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In late July of 1999, KMOX sportscaster Randy Karraker was asked if the St. Louis-area media coverage of Brett Hull had been fair.
Karraker's response?
"I would say that...no, not really.
"I kind of think it has gone in the other direction.
"I think there are a couple of people who write for the Post-Dispatch that are extremely avid and ardent Brett Hull supporters.
"And I don't think that, during the process of his departure, or, during the course of his first year away from the Blues, that they really looked at the situation objectively.
"I don't think they were understanding of Brett being in charge of a situation, with Joel [Quenneville] wanting to take control of the situation, which, becuase he's the coach, he should rightly be able to do.
"And I also don't think that St. Louis, because the team is $100 million in debt, the Blues aren't in a position, at least in my way of thinking, despite how much money they have, of being able to sign a guy to a no-trade contract for $15 million dollars, and then not be able to get rid of him.
"If you lose more money next year, and you want to move Brett Hull, and you can get two prospects for him...I think you should be able to do that.
"There were a couple of newspaper guys, and a couple of radio guys, that didn't really look at things objectively.
"I think it's fair to be a Brett Hull fan but I think you have to look at it objectively.
"I consider myself a Brett Hull centrist, and when they offered him $3.3 million dollars a year...$10 milllion dollars over three years...I thought that was a pretty reasonable salary.
"I know Brett wanted to stay here.
"Even as late as the night before free agency, after the Blues had told him that he wasn't going to be back, he thought he was going to be here in St. Louis.
"But I don't think that he did everything that he could to stay in St. Louis.
"All he had to do was accept the $5 million dollars a year and then assume that the Blues ownership wouldn't trade him.
"He had to have that no-trade clause. I don't know if he was in charge or if the agent was in charge...but that's one of things that leads one to believe that maybe Brett wanted to get out and test the free agent market."
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