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Saturday, July 2, 2011

Pulling a Lebron? How about a Jagr.

Posted by Chad Underwood On 9:20 AM 0 comments

Meauh. Yep, that was the sound of vomit leaving my mouth.
 
   Yesterday was the day I thought one of my best birthday presents would finally arrive- Penguins legend Jaromir Jagr returning to the ice in my favorite black and gold uniform. All week, I joined my friends at The Pensblog on Twitter, constantly discussing the possibility of Jagr coming back to the 'Burgh. #JagrWatch suddenly became a phenomenon and I was fully immersed in the hype of who I consider to be a Penguins legend.
   I was riding home with my girlfriend and I received a text from a long-time friend/Pens fan. It simply said this:

   "Is this real?"


   I had no clue what was going on, but it did not sound good. I never could have imagined that it would be that Jagr signed with the Penguins most hated rivals, The Philadelphia Flyers. In a Pensblog-ish fashion, I was stunned. My girlfriend just shook her head in disbelief. It really had happened.
   At first I tried to be rational about it all. I wanted to convince myself that it was "okay" that he was signing with the Flyers. The NHL is a business and you got to go where you can make the most money and have a good chance to win the Stanley Cup. Then rationalism lost its luster.

Jagr could have had it all back, but he ruined it.

   Jagr was one of the key faces of this franchise for years and everyone adored him. After demanding a trade in 2001, we wanted to see things take a turn for the better and have Jaromir be a Penguin until the end of his career. The Pens would have retired his number and now I just want them to send him into an early retirement.
   Jagr is quoted discussing how he would come back and play for basically nothing for former Penguins Captain and now owner Mario Lemieux. Jagr claims to owe him in some way, but then he turns around and does this? What a smack in the face to not just Mario, but to the entire organization.
   In a sense, I guess Pens GM Ray Shero and the organization should have known what they were getting into. Jagr is kind of like that girl you thought you liked in school: She wants nothing to do with you, then you reconnect years later and then she just dumps on your face again. People change, but it does not always change who you are.
   Jaromir Jagr did get me a birthday present yesterday- because he did not sign with the Penguins. If he did not want to be apart of something special like getting his jersey retired and mending some old wounds, then to hell with him.
   I try to stress this fact to a lot of people but it seems to confuse them: I am not a Sidney Crosby fan. I am not an Evgeni Malkin fan. What I am is a Pittsburgh Penguins fan and I will stand by this team no matter who skates in October.
   As for Jagr, he fits nicely right between Rich Rodriguez and Marian Hossa on my "sports figures I dislike" list. Jagr pulled a "Lebron" on us, except in this sport players do not get suspended twenty games for some payback. December 8th cannot get here soon enough.

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