Theoren Fleury Interview

[hockeybronx]

Hey Playa...

Did anybody catch it?

Was pretty interesting, still very sadning for somebody like me who really looked up to the way he played on the ice.

Originally I thought it was only alcoholism but it turns out in his own words it was "everything".

Whether you liked hiim or not on the ice, it sucks to see someone going through what he's going through.

What do all ya'll think?

[FiveFreshFish]

Where and when did you see it?

[Ven]

He's a great guy burdened with heavy issues. I always liked his play on the ice, and when I got a chance to meet him I thought he was pretty cool too. Sad things happen to good people.

[hockeybronx]

Originally posted by FiveFreshFish
Where and when did you see it?

Hey Playa...

I saw it only Hockey Central on Sportsnet.

It's a three part series, the interview is only about 5 minutes a day.

It is showing today (Monday), Tuesday, and Wednesday on Hockey Central.

If you are in Calgary: 5:00pm on Channel 27

[FiveFreshFish]

^^^ Thanks. It repeats at 7:00pm tonight.

http://www2.sportsnet.ca/tvschedule/

[FiveFreshFish]

Living life in the spotlight

Part I of Hockeycentral's interview with Theoren Fleury addresses his off-ice troubles, and the speculation which follows his actions.

Sportsnet.ca -- Unlike his time on the ice, Theoren Fleury pulls no punches when it comes to talking about his battle against addiction.

Comfortable by an acceptance "he is who he is", Theoren Fleury faced Sportsnet camera's with confidence and spoke openly about the demons that have haunted him his entire adult life -- and a fight for sobriety that rages on.

"I'm not sober today, but am I trying, yeah I'm trying, I'm trying everyday. Do I want to be sober, yeah eventually at some point I want to be sober."

Fleury left the game to seek treatment for his addictions after a well-publicized incident in a Columbus, Ohio strip club exposed his relapse.

"It was all of them (alcohol, drugs), it was every single one of them that you could put your finger on. Once you get a handle on one thing, then something else that creeps up, then once you get that under control then something else creeps up, that's the nature of the disease that people really don't understand. This is a life long sentence."

As incredibly difficult as it is to deal with his disease, Fleury's background provides him with a perspective to be at peace with his flaws.

"My whole entire family there's a lineage of alcoholism and some type of abuse, some type of nervous disorder, anxiety disorder, depression, there is some sort of that lineage all the way down in my family tree."

These days, Fleury finds therapy in hosting a hockey camp for kids in his hometown of Russell, Maitoba. At 36, this NHL veteran bares the physical scars of a tired athlete. But, the emotional wounds of years past won't heal.

"Hockey's not going to make me happy long term like it used to. Hockey was always a safe place and a safe haven for me to go and have fun and enjoy myself and that place didn't become that place anymore and because of that I just decided that I just decide let's just try something else and so far things are going as well as can be expected."

Fleury's problems and issues have been well-publicized and rumoured, which makes it harder for the former player to address everything.

"I don't think it is important to get into specifics but, obviously there has been things and certain events in my life that caused me to do the thing that I have done off the ice. When I was at the rink, I didn't have to think about those things, I could really focus on my teammates, my job."

In truth, hockey was a distraction for the bigger picture, and the bigger problems.

"There are lots of people that know (everything), but I don't think it's good for me to say those thing in public, it's my right as a human being to be able to deal with those things in whichever way that I want"

Of course, the speculation can be over the top, something the Stanley Cup winner has learned to overlook.

"People would rather look at famous people and their problems so that they don't have to look at their own problems and their own selves, I used to put a lot of substance into what people though about me and allowed it to hurt me or make me angry or whatever, and you know I could care less anymore."

Source: http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/article.jsp?content=20041101_142604_4524

[finboy]

man he fell off hard

[marq-jt]

he is a good player but never knew this side about him

well i used to hang out with his son last year during school and a year before... pretty chillen guy too...

[gongSHOW]

caught the interview, i love this part "are you sober today?" his response "no I'm not sober today" :D

[2002civic]

last i heard he was still doing coke a year ago so he hasnt changed

[00redLUDE]

Originally posted by finboy
man he fell off hard

Is that a chick or some guy in drag???!!! WTF!!! :dunno:

[DUBBED]

Yeah it sucks, but who cares. There are way more people who I'd rather hear talk about their problems than Fleury, at least he was given a chance for success. Am I supposed to feel sorry for this guy?

[ninjak84]

No way. Theo does NOT get my tears of sympathy.
He had the world, but his junkie-ass hands dropped it.
Too bad loser!

[davidI]

He was such a great guy. He actually leased a house next door for a bit. It's too bad the money and fame got to him...he was my fav growing up and it was good to see him at one of the flames games but it's still too bad he tossed away so much potential!

His wife was hot too :hitit:

[hockeybronx]

Hey Playa...

It's really too bad though, I looked up to him a lot growing up as a smaller hockey player. Even though his problems started to get to him he still put up some solid numbers in his last years:

1999 - 64 PTS - 68 PIM
2000 - 74 PTS - 122 PIM
2001 - 63 PTS - 216

I remember he worked wonders for me in my hockey pool with pretty good point totals and insane amounts of penalty minutes.

One thing from the interview that stuck out from me:

"People would rather look at famous people and their problems so that they don't have to look at their own problems and their own selves"

[cboyspimp]

fluery is a tight playa.. i gota catch the interview tommorw.. hhe looks soo fucked up in that pic lol.. he was really talented now hes like w washe dup roackstar, who still has money, and is just stuck on livin it up.. when he played for calgary a few years back , my cousins used to own the palace and he saw fluery bust a rail in the bathroom ahahhaha!! what a crazy dude.. allot of nhl players and poeple with allot of money in general due to stardom go down the same path..
:eek:

[Singel]

Originally posted by DUBBED
Yeah it sucks, but who cares. There are way more people who I'd rather hear talk about their problems than Fleury, at least he was given a chance for success. Am I supposed to feel sorry for this guy?



Originally posted by ninjak84
No way. Theo does NOT get my tears of sympathy.
He had the world, but his junkie-ass hands dropped it.
Too bad loser!

I have a hell of a lot more sympathy for him than someone like Nicole Richie, or Robert Downie Jr. Athletes don't usually grow up with the wealth that those stupid actors do, its not easy going from the hood to have everything handed to u on an 8 figure platter, like happens with most the guys in the NBA.

And he never asked for ur sympathy, we askes to know everything about him. I'm sure we'd all be able to handle fame and fortune perfectly, it's not hard at all. It would be a problem I'd love to have, but its a problem nonetheless. If u can't feel sorry for him, then u can't feel soprry for the crackhead junkies on the streets. Their decisions put them there too

[DUBBED]

Originally posted by Singel
If u can't feel sorry for him, then u can't feel soprry for the crackhead junkies on the streets. Their decisions put them there too


Sure I can. They wern't getting paid millions to play hockey.

[Def_3]

it is truly sad to see that interview, I remember being a kid staying up everynight hoping and praying for a Flames win, well of course until last year I was let down season after season, and the only joy I got from watching the Flames was seeing #14 rip it up!!!

I miss the guy and would love to see him straighten out come back to the flames, but yeah I think it is too late for him


But I wish him all the best and he was the best little man on the ice I have seen:thumbsup:

[ninjak84]

Originally posted by Singel
Their decisions put them there too

I agree 100% with you.

I don't have sympathy for street people either.
If I give it all away, then I won't have any left for myself after mid-terms! :rofl:
Haha just kidding. I mean, I still donate to charity sometimes and donate LOTS of food to banks and things. But I just don't do it out of sympathy....

Theo said alot of things when the Flames won the cup last season (it was in, you know it!), and it was pretty shallow..... I just don't like him.

[BerserkerCatSplat]

No matter what you think about the guy or what he's done with his life, you have to respect the fact that he's trying to fix his myriad problems. Sure, he's done drugs and messed up his life. Yes, so have homeless people. But street crackheads just expect you and me to hand them money so they can get more of their problem (i.e. alcohol, drugs), intead of realizing that they're doing something foolish. Theoren at least still has the drive to fix his somewhat broken life. That's proably more than you can say about a lot of celebrities that have gotten drug/alcohol addictions.

I own one of his sticks from his Flames days... I'd like to see the day that he can put his problems behind him and pick up a stick and get back to playing some hockey.

[DUBBED]

Originally posted by BerserkerCatSpl
Yes, so have homeless people. But street crackheads just expect you and me to hand them money so they can get more of their problem (i.e. alcohol, drugs), intead of realizing that they're doing something foolish. Theoren at least still has the drive to fix his somewhat broken life.


So you're saying homeless crackheads want to be homeless crackheads, and they like living that way? I don't think so.

[Def_3]

Originally posted by DUBBED



So you're saying homeless crackheads want to be homeless crackheads, and they like living that way? I don't think so.

no, he's saying they are homeless cuz they are too buisy burnin boulders, and forget that shelter food and clothing cost money too.

They dont want to be homeless, they CHOOSE to be homeless cuz they would rather slurp on some white rock, IMO they are WEAK SAD DIRTY PATHETIC WASTE OF LIFE,

I have no remorse, Im 21, I partied lots, experimented etc, but I am NO head thats for sure, I wasnt weak enough, wether its coke, alcohol, ecstacy etc............no exceptions, crackheads choose to suck cock for rock!!!!!

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Originally posted by DUBBED



So you're saying homeless crackheads want to be homeless crackheads, and they like living that way? I don't think so.

Apparently they do, otherwise they wouldn't be homeless crackheads. People are rarely born as crackheads, and for Pete's sake, this is Alberta. It's not all that tough to get a job at a factory or warehouse somewhere. They're just too [lazy/unmotivated by welfare] to get one. I don't have a lot of respect for the homeless, and those of them who beg me for money so they can go buy drugs get no respect whatsoever.

[Def_3]

Originally posted by BerserkerCatSpl


Apparently they do, otherwise they wouldn't be homeless crackheads. People are rarely born as crackheads, and for Pete's sake, this is Alberta. It's not all that tough to get a job at a factory or warehouse somewhere. They're just too [lazy/unmotivated by welfare] to get one. I don't have a lot of respect for the homeless, and those of them who beg me for money so they can go buy drugs get no respect whatsoever. :werd: walk over to a construction site, or even cash corner, I gaurantee they will get a job ASAP, I know 3 different companies (painting,drywall and concrete that built the company on laborours from cash corner

[cboyspimp]

tonioght he talks about his fight at the strip club this should be interesting... i want a theron fleruy jersey lol

[max_boost]

It's just sad to see him like this......:( I hope he can conquer his demons and come back to play with Iggy on the number one line and give us the Stanley Cup! How great would Fleury be if he was part of our run last year? The little guy can do it!!!

[fast95pony]

I wonder what condition he was in while driving around town in his Viper ?? :confused:

[B17a]

So does he still live here? I always see a hot blonde driving a Viper and keep wondering if that's his wife.

[bspot]

Originally posted by ninjak84

Theo said alot of things when the Flames won the cup last season (it was in, you know it!), and it was pretty shallow..... I just don't like him.

What did he say about this? I only caught the beginning.

[Singel]

Originally posted by DUBBED

Sure I can. They wern't getting paid millions to play hockey.

That's not my fault, they could ahve been if they applied themselves.

It's not that hard...but it's also not that easy to get a job if ur a bum. I know I wouldn't hire them for most jobs

[hockeybronx]

Hey Playa...

So part three rapped up tonight. It didn't really sit well with me especially when they showed many highlights of his achievements throughout his career. I always wondered if there was a chance that he'd make a comeback, but after seeing the interview it is clear that it's all over.

So many good memories of him playing with such intensity and making up for his size with heart. From his lightning speed, and great goals, to his unorthodoxed mind-boggling cheapshots, to his insane temper tantrums I was with him all the way... I loved to see HIM win more than any other player I've seen.

[cman]

Originally posted by B17a
So does he still live here? I always see a hot blonde driving a Viper and keep wondering if that's his wife.

i doubt it, im pretty sure he got a divorce when all the substance abuse started

[davidI]

Originally posted by cman


i doubt it, im pretty sure he got a divorce when all the substance abuse started

The wife that he was with when he lived next door to us was a brunette. I think his first wife was a blonde...she used to live nearby too, don't know if she still does.