Wayne Gretzky Defends Edmonton
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by Pbcoyotes
> > > "To me, it's a pretty special place. It's a wonderful place to be an athlete, the facilities are outstanding, the support the players get from the fans and corporate sponsorship is as good as anywhere in the National Hockey League. From the 10 years I lived here ... I've got to say that it's a bitter loss for guys who don't want to play in Edmonton." > > Wayne Gretzky , Edmonton Journal [1] > >
' Those that know hockey, know about Gretzky's relationship with the city of Edmonton. However, what is even more remarkable that when the circumstances of the hockey business sent him to Los Angeles, one couldn't blame him if he harbored any bad feelings toward the Oilers organization.
Instead, he explains that any athlete who had the choice to play there, and decided against it, is missing out on a wonderful opportunity.
Many people, including myself, have criticized Edmonton Oilers General Manager for going after players in the Restricted Free Agent market and offering contracts that are more than the players' worth. Given that the Phoenix Coyotes compete in the same conference, there might have been some of the same criticism coming from Lowe's friend Wayne Gretzky. Besides, Lowe and Anaheim Ducks General Manager were friends at one time, right?
Gretzky takes the high road and states that Lowe is just competitive and wants to win. I do wonder what would have happened if Lowe tried to chase after any of the Coyotes Restricted Free Agents?
The best aspect of Gretzky's character though is how he interacts with the fans that meet him. In the current era of professional sports, we have athletes who truly think they are above the fans that come to see them play night after night. Without the fans, they would be chasing normal jobs and lives like the rest of us.
What Gretzky could teach them by his example is how to be the professional athlete, either current or retired, that recognizes what is important in professional sports and how to handle the fame that goes along with it.
