Did anyone else watch the Oct. 18th Post Game interview with Mike Richards on Flyers TV? O.M.G. Talk about PAINFUL TO WATCH. It looks like he is about to cry. His demeanor reminds me of my 6 year old son when he gets in trouble and we are giving him a lecture. I know that the job of captain is new to this guy but for crying out loud the rest of the team is looking to him for leadership during this rocky period.



SUCK IT UP BOYS AND LETS PLAY SOME FLYERS HOCKEY !

i was too busy throwing up after i watched them give the game away

Watch the postgame interview and let us know what you think. Should Richards be acting like a 6 year old or should he be showing his team real leadership in this time of crisis?

It's all falling apart now.

i assume its on flyerstv
if so i will have to wait until i get home for this one

my whole world is crumbling down in front of me

Emotionally overcome! Shows how hurt he is that they lost. Probably realized this would lead to either firings and/or trades in the near future if things don't turn around almost immediately. Some leaders throw things and rant, others try to lead on ice by example. Ritchie has done what he could on ice but needs more help than the rest have given him.

Yes He was in bad sorts i was waiting for the interviewer to hand him a tissue,for crying out loud Mike nobody likes to lose,You are the leader and Man where i come from Leaders don't cry.Sorry.I love Richards he is the face of the Flyers and he has to start acting like it.The hole team needs to start over forget the loses and start picking up the pace for the love of god ,shot the figging puck a little more ,who knows it maybe it will go in the net.Trade Lupul hes useless fire Stevens he not what they need .enough with the team bonding all the time these are grown men they should be able to get along and play together its a hockey team,not a pansy camp.Its still very early but as we seen 2 years ago things get out of control pretty quick iam just hopping this is'nt another 2006-07.

WOW just WOW first of all Lupul is the main reason we made to the 2nd round of the playoffs last year. Second, its too early to say that Stevens should be fired, I mean he did get Coach of the Year last year. Third, learn how to spell, your grammar sucks too.

theres only so much a person can take. i dont care if hes supposed to be a "big bad hockey player" but when you work your *** off every night and cant come up with a win and the team behind you isnt working as hard... who cares if he looks distraught? this only shows that he actually gives a ****.

i too would be pretty upset if i were him.

We all understand he is upset, but A: Do you think how he acted in the interview shows leadership during a crisis? And B: Do you think is ok to "crumble" this soon into the season? I mean it's not like thay have played 10-15 games for crlst sake!

There are some rumblings that tensions are high among the players. Maybe some of the guys are tossing blame around the room and making Mike's life very difficult. This isn't the ideal way to start the season for this young captain.

I'm with you on this one, Ferrin.

Count me in : P

I was kinda shocked by it. I know its rough for him but you cant be showing weakness this early in the season. He needs to get this team amped up. He's the leader of this team, he has to motivate these guys and the guys need to have his back. They better get it together soon or there will be some firings and or trades.

Me too.

This is disheartening, not because I'm worried about the team because of course I am, but because I'm worried about Richards and how this team's slump is going to affect him in the long term.

I don't see signs of the problems going away any time soon and if he doesn't learn to put some perspective on all of this, he's never going to be able to deal with the inevitable adversity inherent to playing in Philadelphia.

I dont see how its such a big deal. I mean the poor guy is concerned about his team. Hes just tryin to get the 1st and most challenging win of the season. It seemed like the flyers were gonna win their first on Saturday night. Id be the same way...

Every game they lost has been by one goal(excluding the avs). You would be pretty distraught too if your team has failed to hold 3rd period leads and gone on to lose those games

Exactly : D

you started off solid, then lost me on your crazy accusaitions and ideas on how to fix our teams problems

Yes, it´s been discussed a bit in another thread as well. I was shocked when I saw it. First thought: is this the behavior of a captain? Second thought: was this shot after Richards had been torn apart by Stevens after the game? Or was he just so very, very disappointed after the OT loss...?

Exactly my point, Rather than behave like he did I think Richards should TELL THE MEDIA exactly what you stated and stand up for his team! Now is the time for LEADERSHIP!

As I stated in another thread, this team is showing progress in each game and once they get thier first win Wednesday night it can only get better!

The majority of people on here wanted Richards to become captain and said that he was more than capable and mature to take the 'C', so I don't think threads regarding his 'attitude' at the moment is relevant to be honest.

Like a few other people above me, I think I'd be distraught if I was in his position at the moment. Whether he laughs or cry during an interview, he would always come across as a 'leader' to me.

Of course it´s a big deal. How often do you see grown men in the NHL struggle not to cry after losing a game during the regular season? It´s not like they´ve lost the Stanley Cup finals, they haven´t missed the playoffs, they just lost a game early in the season. Yes, it´s tough for Richards and the lads right now, but it doesn´t look good when the captain behaves like this. It certainly doesn´t give the team a boost.

Stevens did not get coach of the year last year.

I voted for Kimo.


I don't understand the "let's wait and see" attitude regarding Stevens. What's going to change if we keep him? This is just more of the same from last year.

How long are you going to stand in a sinking boat before you realize it's time to get a new boat?

Well.....by the Hockey News he was. I mean last season he got it.

+ 1,000,000,000


Someone actually GETS IT!

I guess I'm getting off topic here, but it doesn't matter if Stevens won coach of the year last year. Right this particular minute, we are in last place in the NHL.

You said it fella.

"""
I don't understand the "let's wait and see" attitude regarding Stevens. What's going to change if we keep him? This is just more of the same from last year.

How long are you going to stand in a sinking boat before you realize it's time to get a new boat?"""

That just made have to smile. You just nailed that one right on the head. I never understood this about sports, esepcailly in Philadelphia. I understand loyalty...but come on, you can't ask the guy to change his entire coaching philosohpy. What will really burn me is if we play this crappy for another 30 games, then decide "better change it up". I see no reason why a new coach couldnt step in and right this ship, especially with the players on this team.

first, about richards-his attitude is fine. he could be a little more media savvy, but its not a neccisity to be a good leader/hockey player. he looked like a deer in headlights in the clip. i mean he's a kid, give him a break. it would be one thing if he play was trailing off, but its not

second, steves-people forget this guy took the team from worst in the league to the ECF. he's earned his stay for the time being. its not even november and people want him gone, ridiculous

The writing is on the wall and if you cannot see it then your blind or ignorant. I would bet that Homer is working on a "solution" to the Stevens issue in private. This way the players and fans can concentrate on winning games. A "shake up" on the staff would only send a GIANT RED FLAG at this early stage and would most likely kill team morale even worse than it has.


WEDNESDAY NIGHT IS DO OR DIE ! LET'S GO FLY GUYS !

Richie always is emotional, but he looks extremely emotional in this one. I'd be crying after the second game of the season cause i'd be so upset.
He doesn't deserve this as a new captain. I guess he feels responsible and must feel like he isn't doing everything he can, in which he is though.

He has the right not to comment at all correct? He can't be fined for not taking questions, I think I would have preferred for him not to have given that interview.

I think Flyers fans have been making too much out of this. He is extremely frustrated. He is trying his best to lead by example, but it's not enough. He knows someone can lose their job over this or one of his friends can be shipped out of here. He obviously cares a lot and it bothers him even more than us fans.

You read my mind. I wonder how I would have felt as a player. "OK, we´re in a tough spot here with no victory so far. And the captain is crying... Can it get worse?"

You have to remember why there is a captain at all. He's supposed to lead the team on the ice but also show leadership and send a signal of strength, unity and hope to the team and the fans off the ice. I'm not trying to bash Richards here, all I want to say is that this was not one of Richards' proudest moments as a Flyer. We have to be able to say that much.

I don't get it. There have been hundreds of posts on this forum from fans about their frustration. All Richards did was show a little emotion and people are ragging on him for it. Who is to say that his reaction won't help the team? It's clear that the standard approach hasn't helped anything so far. Maybe it's emotion that they need to get themselves going.

In that case, it's certainly the wrong kind of emotion in my mind. Do you get fired up by people crying?

I won't argue about other posts because this place has been (as anticipated) a little crazy in light of what's not happening. But the only emotional response his interview invokes is sympathy, that's generally not a very effective motivational tool.

What you say is true but that does not excuse Richards, good Captains can handle that stuff. Look at it from a war perspective. If you are in a squad or platoon or whatever they call it who would you want to be the leader or general? The guy who breaks down in tears when his friend gets shot and forgets he is still in the middle of a war or the guy who can bottle up the emotion and focus on moving forward?

People had an unrealistic expectation of Richards. They automatically thought he was be the next Bobby Clarke just because he shares some similarities but he is not Bobby Clarke he is Mike Richards, he will never be the same.

You can try to defense Richards as a Captain all you want and maybe one day he will be a great Captain but as of right now he is not anything special and he is crumbling under the pressure.

I don't think showing frustration after their 5th straight loss is showing a sign of weakness or makes him less effective as captain. We have no idea what is going on in that locker room.



He wasn't crying.

I guess I just don't think it's as big of a deal as other people do. It happened. I'm over it. The Flyers have much bigger problems than whether or not Mike Richards got teary eyed. They are professionals. Of all the things that they have to worry about, if this bogs them down, they need to reprioritize immediately.

I wouldn't normally worry about it either except that in the last three days I've been reading a lot of this.... from Homer.

The interview was for the media and fans. It's what he says to the locker room that counts. We have no idea what he said in the locker room or what was going on.


I agree about people having unrealistic expectations of Richards. I felt he was made captain simply because that's what fans expected since the organization marketed him as the future captain from the day he was drafted. I thought Kimmo was the better choice.

That being said, I don't think this interview means a thing. This is not a war. Sports can be very emotional. If he was shown crying after losing game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals no one would say a thing. He shows some frustration where he wasn't crying and suddenly he's a weak and ineffective captain? It's creating a controversy where there is none. The only weak and ineffective leader is the man behind the bench.

it dint really bother me, i dont care if he was teary eyed or not , i just want them to win some games and make the playoffs!

Sorry I couldn't help myself. "That's my quarterback..."

It's called levity, roll with it.

Now that's embarrassing.

I thought he has looked bad as a Captain all season personally. I mentioned how he looked similar to this during an interview between periods against the Penguins. He was on the verge of tears, ether that or he kept getting something on his eye and his voice for some reason got all cracky.



I was also a bit disapointed with him on the ice. After he nearly scored that goal and got knocked over Downie came to his defense and 2 Shark players jump Downie, Richards is right next to him and he just skates there watching Downie get basically manhandled by both of the Sharks. Downie has to wait for Alberts to come to the rescue followed by another Flyer then the refs while Richards just watches.