News Article: Pascal Dupuis - "Why I'm coming back"

[Fordy]

 

[CanadianPensFan1]

Wow. Some of the posts in this thread.

 

[Pens1566]

I think there are/were some differences between Duper's case and those of Timonen/Fleischmann. Apples and oranges.

Having said that, if the docs cleared him, I'm fine with him coming back. I think his presence was sorely missed last year and if he plays anywhere near his previous level, he's a bargain for what he can produce.

 

[Shady Machine]

Same can be said about anyone that claims they are doing it for their family then.

I guess you can say the same about someone suffering through a disease. Why be selfish with the medical costs? Just stop already, right? Mario doing it for Austin? BS, dolla-dolla-bills yo...

About as asinine as assuming your bit, no?

The most messed up thing is that people are mad Dupuis is playing because of the cap implications on the team and his lack of trade value.

If all the people that are mad even have the balls to admit it, I applaud you with my admiration. The rest, keep pretending. As for me, I like his gumption and I understand where he is coming from, I've been told as a youth that I couldn't do this or that because of limitations and it just motivated me to prove them wrong. Dupuis keeps doing that, I applaud him from that.

Really? You are comparing someone who is suffering through a disease and staying alive to be there to raise their kids to the guy that is WILLINGLY risking his life to play a game when he already has enough money and success to live a comfortable life with his wife and kids.

As for me, I'm not mad at Dupuis. I understand why he wants to come back. I just wish he wouldn't use his family as the main reason he is coming back because it's ********. Yeah I'm sure his kids want to watch their Dad play hockey again, but what they want more is a healthy Dad that will spend quality time with them.

For the hockey reasons, I am happy he will be back. He can provide a lot to this team if he is healthy and played in the right role. I just don't agree with his justifications for why he is coming back nor do I trust that he will make the right decision and not hide another clot.

That said, I'm not a doctor and I don't know all of the risk factors here. So if a team of doctors said he can come back and they found the medication and diet protocol to reduce his risk, then the decision is up to Duper.

 

[vikingGoalie]

Life is risk.
It's about managing that risk in this case.
*IF* the doctors who know a crap ton more about this then any of us tell him it's ok to play, and *IF* he is done hiding things and can actually still play.
Why on earth would he not play.

Some of you guys act like he is going to step on the ice and immediately explode by doing so. I am fairly confident that the doctors, or the team, had any shred of doubt of his medical condition not being managed well enough for hockey they wouldn't allow him on the ice.

JR even said as much in a press interview in the spring. BUT apparently the team and the doctor who specializes in this has given him the all clear. I would assume that his wife is not a complete milk sop and has some say in this decision as well. Pascal doesn't seem like the type of person that if his wife told him no way that he still would do it.

So you can characterize this as more of a family decision that he can play, as long as he doesn't hide any developments while being monitored by and cleared by medical professionals. To me that doesn't sound that bad....

Now, if he is determined to play even if a clot re-occurs, then you can strike everything i just said, I just don't think that is the case.

 

[Sheriff66]

It's his life, he has the right to do whatever he wants with it, not sure why anyone would bash him for doing what he loves.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Same can be said about anyone that claims they are doing it for their family then.

I guess you can say the same about someone suffering through a disease. Why be selfish with the medical costs? Just stop already, right? Mario doing it for Austin? BS, dolla-dolla-bills yo...

About as asinine as assuming your bit, no?

The most messed up thing is that people are mad Dupuis is playing because of the cap implications on the team and his lack of trade value.

If all the people that are mad even have the balls to admit it, I applaud you with my admiration. The rest, keep pretending. As for me, I like his gumption and I understand where he is coming from, I've been told as a youth that I couldn't do this or that because of limitations and it just motivated me to prove them wrong. Dupuis keeps doing that, I applaud him from that.

And again JiggyFly, I am sorry about your mom. From the bottom of my heart, really sorry. I know how that can be, I've seen it first hand, I hope she gets as much laughter and love as humanly possible.

I think many of us assumed Mario bought the team and then came back to protect his investment. Either way he never hid something as serious as a blood clot from doctors and that's the crux of the issue here.

Guys like Crosby and Letang never hid any symptoms that we know of and I simply don't trust a guy who hid his symptoms not to do it again. People seem to want to gloss over that.

Dupuis was never drafted, fought through that and had a fine career that he can point to and say to his children, "this is what you can accomplish if you want something badly enough and are willing to work for it". Coming back now proves nothing. This inner demon he has to prove people wrong at this juncture of his career is silliness, sorry.

When I see people call him courageous, a hero, a warrior, etc, it turns my stomach because I've seen people like my moms who truly represented those things. Once again, he's doing this for himself and making ******** excuses in his article.

If he walked away and gave up the game because of his health and family, that is what I would find courageous.

 

[Penguinator]

Mr Jiggyfly, good points but if Duper finishes his contract without any major injuries the accusations will be irrelevant in hindsight. Of course he's doing it for himself & i suspect he might be suffering from an inferiority complex or something (thus the warrior/hero syndrome). Given that the docs are ok with him playing, that he came out with admitting he was wrong (too scared to tell about the clot), i'm absolutely not worried a single bit that he would lie about another blood clot (specifically).

He came out, seeked redemption/adulation, it's in his nature but it doesn't mean he'd want to look like a complete & utter uber ****ing moron by lying again.

You & vabm8 are presumptuous in assuming so.

You do make a few good points though.

 

[Coastal Kev]

I can think of one main reason to come back........ $'s. Even if he only makes through a few weeks, he gets his entire yearly pay.

 

[Coastal Kev]

Ultimately this situation is on ownership for allowing shero to have his geriatric rock and roll fantasy.

Go back to the summer of Ray when he signed Kunitz, Dupuis and Scuderi and read how many here were on board with all three signings. You will be amazed at how many here got it all wrong and at the same time and the few people who were against the signings were all made fun of.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Mr Jiggyfly, good points but if Duper finishes his contract without any major injuries the accusations will be irrelevant in hindsight. Of course he's doing it for himself & i suspect he might be suffering from an inferiority complex or something (thus the warrior/hero syndrome). Given that the docs are ok with him playing, that he came out with admitting he was wrong (too scared to tell about the clot), i'm absolutely not worried a single bit that he would lie about another blood clot (specifically).

He came out, seeked redemption/adulation, it's in his nature but it doesn't mean he'd want to look like a complete & utter uber ****ing moron by lying again.

You & vabm8 are presumptuous in assuming so.

You do make a few good points though.

Of course I'm presuming. Based on the fact he hid a life threatening ailment, and placed hockey over his own life, I suspect he will ignore the signs again if they happen. I think it's foolish to believe he wouldn't do it again and hope the symptoms pass.

A doctor clearing him doesn't mean he is guaranteed of not having another blood clot. I think he makes this team better, but having him out their entertaining me goes agt what I believe is right. I think his decision is purely selfish and once again, it takes way more courage to walk away for the right reasons. I can't say that enough, since somehow it's been made out in this thread that him walking away is a bad lesson for his kids.

That's bunk.

 

[Penguinator]

Well, you think it's foolish to think that he'd not lie again & i think it's presumptuous to assume he'd lie again about blood clots. I do believe we're at an impasse sir so i guess we'll just have to agree to disagree then. Maybe we're both right on other grey area points though but this one sure seems to be of a black or white order...

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Another heartwarming gem from The Pascal'sTribune.

Love the player... hate the selfish rationale and weak justifications. Why this guy feels the need to still have such a massive chip on his shoulder after long since proving the "doubters" wrong is beyond me. Especially with family at stake.

Completely agree with everything Jiggy has said in this thread.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Well, you think it's foolish to think that he'd not lie again & i think it's presumptuous to assume he'd lie again about blood clots. I do believe we're at an impasse sir so i guess we'll just have to agree to disagree then. Maybe we're both right on other grey area points though but this one sure seems to be of a black or white order...

We are both presuming, though.

My presumptions are based on something he already admitted to, and nothing in his two articles makes me feel comfortable with the idea he will be forthcoming about new symptoms should they appear.

Your presumptions are based more on hope and "lesson learned" ideals, than anything.

 

[Penguinator]

Fair enough but the fact that he admitted = lesson learned imo.

 

[plaidchuck]

Of course someone in the public eye in their respective forum will get more due than they should, look at the whole Bruce jenner thing.

 

[chethejet]

It was the bidding against themselves that led to the stupid terms of the signings. No one was going to give Scuderi that deal. Kunitz and Dupuis were attractive but replaceable for that kind of money. Shero screwed up.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

You're letting your emotions get to youyou Jiggy. His experience and your mother's are completely different.

Pointing out that there is a skewered version of what real courage is, hardly makes me emotional. Our society just seems to have trouble wrapping their heads around the concept that these guys really aren't heroes or warriors for playing a sport professionally.

It's entertainment, nothing more and that's something I've understood since I was a teen.

If you and others want to buy into want Dupuis is shoveling, that's your right. I'm not buying it, nor do I consider it courageous and heroic what he is doing.

 

[plaidchuck]

Who said anyone was buying it? I'm just saying this is neither the time or place for a study on the culture of celebrity worship.

I'm a combat vet so trust me, I know what a real hero is. And it's not me or these guys.

 

[Whambino]

Hey son I want you to know that when you have a potential life threatening condition, you should continue to play that dangerous sport you love, even if that means sacrificing more time with your kids and risking your life. Yeah I'm sure that's the message Duper should be teaching his son about perseverance

Terrible logic. His condition is not THAT bad. There are many players in the NHL that deal with the same thing. This isn't going to kill him. Yes there is a small chance, but it's highly unlikely. You clearly have no idea what it means to distill life lessons in someone.

I really don't agree with this. There is absolutely no way his children or anyone else in the world would see Dupuis retiring as "giving up when things get tough." That's not even close to the message that would send. Especially at his age.

He's done plenty of things throughout his career to demonstrate the "persevere no matter what" message to his children. He doesn't need to risk his well-being to teach his kids that message. It wouldn't make him any less of a role model if he were to say that his health and family were more important than a game. I'd argue that it would make him a better one.

Yes he accomplished many things, but it was at a time in his son's life where he was too young to remember/understand things. Stories rarely have an impact and create memories. Him coming back to the ice is something his son will remember. Ultimately, everyone can sit here and say whatever they want. The only people that know whats best for Duper is him, his family, and his doctors. So if they all say he is good to go, I dont understand why there is even a discussion about this.

 

[Russian Factor]

As for me, I'm not mad at Dupuis. I understand why he wants to come back. I just wish he wouldn't use his family as the main reason he is coming back because it's ********. Yeah I'm sure his kids want to watch their Dad play hockey again, but what they want more is a healthy Dad that will spend quality time with them.

how dare you man. I'm serious. That and other **** like that in this thread is so irresponsible it makes my head spin. If you want to make definitive statements like the one above after reading between the lines of a less than 2000 words, ghost-written article... I mean go ahead I guess. It's arrogant and presumptuous and seems to be motivated by contrarianism, cynicism-for-the-sake-of-cynicism, and self-righteous hand-wringing but - go ahead.

This thread was really disappointing to read. And just to be clear, I'm not some meathead who is okay with players hurting themselves as long as I get to clap and my team does well. I'm borderline anti-fighting. I argue with people constantly that rip players for seeking justice for injuries sustained while playing. I value Duper's health above his role on my favorite hockey team. But in no way shape or form will I make confident assertions regarding his family relations in this context. ESPECIALLY ones that are disparaging.

 

[Whambino]

how dare you man. I'm serious. That and other **** like that in this thread is so irresponsible it makes my head spin. If you want to make definitive statements like the one above after reading between the lines of a less than 2000 words, ghost-written article... I mean go ahead I guess. It's arrogant and presumptuous and seems to be motivated by contrarianism, cynicism-for-the-sake-of-cynicism, and self-righteous hand-wringing but - go ahead.

This thread was really disappointing to read. And just to be clear, I'm not some meathead who is okay with players hurting themselves as long as I get to clap and my team does well. I'm borderline anti-fighting. I argue with people constantly that rip players for seeking justice for injuries sustained while playing. I value Duper's health above his role on my favorite hockey team. But in no way shape or form will I make confident assertions regarding his family relations in this context. ESPECIALLY ones that are disparaging.

Thank you for this post. Was definitely needed in this thread.

 

[wej20]

I can think of one main reason to come back........ $'s. Even if he only makes through a few weeks, he gets his entire yearly pay.

Wouldn't he be getting paid anyway because he's on IR?

 

[Waffle Fries]

Yes he accomplished many things, but it was at a time in his son's life where he was too young to remember/understand things. Stories rarely have an impact and create memories. Him coming back to the ice is something his son will remember. Ultimately, everyone can sit here and say whatever they want. The only people that know whats best for Duper is him, his family, and his doctors. So if they all say he is good to go, I dont understand why there is even a discussion about this.

What about a year ago when he worked his ass off to come back from a serious knee injury at age 35 and not lose a step? How was his son too young to understand then but not now?

And I completely disagree that stories can't make an impact. That's a really strange way to look at life on my opinion. I wasn't born when my grandfather was a young man, but the stories from his life (told by both him and others) had a profound effect on me. You don't think that knowing his father was never drafted and somehow worked his way to playing alongside the best player in the world for years isn't going to inspire him later in life?

I can't wrap my head around your perspective that he'd be less of a role model if he retired. You can use the justification that "well if the doctors cleared him," but the role model thing is way off base if you ask me.

I also doubt that if Dupuis decided to retire you would be making the same comment about it sending a message of giving up to his children.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Who said anyone was buying it? I'm just saying this is neither the time or place for a study on the culture of celebrity worship.

I'm a combat vet so trust me, I know what a real hero is. And it's not me or these guys.

I would say this is an ideal scenario for that discussion, actually.

Being told this is courageous and a good lesson for his kids, is disturbing to me.

It's a game. Nothing more. Why people are trying to blur that line, is beyond me.