#4 is Up For Grabs
So Rob Blake has signed a 1-year deal with the San Jose Sharks. If you've read here for a while (all 5 of you), you'll know I've defended him many times here on this site. If you don't want to read past blog posts (and God knows I wouldn't), the basic gist was this: Blake showed loyalty to his teammates, not his team, and he shouldn't be vilified for taking care of his family. Still, this is incredibly, amazingly fucked up. Blake was given a 2-year deal worth $12 million dollars with the expectation that he would lead the team and help the young guys grow. The Kings then put up with his poor play for most of the duration, kowtowing to him at every turn and giving him top minutes in every aspect of the game despite him not deserving it. Then, last season, there was the rumored trade of Blake for Nabokov, straight up, that Blake refused. Then, this trade deadline, the Kings were given the opportunity to trade Blake to either San Jose or Colorado, then only Colorado, then nobody because Blake didn't want to leave LA.
Then, this, off-season, he signs with San Jose.
I'm not going to go into the whole "He betrayed us" thing because it's stupid and pointless and egotistical (although seriously, we could have traded him to San Jose so many times), so I'll leave it at this: Rob Blake will never, ever get his jersey number retired in Los Angeles. He'll get booed every time he enters Staples Center and the Kings won't give him any front office position once he retires. It's obvious Blake doesn't care about this and all he wants is money. He'll retire happily in a few years and spend the rest of his days on the Manhattan Beach surf. That's completely his right. And it's my right to say:
Fuck you, Rob Blake. You're a piece of shit and I'll never forgive you for making me defend you all these years. I always thought you were a good guy that had been dicked over by the front office, but I obviously was wrong. My poor brother has worn your number since the day he could lace a pair of skates and now he's crushed. Enjoy your pieces of silver, you backstabbing son of a bitch. You're the worst person that ever lived.
And get a nose job, you look ridiculous.
16 comments:
Amen.
I feel for you RK. (and your Bro)
These guys have no integrity.
And to think, all Blake would have had to do was take one of those SJ-trades and he might have gotten a touching Rudy-Lubo sendoff.
That's the worst part. I'll write more tomorrow, but the Kings traded Lubo with the idea that 2 of 3 people would sign with them:
A) Rob Blake
B) Brad Stuart
C) Brooks Orpik
Now, we have none of them. We're fucked.
Rudy, look at this way: by taking a ridiculous $5 million from the Sharks cap space, he's basically fucked them out of a Cup this year.
Seriously, is there ANY way he doesn't have a Bertuzzi-an effect on SJ? He's slow, terrible defensively and just rocket launches the puck on the powerplay.
By going to San Jose and making them suck, he should be saluted as an ironic hero by Kings fans.
Although he is kind of a douche.
(But Rudy, really, the Kings should bide their time and wait for the right players to come along. Orpik, Stuart, Blake...they'd all be a waste of money.
One or two more years, Rudy. By then the Ducks will lose their quack, the Stars will be a year older and the Sharks will somehow end up trading Joe Thornton or something...)
One or two more years, Rudy.
With Rudy's luck, the Kings' contention window probably perfectly overlaps with the next lockout year.
This is why you have a favorite team, not a favorite player. That way that can't leave and crush your spirit. Unless you're a Sonics fan. Maybe we can coax Matty out of retirement, at least that fucker was loyal. Its going to really hurt hearing the boos when we play the Sharks, because I can't defend you any more, you fucking heart stabber.
I'm confused why you'd only be pissed at Blake. From what I can tell, quotes from him today and those from his agent the other day, he offered the Kings a deal July 1st to play for $4 million. They never responded at all. So now, two days later, he took this offer from the Sharks.
As far as I can see (and admittedly, I don't follow the team closely) the Kings didn't want him back. Can you blame him for moving on?
i think DW probably made this trade just to make sure that people around the league still realized San Jose was a destination. I don't really like this move. If I was going to overpay a d-man, i'd rather take (Campbell if he was available or) Dan Boyle at this point.
DW probably hoping for a Roenickian renaissance?
Alanah said...
As far as I can see (and admittedly, I don't follow the team closely) the Kings didn't want him back. Can you blame him for moving on?
Nut said...
yes
LOL
Seriously, what's with that nose?
Alanah, these are Kings fans. They're mad at everybody.
You're dead to me Bowlby!!!
Thanks for the clarification, Earl. I guess being a Kings fan is a lot like being a Canucks fan, then: a lot of depression is involved. :)
The Sharks are paying a lot of money for a massive powerplay shot, but that has been one thing they've REALLY lacked for years now, ever since Rathje left, really.
Honestly, if it was the Ducks or Stars we were stealing a star from, I'd say the 5 million was worth it just for the psychological pain it caused the fans. I just don't hate the Kings as much, I guess.
Alanah, according to Rich Hammond at Inside the Kings, who has talked to Rob Blake, Blake's agent Pat Brisson and Dean Lombardi since the signing, Blake's agent had a good bit of communication with Lombardi over the past week, including pitching the $4 million a year offer, but they also wanted Lombardi to make a decision quickly (within about 10 minutes, from the sounds of the Brisson quotes), and Lombardi repeatedly emphasized they weren't ready to make the commitment quite yet, since they were still trying to make other moves.
Now, Brisson probably has a valid point when he mentions the Kings are going to be closer to the cap floor than the ceiling, so $4 million for one year really wouldn't have screwed over their payroll substantially. Reading between the lines, though, Brisson all but says the Kings are being cheap.
Of course, $4 million for another year of Blake after his performance the last two seasons hardly seems like a bargain. Yes, I know Blake had some injury problems and was much more effective the second half of last season. But even when he played better, he's still an aging shadow of the Norris winner he once was.
On the other hand, I'm utterly floored someone other than the Kings would not only give him the money he wanted, but would actually give Blake $5 million. Maybe we should cut Blake some slack, since he did offer what ended up being a considerable hometown discount.
Nope. Can't do it.
Very interesting reading through the comments. Being a Sharks fan first and a Kings fan second (I know, Blasphemy!) I didn't think that Blake should have been resigned on the Kings for any more than $2 mill. Imagine how I felt when I heard that the Sharks signed him for $5!
I'm hoping he experiences a "Roenickian renaissance" as someone said or else I will be super pissed off!
One last thing....who are you guys going to boo at now: Blake, Roenick or both? If it's both I imagine there will be some sore throats by the end of those games. :)
-SoCalSharksGirl
Post a Comment