Kings Article: Dustin Brown Deserved Much Better From LA Kings

[FrozenRoyalty]

On June 30, now former Los Angeles Kings captain Dustin Brown broke his silence after Anze Kopitar replaced his as the team's captain.

What became clear in a very (and unusually) candid media conference call was that Brown does not agree with the change but is moving forward, with his focus being on getting his game back.

But what also became clear is that the Kings bungled the whole situation. For my thoughts on that particular issue, check out...

Dustin Brown Deserved Much Better From LA Kings

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[KingPuckChoo]

he got way more than what he deserved in the form of an insane contract. The kings gave him a fabulous luxurious lifestyle and in return all they asked was to produce at least 2nd line stats and he failed to do that for 3 straight seasons....

sick and tired of these entitled cry babies!!!

 

[TruKingFan]

he got way more than what he deserved in the form of an insane contract. The kings gave him a fabulous luxurious lifestyle and in return all they asked was to produce at least 2nd line stats and he failed to do that for 3 straight seasons....

sick and tired of these entitled cry babies!!!

I agree and Brown's a favorite of mine. Kings signed him to that retirement contract in an orgasmic fury after winning the Cup in 2012. I think Brownie lost sight of the fact that regardless, there were expectations of him that he didn't deliver for the past few years. He should just shut up, take it like a man and play like his life depended on it in the upcoming season. Then perhaps he can whine.....

 

[The Tikkanen]

This interview is the most impactful thing Brown has done in years.

 

[mbar]

I understand his feelings but after a two week cooling off period here before he spoke to the media he should have cooled off more and taken more ownership of his role that played into this decision. The change was necessitated by three subpar years and he doesn't acknowledge that strongly enough in his quotes and that is wrong. And I love Brown.

 

[Hatter]

he got way more than what he deserved in the form of an insane contract. The kings gave him a fabulous luxurious lifestyle and in return all they asked was to produce at least 2nd line stats and he failed to do that for 3 straight seasons....

sick and tired of these entitled cry babies!!!

^^ This

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Dustin Brown deserves better...

Gets paid $7,250,000 this past season to score 28 points.

Earning $7,000,000 in the upcoming season.

Yeah, poor Dustin Brown. He's the victim in all of this.

 

[Bandit]

Damn, some of you... These are the same quotes from before. Just because a writer puts a title "Brown deserved better" doesn't mean that Brown is "crying" about it.

 

[DOSKI]

Really ?

Let's just ignore Brown helped a loser franchise grow into a two-time SC winner? Not alone, but as a leader in front of a team.

He didn't identify himself as a "victim" or as "poor Dustin Brown". Some so-called fans have done so. He has a right to be pissed. He's just been awarded the "it's D. Brown's fault" trophy by his bosses. In public. And you guys buy it. I don't see DL or DS being stripped of titles. In public. As punishment for the last two years of franchise performance.

Because, y'know, it's all about "team" and "player sacrifice" rather than the economic and regulation field on which this corporate entity chooses to compete and earn millions. God forbid an athlete, basically working as an independent contractor, should get paid. I'm certain each of you repay your bosses your salary or bonus at the end of every year - pro rated for all the time spent dic**ing around thinking about hockey, or food, or just playtime while in the office or on the clock.

Too call Brown - who plays a dangerous and exceptionally punishing game 100 nights (or so) a year often when injured - a "whining" or "entitled cry baby" is unkind and cowardly in the extreme. Especially when accusing a player who actually delivered in his role what others only promised.

 

[AnThGrt]

Should read the exact opposite and Brown used to be my favorite player. After having time to cool down and still lambaste the organization just wish he could be traded. Issue is he is too dumb to realize just how ****** his play and value has become. Entitled athletes....

Also as a captain he had no clue about J. Stoll? V. Voynov? M. Richards? need I go on? Those individuals are to blame themselves, but he clearly lost the locker-room and his game years ago.

 

[Maynard]

I like Brown and this is all kind of sad, but he brought it on himself.

A lot of people are appreciating how "candid" he was yesterday. Well, he was candid about everything except his own performance. He loosely acknowledged needing to "play better" but he never owned up to how truly awful he has played for the past 3 years. He's pissed at management? He should be equally pissed at himself but there isn't one bit of humility or accountability regarding his dog **** play on the ice. Glad he's not the captain any more.

 

[DryIslandBartender]

Brown comes off as entitled and spoiled. I can certainly see why Sutter/DL thought there needed to be a change at the captaincy. Brown hasn't produced or lived up to his contract, he needs to focus on his own game and not worry about a title like captain or what management is doing.

I laugh at the writers who think Brown deserved better, the guy is entering Roenick territory as far as contract/production goes.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

I laugh at the writers who think Brown deserved better, the guy is entering Roenick territory as far as contract/production goes.

They say that because he's kind to them. Clearly some of these writers haven't paid attention to the on-ice product that is Dustin Brown.

 

[Papa Mocha 15]

Have a feeling Brown is gonna have a rough season this year. If he wants off this team, he needs to play his heart out and get his stock up so he can get traded.

Best for everyone involved.

 

[AlphaBravo]

Poor Brown his feelings got hurt. He can wipe his tears with the $6 million a year contract the Kings gave him when he only deserves $2.5 million max. He should be kissing Lombardi's feet and thanking him for securing his family's livelihood instead of moaning about being stripped of the captaincy and complaining about management. Really pathetic.

 

[DocWest]

No he doesn't. Maybe Brown should actually produce like he's paid to do instead of just saying, "I need to be better" for the past 3 years and then doing nothing. And now he's all bitter and full of emotion? Where was that after the last two awful seasons? Where was the personal accountability with his play other than the generic response he gives after every loss? I have no sympathy for him. Plus will all of our awful locker room troubles (drugs, violence, arrests) the past couple of years, maybe he didn't have a handle on being a good captain. So much bad **** went down which really messed up our team. But this is what breaks him and makes him brutaly honest?

 

[DryIslandBartender]

No he doesn't. Maybe Brown should actually produce like he's paid to do instead of just saying, "I need to be better" for the past 3 years and then doing nothing. And now he's all bitter and full of emotion? Where was that after the last two awful seasons? Where was the personal accountability with his play other than the generic response he gives after every loss? I have no sympathy for him. Plus will all of our awful locker room troubles (drugs, violence, arrests) the past couple of years, maybe he didn't have a handle on being a good captain. So much bad **** went down which really messed up our team. But this is what breaks him and makes him brutaly honest?

You bring up a great point. A point a lot of these writers don't put that in their article because it doesn't fit their narrative and won't bring a lot of clicks to their site. Lots of off ice stuff going on behind the scenes and where was the captain to keep guys in check? Surely those incidents weren't a one-off.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

I wonder if any reporter has the balls to ask him what happened in the room when he locked Darryl Sutter out of the locker? Quite the mature captain there.

 

[Herby]

You bring up a great point. A point a lot of these writers don't put that in their article because it doesn't fit their narrative and won't bring a lot of clicks to their site. Lots of off ice stuff going on behind the scenes and where was the captain to keep guys in check? Surely those incidents weren't a one-off.

Kind of hard to blame the captain for guys beating their wives, bringing cocaine into a pool and trying to bring pain pills over the border.

And two of those players were what the GM called "Culture Changers"

 

[KingPuckChoo]

Damn, some of you... These are the same quotes from before. Just because a writer puts a title "Brown deserved better" doesn't mean that Brown is "crying" about it.

oh but i thought he was whining about the fact that he was stripped of the C

which he is! on the record on top of that!

damn a lot of YOU!

 

[Bandit]

oh but i thought he was whining about the fact that he was stripped of the C

which he is! on the record on top of that!

damn a lot of YOU!

I feel like maybe we've had this conversation before about you not knowing what "whining" actually is. I would be MUCH more concerned if he wasn't upset about losing the C. Upset != whining.

 

[Little Psycho]

No he doesn't. Maybe Brown should actually produce like he's paid to do instead of just saying, "I need to be better" for the past 3 years and then doing nothing. And now he's all bitter and full of emotion? Where was that after the last two awful seasons? Where was the personal accountability with his play other than the generic response he gives after every loss? I have no sympathy for him. Plus will all of our awful locker room troubles (drugs, violence, arrests) the past couple of years, maybe he didn't have a handle on being a good captain. So much bad **** went down which really messed up our team. But this is what breaks him and makes him brutaly honest?

Spot on. At the end of the day, it's all business and he's not captain material anymore.

 

[Rorschach]

Brown's game seems more motivated by negative factors rather than positive factors.

His 2012 stretch run and playoff run was epic, but remember it was fueled by his name in trade rumors.

After he got paid, he fell off. With Richards, it was after he got concussed again. But I don't remember any significant injury or physical factor blocking Brown. I have no problem after the 2012 run that Brown got paid but it seems like he's not playing as hard.

If Brown doesn't like it, he should play himself into a position where LA could finally move him.

 

[DryIslandBartender]

Kind of hard to blame the captain for guys beating their wives, bringing cocaine into a pool and trying to bring pain pills over the border.

And two of those players were what the GM called "Culture Changers"

I'm not blaming brown for those incidents but it's clear Brown didn't have a handle on the guys. Like I said, I highly, highly doubt that each of those incidents were a one-off. You don't randomly sneak in Molly's and cocaine to a Vegas pool, unprescribed pills across the border, or randomly decide to put your wife's head through the tv. These guys had issues and nobody questioned it.

The more I read and hear Brown talking, the more i realize that nobody in that locker room gives a flying fig what he has to say. He comes off petulant, whiny, and entitled.

 

[OldGreatWestern]

As far as I'm concerned Dustin was always a "best option from a bad time" captain.

He's got a nice legacy going for himself in the history books and a truck load of cash. He has gotten far more than he ever deserved. The Kings have been more than good to him and don't owe him a thing.

Not going to ever forget though when he went beast mode at the end of that one season and into the playoffs.