SOURAY NOT ALLOWED AT CAMP
By Wanye
13 years agoAfter enduring the slings and arrows from many an NHL player, Steve Tambellini has struck back on behalf of the Oilers and delievered a slap to the face of malcontent Sheldon Souray. Big Sexy is an Oiler no more.
The prophetic words of OilersNation’s own Lowetide rang all over the interwebs at 7:28 PM MST yesterday:
"This is a very good time for Steve Tambellini to prove he is not only the man in charge, but the man who should be in charge.
We wait."
A couple hours after this eloquent prose was published, newly ballsy GM Steve Tambellini made the following announcement at the Young Stars Tournament and Squee-o-rama in Penticton:
"We’ve been trying to move the player for some time obviously, Sheldon has expressed strong interest over a long period of time that it’s best for him to move and we’re going to try and help him with that. I couldn’t get that done prior to this camp.
"I hope to get it done during camp, but it’s best for the Oilers for him not to be at camp right now."
The very same article has Souray responding to the news:
"Things happen, I guess, however as a professional and a proud guy, I wanted to be part of all of the positive things that are happening around the team right now. My focus was to come in here and be a pro. There never would have been any distraction from my end."
This from a guy who threw Management, Team Doctors, trainers and most of the staff of Rexall Place under the bus on the way out of town last season. You have already proven to be quite the distraction Sir.
TOP DRAWER ANALYSIS
We can recall when Big Sexy signed with the Oilers a few years back. He made all of the right noises about wanting to come to Edmonton and being a proud Albertan and we will always thank him for that. He brought some excitement to the ice with his fists and his shot, of that we can be sure. And he set many a loin afire along the way.
But we just can’t help but think back at all the statements he has made in his time here and wonder.
In no particular order the following items spring to mind:
- During free agency he has also said that the Oilers offer came out of left field and was significantly higher than anything else he had received.
- Since he signed with the Oil he has come out and said that other teams than the Oilers had offered him more money but he chose to sign here.
- At the end of last season he basically declared that he would never ever play here again.
- He now claims he is excited to come to be a part of all the positive things happening around the team and that his intention had been to report to camp all along.
Somewhere in the genetic makeup of Sheldon Souray there is an issue lurking. It certainly isn’t with his looks, nor is it his booming slap shot. But somewhere along the way he started drinking his own bathwater and now remains some sort of hard shooting, chiseled jaw enigma that could be interpreted by some non polygraph working folk as a bit of a truth stretcher.
Never in our lives can we recall so many contradictory statements made by a player. We don’t want to go so far as to call him a liar, but he certainly has a "rotating view of reality." Telling reporters at the end of the season that you had been forced by team doctors to play injured is bizarre.
Telling these same reporters that you haven’t talked to your GM in months despite numerous quotes to the contrary is bizarre. Telling everyone that you will never play here again and then 180’ing it right before camp and deciding to play nice is bizarre.
Bizarre to the point that we think Steve Tambellini has done the right thing finally holding Le Grand Sexe accountable for his actions and telling him to stay home.
Sitting Souray certainly doesn’t increase his trade value but with his sticker price scaring most teams off anyway this sends a message that this team isn’t to be used as a floor mat by every Tom, Dick and Harry in the league anymore. As Lowetide put it yesterday Steve Tambellini has stood up and declared himself in charge of this team.
We have come a long way from making Dany Heatley DVDs in an attempt to sell the City haven’t we?
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