The following editorial was written by Deb Papio. I have contacted and gotten permision from her to re-print it. Special Thanks to Deb for letting me.

Lindros

Eric Lindros, the twenty-four year old captain of the Flyers, is a superstar in every sense of the word. He has the size, strength, speed and skills to make him one of the greatest hockey players ever of our time. He is idolized by young boys and men, some who even have their own dreams of playing professional hockey one day. And he is adored and worshipped by women because of his fame and good looks. But nothing is ever easy for Lindros. People either love him or hate him and the media treats him as if his world is a three ring circus.

Ever since his breakthrough in the NHL, he has been highly regarded as being "The Next One". Like the Great Gretzky and Super Mario, the Big E has been called a franchise player, a player who is the next big thing, the one to watch out for, the one to carry the weight of the NHL on his immense shoulders. He's big, all right, at six feet, four inches and over two hundred and thirty pounds. But no matter where you look, somebody always has something to say about the man who has become the youngest captain and the highest paid player in the history of the Flyers organization.

Looking back at all the stellar awards and honors that he's collected in his professional career so far, it's no surprise that Lindros is one of the most respected and feared players in the league. He has great skill on the ice, possesses amazing hands, is a terrific brawler and gets the job done. And he has his off days. He's been called everything from God to a goon, to a spoiled brat, a mama's boy and a crybaby too.

It goes back to the beginning when Lindros refused to play for the Quebec Nordiques. He knew he wouldn't be happy playing for the team and it caused a major uproar in the media. He was dubbed as a racist and his desire to not play there caused anger and resentment in the hearts of many people, particularly those in Quebec. Though the first round choice overall with great things to be expected of him, Lindros has stated that this was the worst year of his life. Even his family was trashed by hockey fans and the media. His father/agent Carl heard it as did his mother Bonnie, who was looked at as an overbearing witch.

More troubles were to follow. There was that nightclub incident where supposedly, Lindros bragged about his enormous salary and spit beer into the face of a young woman who, in his eyes, pushed him too far. He was proven to be innocent of all charges but people couldn't forget the image of Eric being handcuffed. Many people will swear that he is completely guilty of what possibly had happened that night. A play was even written about the whole incident and it even garnered good reviews from certain individuals who saw it. The Lindros family was deeply upset about the dramatization but it's only more proof of how the media love to make a parody of this man's life.

And why does the media have so much fun picking him apart? What is it about Eric Lindros that makes people either love him or despise him? Why has he suddenly been categorized the same way that other famous people, like Howard Stern, Madonna and Michael Jackson have? What is this love/hate relationship that people have with him?

When he was first starting out, it was reported that he was kind of a jerk but that it could be blamed on his age, that he was immature and needed time to grow up. He's grown up now and has it all...money, fame, talent and model looks. But is it enough?

I myself am personally a huge fan of his. He is my favorite hockey player and I have an immense amount of respect for his playing abilities. And I'll even go so far to admit that I find him extremely attractive. But he gets the job done and that's all that matters to me. Still, I often find myself annoyed with him too. I sometimes think that his larger than life status takes the spotlight away from some more deserving members of the Flyers roster. John LeClair and Rod Brind'Amour are considered by many to be better players than Lindros in some ways. LeClair has had a 50+ goal season and how often is it that Brindy misses a game? Both of these men are reliable, even on their off days. For awhile, LeClair was grossly underpaid and Brindy is the heart and soul of the Flyers team. Yet we always hear about Lindros being the superstar, the one man who carries this team on his shoulders. What exactly is it about him that makes him such a media sensation?

True, he's the team captain and as such, he has to be there for the team when the chips are down and often take the blame when things go wrong. He's been accused of walking out on his team when they needed him the most. Some fans say he doesn't deserve to be captain. Some say he's overpaid. Others believe that he isn't paid enough.

Is Lindros a spoiled brat? Is he a crybaby and a momma's boy? Since he comes from such a close knit and loving family, people mistake that for his not being able to make decisions on his own. But in this world where dysfunctional families are practically the norm, Lindros is lucky to have his family to support him and to be able to have the opportunity to turn to them when he needs them. And I am not saying this to sound like I am defending him. I am saying this as someone who has lost a lot of people close to me. No amount of money in the world can take the place of those people that you love the most and who love you back in return.

It's been stated that Lindros is a very quiet, private person who values his time away from hockey. He divides his time between his home in New Jersey and his cottage in Canada. He loves his dog and spends his free time playing golf, fishing and relaxing. And yes, his dad does make most of the decisions for him but that's because it's his job as his agent to do so. Is it hard to think through things clearly when you want to protect your son because he is your son or because he is your client? Should Eric cut the cord and find himself another agent? Some people are saying that maybe Eric does need to grow up and learn to make his own decisions. But maybe he already does. This man knows what he wants. He wants people to leave him alone and let him do his job. He avoids the spotlight and wants to be accepted for who he is and not what he does. People have put all sorts of pressure on him but Eric says that he wants to live up to the expectations he puts on himself. And that's the way everyone should feel about themselves.

This is not a perfect world and no one in it is perfect, not even Eric Lindros. He is an amazing hockey player who hasn't even reached his full potential yet. He seems like a genuine, down to earth and caring man who appreciates his fans and spends a lot of time doing charity work. He is very close with his younger brother Brett, who retired from hockey after sustaining too many concussions. Eric has spoken out many times about the need to take athletic concussions more seriously. His love for his brother and the pain that he feels for him because he can never play hockey again is one of the many reasons why Lindros is a sensitive soul. When he cries after receiving an award and when he turns to mush after visiting sick children in hospitals, this does not a cry baby make. Any real man is not afraid to show their true emotions. Nobody should be afraid.

Right now, Carl Lindros and the Flyers are pursuing separate lawsuits against radio station WIP who claimed that the younger Lindros missed a game due to a hangover. While the Lindros family vehemently deny the allegations made against Eric, they feel that this has hurt him and given him a bad reputation. Yet Lindros is a famous person and often, out of jealousy or resentment, people will say bad things and make up hurtful stories. Being in the spotlight has it's ups and downs. Why is a big deal being made out of it? If Lindros says that he is innocent of these charges, isn't that enough? If these accusations are nothing but false statements, then why should it hold up his career? Then again, if it is true and it has effected his job, that's another story. Still, Eric is a big boy now and should learn to take the good with the bad. If it's not true, get over it. And do we really care if Eric drinks a beer now and then? What he does on his own time is his business, as long as it doesn't hurt the team or his playing.

If Eric Lindros can stay healthy all year, there's no telling what he can accomplish. But I say, let him do his job and the rest will fall into place. The media will continue to have their way with him because he is such a private and intense person who receives so much speculation. He is fortunate to have a family who loves him so much. He is fortunate to be doing the thing that he loves the most and being paid obscene amounts of money for it. As for the rest of the speculation: Is he gay? Is he straight? Is he spoiled? Is he a mama's boy? Does he drink? Who cares, as long as he leads the flyers through another victorious season, remains healthy and sticks by his team. And isn't that all that really matters and should really matter to the fans and to the Big E himself? We all love to talk and speculate on other people. It's human nature. And we are all guilty of it.

The circus atmosphere will continue to surround Lindros. Even now, he is practically getting more headlines than the untimely and horrible death of Princess Diana. How long will his new contract be for? Will he hold out for as long as it takes before he gets what he wants? He did show up for team physicals and the first practices of the season this week. But where will he be in the future? Is any amount of money enough to keep him in Philadelphia for the remainder of his career? He says he doesn't want to leave the team, that he doesn't want to move and is very happy there. But what ungodly amount of money will it take to keep him in orange and black and is the organization willing to pay it? Will the new contract extend to seven years? Five years? Two? One? The story changes on a daily basis. Will he be traded when his present contract expires and he becomes a free agent? Most NHL teams would salivate at the thought of acquiring Lindros but will the flyers let him go? It seems highly unlikely but the Philadelphia brass seem to be annoyed with the situation too. Ringmasters Bob Clarke and Ed Snider should keep a tight leash on their young lions, like Lindros, LeClair and Chris Therien. These matters should be settled as quickly as possible if they expect to have another winning team. But what takes all the enjoyment out of professional sports for the fans is that it has become nothing but a big business. Money talks and everything else walks. And that's real sad when you think about it. Once again, it's all speculation for now but if I could keep Lindros on my side, I'd do it. After all, he is The Next One.

*This article is being reprinted here with the permission of the author.

copyright1997Debbie Papio

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