Dear Glen Sather
By Greg Fried
I am 25 years old and live and die with the Rangers. I am not going to
pretend to have suffered through 54 years. I don't remember how close we came in 1979 or the reason that the Ranger faithful chant "Potvin sucks!" But I do know what it means to have your heartbreak as you watch your favorite sports team. And I do remember, and always will, the ecstasy I felt on June 14, 1994. These past few years have been the most difficult years I have spent rooting for the Rangers. The summer of '99 was a disaster but live and learn. Neil Smith, the only GM to bring a Cup to this franchise in over 60 years, lost his job over that summer. You were brought in to reverse the free spending ways of our beloved Blueshirts.
Your methods are not what NY fans are used to. Your plan is very private and the fans can not read you. You stand by your words that "We will not mortgage our future." Ranger fans rejoiced, times have changed. We buy into the fact that one of the most beloved Rangers of all-time in Adam Graves must go. You seemed committed to making room for Brendl and Lundmark, Mottau and Novak and eventually Blackburn to lead us through the next decade.
July 1st came and there were no free agents putting on the Rangers sweater. We heard you were surprised by how fast players signed. Under normal circumstances this would have caused alarm, but Ranger fans were so happy we didn't throw money at everyone who moved we didn't care.
Then the questions came. Ulanov, Karpa, and Ciger came in. All of a sudden there was no room for the kids. We weren't rebuilding yet we weren't bringing in top players. No one knew what was going on. Jagr came and went and once again your bag was empty. The reason? Brendl, Lundmark and Kloucek were untouchable.
The summer was almost over and Ranger fans had no idea what was going on. You refused to trade our prospects for the most prolific scoring machine in the NHL yet you signed just enough mediocre players in the off season so none of the prospects had a roster spot.
But now, the one player most hated by all Ranger fans has been brought here. And in the process you have let go the previously untouchable Brendl along with Hlavac and Johnsson, all players age 25 or under. And the man you brought in here is one hit away from retirement.
Forget the fact that he is hated, forget the fact that he cries, forget the
fact that he has been rumored to take off games due to hangovers. Forget all that because, as we all know, if you produce in this town, you are a hero no matter what you do. But to bring in a player who will not last this season, let alone his contract, for young players who have shown nothing but promise is absurd. We are not on the cusp of a Cup, we are not missing one piece to the puzzle. This is not the trade deadline where we need that extra punch to get over the top. This is, without question, the worst move in the history of the franchise.
I go to about ten games a year and loyally watch the rest on TV. I buy the merchandise and visit the concession stands but that is over. Until the New York Rangers have a new President and General Manager, I will not put one more dime into this team. I can not spend my money on a team that spits in the face of their fans. The second this trade was made, the heart of every true Ranger fan was crushed.
Maybe Lindros will be fine and play for ten more years, maybe he will finally hoist a Cup, maybe you will prove to us all that you know best, but that is too much of a long-shot for me to take a chance on. And I would rather go another 54 years without a Cup than have to praise Lindros for bringing it to New York.
For years I have heard from my Islander fan friends that the Rangers are the New York Oilers. And you were the final piece that trend. Finally, they said, you bought the architect to the team who won the Cup for you. But there is one thing different in this case. Unlike those that came before you, you will never be considered a NY Ranger. You could have put the explanation point on your career with a Ranger revival. Now you have jeopardized your legendary status.
You never pretended to be the traditional NY General Manager. You don't speak to the media and never leak any information. You hardly spend any time in NY. Maybe the stories are true. Maybe you did come here for the same reason as everyone else, a fat retirement check. You were supposed to turn this franchise around. We believed in you, the media gave you more than a year free from criticism and this is how you repay us.
What will be your response when Lindros falls to the ice with concussion number seven. How will you explain the reason you gave three young players and a draft pick for someone who played less than a season for the Rangers. If your response is anything short of a resignation, it will not be enough. For the first time in my life, I feel betrayed. Never before have I cared so little for something I love so much. I don't pretend to speak for others but I am sure I am not alone when I say, August 17, 2001 will always be remembered as the day you ripped the hearts out of every true Ranger fan.
Greg Fried