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The Rog's Rant

Lindros proof that fame really is fleeting

Eric Lindros had himself a tremendous career, no doubt about that.

He played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League, won a Hart Trophy in 1995, was twice an All-Star, represented Canada in international competition as a pro and a junior and won a Memorial Cup with the Oshawa Generals in 1990.

With 865 points in 760 NHL games, he was one of the more productive players of his generation on a points per game basis, even though most of those points came early in his career. The numbers don't lie, he was a great player in his day for a lot of reasons.

Unfortunately for Lindros his career ended too soon due to numerous injuries and concussions, and he will forever be remembered as a player who was always hurt.

He will also be remembered for never quite achieving true greatness, although he certainly came pretty darn close in those prime time years he enjoyed in the 1990s. And he will also be remembered for what he might have been if healthy - and what he might of been was one of the true all-time greats.

Instead Lindros will have to settle for a "what might have been tag" associated with his name and number - and he certainly did make No. 88 his own for awhile there, didn't he?

I have followed Lindros' career since he came into the OHL as the most hyped junior player since Bobby Orr. He was certainly never dull, that's for sure.

He was as dominating a junior player as I've ever seen and an outstanding NHL player in his peak. His combination of aggressive play with great natural scoring touch made him a unique and explosive player like no other for awhile - really, there was nobody else quite like him (Cam Neely comes the closest I guess, but Lindros had much more offensive upside than Neely although Cam was a terrific player too).

His aggressive style cost him dearly, especially that maddening habit of skating around with his head down. But all in all, on the ice, he was really something to watch for a period of time.

Lindros will be remembered for all of the controversy that surrounded him as well. It started when he wouldn't report to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, then wouldn't report to the Quebec Nordiques, and controversy stayed with him for most of his time in the NHL.

Here's another thing Lindros should be remembered for, or at least associated with - Eric Lindros is the perfect example of how fame is fleeting.

He bounced around so much at the tail end of his career that the end was really anti-climatic. As a result, he has no real "home" team to call his own - he bitterly left the Philadelphia Flyers, he disappointed with the New York Rangers, and his stays in Toronto and Dallas were brief and also injury-riddled.

When he came into the league we all thought he'd be a legend, that his career would be one of the best ever, that he'd play forever and that he'd be associated with at least one team as one of their all-time greats. Tell me though - which of those teams will retire No. 88?

And now a career that started with the promise of his being "The Next One" ends in some sadness and a sense of unfulfilled expectations (most injured related and no fault of his own by the way - I'm not knocking him, I like the guy).

There are a lot of ways to summerize Eric Lindros' career and let me say he was a great hockey player. But let me say to young hockey players on their way up and starting their careers that they should study the amazing saga of No. 88.

If they do, they will learn this: that they should enjoy every moment of their playing days, that they should take nothing for granted, that they should never believe their own hype and that they should learn the one thing that Eric Lindros' career demonstrates more than anything else.

And that is - fame really is fleeting.

Comments The Rant of October 23 at Fenway Park:

"Fenway really is magical The Rog you are right - it's the best place to watch a game in sports." - Steve in Toronto

"I lived in Boston for a year and never saw a game there. I couldn't get tickets! Funny how the old dumpy parks are the ones we really love the most." - Gord in Ajax.

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