Smyth Deal

[Mrs.Greg]

Just watched live broadcast of Ryan saing good-bye to Edmonton Hes a pretty upset guy,I'm gathering not much love lost between him and Lowe,he wasn't brought up in any thanks and did mention he would have liked to have heard the news from Kevin instead of the media.

The Laroque comments were apparently made yest. so Edmonton news is saying...still not sure what he said,your right NR hes a real class act so maybe this has something to do with the Smyth trade


Ryan really supported the Stollery childrens hospital,my nephew spent alot of last summer there because of the blood and bone infection,and has Ryans autograph on his cast.

[Northern Rancher]

What I like about George is he answers e-mails from smalltown Sask. hockey coaches and sends hids kids pictures-Sara has officially abandoned the 'Oil' and has switched to Pittsburgh. Bucky was the consumate Oiler-sad thing that hockey has become-he deserved to play his career out there I think.

[Neil Waugh]

Ya Mrs. Greg, I listened to Ryan's 94 Tears press conference at the airport too.
He was pretty upset. Blubbered like a baby the whole time. Talked about Stacy and the girls and his mom and dad who drive up from Red Deer to catch most of the games.
And how he loved the city and will always be an Oiler. Even though now he's an Islander playing for that goofy Chinese guy.
Burt remember this, Symth already gets $3.5 million a year. Yup Haymaker, I know those are Canucklehead dollars.
But that's still more in a year than his dad ever made pumping gas at his Shell Station in Banff. Or his brothers do who playing hockey for the Bentley. Where a subsidized trip to the Allan Cup is the pot of gold at the end of their rainbow.
But it wasn't enough. He wanted $5.5 million.
And Kevin has been put on a tight leash by those hard-nosed oil patch guys from Lloydminister who helped save the team when it looked like it was heading over the Medicine Line after the Alberta Treasury Branches (which is the Alberta government's bank for all you Amerks) finally sent Peter Pocklington to the penalty box.
That's why Glen Sather is no longer here. And Jim Hole isn't chairman of the investors group. It's a gas bar guy from Turtleford, Saskatchewan. Northern Rancher will tune me up if I got Cal's hometown wrong.
Ryan could have taken Kevin's money - which I heard was over 5 mill - and lived happily ever after in his big house in Riverbend. More money than he and Stacy and the girls could ever spend in a lifetime.
So was it greed? Pride? His agent Donny Meaghan whispering in his ear?
Ryan Smith brought all his grief on himself.
Don't cry for me Bentley General.

[Northern Rancher]

Unless you were at the negotiating table nobody knows what went on. I don't think those were crocodile tears-maybe Smitty is regretting his decision today.

[Neil Waugh]

I totally agree NR. Those were real tears and he was clearly emotionally hooped. I feel sorry for the guy and the turmoil he brought on his family. Up to a point.
But let me repeat, he brought it all on himself.
Like my old English granny used to say, you made your bed. Now lie in it.

[Mrs.Greg]

I guess it really comes down to how one sees it. How really important was Ryan to the team,was he like Iginla and worth anything he wanted,apparently not. I'm not just going to blame Ryan for this one...I think theres two sides that are regretting this today.

I think I'll be picking up two Edmonton papers tommorow morn and seeing how the sides differ