Status: ~Finished~
Toy Soldiers
Your saying I should play bad?
Skinner's view:
Practice was okay, nothing different really. I was tired, ready to shower and go get some lunch, but as soon as I walk in the locker room I wanted to walk right back out. "Jeff are the stories true? Do you even care about this team or are you just in it for some girls and big awards?" They were interviewing Eric, but of course all the attention is on me. The only thing I could think of was going back on the ice. "Hey guys, are we finishing this interview or are we done?" "Okay Eric-" I went back on the ice and my coach looked confused. "Biebs? This hour is only for people who just came back from injury or who need some extra practice." "I know, I um wanted to work on my one-timers." "Okay well I pass to you and you take a few and let me see where your week point is." "Okay."
I saw the puck and slapped at it. It went in, along with my stick, it snapped in half. "Okay um, you have the power, but I don't think you really need work on anything. Is something wrong Jeff?" "Um, no, well I don't know coach." "Is there some other rookie that stole your girl? You mad at Staal for something?" "No, and I don't think I could ever really be mad at Staal. It's all this media stuff, they are driving me crazy." "Oh yeah I heard that story on the radio this morning." "You don't believe it do you?" "No, you don't ONLY care about goals, and I know you care about your girlfriend dearly, but none of what they were saying is true. We all know you are a great kid who cares about this team and you have every right to do what you want off the ice. I'm not here to teach you right from wrong. I would hope you don't do bad things, but we all learn from any mistake that we may make in life. I'm here to coach a winning hockey team, that's my job.
I know how it is, the media won't leave you alone, it's gonna be like that for a while. Go talk to Eric about the media, they were all about him when he was a rookie. Go talk to any rookie that is in the league, Hall or Seguin, I bet you they have a good media crowd around them." "I see what you are saying,but sir the media only saw Leah and I kissing out in public because they followed us home. They came to our house, came after us by walking up our driveway with their cameras and forced us to run into our house. We had to wait ten minutes for them to leave." "Well I mean Leah has a well known last name, you are well known here in Raleigh and you two are like celebrities and this is what happens to celebrities. I'm not sure about the whole coming onto your property like that, but it will die down eventually and the better you start playing the more this will happen."
"So your saying I should play bad?" "No. I am saying you need to be you, be Jeff Skinner. So the media made a story about you, is it true? No, and anyone who believes it is as crazy as the people who created it. I don't want your game effected by the media. What I want you to do is focus on why you are here." "Okay coach. I hear what you are saying." "Okay, now get off the ice and get some rest we got a game tonight." "Okay coach. Thanks."
Practice was okay, nothing different really. I was tired, ready to shower and go get some lunch, but as soon as I walk in the locker room I wanted to walk right back out. "Jeff are the stories true? Do you even care about this team or are you just in it for some girls and big awards?" They were interviewing Eric, but of course all the attention is on me. The only thing I could think of was going back on the ice. "Hey guys, are we finishing this interview or are we done?" "Okay Eric-" I went back on the ice and my coach looked confused. "Biebs? This hour is only for people who just came back from injury or who need some extra practice." "I know, I um wanted to work on my one-timers." "Okay well I pass to you and you take a few and let me see where your week point is." "Okay."
I saw the puck and slapped at it. It went in, along with my stick, it snapped in half. "Okay um, you have the power, but I don't think you really need work on anything. Is something wrong Jeff?" "Um, no, well I don't know coach." "Is there some other rookie that stole your girl? You mad at Staal for something?" "No, and I don't think I could ever really be mad at Staal. It's all this media stuff, they are driving me crazy." "Oh yeah I heard that story on the radio this morning." "You don't believe it do you?" "No, you don't ONLY care about goals, and I know you care about your girlfriend dearly, but none of what they were saying is true. We all know you are a great kid who cares about this team and you have every right to do what you want off the ice. I'm not here to teach you right from wrong. I would hope you don't do bad things, but we all learn from any mistake that we may make in life. I'm here to coach a winning hockey team, that's my job.
I know how it is, the media won't leave you alone, it's gonna be like that for a while. Go talk to Eric about the media, they were all about him when he was a rookie. Go talk to any rookie that is in the league, Hall or Seguin, I bet you they have a good media crowd around them." "I see what you are saying,but sir the media only saw Leah and I kissing out in public because they followed us home. They came to our house, came after us by walking up our driveway with their cameras and forced us to run into our house. We had to wait ten minutes for them to leave." "Well I mean Leah has a well known last name, you are well known here in Raleigh and you two are like celebrities and this is what happens to celebrities. I'm not sure about the whole coming onto your property like that, but it will die down eventually and the better you start playing the more this will happen."
"So your saying I should play bad?" "No. I am saying you need to be you, be Jeff Skinner. So the media made a story about you, is it true? No, and anyone who believes it is as crazy as the people who created it. I don't want your game effected by the media. What I want you to do is focus on why you are here." "Okay coach. I hear what you are saying." "Okay, now get off the ice and get some rest we got a game tonight." "Okay coach. Thanks."