The FIRE that is in Jeff Carter...

[Rorschach]

We've known for a while that the "piece of crap," "lazy" player that the old Jeff Carter was and the post-Cup Jeff Carter that is. Many of us have to defend him on the boards especially to East Coast fans who still have an older impression.

Even during the game 3 broadcast on NBC, one announcer called him "that lazy..." and the other one, Doc I think, had to jump in and talk about how much Carter has changed, how much desire he shows.

It's great but, to us, that's old news.

But seriously, that guy won the Cup in and had some big goals and plays at the end of the 2012 run. Yet the next year he comes back in even better shape than the normal great shape he is. He practically led the team to the playoffs while leading the NHL in goals despite our "defensive system" and in the playoffs AFTER winning the Cup. He doesn't do it for the money either as he's locked up for years. And he's back again on the big stage leading the kids to victory. You can see in his eyes every goal, every win, he wants it BAD. I have gone from feeling bad about Carter, hoping he makes his home here...to expecting him to lead the way in critical playoff series...

Does anyone know how this came to be, this player who got what he wanted and rather than rest on laurels, he's more like a phoenix coming back twice as strong. Are we going to one day talk on HF Boards about it's not just about Carter's numbers but also his...INTANGIBLES?

Click to read more...

 

[Reclamation Project]

The Kings core is - Kopitar, Doughty, Quick, and Carter. He's that special.

 

[Winger23]

I honestly think playing in Columbus, and how he hated it had a lot to do with his maturing. He realized he got traded to a good team, with his good buddy. It also helps the lockerroom is a close knit group, and im sure its easier to play hard for guys you like. There sure seemed to be a rift in philly....

 

[Reclamation Project]

I honestly think playing in Columbus, and how he hated it had a lot to do with his maturing. He realized he got traded to a good team, with his good buddy. It also helps the lockerroom is a close knit group, and im sure its easier to play hard for guys you like. There sure seemed to be a rift in philly....

All 3 CBJ fans are still butthurt over it. Their loss was our gain.

 

[Winger23]

All 3 CBJ fans are still butthurt over it. Their loss was our gain.

CBJ should has been just as valuable as our drafting. Carter and gabby for Johnson, frattin and a few draft picks. Talk about highway robbery. I don't even think a video game ai would accept this heh.

 

[Reclamation Project]

CBJ should has been just as valuable as our drafting. Carter and gabby for Johnson, frattin and a few draft picks. Talk about highway robbery. I don't even think a video game ai would accept this heh.

That last line...

Seriously though, Dean got away with highway robbery both times and I firmly believe the Gaborik trade will go down as his best ever. So good.

 

[Ryan120420]

I honestly think playing in Columbus, and how he hated it had a lot to do with his maturing. He realized he got traded to a good team, with his good buddy. It also helps the lockerroom is a close knit group, and im sure its easier to play hard for guys you like. There sure seemed to be a rift in philly....

Chris Pronger...




Carter, hes awesome! From the first game he played as a King he has been awesome!


Thank Philly and CBJ!

 

[ScoreZeGoals]

He's a bonafide Conn Smythe candidate, not bad for a career playoff choker

 

[MOGlLNY]

Jeff Carter can have my children.. If I could birth children.

 

[KingKopitar11*]

Jeff Carter can have my children.. If I could birth children.

If Arnold Schwarzenegger can have a kid, so can you.

 

[Ron*]

We've known for a while that the "piece of crap," "lazy" player that the old Jeff Carter was and the post-Cup Jeff Carter that is. Many of us have to defend him on the boards especially to East Coast fans who still have an older impression.

Even during the game 3 broadcast on NBC, one announcer called him "that lazy..." and the other one, Doc I think, had to jump in and talk about how much Carter has changed, how much desire he shows.

It's great but, to us, that's old news.

But seriously, that guy won the Cup in and had some big goals and plays at the end of the 2012 run. Yet the next year he comes back in even better shape than the normal great shape he is. He practically led the team to the playoffs while leading the NHL in goals despite our "defensive system" and in the playoffs AFTER winning the Cup. He doesn't do it for the money either as he's locked up for years. And he's back again on the big stage leading the kids to victory. You can see in his eyes every goal, every win, he wants it BAD. I have gone from feeling bad about Carter, hoping he makes his home here...to expecting him to lead the way in critical playoff series...

Does anyone know how this came to be, this player who got what he wanted and rather than rest on laurels, he's more like a phoenix coming back twice as strong. Are we going to one day talk on HF Boards about it's not just about Carter's numbers but also his...INTANGIBLES?

Great OP.

Here is what I see: A player that has matured and is happy in the locker room, and his talent has shone through. This guy is a ****ing superstar. He has bought into Sutter's defensive system and is banging players into the boards.

It's hard for me to ever believe Carter was "lazy" and given the harshness of the Philly press corps I am skeptical. I would trust posters like deeshamrock to give us a better feel for how he was in Philly. However, if so, this guy has done a complete 180°. He is a difference-maker on this team.

 

[Clown Baby*]

Great OP.

Here is what I see: A player that has matured and is happy in the locker room, and his talent has shone through. This guy is a ****ing superstar. He has bought into Sutter's defensive system and is banging players into the boards.

It's hard for me to ever believe Carter was "lazy" and given the harshness of the Philly press corps I am skeptical. I would trust posters like deeshamrock to give us a better feel for how he was in Philly. However, if so, this guy has done a complete 180°. He is a difference-maker on this team.

There were a lot of dead-head Eagles' fans that thought Carter was lazy. But, it wasn't deserved.

They saw what Richards was doing, and assumed that Carter should be doing the same thing, even though the two were completely different types of player. Carter was a sniper in Philadelphia, whereas Richards was primarily a playmaker. He was a much better skater than Richards, and at 6'3" (coupled with the longest stick the league would permit) that allowed him to cover a lot of ice, defensively.

It didn't matter that at 22/23, Carter was showing up to camp in incredible shape, that in 2005 he only missed a game after taking a puck to the ear, or that in 2010 he really had no business at all playing in the SCF. It was always a case of "damn your sacrifices, why aren't you better?" Maybe LA fans have dealt with that already, with Blake. I don't know. I just know a lot of the criticism that Carter faced was garbage criticism.

 

[deeshamrock]

Great OP.

Here is what I see: A player that has matured and is happy in the locker room, and his talent has shone through. This guy is a ****ing superstar. He has bought into Sutter's defensive system and is banging players into the boards.

It's hard for me to ever believe Carter was "lazy" and given the harshness of the Philly press corps I am skeptical. I would trust posters like deeshamrock to give us a better feel for how he was in Philly. However, if so, this guy has done a complete 180°. He is a difference-maker on this team.

The biggest change in him was the environment. 360 from Philly. From the Owner, fanbase, media, leadership group, all of it. And he's matured ALOT.

Carter has always been an outstanding goalscorer, great skater. You can see that from his play at the World Juniors when he won gold. I saw it when he arrived in Philly on the Phantoms in heir Calder Cup run. He and Richards were the reason that team won. They came in , played their hearts and out lead that team . You could see his skill then, the speed, the wicked shot. But his 2 way game wasn't there-yet.
John STevens got that rolling as his Phantoms coach and more over, as his Flyers coach. He impressed on a very young JC to use his size and reach to defend and that speed. And I think had Stevens not been fired (which was wrong I never liked that. He helped the Phantoms to a Calder and the Flyers to a 2008 ECF. ) JC would have become closer to the JC the Kings have. A coach can have that kind of effect. DOn't undervalue that his last year, he was on wing with Giroux who had 73 pts and was a plus 20. Giroux is not a 2 way player and weak in his own end and his plus/minus numbers show that. That year, JC and his 2 way play saved G and that line. G wont be a plus 20 again. He made G a better player because of his more complete game, something that few (I did ) recognized that year.

I think Sevens understood that these guys were young (very early 20's) single, had celebrity status in the town and $$. Yes, they drank. I'm guessing a lot of other NHL star players in their early 20's do that too. And in those early years, he did what any normal young guy would do , he enjoyed himself. maybe sometimes a little too much but I'd wager most young NHL stars in that position do similar, just not in the myopic fishbowl that is the Philly sports media. JC, MR along with Lupul, Upshall, and a few others were quite the partiers and it got caught on camera a bit too often Crossing Broad's website even hada 'Daily Carts' feature that displayed the Carter party boy photos. Maybe Stevens should have come down a bit harder on them...but SNider got his panties in a bunch Upshall and Lupul got traded. That was supposed to be the warning to MR and JC. And Pronger and Lavvy arrived and that changed everything..

Buit he's not that kid anymore, he's been in a committed relationship since 2011 and that changed him. He's settled down, content to be monogamous and has grown there and that shows on the ice. He's not coming in at 2am and late for practice and foggy for a game.

Coaching - I felt he played his best in Phlly under Stevens, who I thought got fired too soon. I never like Lavvy or his hot temper , screaming , ranting and punching out soda machines mentality. And naming Richards Captain and 8 mos later cutting him off at the knees by brining in Chris 'the locker-room *****' Pronger, changed everything. MR's days were numbered as soon as that happened. Pronger has to be the only dog in the house, the only voice. And that caustic and abrasive demeanor Pronger houses and his bully mentality, fractured hat Locker room. And the media, in their typical rat-like mentality, blamed Richards and Carter, that they were 'dividing ' the room. Richards made the mistake of trying to defend them and it blew up in his face. Carter withdrew, never talked to the media, got very quiet and was hurt by what some of the media did.

I thought the Flyers were in good hands with Richards and Carter had they been allowed to develop the right way. And had the owner recognized they were very talented but young. Built a team around them, be patient, get the D and goalie, etc. That never happened. I still wince when Iread or hear (at late as during the Anaheim series by a dimwit on TSN) that the Richards and Cater 'were never going to get it down (CUp) in Philly" GRRRR...so wrong.
But Lavvy and Pronger changed all of that. Lavvy is not the easiest person in the room, very vocal, very short fuse, hollers a lot, even punched out walls and soda machines.

Age- He's matured. And his trust was violated in Phlly. In Nov 2010 they signed him to that LTC and he gave them a home town discount because he believed in what they fed him. What he wanted was to stay with the FLyers to play with his best friend, win a CUp together and retire. I heard him say that in Philly when he signed and later in LA when they won. That was important to him. And even 6 mos later on a Tues in June 2011 when the trade rumors (swirling since 2009) came up again, he and his agent requested a meeting with Homer. HOmer looked him in the eye, shook his hand and told him he would not be traded (and the Voracek and a 1st round pick rumors were already out there). Two days later, he was gone to the BJ's. (Same crap Homer pulled with JVR too)

That hurt JC, more than I'm sure he'll ever admit. He felt violated and reacted that way. That is hot knife to the gut. And it did change him inside and when he arrived in LA I think for him it was a rebirth. Off the Philly hellish media firestorm and voracious fanbase. He refocused, he committed himself (even to the point of the PT work , 10 lbs of muscle, etc. ) He was not that committed, training wise, in Philly. He , as he said in an interview after arriving in LA, wanted to repay DL for the 'faith he showed by trading for me' I think a part of him remembers that every shift and he wants to rub salt in the Philly face, to show Snider how wrong he was.

You have to remember his time in Columbus was not well received by their fans or the NHL fans or the NHL media. He was misrepresented (I felt) He broke his foot in Nov of that year, was out hurt. I never thought he 'didn't want to play there'. But that's another story.

Sutter- has brought out the best in him. IF you don't play a 200 foot game for Sutter, you don't play. Period. He was always a good 2 way player but never to the level he's shown now. Not even close. He was never as driven on a regular basis. He's motivated, matured and relishing his role as one of (not the 'only) go to guys.

Lazy - I think the fact some fans in Philly thought he was 'lazy ' was due to the fact he was such a skilled skater, he almost looks effortless when he's gliding up the ice. That can be (as I'm old enough to recall frmer Flyer Rick MacLeish being accused of the same there here. A pure goalscorer who skated so well it never looked like he broke a sweat - ) misdiagnosed as 'lazy' doesn't work hard, etc.
Also, unfortunately, a team's fan based and media will focus on the playoffs and how that 'star' player fared. JC has bad luck with injuries in his philly playoff tenure and his playoff stats were not good. He was seen as a player who wasn't motivated , didn't work, wasn't consistent. etc. He was not the playoff performed LA has been gifted with, he's much better here. That rep for 'not showing up ' when it counts is what caused the trade rumors to start in 2009.

Ti's a tough media town, tri state area that has dozens of reporters covering sports. Mike Schmidt had the same problem. So skilled at what he did , it often looked like he was not working at it, lazy. The Philly media targeted him, he rebelled too. He had the misfortune of playing next to Larry Bowa who had hustle and grit as a middle name, diving for balls, etc. always had a drity uniform. And when he'd read about that, Schmidt fired back at them, scoffing at their reports of his clean uniform having something to do with his motivation or work ethic. no, he said, I'm just good at what I do, I know where to stand, where to play. He also had the best line about the Phlly media, saying
"Philadelphia is the only town where you have the thrill of victory and the agony of reading about it the next day." As much as I loved Bowa for that heart and hustle, I understood Schmidt's frustration with the media harping on the fact he was 'lazy and unmotivated.

Complete team- The other thing , for me, being a part of a complete team in LA has taken pressure off of him and he's relaxed. Quick, Doughty and Kopitar being the best at what they do, and the heart of the team, has given him a lot more freedom. You add the other pieces, the coaching, the team success based on ALL the players buying in and it makes JC's job easier.

Lombardi is the reason JC is who you see today. He had an elite team in place, with a good leadership group, guys like Scuds, MItchell, Wiillams, in that room. Carter became a part of it not the focus of it. Because Snider never got it, that you build a team, not buy one. Too much pressure was put on JC ad MR (as very young players) when the real issues, defense, goaltending and such, were ignored.

Because I'm a fan of the sport for 40 years, I've seen my share of talented young stars arrive. But the are young , college age kids, with a boatload of money and celebrity status. Yes, they drink ,you have to weather that storm. Look what Boston did with Seguin. They got impatient. It happens.
Had JC arrived as 20 year old on a team like the Kings with a good, stable lockeroom of leaders and a more broadminded owner and GM, maybe his path would have changed. There were times where you had reason to be frustrated , and I was . But I saw what the potential was and that that Lavvy Pronger and Snider were not the right temperament.

I think he suffered most in Philly, due to the 'party boy ' rep and the media used that to build the lazy unmotivated idea. He was young and made some mistakes. you can't be photographed at a bar in old city Philly at 2 am when you have a game the next night. That happened too often, along with the fans who met, saw, drank with and called sports talk radio or put in online. Some times (photos don't lie) it was true, most of the time, I felt, it was anonymous fans hiding behind a keyboard or a phone, venting because they didn't like him and adding fuel to a fire. When PRonger came it got worse because he would talk to reporters about JC and MR not buckling down, staying out too late on g ame nights, etc. They resented it, and that locker room got very small.

Being traded to LA (and out of the Phlly frying pan) was the best thing for him. He's a part of a whole, not expected to be the whole things. He was warmly welcomed and embraced by the fanbase, GM and Stevens (who he and Richie always remained close to) , became a part of a brotherhood of players who support and accept him and he's turned into the complete player that he was destined to be.

 

[GKJ]

Good thing he's playing center.

Remember when he was being moved to RW, where he *needed* to play to be more effective?


LOL

 

[deeshamrock]

Good thing he's playing center.

Remember when he was being moved to RW, where he *needed* to play to be more effective?


LOL

Not sure what the LOL is above or the 'needed' reference. He's played RW very effectively before he came to LA. Carter is more effective and far more lethal when he's on wing. But for the here and now, he is needed at center. I've seen him play both since 2005 when he came up and he's better at wing, more dangerous when he doesn't have to be the playmaker or drive the line. I saw how easy and comfortable he was on RW with Giroux. Just skating and waiting for the puck. Just priming to shoot. He's good at both positions, but better at wing.

 

[Captain Mittens*]

 

[GKJ]

Not sure what the LOL is above or the 'needed' reference. He's played RW very effectively before he came to LA. Carter is more effective and far more lethal when he's on wing. But for the here and now, he is needed at center. I've seen him play both since 2005 when he came up and he's better at wing, more dangerous when he doesn't have to be the playmaker or drive the line. I saw how easy and comfortable he was on RW with Giroux. Just skating and waiting for the puck. Just priming to shoot. He's good at both positions, but better at wing.

The Kings and the other players are better with Carter at center, It began to manifest itself in last year's series vs. Chicago. He is able to move when he is needed to, but everyone is better off with Carter at center. He is a driver of possession, so he does not need to sit and wait to have the puck passed to him. Great goal-scoring centers should actually be able to to wing as guys like Malkin and Kesler tend to do at times, but everyone is always better off when they're at center. He is good enough at center that he doesn't *need* to play wing for everyone to be successful. It's easier to just make Carter the 2nd line center and fill in the wingers than the other way around.

 

[Peter James Bond]

Too cool that he says he just gets to drag along with Pearson and Toffoli.
Jeff Carter, on the “fun†he has had playing with Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli:

It’s been great. Obviously they have a lot of chemistry from playing together in Manchester. They’re working and they’re having fun. They use their speed and their skill to create opportunities. Kind of dragging me along with them, so it’s been good.

 

[Ollie Weeks]

 

[Ron*]

The biggest change in him was the environment. 360 from Philly. From the Owner, fanbase, media, leadership group, all of it. And he's matured ALOT.

Carter has always been an outstanding goalscorer, great skater. You can see that from his play at the World Juniors when he won gold. I saw it when he arrived in Philly on the Phantoms in heir Calder Cup run. He and Richards were the reason that team won. They came in , played their hearts and out lead that team . You could see his skill then, the speed, the wicked shot. But his 2 way game wasn't there-yet.
John STevens got that rolling as his Phantoms coach and more over, as his Flyers coach. He impressed on a very young JC to use his size and reach to defend and that speed. And I think had Stevens not been fired (which was wrong I never liked that. He helped the Phantoms to a Calder and the Flyers to a 2008 ECF. ) JC would have become closer to the JC the Kings have. A coach can have that kind of effect. DOn't undervalue that his last year, he was on wing with Giroux who had 73 pts and was a plus 20. Giroux is not a 2 way player and weak in his own end and his plus/minus numbers show that. That year, JC and his 2 way play saved G and that line. G wont be a plus 20 again. He made G a better player because of his more complete game, something that few (I did ) recognized that year.

I think Sevens understood that these guys were young (very early 20's) single, had celebrity status in the town and $$. Yes, they drank. I'm guessing a lot of other NHL star players in their early 20's do that too. And in those early years, he did what any normal young guy would do , he enjoyed himself. maybe sometimes a little too much but I'd wager most young NHL stars in that position do similar, just not in the myopic fishbowl that is the Philly sports media. JC, MR along with Lupul, Upshall, and a few others were quite the partiers and it got caught on camera a bit too often Crossing Broad's website even hada 'Daily Carts' feature that displayed the Carter party boy photos. Maybe Stevens should have come down a bit harder on them...but SNider got his panties in a bunch Upshall and Lupul got traded. That was supposed to be the warning to MR and JC. And Pronger and Lavvy arrived and that changed everything..

Buit he's not that kid anymore, he's been in a committed relationship since 2011 and that changed him. He's settled down, content to be monogamous and has grown there and that shows on the ice. He's not coming in at 2am and late for practice and foggy for a game.

Coaching - I felt he played his best in Phlly under Stevens, who I thought got fired too soon. I never like Lavvy or his hot temper , screaming , ranting and punching out soda machines mentality. And naming Richards Captain and 8 mos later cutting him off at the knees by brining in Chris 'the locker-room *****' Pronger, changed everything. MR's days were numbered as soon as that happened. Pronger has to be the only dog in the house, the only voice. And that caustic and abrasive demeanor Pronger houses and his bully mentality, fractured hat Locker room. And the media, in their typical rat-like mentality, blamed Richards and Carter, that they were 'dividing ' the room. Richards made the mistake of trying to defend them and it blew up in his face. Carter withdrew, never talked to the media, got very quiet and was hurt by what some of the media did.

I thought the Flyers were in good hands with Richards and Carter had they been allowed to develop the right way. And had the owner recognized they were very talented but young. Built a team around them, be patient, get the D and goalie, etc. That never happened. I still wince when Iread or hear (at late as during the Anaheim series by a dimwit on TSN) that the Richards and Cater 'were never going to get it down (CUp) in Philly" GRRRR...so wrong.
But Lavvy and Pronger changed all of that. Lavvy is not the easiest person in the room, very vocal, very short fuse, hollers a lot, even punched out walls and soda machines.

Age- He's matured. And his trust was violated in Phlly. In Nov 2010 they signed him to that LTC and he gave them a home town discount because he believed in what they fed him. What he wanted was to stay with the FLyers to play with his best friend, win a CUp together and retire. I heard him say that in Philly when he signed and later in LA when they won. That was important to him. And even 6 mos later on a Tues in June 2011 when the trade rumors (swirling since 2009) came up again, he and his agent requested a meeting with Homer. HOmer looked him in the eye, shook his hand and told him he would not be traded (and the Voracek and a 1st round pick rumors were already out there). Two days later, he was gone to the BJ's. (Same crap Homer pulled with JVR too)

That hurt JC, more than I'm sure he'll ever admit. He felt violated and reacted that way. That is hot knife to the gut. And it did change him inside and when he arrived in LA I think for him it was a rebirth. Off the Philly hellish media firestorm and voracious fanbase. He refocused, he committed himself (even to the point of the PT work , 10 lbs of muscle, etc. ) He was not that committed, training wise, in Philly. He , as he said in an interview after arriving in LA, wanted to repay DL for the 'faith he showed by trading for me' I think a part of him remembers that every shift and he wants to rub salt in the Philly face, to show Snider how wrong he was.

You have to remember his time in Columbus was not well received by their fans or the NHL fans or the NHL media. He was misrepresented (I felt) He broke his foot in Nov of that year, was out hurt. I never thought he 'didn't want to play there'. But that's another story.

Sutter- has brought out the best in him. IF you don't play a 200 foot game for Sutter, you don't play. Period. He was always a good 2 way player but never to the level he's shown now. Not even close. He was never as driven on a regular basis. He's motivated, matured and relishing his role as one of (not the 'only) go to guys.

Lazy - I think the fact some fans in Philly thought he was 'lazy ' was due to the fact he was such a skilled skater, he almost looks effortless when he's gliding up the ice. That can be (as I'm old enough to recall frmer Flyer Rick MacLeish being accused of the same there here. A pure goalscorer who skated so well it never looked like he broke a sweat - ) misdiagnosed as 'lazy' doesn't work hard, etc.
Also, unfortunately, a team's fan based and media will focus on the playoffs and how that 'star' player fared. JC has bad luck with injuries in his philly playoff tenure and his playoff stats were not good. He was seen as a player who wasn't motivated , didn't work, wasn't consistent. etc. He was not the playoff performed LA has been gifted with, he's much better here. That rep for 'not showing up ' when it counts is what caused the trade rumors to start in 2009.

Ti's a tough media town, tri state area that has dozens of reporters covering sports. Mike Schmidt had the same problem. So skilled at what he did , it often looked like he was not working at it, lazy. The Philly media targeted him, he rebelled too. He had the misfortune of playing next to Larry Bowa who had hustle and grit as a middle name, diving for balls, etc. always had a drity uniform. And when he'd read about that, Schmidt fired back at them, scoffing at their reports of his clean uniform having something to do with his motivation or work ethic. no, he said, I'm just good at what I do, I know where to stand, where to play. He also had the best line about the Phlly media, saying
"Philadelphia is the only town where you have the thrill of victory and the agony of reading about it the next day." As much as I loved Bowa for that heart and hustle, I understood Schmidt's frustration with the media harping on the fact he was 'lazy and unmotivated.

Complete team- The other thing , for me, being a part of a complete team in LA has taken pressure off of him and he's relaxed. Quick, Doughty and Kopitar being the best at what they do, and the heart of the team, has given him a lot more freedom. You add the other pieces, the coaching, the team success based on ALL the players buying in and it makes JC's job easier.

Lombardi is the reason JC is who you see today. He had an elite team in place, with a good leadership group, guys like Scuds, MItchell, Wiillams, in that room. Carter became a part of it not the focus of it. Because Snider never got it, that you build a team, not buy one. Too much pressure was put on JC ad MR (as very young players) when the real issues, defense, goaltending and such, were ignored.

Because I'm a fan of the sport for 40 years, I've seen my share of talented young stars arrive. But the are young , college age kids, with a boatload of money and celebrity status. Yes, they drink ,you have to weather that storm. Look what Boston did with Seguin. They got impatient. It happens.
Had JC arrived as 20 year old on a team like the Kings with a good, stable lockeroom of leaders and a more broadminded owner and GM, maybe his path would have changed. There were times where you had reason to be frustrated , and I was . But I saw what the potential was and that that Lavvy Pronger and Snider were not the right temperament.

I think he suffered most in Philly, due to the 'party boy ' rep and the media used that to build the lazy unmotivated idea. He was young and made some mistakes. you can't be photographed at a bar in old city Philly at 2 am when you have a game the next night. That happened too often, along with the fans who met, saw, drank with and called sports talk radio or put in online. Some times (photos don't lie) it was true, most of the time, I felt, it was anonymous fans hiding behind a keyboard or a phone, venting because they didn't like him and adding fuel to a fire. When PRonger came it got worse because he would talk to reporters about JC and MR not buckling down, staying out too late on g ame nights, etc. They resented it, and that locker room got very small.

Being traded to LA (and out of the Phlly frying pan) was the best thing for him. He's a part of a whole, not expected to be the whole things. He was warmly welcomed and embraced by the fanbase, GM and Stevens (who he and Richie always remained close to) , became a part of a brotherhood of players who support and accept him and he's turned into the complete player that he was destined to be.

Great summation. Very informative.

I would be frustrated as both a fan and a player in a city that is far too negative in terms of media. Philadelphia has to top the list, but I am sure New York and Boston are placing and showing, so to speak.

You just don't see this ridiculousness in Los Angeles. There is absolutely no reason to trash a player's reputation here. I don't recall it ever really happening, really. The media here reflects the fan base: we don't take life all that seriously...we (for the most part) don't live and die with our sports teams and respective players.

I am basically an optimistic person (sometimes cynical, sometimes skeptical, but like to see the good side of things). I couldn't live in an environment like Philadelphia, and constantly hear negative carping on my favorite players.

 

[Captain Mittens*]

Lol. .well played Ollie. Well played

 

[Cyborg LeClair]

Also, unfortunately, a team's fan based and media will focus on the playoffs and how that 'star' player fared. JC has bad luck with injuries in his philly playoff tenure and his playoff stats were not good. He was seen as a player who wasn't motivated , didn't work, wasn't consistent. etc. He was not the playoff performed LA has been gifted with, he's much better here. That rep for 'not showing up ' when it counts is what caused the trade rumors to start in 2009.

Great post. This is not the Carter that played in Philly, plain and simple. Carter always had productive regular seasons but was not a driving force in the playoffs and that's the most important time to be productive.

As someone who watched Carter his whole career (I'm a Flyers fan first and Kings fan second), I can say that the Carter in LA is a better and harder working player. And that's the kind of player you can rally behind.

I'm actually a Carter fan now after not liking him during his time in Philly (always loved Richards though). The Flyers are more than happy with getting Couturier and Voracek for him and he wouldn't be the player he is today if he hadn't been traded.

 

[deeshamrock]

Great summation. Very informative.

I would be frustrated as both a fan and a player in a city that is far too negative in terms of media. Philadelphia has to top the list, but I am sure New York and Boston are placing and showing, so to speak.

You just don't see this ridiculousness in Los Angeles. There is absolutely no reason to trash a player's reputation here. I don't recall it ever really happening, really. The media here reflects the fan base: we don't take life all that seriously...we (for the most part) don't live and die with our sports teams and respective players.

I am basically an optimistic person (sometimes cynical, sometimes skeptical, but like to see the good side of things). I couldn't live in an environment like Philadelphia, and constantly hear negative carping on my favorite players.

It's frustrating all right and some of the media tend to be the kind of person who if sitting at the desk next to you at work, you'd transfer to another office to get away from them. They are venomous and bitter and trashing a players rep has become so common it's caused me (and others) to turn away completely. After they crucified Richards May 2011, I was done with them. And Sean O'Donnell, who played with Richie that final year, a year later in an interview with the Hawks, when asked about subject said it was hard to watch how they 'unjustly skewered' Richards on a weekly basis. That is wasn't bad enough he made the mistake of playing with an injury all year that left him in a lot of pain after a game, he'd have 2 dozen mics in his face , with some hostile reporters.

And Richards and Mike Schmidt made the mistake of trying to defend themselves and it blew up their face. It made it worse, because people like that, almost a bitter envious person who because they can't play and don't have that career, lifestyle use their pen to lash back. You'll never get thru to them. Carter was smarter to retreating into a silent running mode. He got criticized for it, but Richards was publically crucified on every forum. Just sad...and there are , unfortunately, Kings fans who trash talk him that way, the drinking thing , whether they feel it's their sophomoric attempt at humor when they post it, it's not humorous and wrong on every level. It's awful to think those reporters did damage that is still haunting him.

And it spills over into the fanbase. some of them buy into what they read and the critical words put forth. I had a 'lively discussion' a few weeks ago about Schmidt and he whole 'he was lazy, not motivated, etc'. I gave up halfway thru, I was trying to be logical , and this guy's only answer to that was 'nah he was a bum.." yeah, my mistake for confusing you with someone who actually walks upright on two feet.

The LA media doesn't cross the line and nor should they. That atmosphere you described , is a good part of the Kings success. The players are relaxed, they aren't on trial on a daily basis in public. Richards said early on in his LA career that it was so great to be able to focus on the game and not worry all the time about the 'other stuff' (in regards to the media) Having to defend yourself in terms of 'the other stuff' when most of it was invented, creates a problem, additional weight on your back and it does affect your game. I can't tell you how many time when the Flyers would lose, and if JC or MR didn't score or play well, those poison pens who spew carp in the article about 'maybe if they focused on playing as much as partying' etc.

It's not the easiest city to play in if you are an athlete and I'm sure Carter feels a lot freer not having the crap to put up with.

 

[Ron*]

It's frustrating all right and some of the media tend to be the kind of person who if sitting at the desk next to you at work, you'd transfer to another office to get away from them. They are venomous and bitter and trashing a players rep has become so common it's caused me (and others) to turn away completely. After they crucified Richards May 2011, I was done with them. And Sean O'Donnell, who played with Richie that final year, a year later in an interview with the Hawks, when asked about subject said it was hard to watch how they 'unjustly skewered' Richards on a weekly basis. That is wasn't bad enough he made the mistake of playing with an injury all year that left him in a lot of pain after a game, he'd have 2 dozen mics in his face , with some hostile reporters.

And Richards and Mike Schmidt made the mistake of trying to defend themselves and it blew up their face. It made it worse, because people like that, almost a bitter envious person who because they can't play and don't have that career, lifestyle use their pen to lash back. You'll never get thru to them. Carter was smarter to retreating into a silent running mode. He got criticized for it, but Richards was publically crucified on every forum. Just sad...and there are , unfortunately, Kings fans who trash talk him that way, the drinking thing , whether they feel it's their sophomoric attempt at humor when they post it, it's not humorous and wrong on every level. It's awful to think those reporters did damage that is still haunting him.

And it spills over into the fanbase. some of them buy into what they read and the critical words put forth. I had a 'lively discussion' a few weeks ago about Schmidt and he whole 'he was lazy, not motivated, etc'. I gave up halfway thru, I was trying to be logical , and this guy's only answer to that was 'nah he was a bum.." yeah, my mistake for confusing you with someone who actually walks upright on two feet.

The LA media doesn't cross the line and nor should they. That atmosphere you described , is a good part of the Kings success. The players are relaxed, they aren't on trial on a daily basis in public. Richards said early on in his LA career that it was so great to be able to focus on the game and not worry all the time about the 'other stuff' (in regards to the media) Having to defend yourself in terms of 'the other stuff' when most of it was invented, creates a problem, additional weight on your back and it does affect your game. I can't tell you how many time when the Flyers would lose, and if JC or MR didn't score or play well, those poison pens who spew carp in the article about 'maybe if they focused on playing as much as partying' etc.

It's not the easiest city to play in if you are an athlete and I'm sure Carter feels a lot freer not having the crap to put up with.

I think its the cheesesteaks and a tendency for reporters/media to overindulge in them.

That crap can really leave you plugged up. Very uncomfortable I am sure; then you are irritable and irascible and etc. ..

 

[MsMeow]

Carter improved over time like many power forwards. He was never lazy but a lot of Flyer fans said he was because he wasn't Mike Richards. I just think we're so lucky that both of them signed for such low cap hits. Whether or not they play right to the end or not, there is no way both would be Kings if they had signed for more. When Carter was about to sign, we all thought $6.3 million was going to be his hit. $5.2 is a steal!