Jagr Watch 2017

[bh]

I don't know why people are taking this so bad. He's a grown man and he chose Philly and in reality it probably is a MUCH better fit for him. I don't know, but I don't think Shero really was probably thrilled with the idea of Jagr on the team and maybe Jagr could tell in their conversations that he felt that way. To me Shero extended an offer that he knew was going to be WAAAY less than the other teams just to say that he tried. That's fine. I don't fault the Pens for not wanting to bend over backwards, and I don't begrudge Jagr for signing with a team that really wanted him bad. No reason for hard feelings.

[ExPatriatePen]

bh, your statement makes sense, as far as you take it. What it doesn't address is Jagr's previous statements, his phone call(s) with Mario and the way he strung Shero along right up to the deadline.

Give decent answers for that behavior and I might reconsider, until then Jagr is a Putz and Jagr apologists are just one step removed from trolls.

Of course that's just *my* opinion and it's worth what you paid for it.

[tonysoprano]

I don't know why people are taking this so bad. He's a grown man and he chose Philly and in reality it probably is a MUCH better fit for him. I don't know, but I don't think Shero really was probably thrilled with the idea of Jagr on the team and maybe Jagr could tell in their conversations that he felt that way. To me Shero extended an offer that he knew was going to be WAAAY less than the other teams just to say that he tried. That's fine. I don't fault the Pens for not wanting to bend over backwards, and I don't begrudge Jagr for signing with a team that really wanted him bad. No reason for hard feelings.

People are probably taking it worse than you think, not because of his lack of future on-ice contributions, but because he, yet again, spit in not only the organization's face, but specifically in Mario's face.

That generally doesn't sit well with the fan base. And for good reason.

And the offer was not "wayyyyy" less than Philly's offer. And it sure wasn't "wayyyyy" less than Detroit's offer of $2.5 million.

[pugilist13]

Jags will be a bust in Philthy. Wait till he gets booed unmercifully when he's dragging his ass back to the bench after another extended shift. He's already getting some backlash from his recent comments. Basically told media that he can promise nothing and doesnt know how this is gonna play out. He did say it will be a benefit playing with right handed centerman, but little else. Enjoy it Philly!!!

[ExPatriatePen]

I just got around to reading the interview with Jagr on the PG Blog:

Back then I wanted to play for the New York Rangers, and I promised [Omsk] if I don’t make a deal with the New York Rangers, I’m going to go to Omsk. That’s what I promised them. Three years ago with the free agency, we couldn’t make any deals with Glen Sather. So like I promised, I signed with Avangard Omsk. But right after I signed, there were very good offers from the NHL. But I told myself I’m not going to look back, because I already did what I did. It was kind of tough to leave, because then I saw there was more interest from the NHL, but I had already made the promise. I know for some people it might be just words, but for me, I’m very religious, I know it would bite me a little later. I know that. That’s the way the word works. "

Are you freak'n kidding me?

#JustWhenIThoughtHeCouldntDigTheHoleAnyDeeper

[ExPatriatePen]

I just got around to reading the interview with Jagr on the PG Blog:

http://blogs.sites.post-gazette.com/ind ... g-07-01-11" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Back then I wanted to play for the New York Rangers, and I promised [Omsk] if I don’t make a deal with the New York Rangers, I’m going to go to Omsk. That’s what I promised them. Three years ago with the free agency, we couldn’t make any deals with Glen Sather. So like I promised, I signed with Avangard Omsk. But right after I signed, there were very good offers from the NHL. But I told myself I’m not going to look back, because I already did what I did. It was kind of tough to leave, because then I saw there was more interest from the NHL, but I had already made the promise. I know for some people it might be just words, but for me, I’m very religious, I know it would bite me a little later. I know that. That’s the way the word works. "

Are you freak's kidding me?

#JustWhenIThoughtHeCouldntDigTheHoleAnyDeeper

[DudeMan2766]

At the gym today I realized I through my keys in locker number 68, when I came back from the bathroom I took them out and put them in locker number 66. Penz Fan 4 Lyfe!!!

[brwi]

Jags will be a bust in Philthy. Wait till he gets booed unmercifully when he's dragging his ass back to the bench after another extended shift. He's already getting some backlash from his recent comments. Basically told media that he can promise nothing and doesnt know how this is gonna play out. He did say it will be a benefit playing with right handed centerman, but little else. Enjoy it Philly!!!

Yes, his 50 foot coast to the bench for a line change without striding once is a real crowd and coach-pleaser Screams "on ice leadership" like nothing else.

Not sure what his obsession with playing only with a right-handed centerman is all about either as I can't recall any other right wingers saying this is a real issue with them ever. OH well...more Jagr Logic.

[Physical_Graffiti]

Jagic?

[ExPatriatePen]

Jags will be a bust in Philthy. Wait till he gets booed unmercifully when he's dragging his ass back to the bench after another extended shift. He's already getting some backlash from his recent comments. Basically told media that he can promise nothing and doesnt know how this is gonna play out. He did say it will be a benefit playing with right handed centerman, but little else. Enjoy it Philly!!!

Yes, his 50 foot coast to the bench for a line change without striding once is a real crowd and coach-pleaser Screams "on ice leadership" like nothing else.

Not sure what his obsession with playing only with a right-handed centerman is all about either as I can't recall any other right wingers saying this is a real issue with them ever. OH well...more Jagr Logic.

We should start a thread called #JagrLogic and post to it everytime he screws up this year! It would rival "Hossa to Detroit" and the "political" thread in length.

[pens2005]

I don't know why people are taking this so bad. He's a grown man and he chose Philly and in reality it probably is a MUCH better fit for him. I don't know, but I don't think Shero really was probably thrilled with the idea of Jagr on the team and maybe Jagr could tell in their conversations that he felt that way. To me Shero extended an offer that he knew was going to be WAAAY less than the other teams just to say that he tried. That's fine. I don't fault the Pens for not wanting to bend over backwards, and I don't begrudge Jagr for signing with a team that really wanted him bad. No reason for hard feelings.

He's a grown man so he isn't fair game for criticism? That argument doesn't hold much water in my book.

Way less? It was 1 mil less. That's hardly a significant amount given today's salaries and/or what Jagr has made over the course of his career. He STILL went for just what was more., despite saying the complete opposite. This had NOTHING to do with the Flyers signing Bryzgalov (despite this being Jagr's key reason for signing there...what a crock) and had everything to do with Jagr being a jagoff yet again.

He should be booed relentlessly, should never have his jersey retired, and I wish him nothing but failure in everything he does.

At some point you have to sever ties with what a player does after his stint with a particular team if his actions deserve it. Barry Bonds is still vilified in this city and for obvious reasons. I'm sure Bonds supporters could, though, justly claim that all he ever did was go for the "big bucks" just like Jagr. This would completely ignore the fact that Bonds is a complete a-hole who was a terrible teammate and just an awful person to be around from all reports.

So, if you claim that Jagr just "went for the $$ and the best fit for him", you are slightly correct. You would be very wrong, though, to just completely ignore the other many factors that go into him being a complete ***** bag.

[Tico Rick]

Not sure what his obsession with playing only with a right-handed centerman is all about either as I can't recall any other right wingers saying this is a real issue with them ever. OH well...more Jagr Logic.

Yeah, that was one of the weirder things he said. You can count on one finger the number of wingers out there who wouldn't want to play with Crosby and Malkin.

I think this "logic" came from the fact that, once the Pens and Detroit withdrew their contract offers, Jagr was left with not a lot of good options, and now he's talking crap to make it sound like the Flyers were his first choice all along. I really do think Jagr and Svoboda got burned by trying to turn it into a bidding war, something neither the Wings or Pens were interested in doing with a 39-year old.

[dman66]

Not sure what his obsession with playing only with a right-handed centerman is all about either as I can't recall any other right wingers saying this is a real issue with them ever. OH well...more Jagr Logic.

Yeah, that was one of the weirder things he said. You can count on one finger the number of wingers out there who wouldn't want to play with Crosby and Malkin.

I think this "logic" came from the fact that, once the Pens and Detroit withdrew their contract offers, Jagr was left with not a lot of good options, and now he's talking crap to make it sound like the Flyers were his first choice all along. I really do think Jagr and Svoboda got burned by trying to turn it into a bidding war, something neither the Wings or Pens were interested in doing with a 39-year old.

Agreed. It's not like he didn't know that Crosby, Malkin, Datsyuk, and Zetterberg were all left handed centers when he retired. Did he come here and look at the rosters and say, oh crap, I'll never get the puck? If he really wanted to play with right handed centers, why even mention Detroit and Pittsburgh from the beginning?

Of course there was this gem as well:

So is it true you had the feeling that the Flyers wanted you the most?
Also. But a million other factors played a role as well

More like a million and three hundred thousand Jags.

[Why Not Us]

Not sure what his obsession with playing only with a right-handed centerman is all about either as I can't recall any other right wingers saying this is a real issue with them ever. OH well...more Jagr Logic.

Yeah, that was one of the weirder things he said. You can count on one finger the number of wingers out there who wouldn't want to play with Crosby and Malkin.

I think this "logic" came from the fact that, once the Pens and Detroit withdrew their contract offers, Jagr was left with not a lot of good options, and now he's talking crap to make it sound like the Flyers were his first choice all along. I really do think Jagr and Svoboda got burned by trying to turn it into a bidding war, something neither the Wings or Pens were interested in doing with a 39-year old.

Agreed. It's not like he didn't know that Crosby, Malkin, Datsyuk, and Zetterberg were all left handed centers when he retired. Did he come here and look at the rosters and say, oh crap, I'll never get the puck? If he really wanted to play with right handed centers, why even mention Detroit and Pittsburgh from the beginning?

Of course there was this gem as well:

So is it true you had the feeling that the Flyers wanted you the most?
Also. But a million other factors played a role as well

More like a million and three hundred thousand Jags.

THIS... don't say playing the game with Crosby/Malkin and Datsyuk/Zetterberg would make things easier then tell the press their left handed shot is why you chose Briere/Giroux over them.

[pittsports87]

I just got around to reading the interview with Jagr on the PG Blog:

Back then I wanted to play for the New York Rangers, and I promised [Omsk] if I don’t make a deal with the New York Rangers, I’m going to go to Omsk. That’s what I promised them. Three years ago with the free agency, we couldn’t make any deals with Glen Sather. So like I promised, I signed with Avangard Omsk. But right after I signed, there were very good offers from the NHL. But I told myself I’m not going to look back, because I already did what I did. It was kind of tough to leave, because then I saw there was more interest from the NHL, but I had already made the promise. I know for some people it might be just words, but for me, I’m very religious, I know it would bite me a little later. I know that. That’s the way the word works. "

Are you freak'n kidding me?

#JustWhenIThoughtHeCouldntDigTheHoleAnyDeeper

#sincewhenisthistwitter?

[cma3585]

I just got around to reading the interview with Jagr on the PG Blog:

Back then I wanted to play for the New York Rangers, and I promised [Omsk] if I don’t make a deal with the New York Rangers, I’m going to go to Omsk. That’s what I promised them. Three years ago with the free agency, we couldn’t make any deals with Glen Sather. So like I promised, I signed with Avangard Omsk. But right after I signed, there were very good offers from the NHL. But I told myself I’m not going to look back, because I already did what I did. It was kind of tough to leave, because then I saw there was more interest from the NHL, but I had already made the promise. I know for some people it might be just words, but for me, I’m very religious, I know it would bite me a little later. I know that. That’s the way the word works. "

Are you freak'n kidding me?

#JustWhenIThoughtHeCouldntDigTheHoleAnyDeeper

#sincewhenisthistwitter?

You mean iRC?

[Tomas]

Exclusive iSport.cz interview "Angry Jagr: Pittsburgh made me look like an idiot" translated here:

http://www.letsgopens.com/tomas_translations.php?id=71" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's the second teaser (the first part is here:http://www.letsgopens.com/tomas_translations.php?id=70 ) for the actual long interview that will be printed in the paper on Monday. If they post it on the Internet, I'll append the translation (though iSport.cz often puts more in the paper compared to their web edition). The link inside the translation leads to the actual Google-translated article. (Note, though, that Google translator ocassionally gives the sentence exactly the opposite meaning).

PS: Standard disclaimers: I translated it within a few minutes, so there still may be some grammatical/stylistic errors. Therefore, DO NOT REPOST the interview. Post the link (which I will very likely update when I find/fix the errors). The meaning, however, should be pretty clear. And give credit to Letsgopens.com. I bet RJ Ackerman would appreciate some extra traffic targetted to his site.

[adambpsu]

Thanks for the translation Tomas.

This interview supports a lot of the speculation had about Jagr during this debacle - not wanting to take mediocre money, not wanting to play second fiddle to, and he has an excessively inflated ego. I for one am glad the Pens didn't consider Jagr a necessary and irreplaceable part of their plan.

[Why Not Us]

Not going to lie, hearing Jagr's side is refreshing than just the PGH media/Shero side of things.

Rossi said Jagr wanted the Pens to come through, then basically drew his own conclusions that $2 mil was coming through.

I'm sure Shero could've afforded $3 mil for Jagr but as 68 states- their priority was getting a deal done with Kennedy. Given Jagr's temperment, no surprise that insulted him. I also agree that the Pens only made an offer after they felt the heat from the media/fans.

I'm definitely not going to like Jagr playing for the Flyers, but his side certainly makes it slightly easier to swallow imo.

[Tico Rick]

Thank you, Tomas. This excerpt supports speculation that Shero wasn't all that interested in signing Jagr. He could have definitely added another .5 mil to the offer, while still having the 1.5 salary cap buffer he likes to work with.

I still think Svoboda is a tool.

[ExPatriatePen]

I don't think the article makes Jagr look any better, in fact I think it makes look like even more of a baby.

It's obvious though that his ego would have been a horrible fit for this team. He still thinks he's "Gods gift to hockey", what a Primadona.

The first thing he mentions is the money.

Offended because you weren't the top signing priority?

Talking about Taxes? And then comparing his after tax net to others pre-tax gross? Does he think fans are to stupid to see through that?

Backing off prior statements and equating them to divorce?

Well, things do change Jagr, and Pittsburgh is no longer pledging *you* that they'll always love you. Hope your new g/f (*itch), the philhty phlyers, hang your jersey, cause, well, something happened and things have changed in Pittsburgh.

Edit: if you have any journalist friends, show them this and ask them if they've ever seen bigger "softball" questions being asked of someone, heck, This interviewer was leading Jaromir right down the Path.

[Tico Rick]

I'm certainly not here to defend Jagr, but I think he made the comment about taxes because he didn't have to pay taxes on his KHL salary and because he's talking to a Czech journalist - and therefore a Czech audience - who may not be aware of the tax situation in the U.S.

[ExPatriatePen]

I'm certainly not here to defend Jagr, but I think he made the comment about taxes because he didn't have to pay taxes on his KHL salary and because he's talking to a Czech journalist - and therefore a Czech audience - who may not be aware of the tax situation in the U.S.

Then he could have made the valid comparison between the KHL and playing in the NHL. We already know he gave up money for one last stand in the NHL, itt had nothing to do with Pittsburgh.

No, Jagr compared his after tax NET NHL salary to other players pre-tax GROSS NHL salary, don't be fooled. He wasn't comparing his NET NHL to the KHL net, which would have made a point on NHL vs. KHL.

Again that has NOTHING to do with the Pens. Don't be fooled.

[Tico Rick]

Going back and reading it again, your're right, ExPat.

[pcm]

Jagr went to Phily because that's where he belongs.