You got to love Ed, if for only one reason– he speaks his mind. Sometimes it’s for the worst, when he talks about a winning culture that hasn’t won in 40 years. And sometimes it’s just downright entertaining. Like when he comes to the aid of a made man in need.
Snider defended his captain after the Flyers beat the Avalanche last night [transcription via the Flyers’ city-leading PR department]:
Are you surprised that Claude didn’t get picked by Team Canada?
“Well it’s a farce. He’s one of the best players in the league. It’s ridiculous. He’s better than half the guys on that team.”
Your team doesn’t have a lot of Olympic players on the top Olympic teams. Why do you think that is?
“There’s a lot of good players to pick from and I’m proud of the five guys that are on the Olympic teams. I mean, they may not be great teams, but they’re great players and they’re in the Olympics. We don’t pick them but anybody that thinks that Claude Giroux doesn’t belong on the Canadian team, they don’t know anything about hockey as far as I’m concerned. But it’s politics to a certain degree. He had to pick his own guy, and his own guy is good, but Claude is better.”
[Question inaudible]
If I had my way, we’d never go to the Olympics. We’re the only league that breaks up our season. Basketball plays in the winter, but they play Olympics in the summer. It’s ridiculous. The whole thing’s ridiculous.
Is that only when it’s on the other side of the world, or any time?
I don’t care if it was in Philadelphia, I wouldn’t want to break up the league. I think it’s ridiculous to take three weeks off or however long it is in the middle of the season. It screws up everything.
Would you like to see a return to the World Cup format?
I’d like to see anything other than the Olympics. I mean, I hate ‘em.
Do you think most of the league agrees with you at this point?
I don’t know. I haven’t taken a poll, but how can anybody be happy breaking up your season? No other league does it. Why should we?
Originally you did it because you thought there’d be a benefit on the back end, but you haven’t seen that at all?
There’s no benefit to us whatsoever. If anything, I can only see negatives. The players want to play. The Players’ Association has a lot to say about it. As an owner, I think it’s ridiculous.
Was this a point of contention [during the work stoppage]?
No. There was no point of contention. The players wanted to play and the league agreed. But as an owner, I personally don’t like it. It’s not good for our fans, it’s not good for our league, it changes the momentum… everything about it is wrong.
You went to the Finals the last time there was a break…
Well, maybe I like it. I forgot about that.
Ed’s cute when he’s fired up.
Video after the jump.
26 Responses
But Mista Snyda. The Polish team sunk the last time we tried to make summer hockey.
this quote speaks VOLUMES about why this team hasnt won in 40 years.
“He had to pick his own guy, and his own guy is good, but Claude is better.”
saying Claude Giroux is better than Martin St Louis is insane. Look at the numbers, St Louis has more points than G since last Olympics. And it’s not like Marty is just 1 dimensional scorer. He plays both ends, PK, etc. having guys in the front office who make these types of personnel judgements is a pretty good indicator of why the team doesnt win cups
You have a point about MSL, but I think he was accurate in saying Claude is better than about half the team they did pick.
my main point was about why we dont win, because of poor personnel decisions, but you bring up something interesting about being better than half the forwards. here are the forwards and my opinions – Y = Better than G
Its pretty close. I coundt 8 players definitely better than Giroux out of 14 forwards. he should be on the team.
Jamie Benn – Push
Patrice Bergeron – N
Jeff Carter – N
Sidney Crosby – Y
Matt Duchene – N
Ryan Getzlaf – Y
Chris Kunitz – N
Patrick Marleau – Y
Rick Nash – N
Corey Perry – Y
Patrick Sharp – Y
Martin St. Louis – Y
John Tavares – Y
Jonathan Toews – Y
The fact that you put Patrick Sharp and Patrick Marleau above him shows to me that you don’t actually watch hockey.
Jamie Benn is a push? I stopped reading after that…
Since the 2010 season Giroux has a whopping 15 less points than St. Louis (who plays on the top line with arguably the greatest goal scorer in the game right now). Hardly making the comparison insane. Giroux plays with the likes of Scott Hartnell and Jake Voracek (The one season he plays with a legitimate top linemate in Jagr he puts up 93 points).
I am sorry man, St. Louis is good, but by no means is he vastly superior to Claude Giroux. It could of easily been either of them but Yzerman went with his boy, which is fine by me.
I’ll give you Marleau, bu the fact that you think G is better than Sharp is freightening. Have you been paying attention the last several years? And I dont watch hockey? Patrick Sharp is a superior two way player AND is a better scorer. He’s a point per game guy. Come talk to me when Giroux has more than season when he gets a point per game and puts up anything over a plus 10. Sharp is routinely over plus 20.
you telling me I dont watch hockey and then saying G is better than Sharp is one of the more ignorant things I’ve read on here in a real long time
Patrick Sharp will always be a philadelphia phantom in my mind. The fact that you think he is better than G is fucking disturbing. Chicago is about 100 times better than the flyers and Sharp reaps the benefits of that. The fact that you use +/- in determing the better players makes you a fucking stooge.
Are you retarded?
Patrick Sharp has never in his career achieved a point per game average for any season..
Ever…
Patrick Sharp:
Games Played – 654
Points – 463
Who cares about 4 years ago?
Thats the last time the Winter Olympics were held.
Fuck off you cranky old man
Maybe Claude should have gone to the Olympic orientation camp back in August.
Or maybe he shouldn’t have taken off the entire month of November.
Ed’s just bitter that his players won’t get the chance to beat up more Russians, like in the good old days 40 years ago, when this team was not an annual disappointment and his fourth wife was in pre-K.
Ed only hires ex-Flyer goons to run his organization, insists there isn’t a culture problem, then complains when Yzerman picks his own guy to fill a spot on the roster. If you enjoy humor, Ed is the gift that keeps on giving. If you want Cups, not so much.
+1. Fantastic point
This.
Anyone actually happy that he isnt going so he stays healthy/rested and possibly playing with a chip on his shoulder. yeah?
Hell yeah. It’s a shame that he is disrespected the way he often is, but him not making Team Canada can only benefit the Flyers in my opinion. Also, USA all the way.
I see someone changed the Al Davis of the NHL’s diaper and let him wander out to talk in front of them new fancy moving picture camera thingies.
Who cares about he Flyers? By far the most underachieving team in the city and people still think they can’t do any wrong.
We would like to disagree.
The Flyers have won two Cups in 40 years and will not win another until Old Ed is gone. Fact is without the creation of the WHA in 1972, the Flyers would still be looking for their first Cup – on par with the Eagles looking for their first real championship or Super Bowl.
Giroux isn’t on the team because I didn’t want him on the team, and I ALWAYS get my way. Haven’t you Philadelphia fans been paying attention for the past few years?
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