Kings Article: LA Kings Rob Blake And That Big Elephant In The Room

[FrozenRoyalty]

LA Kings Rob Blake And That Big Elephant In The Room

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[kingsholygrail]

I think the article highlights the overall issue, actually. Yeah, a lot of people will circle the wagons around the guy, but he generally keeps himself to the background and doesn't really engage. If you want people to get over it, why not engage them and find common ground? The silence and distance really just keeps the elephant around. His brief acknowledgement of it all was just a brush off. Why not take a moment to bury the hatchet even if you don't think there should be one to bury in the first place?

It's kinda like if your girlfriend gets mad at you for something you didn't really do. Trying to plead your case is just going to make her angrier. Sometimes it's just easier to take it on the chin and move on. I think it would go a long way for Blake to ask to start over, so to speak.

 

[FrozenRoyalty]

I think the article highlights the overall issue, actually. Yeah, a lot of people will circle the wagons around the guy, but he generally keeps himself to the background and doesn't really engage. If you want people to get over it, why not engage them and find common ground? The silence and distance really just keeps the elephant around. His brief acknowledgement of it all was just a brush off. Why not take a moment to bury the hatchet even if you don't think there should be one to bury in the first place?

It's kinda like if your girlfriend gets mad at you for something you didn't really do. Trying to plead your case is just going to make her angrier. Sometimes it's just easier to take it on the chin and move on. I think it would go a long way for Blake to ask to start over, so to speak.

The story wasn't a commentary piece. I reported what the players and Blake said. Didn't take a side on the issue. It was a straight news story.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

I think the article highlights the overall issue, actually. Yeah, a lot of people will circle the wagons around the guy, but he generally keeps himself to the background and doesn't really engage. If you want people to get over it, why not engage them and find common ground? The silence and distance really just keeps the elephant around. His brief acknowledgement of it all was just a brush off. Why not take a moment to bury the hatchet even if you don't think there should be one to bury in the first place?

It's kinda like if your girlfriend gets mad at you for something you didn't really do. Trying to plead your case is just going to make her angrier. Sometimes it's just easier to take it on the chin and move on. I think it would go a long way for Blake to ask to start over, so to speak.

So we're admitting to be the angry, irrational girlfriend here?

 

[PRMan]

I think the article highlights the overall issue, actually. Yeah, a lot of people will circle the wagons around the guy, but he generally keeps himself to the background and doesn't really engage. If you want people to get over it, why not engage them and find common ground? The silence and distance really just keeps the elephant around. His brief acknowledgement of it all was just a brush off. Why not take a moment to bury the hatchet even if you don't think there should be one to bury in the first place?

It's kinda like if your girlfriend gets mad at you for something you didn't really do. Trying to plead your case is just going to make her angrier. Sometimes it's just easier to take it on the chin and move on. I think it would go a long way for Blake to ask to start over, so to speak.

I just want an apology. "I'm sorry when i stepped down from being the Captain and made everything about myself instead of the playoff run. That was selfish, it harmed the team and I can understand why fans that are passionate about this team were angry."

If he said that, I would forgive him. But to this day he acts like he did nothing wrong, even though he set the franchise back a decade with his actions.

 

[YP44]

Blake was my favorite player growing up. with that said I do not think he deserves to have his number hang from the rafters. Not because how he refused to waive his no trade, or asked for the "C" to be taken off his jersey. I just think that too many jerserys are being retired, and it is something that should be held for the elite of the elite, not just the elite. Blake should have a kings legends night, or some other sort of recognition (maybe the kings give a top d-man of the year award and name it after him or something) without having his jersey hang.
The flames have started a neat program by having a banners hang of players called "forever a flame". Their number is not retired but it is a great way to honor past players. I would rather see something like that happen,

 

[KingsFan7824]

I just hope there aren't any boos with this. When he was a player, fine. It was fun then. But now?

Lombardi brought the guy back. As far as I've ever read, there isn't a peer that has a bad word to say about him. Blake made his choices back in the day, and every one of them worked out for him and his family, which is all that really matters. He doesn't owe fans any loyalty. He doesn't owe the organization any loyalty. Fans don't owe him anything either, although, again, hopefully the fans that are there just clap for the guy. It is just hockey, and it's not like Blake did anything to anyone personally.

 

[MollerManor]

Not to be the conspiracy theorist here, but I think the real reason why he is getting his jersey retired is because someone is OCD that works for the Kings and wants equal amounts of banners on each side.

Just sayin....

 

[Ron*]

Not to be the conspiracy theorist here, but I think the real reason why he is getting his jersey retired is because someone is OCD that works for the Kings and wants equal amounts of banners on each side.

Just sayin....

Well, that's never going to work, because when the Kings win the Cup again this season the banners will be out-of-balance again.

 

[Ron*]

I just want an apology. "I'm sorry when i stepped down from being the Captain and made everything about myself instead of the playoff run. That was selfish, it harmed the team and I can understand why fans that are passionate about this team were angry."

If he said that, I would forgive him. But to this day he acts like he did nothing wrong, even though he set the franchise back a decade with his actions.

This is a great post.

I feel the same way. And Gann, I don't agree with the last line of the article. I cannot see how you can conclude that "[p]erhaps the elephant has, for all intents and purposes, left the room for good."

That elephant has not only NOT left the room, he brought his herd with him.

 

[T308]

Not to be the conspiracy theorist here, but I think the real reason why he is getting his jersey retired is because someone is OCD that works for the Kings and wants equal amounts of banners on each side.

Just sayin....

Just add Butch Goring and we'll have balance.

 

[YP44]

Not to be the conspiracy theorist here, but I think the real reason why he is getting his jersey retired is because someone is OCD that works for the Kings and wants equal amounts of banners on each side.

Just sayin....

I was surprised he was going up black and white, and not purple, black and white (like Luc). had he gone up with the same colours as luc it really would have hit home your OCD theory.

 

[taz346]

lol, I just can't resist saying this----According to some peoples way of thinking, we should all still hate the Japanese because --they bombed Pearl Harbor years ago.

Sure are a lot of people out there who've never done a dumb thing in their lives, so can sit back and judge others.

 

[Telos]

I never had any hate towards him, but I do still resent his actions and think he is undeserving of having his jersey retired. He isn't on par with the other numbers hanging in the rafters. I'll admit that he is one of the best defensemen to ever play for this team and he played many games here, but that alone shouldn't guarantee him a spot up there. Either way, it is done now, there is nothing we can do but accept it and move on.

 

[Captain Mittens*]

I just want an apology. "I'm sorry when i stepped down from being the Captain and made everything about myself instead of the playoff run. That was selfish, it harmed the team and I can understand why fans that are passionate about this team were angry."

If he said that, I would forgive him. But to this day he acts like he did nothing wrong, even though he set the franchise back a decade with his actions.

Let's talk about this.

One thing I always do try to do is to see both sides of a story. Whether or not you completely agree with the other side, you will often see that there is a degree of legitimacy to their complaint.

I don't agree with Blake stripping the "C" off his jersey, but the real demon of the Blake contract negotiations wasn't Blake, it was Kevin Gilmore. Kevin Gilmore was not qualified to be in the job he was in and he was even less qualified to handle contract negotiations. Note that the Kings now have an ex-agent doing them.

It is safe to assume that we all have jobs here. This is tough to imagine since I am assuming that only a small percentage of us work on short term contracts. But let's say that you are being paid $52,675 a year and you are a great asset to your company. You were recently awarded as the best in your field in your industry and a co-worker or competitor that you know just got a pay raise to $95,000 a year. Your company's upper management is also aware of this, tells you that you are the back bone of the company and that they want you to be an employee for life.
Then they come to you and say we are going to offer you $75,000 and tells you that it is a "final non-negotiable take it or leave it offer"
What would you do?

 

[Captain Mittens*]

lol, I just can't resist saying this----According to some peoples way of thinking, we should all still hate the Japanese because --they bombed Pearl Harbor years ago.

Sure are a lot of people out there who've never done a dumb thing in their lives, so can sit back and judge others.

This is a good example

Pearl Harbor is also another situation where people don't want to see or understand the role the US played in the eventual Pearl Harbor attack

 

[YP44]

This is a good example

Pearl Harbor is also another situation where people don't want to see or understand the role the US played in the eventual Pearl Harbor attack

not really as Japan got nuked and Blake got millions of dollars to play for a cup contending team

I agree with your post about Blake not being the demon on the contract talks, but ripping the C of your chest is not appropriate ever. I have always looked at it as emotions just got the better of him.

 

[Dawdler]

I'm over it for the most part, however I don't think Blake is, which makes it tough for some fans to forgive him for his past transgressions.

Case in point there was that puff piece the other day about Blake, Emerson and Murray surfing everyday, they interviewed Emerson and Murray but Blake was nowhere near that piece, like Kingsholygrail posted he needs to engage the fans and show that its in the past but his actions and body language in public says otherwise.

 

[KingsKnight]

Excited to see his number go up in the rafters. He was a huge part of the team when I was growing up watching the Kings. Just a solid, solid player, who played in some good times and some dark times. No one would care about all the alleged stuff if it was any other player. People care because he meant so much to the Kings, not in spite of it.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Let's talk about this.

One thing I always do try to do is to see both sides of a story. Whether or not you completely agree with the other side, you will often see that there is a degree of legitimacy to their complaint.

I don't agree with Blake stripping the "C" off his jersey, but the real demon of the Blake contract negotiations wasn't Blake, it was Kevin Gilmore. Kevin Gilmore was not qualified to be in the job he was in and he was even less qualified to handle contract negotiations. Note that the Kings now have an ex-agent doing them.

It is safe to assume that we all have jobs here. This is tough to imagine since I am assuming that only a small percentage of us work on short term contracts. But let's say that you are being paid $52,675 a year and you are a great asset to your company. You were recently awarded as the best in your field in your industry and a co-worker or competitor that you know just got a pay raise to $95,000 a year. Your company's upper management is also aware of this, tells you that you are the back bone of the company and that they want you to be an employee for life.
Then they come to you and say we are going to offer you $75,000 and tells you that it is a "final non-negotiable take it or leave it offer"
What would you do?

It's understandable to look at the situation as a fan. We're emotionally invested in a corporate logo, and that's where we come from. We're not inside the room, or having to see the personal business side of things.

Some fans can think, and I know I certainly thought the same at the time, that Blake is a bad captain for voluntarily taking the C off his jersey over money. Every player that has played with him all say he's a great leader though. So C's, or contract squabbles, or whatever, don't even enter the picture. Of course that's probably because they're all players too, see things in a similar fashion, and they're all looking for the next contract from whoever wants to give them the money.

All you can really go by is what other people in the business say. Nothing he did burned any bridges anywhere from people in his line of work. Blake is assistant GM of the Kings, hired by Lombardi, working with Robitaille, still good friends with Norstrom, and looked up to by every current player on the team. At some point, you just have to accept that Blake probably isn't as bad as some of the fans think.

When you look at it, he didn't even set the franchise back at all. Taylor ended up getting quite a bit for a soon-to-be free agent. If Deadmarsh(among others) doesn't get hurt, who knows. After Blake, the Kings ended up being more competitive for a couple years than they had been since the early 90's. After that it got bad, but Blake wouldn't have been in a position to do much to stop that anyway.

 

[Kingspiracy]

Brown also indicated that people outside of the Kings organization do not know the whole story.

“I think [the resentment and bitterness towards Blake is] nonsense, quite honestly,†said Brown. “Fans are entitled to their opinion, but there’s a lot that goes into what Rob has meant for this organization, and [about] how he left. There’s a lot of details that people don’t know about. That’s the case, generally, with a lot of players that people have issues with.â€

“There’s a lot of things that happen within these walls that don’t see the light of day, and it’s that way for a reason,†added Brown. “But from a guy who played against him and a guy who played with him, I think there’s probably no guy more deserving.â€

I think this quote is quite important in the article, It's a ringing endorsement from Brown. We as fans don't have all the info.

 

[King RAZZ]

I wished it would have been a statue instead of the jersey retirement...so we can envy the birds flying over it...

 

[CTKingsFan]

*edit* nevermind. Got the answer

 

[YP44]

I wished it would have been a statue instead of the jersey retirement...so we can envy the birds flying over it...

haha.

 

[Captain Mittens*]

not really as Japan got nuked and Blake got millions of dollars to play for a cup contending team

In both cases, we were talking about the cause, not the effect

I agree with your post about Blake not being the demon on the contract talks, but ripping the C of your chest is not appropriate ever. I have always looked at it as emotions just got the better of him.

totally agree here