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Kings News: Rob Blake's No. 4 jersey will be retired by the LA Kings

Brad Doty said:
Have you even entertained the possibility that some people just don't think he did enough on the ice, or are you just going to wrap everyone under the banner of those who question his character?
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There are players who accomplished less who have their names on the rafters. What did Vachon do? Did Dionne win anything? He always disappeared in the playoffs. Taylor never won anything either. Should they all be chastised? Maybe we can start a petition to have their names removed from the rafters since they never helped the team achieve anything.

Blake played in more games in a Kings uniform than Gretzky or Vachon ever did. He holds just about all team records for a defenseman. What is undeserving of what he accomplished versus what the other names up on the rafters did? To me, he was just as significant of a player on this team as a guy like Taylor was. Taylor was never considered one of the best players at his position during his time the way Blake was.
 
Ziggy Stardust said:
I don't know about that. I can see that argument when you look at how little the team achieved on the ice, but those were some really bad or really mediocre Kings teams that Blake had to captain.

He's the only Kings defenseman in team history to win a Norris, and he was easily a top 3-5 defenseman during that time right along with Lidstrom and Pronger. All that seems to be forgotten though after the way his contract negotiations broke down.

He was also pretty damn dominant the season he was traded and was in my opinion the best defenseman in the playoffs when the Avs won the Cup. There's no chance the Avs win the Cup in 2001 without Blake.
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Not saying he didn't have a great career overall. That's why he's in the HHOF, and good for him, but as a King, one Norris shouldn't be enough to get your number in the rafters. I mean, Visnovsky is the only D to ever lead the team in scoring, should we retire his number too? Just because you were the best of a **** bunch shouldn't automatically qualify you for high honors.

When Kopitar, Doughty, Brown, and Quick go to the rafters, it will be for what they achieved as Kings.
 
Ziggy Stardust said:
I don't know about that. I can see that argument when you look at how little the team achieved on the ice, but those were some really bad or really mediocre Kings teams that Blake had to captain.

He's the only Kings defenseman in team history to win a Norris, and he was easily a top 3-5 defenseman during that time right along with Lidstrom and Pronger. All that seems to be forgotten though after the way his contract negotiations broke down.

He was also pretty damn dominant the season he was traded and was in my opinion the best defenseman in the playoffs when the Avs won the Cup. There's no chance the Avs win the Cup in 2001 without Blake.
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Yes, he was near the top of the game for a few years and we saw how good he was AWAY from the team, but I just don't know that that warrants jersey retirement unless we're just looking for one per decade or something. I just don't see why he's so iconic for being a good player on a bad team and if we were another franchise he probably doesn't even get a sniff. Theo Fleury's number isn't even retired. Check the Wings' records, only guys from this past couple of decades of success retired are Lidstrom and Yzerman. He's just so borderline.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not THAT invested in it, I just think it's questionable and that's even if you don't buy into any of the off-ice stuff.
 
Ziggy Stardust said:
There are players who accomplished less who have their names on the rafters. What did Vachon do? Did Dionne win anything? He always disappeared in the playoffs. Taylor never won anything either. Should they all be chastised? Maybe we can start a petition to have their names removed from the rafters since they never helped the team achieve anything.

Blake played in more games in a Kings uniform than Gretzky or Vachon ever did. He holds just about all team records for a defenseman. What is undeserving of what he accomplished versus what the other names up on the rafters did? To me, he was just as significant of a player on this team as a guy like Taylor was. Taylor was never considered one of the best players at his position during his time the way Blake was.
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I agree but 'best on a bad team' doesn't hold much water to me. Hell, if it weren't for Vachon, what goalies would be up there?
 
Heck, the Luc statue is iffy, too.

Great player, great career, brilliant representative of the org, super affable ... but a statue?

It's like the org is looking for excuses to hoist numbers and artwork for the marketing.
 
Aside from Gretzky, who really was the one player who put the team on the map and elevated the team to respectability, you can make an argument as to why any of the other players' names are hanging from the rafters of Staples Center. Dionne and Luc holding so many team records and also being among the highest scoring players in NHL history (not to mention HHOF inductees) justifies their place up there, but I'd argue that Blake accomplished as much if not more than Vachon and Taylor did during their time with the Kings.

I guess it depends on how far back your memory of Blake goes. Blake was a force in his first four seasons with the Kings. Then he got hit hard by injuries between 1994-95 and 1996-97, and he came back in 97-98 winning first All-Star team honors along with the only Norris Trophy to be won by a Kings dman and finished 3rd in Norris votes again in 2000. He finished top 20 in all-time scoring by a defenseman in the NHL (18th overall), more points than the likes of Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger.

He's accomplished too much not to acknowledge him as one of the best players to don a Kings jersey. He still stands as the best defenseman to ever dress in a Kings uniform. Hopefully someday we'll be saying that about Doughty, but until then, Blake's the man.
 



We all knew it was happening. Why are we pretending to be shocked and why are we still expressing outrage when we had literally a massive thread doing just that not that long ago when he was inducted into the HOF? Just gonna repost all the same arguments and make no ground here.
 
To me his actions after the Cup win this past June went a long way to healing any ill-will that I may have had. Guy didn't want to raise the cup because he was scared of a negative action. He's acknowledged it and is trying to move on. I can get behind that and do the same. Plus we all had to know this was coming. No one's worn 4 since he left so it was just a matter of time.
 
Ziggy Stardust said:
I wish those fans would also say that they'll no longer support the team and disappear.
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Really?
Really?????

wow, I'm absolutely shocked you would say that.

You do realize there are many many long time supporters of this team and long time forum members here who don't want to see Blake's jersey retired.

You know I respect your opinion, maybe more than anyone else on this board, but you are so wrong on this one it's not even funny, and not necessarily your opinion on whether he deserves his number retired, but buy saying anyone who disagrees with you should stop being a fan of the team.
 
I'm talking about people who boo him, not people who disagree with me. As I said, one could argue about having any of those players' names retired who currently have their names hanging atop Staples Center, but to continue to hold anything against him after 14 years? I'd say those people need to grow up.
 
As far as we know, none of his peers have ever had a bad word to say about the guy. Always been looked at a leader, before or after the C incident. Sure, going for the money is going to drive up the salaries of everyone else, so who among them wouldn't like him, but still, not that many players wouldn't do the same thing. Especially when there was no cap.

As a fan 13 or 14 years ago, yeah, the emotions get you. That the Kings ended up playing the Avs in the playoffs, and losing, in 2001 and 2002 doesn't help anything. At the same time, franchises still wanted to pay him to play for them. Young players still looked to him. The Kings wanted to hire him for a management position, and he came back to work for the Kings.

As a fan who isn't part of it, but is irrationally emotional about a corporate logo, if you go against the family, you never forget. When you look at the people directly involved though, who has ever had a bad word to say about Rob Blake? He's the best defenseman in Kings history. Business is business.
 
Ziggy Stardust said:
I'm talking about people who boo him, not people who disagree with me. As I said, one could argue about having any of those players' names retired who currently have their names hanging atop Staples Center, but to continue to hold anything against him after 14 years? I'd say those people need to grow up.
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Come on man, that is not what you said. You replied to the post by MonahanForCalder who said..

So how many people are going to post here saying Blake's number doesn't deserve to be retired?
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And you said...

I wish those fans would also say that they'll no longer support the team and disappear
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You may want to clarify yourself, because it sure seems like you are saying anyone who doesn't want his jersey retired should stop being a fan of the team.
 
i won't boo (hell i won't even be there), but i still hold a grudge against him. most of the ill will has evaporated over time, but regardless of Kings records, NHL stats, etc. the guy shouldn't be honored in the same way as others. there is no other single player in the history of the club that brings this type of debate and hatred forward. players that get numbers retired are revered by fans, not potentially boo'ed when they get the number in the rafters.

the PHI fans welcomed back Lindros. hey cool for him and the fans. that is there own situation. Blake, LA and the fans are different. personally i don't care what PHI did.

the first time he left i understood and had no issue. he was chasing the Cup. the second time around though was BS. it still is BS.

i would rather see M Norstrom's 14 retired before i see Blake and #4 in the rafters
 
Whiskeypete said:
i won't boo (hell i won't even be there), but i still hold a grudge against him. most of the ill will has evaporated over time, but regardless of Kings records, NHL stats, etc. the guy shouldn't be honored in the same way as others. there is no other single player in the history of the club that brings this type of debate and hatred forward. players that get numbers retired are revered by fans, not potentially boo'ed when they get the number in the rafters.

the PHI fans welcomed back Lindros. hey cool for him and the fans. that is there own situation. Blake, LA and the fans are different. personally i don't care what PHI did.

the first time he left i understood and had no issue. he was chasing the Cup. the second time around though was BS. it still is BS.

i would rather see M Norstrom's 14 retired before i see Blake and #4 in the rafters
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Well said, I agree 100%. You are a solid poster WP, any ideas on what squad you will support knowing that you shouldn't be a Kings fan anymore?

All kidding aside, if I still loved in SoCal and were a ticket holder I would not boo, I'm over that and think it's stupid, but I would simply not attend, I would hang out at LA Live until the ceremony was over, and I feel that many people will be doing the same thing.
 
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