Is Adam Foote An Asshole?

by Joe Dunman on Mar 4, 2008 8:42 AM MST in News Comment 18 comments

Well, you knew that Columbus would be pretty bitter about losing the Blue Jackets' captain and best defenseman, especially considering the fact that they lost him due to failed contract negotiations---or "money" in layman's terms. Any time a player takes off due to money issues, the fans get bitter.

Colorado fans got bitter a few years ago when Foote left Denver for Ohio. And by all accounts, Foote was sorry about it, too, telling various interviewers over the years that he loved playing for the Avalanche and wished he was still lacing up his skates for home games in the Pepsi Center.

Now it's Columbus' turn to feel jilted, and jilted they are.

As Greg at the Fanhouse reports, the Columbus Dispatch is accusing Adam Foote of demanding far too much money ($8 million over two years) and when the Jackets' balked, he allegedly threatened them with purposely bad play and behavior in the locker room:

According to numerous NHL sources, Foote threatened to be "a bad teammate, a bad captain and a bad player" the rest of the season if he weren't re-signed or traded to his preferred destination -- the Colorado Avalanche, where his best NHL years were spent.

If true, that makes Adam Foote kind of a jerk. But one thing stands out as suspicious to me. For one, how many "NHL sources" would have been privy to those contract talks? How many people would have been in the room or on the phone? Foote, his agent, the Columbus GM and a lawyer or two. Anyone not a first-hand witness of those talks would have heard anything about them through hearsay, I assume. So the "numerous NHL sources" seems a little fishy.

But, let's say all of this is true. What if Foote really did, while negotiating a new contract and requesting more money than offered by his team, make a threat or two? Does this never happen? I've heard horror stories about things said during arbitration hearings (though Foote wasn't in arbitration) where a player and a team will say horrible things about each other in the heat of the moment to receive more or pay less money, respectively. And then, once a settlement is reached, bygones are bygones and both get along just fine.

All that said, this seems to me like a team bitter over losing their most prized asset (other than Rick Nash) and just lashing out. Even if this is all true, Adam Foote doesn't get paid to be a nice person, he gets paid to play hockey well, which he does. If his teammates get along with him---and they do, at least in Colorado---and he contributes to the success of the franchise, who cares?

I guess it's easy for me to say that with Foote on my favorite team instead of somebody else's, but I wasn't mad at him for leaving Colorado the first time and I wouldn't hate him for leaving again. That's business, and you can't blame a guy for looking out for himself.

And, finally, on a side note, I think it's funny that Greg criticized Mats Sundin for sticking with the Toronto Maple Leafs and now seems mad "if" it turns out Adam Foote bailed on the Blue Jackets and said a few nasty things. I'm thinking you can't have it both ways.

UPDATE: Bob McKenzie calls bullshit on the Columbus Dispatch. Hat tip to thedoctor, as always.

ADDENDUM: Greg linked to an Avalanche blog I'd never heard of before: the Avslova Factor. Check it out.

0 recs | Comment 18 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

NTC

As far as Foote forcing them to trade him to Colorado, Columbus was dumb enough to give him the no trade clause, inherently giving him that power to choose if/when/where he was traded.

Gotta love stories with the "NHL Sources Say" crap. Every article on the rumor sites say the same thing when someone is rumored to be traded, what a joke. Just an easy way to justify writing whatever the hell they want.

I might have to try that out with my wife.... NHL sources say, I need a new big screen TV. I'll let you know if she bites.

by jd21 on Mar 4, 2008 8:52 AM MST reply actions 0 recs

this whole thing

is ridiculous -- most of the league knows it too.

http://www.tsn.ca/blogs/mckenzie/?id...

^^^ that's how it went.

by thedoctor on Mar 4, 2008 9:14 AM MST reply actions 0 recs

Columbus Dispatch

Coincdentally had some of the same rumors surface during Nikolae Zhederev's contract discussions last season when they weren't going well.

I'm not saying, I'm just saying.

DISCLAIMER: I am not fixing any Russian name that is incredibly hard to spell. Everyone knows who I'm talking about.

by Jibblescribbits on Mar 4, 2008 9:17 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

good point

i remember that. Weird stuff in that organization.

by thedoctor on Mar 4, 2008 9:24 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: this whole thing

Added the link to the post. Thanks, as always, kind sir.

by Joe Dunman on Mar 4, 2008 9:18 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

also, joe, on the fanhouse (svatos article)

On Tuesday, I'll have rather in-depth look at how some Colorado fans see Coach Joel Quenneville as more of a detriment than a blessing this season.

betcha that's us here!

by thedoctor on Mar 4, 2008 9:24 AM MST reply actions 0 recs

Re: also, joe...

I know. Greg and I have been exchanging emails about Coach Q since last week. Look for a MHH link in his post.

by Joe Dunman on Mar 4, 2008 9:28 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Why wasn't I told about this?

Now that I think about it, Greg probably wouldn't appreciate my two biggest gripes about Coach Q, as they don't pertain to the on-ice product: his disturbingly-molester-ish 'stache and his horrible taste in ties.

In other words, I would have brought nothing to the table in a meaningful discussion...

by Mike @ MHH on Mar 4, 2008 12:05 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

After...

After reading the Dispatch report, and the TSN report I think I believe the TSN report. Partially because I want to, but more because he talked in certain terms and is normally a more respected national hockey source.

The TSN guy said stuff: This is exactly how it happened

While the Dispatch report was more: well my brother-in-law's cousin who sells nachos in between periods said he heard...etc

by Jibblescribbits on Mar 4, 2008 10:15 AM MST reply actions 0 recs

Frosberg in

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID...

He knew thedoctor, bob, and I are going tonight. Decided to suit up.

Never trust the lunch lady.

by Hardshell_Taco_del_Lowayne on Mar 4, 2008 11:11 AM MST reply actions 0 recs

woo hoo!

I'm already ready. Have my Forsberg home white on here at work.

by Bob in Boulder on Mar 4, 2008 11:38 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

interestingly...

the Calgary team interviewed Foote during (I think) the 2nd intermission in that first game. I don't remember exactly what the question was but it was something along the lines of whether he ever thought he'd be back in Colorado. I don't remember his specific response, but I remember thinking that he didn't come across as a guy who was happy to be back. At all. Of course, that perception flies in the face of both the Dispatch info and the MacKenzie story, so I am obviously of no help. At all.

by David Driscoll-Carignan on Mar 4, 2008 11:27 AM MST reply actions 0 recs

re: interestingly...

I remember that too. He wasn't all: "Eff those hosers in C-town. Yeah, I said it, C-town." but he also wasn't in the mode of: "I would have given my left nut to stay in the lovely city of Columbus" either.

If I remember correctly, he sounded genuinely saddened that contract talks didn't shake out so that he could stay with the BJ's.

by Mike @ MHH on Mar 4, 2008 12:08 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: interestingly...

He had kind of a humbled, shocked air about him. Like everything was happening faster than he could process it. I bet it was a lot to take in, for anybody.

by Joe Dunman on Mar 4, 2008 1:27 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Foppa

9news is reporting that he's planning on playing tonight.

by jd21 on Mar 4, 2008 1:33 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

This is complete bush league BS

I cannot believe the Dispatch is running with this story.

What do we know? We know that Francois said he received a call on the morning of the trade deadline that said Foote was off the market. We know that Foote even participated in his teams morning skate. GS got a call an hour later that Foote was back on the table. Obviously Foote and GS were given clear signs on trading day that Foote was going to sign and stick with the team. Now, the Dispatch wants us to believe that Foote went in to the room and said he was going to tank on his team if he didn't get the deal?!

We are supposed to believe that first, Foote did something so out of his known character it's flat out shocking in it's ramifications of what we thought Foote was all about. Second, we are to believe that Foote would threaten the team with tanking and acting as a bad captain? We are supposed to believe that on that final trade day, with Foote going in to free agency if he doesn't sign. We are supposed to believe that Foote would sabotage the team and his teammates for no other reason that spite? If anything, Foote not signing and not getting traded would just make Foote work harder to get a better deal after the year was out.

Remember the talk of blogs having no accountability nor ethical compass? Take a good, clear look at what some hockey markets have to deal with from the mainstream media. Talk about the worst kind of character assassination. It's the worst kind of message board drivel and we are supposed to be impressed by their media credentials?

Expect Foote and/or his agent to blast back on this one.

by Dario on Mar 4, 2008 2:52 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

Re: BS

Remember the talk of blogs having no accountability nor ethical compass? Take a good, clear look at what some hockey markets have to deal with from the mainstream media. Talk about the worst kind of character assassination. It's the worst kind of message board drivel and we are supposed to be impressed by their media credentials?

There's really no way I could have said that better myself. I think, from now on, that I'll just say "NHL sources say" any time I want to completely make up some bullshit.

by Joe Dunman on Mar 4, 2008 5:33 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

I find it hard to believe

that Foote would do something like this but as has been pointed out before Columbus game him the NTC therefore giving Foote control over his contract.
It also would have been a hard decision for him to make since he's been there for 2 or 3 years so he knows the team, him and his wife would have friends over there and he obviously would have wanted to stay or he wouldn't have even entered into negotiations with them and would have told them much earlier he wanted out and wouldn't have said the Avs are his only team he'll get traded to because if that fell through for whatever reason he'd be stuck there till the offseason.
If Phadouche can get 6mill a year for being a douche Foote should be worth 4mill or more, Its the same crap as Smyth leaving Edmonton, every one in the town subscribes to Lou Lamoriallo's (or however you spell his name) theory that they should take a hometown discount if they love it so much, it's BS and they should be entitled to what they feel their worth and it's up to the Gm's to decide, If the player wants a hometown discount thats fine, if they feel they're being disrespected by the team they should be able to leave without every one assassinating them.

by Savage33 on Mar 6, 2008 2:09 AM MST reply actions 0 recs