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Letters to the Editors

Lecavalier doesn't deserve attention

© St. Petersburg Times,
published September 23, 2001

I have heard all the comments about what the Lightning should do with regard to Vinny Lecavalier. I have read John Romano's Pay him what he wants (Sept. 20). Well, I am a huge Lightning fan. I have season tickets and go to most of the games. I am sick and tired of the multi-million dollar athletes who are not worth the money they are receiving. Vinny may soon be one of them. He has yet to show the consistency that is warranted a player of "franchise" caliber.

True, there are times when he is magical on the ice. A pleasure to watch. But those games are few and far between. The Bolts need consistency, and after three years, he has yet to prove he can play an 82-game schedule. There are more games in which he is totally frustrated and plays like a third-line center. Is he worth over $3-million per year? No way. I hope the Lightning sticks to its offer and gets ready to play the season without him. I believe the Lightning will find it can win without Vinny Lecavalier.
-- Pete Budzinski, via e-mail

The Tampa Bay Lightning is fretting about the wrong thing! Setting a salary precedent with Vinny Lecavalier shouldn't be the worry. What it should be losing sleep over is the failure to sign him would merely confirm the precedent already set by Bill Davidson when he bought the Bolts, which is: Invest in the land around the Ice Palace and to heck with the team.

Long-suffering Lightning fans deserve a better fate!
-- Dottie McQueen, Palm Harbor

Put money issues aside

The events of last week were a wake-up call to most of us. Unfortunately, professional sports did not blink once. Vinny Lecavalier at 21 years old cannot realize that his lot in life making over $1-million a year is a life many people will never come close to. Maybe he should ignore the advice of his agent or, better yet, tell his agent to reduce his commission and get to work like the rest of us.
-- Terry Tucker, Palm Harbor

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