The Luongo Effect
Posted 9:18 PM ET | Comments 0
While geneticists on Terra Nova hope to head off global warming (oops! Climate change nowadays) by discovering the insidious Luongo genome, NBA owners and players are at an impasse over whether or not Booby Lu is in fact responsible for all of the woes facing pro sports today.
A bit of a stretch you say? Well, considering that callers to Vancouver sports radio shows are now attempting to pin an ineffective power play and lack of offence on the demoralizing effect of Luongo’s lacklustre play, one has to wonder just how far the “Luongo Effect” reaches. Personally, I’m sure it rained less before he was acquired from the Panthers.
Oddly enough, suggesting the Canucks netminder could in turn get discouraged while watching the Canucks’ power play go 0 for 8 against the Rangers or more alarmingly 2 for 33 in last years Stanley Cup Final is considered by these same armchair geniuses to be nothing less than ludicrous. Everyone one knows that demoralization is a one-way phenomenon which only emanates from the crease never towards it.
Forget the 2 Vezina Trophy nominations, Olympic Gold Medal or the fact that practically every single TV analyst who ever played, coached or managed in the NHL has endorsed Roberto as one of the top goalies in the NHL. All of these annoying little facts are meaningless in the face of what these So-Called Canuck fans believe to be a lack of mental toughness. They obviously know more than the likes of Steve Yzerman and Scotty Bowman.
Don’t bother pointing out the fact that other top goalies are giving up equally soft goals, you’ll only be met with a “what does that have to do with anything” look. Anyone with a smart phone, laptop or an “Occupy Luongo” sign can put forth an opinion just don’t expect them to back it up with anything more than empty rhetoric.
“The Canucks should trade Luongo man, Cory Schneider is way better.” How quickly these fans forget the rotating pre-Luongo goalie door which led to the franchises “goalie graveyard” nickname. Well respected puck stoppers like Sean Burke, Felix Potvin and Arturs Irbe floundered in Vancouver only to move on to other mid-level NHL clubs and have very good seasons. Hmmmmmm…..is there a pattern here?
Despite these inconvenient truths the vocal minority insists that Cory Schneider is the answer. He has yet to face the media and fan scrutiny that comes with being the starter and let’s just ignore the countless examples where highly coveted backups failed miserably when given a starting job – insert Dan Ellis, Mike Smith, Vesa Toskala, Chris Mason and Dan Cloutier just to name five of the dozens who fit this category – it could NEVER happen to our man Cory.
It kinda reminds me of what one local expert said between beers at the pub last spring after Schneider’s start against the Blackhawks. “Hey, he was amazing except for the two giveaways that resulted in goals.” Yep, hard to argue with that logic. I suppose the recent economic problems haven’t been too bad except for all the people losing their jobs and homes…..but then again that’s probably Bobby Lu’s fault as well, damn that “Luongo Effect”.
website: da4blindmice.com
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A bit of a stretch you say? Well, considering that callers to Vancouver sports radio shows are now attempting to pin an ineffective power play and lack of offence on the demoralizing effect of Luongo’s lacklustre play, one has to wonder just how far the “Luongo Effect” reaches. Personally, I’m sure it rained less before he was acquired from the Panthers.
Oddly enough, suggesting the Canucks netminder could in turn get discouraged while watching the Canucks’ power play go 0 for 8 against the Rangers or more alarmingly 2 for 33 in last years Stanley Cup Final is considered by these same armchair geniuses to be nothing less than ludicrous. Everyone one knows that demoralization is a one-way phenomenon which only emanates from the crease never towards it.
Forget the 2 Vezina Trophy nominations, Olympic Gold Medal or the fact that practically every single TV analyst who ever played, coached or managed in the NHL has endorsed Roberto as one of the top goalies in the NHL. All of these annoying little facts are meaningless in the face of what these So-Called Canuck fans believe to be a lack of mental toughness. They obviously know more than the likes of Steve Yzerman and Scotty Bowman.
Don’t bother pointing out the fact that other top goalies are giving up equally soft goals, you’ll only be met with a “what does that have to do with anything” look. Anyone with a smart phone, laptop or an “Occupy Luongo” sign can put forth an opinion just don’t expect them to back it up with anything more than empty rhetoric.
“The Canucks should trade Luongo man, Cory Schneider is way better.” How quickly these fans forget the rotating pre-Luongo goalie door which led to the franchises “goalie graveyard” nickname. Well respected puck stoppers like Sean Burke, Felix Potvin and Arturs Irbe floundered in Vancouver only to move on to other mid-level NHL clubs and have very good seasons. Hmmmmmm…..is there a pattern here?
Despite these inconvenient truths the vocal minority insists that Cory Schneider is the answer. He has yet to face the media and fan scrutiny that comes with being the starter and let’s just ignore the countless examples where highly coveted backups failed miserably when given a starting job – insert Dan Ellis, Mike Smith, Vesa Toskala, Chris Mason and Dan Cloutier just to name five of the dozens who fit this category – it could NEVER happen to our man Cory.
It kinda reminds me of what one local expert said between beers at the pub last spring after Schneider’s start against the Blackhawks. “Hey, he was amazing except for the two giveaways that resulted in goals.” Yep, hard to argue with that logic. I suppose the recent economic problems haven’t been too bad except for all the people losing their jobs and homes…..but then again that’s probably Bobby Lu’s fault as well, damn that “Luongo Effect”.
website: da4blindmice.com
follow me on twitter: @4blindmice
like me on Facebook: facebook.com/da4blindmice