Thread: My boy

Originally Posted by Wintchase

Wow, I had no idea..... I didn't think of all the ticks attatching themselves to you.. Seems somewhat unfair.. I wonder how youngsters can get a start in that biz and stay afloat? Is that common?

Many try to go pro, and the sad fact is most fail miserably. That's life. Not everyone who goes to university with the intention of becoming a medical doctor makes it, either. On to your question!
First thing's first: you need skill. Then you have to get noticed by the right people. I wouldn't recommend ANYONE try and count on being offered a professional contract. Don't get me wrong, it's one helluva ride! But too many friends have asked me to evaluate their kid's abilities and potential for a pro career, and I honestly never saw one who was worth a tin whistle in a high wind. There is no "tried-and-true" formula for success in pro hockey, and there will never be one. Getting there is only half the war: STAYING can be even tougher because there is always some rookie out to take your job from you.
I forgot to mention all the abuse you take.
-Complete strangers interrupting meals w/your family (or lady friend) in restaurants demanding autographs (or outright insulting you). They will often attempt to join you at your table after you acceded to their request. Sometimes they even try to sucker-punch you right there at the table/bar!
-Playing an away game in Montreal, where you are cussed out in 3 different languages.
-The ugliest women you'll ever see asking you to sign their breasts/take a photo w/them kissing your face. UUUGGHHH!
-Some drunk a-hole calling your hotel room at 4 a.m. to harass you (usually this is an off-duty hotel employee).
-The televised media making note of EVERY MISTAKE, and getting as much mileage out of it as they can.
-Always having to be on guard in a saloon for that one drunk wanna-be/has-been who wants to fight you or just bore the piss out of you w/their tales of (under)achievement. "I coulda made the pros, too if..."
-The prettiest women you'll ever see who want...(ultimately your $$$). That's why they're called "trophy wives": they'll take you for everything you're worth. Your $$$ is THEIR trophy!
-BAD AGENTS who may try to rob you blind by undervaluing/misrepresenting presented offers (that's why I always hired an independent attorney to certify contracts). The most famous case of this was Alan Eagleson and Bobby Orr. Fortunately, this doesn't happen anymore, but it used to be frequent.
-BAD COACHES AND GENERAL MANAGERS! Believe me, there are a lot of them out there. Remember when the Vancouver Canucks tried to make Igor Larionov into a checking defenceman?!? How about Bowman trying to make Federov into a d-man? Those were STUPID coaching moves that could have prematurely ended each player's career.
-OWNERS. Take for example Harold Ballard (TML). Took a great club and completely demolished it.

Fans were responsible for my paycheques. Without them and without hockey, I'd have been a teacher like my father. That's why I studied history and psychology in college -- for the dark, dreaded day when I would no longer play. I always tried to show my appreciation (rarely refused autographs) if they approached me respectfully and politely. If it was "Hey, jerk-off, my kid wants your autograph", well, my response wasn't quite so friendly.
I attended many charity functions, visited countless sick/injured/dying children in numerous hospitals, donated tens of thousands of dollars, and tried to help out as much as I could within reason. The problem with that is if you do it for one person/family/charity once, they think they have an favourable "insider's track" for your time, attention and money. Their reasoning is "Well, he did it for us before, why won't he do it again?" In short, the phone NEVER stops ringing.

Keep your kid in school. Let him/her play the sport(s) THEY want to play. Encourage them, but NEVER push them. Make participation in sports conditional upon satisfactory scholastic achievement. It's better that they can apply the multiplication tables than be able to hit a one-timer! After all, there are more people who can explain the theory of relativity than could blast go top-shelf on Patric Roy. Which is really more useful to the human condition?
Sorry for being so long-winded, but I thought your question deserved a factual response about the lifestyle.