spoke. There was no need for Bradley to say anything except for the fact that he was still sore over Semin getting more playing time than him.
And yes, Ovi had to say something--even if he agreed with Bradley. He's the captain, and he has to have all of his current players' backs.
In a Caps fans eyes, yes, it was stupid of Bradley to say those things, NO MATTER IF THEY ARE TRUE OR NOT. I have no doubt that a lot of it is true, but it certainly doesn't help our team having our dirty laundry aired. It doesn't help Semin to have to wonder who likes him and who doesn't. Like him or dislike him, while he is on our team, we need him to perform.
And Arnott specifically said that he didn't think people took the time to get to know Semin. That was why he purposely reached out to him. I'm sure he's someone whose personality isn't easy to deal with, but not everyone can be like Ovi. Right now he's on this team.
I believe O. handled it reasonably well. He denounced Bradley's handing of the situation without attacking Bradley's personal performance. After all Bradley is the one who was traded. Also, it really is a losing end, unless things get extremely bad, to denounce a team or specific teammates after one has left the team.
In general it is best to keep situations, "in the family," unless it gets bad enough that outside interference is necessary. And in this case, it doesn't seem that necessary. It's not like what Bradley stated hasn't been guessed upon before. Nor is it any sort of shocking scandal.
IMO who said what when and how is not important now. IMO the last thing Ovie and the Caps need is any more unnecessary drama, more distractions, that divert attention away from their main goal of advancing further in the playoffs. It's time to get down to business already.
Maybe what Bradley said about Semin has some truth to it, but it's not like it was the first time the subject was brought up. Some Caps fans and media types have been all over Semin, that's not news. Whether anyone said anything to Semin in the locker room we'll never know for sure.
Maybe the timing and context of Bradley's comments can be questioned, but I don't see what he said as sour grapes or bitterness. Maybe he was expressing frustration that he, Bradley, with nowhere near Semin's skills, has to fight and battle for on-ice minutes and sees someone like Semin with so much talent that sometimes is not always displayed. Only Bradley knows what he meant, I won't pretend to be a mind reader and say I know for sure his motives.
Having said that, I'm not surprised Ovie said what he did. My question is, did he speak up in Semin's behalf as Caps Captain or as Semin's good friend? Because IMO there is a line, and has to be, where friendship stops and being the team's leader begins. If Ovie wants to grow as a leader and be a better Captain, he has to learn when and where that line has to be crossed, where he must put close friendship aside and consider what's best for the team. IMO this is the most important duty and role for wearing the C.
judging by his actions today, I think he was in C-mode. That and, he didn't really defend Semin as much as he stood up for his team.
Bradley is just ticked off he won't be with the Caps when they win the cup. It was definitely classless what Bradley did. If he had such a big problem with Semin, he should have manned up and spoke with Semin directly about it (even if he had to use an interpreter). You don't call out former or current teammates via the media. His jealousy is revolting. Semin is the second highest scorer on the team, where did Bradley rank. If I was a Panther, I most certainly would'nt buy Bradley's friendliness, and I would absolutely watch my back.
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