Lindros, Clarke renew war of words

TORONTO (AP) _ The war of words between Eric Lindros and Philadelphia Flyers general manager Bob Clarke has renewed, with the star center saying he won't play for the team again. <br><br>``I don't

Thursday, November 16th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

TORONTO (AP) _ The war of words between Eric Lindros and Philadelphia Flyers general manager Bob Clarke has renewed, with the star center saying he won't play for the team again.

``I don't see how all this mudslinging can be productive or make the situation better,'' Lindros said. ``The last four years I've met with (Clarke) on any number of occasions to try and work things out and I never once came out and criticized him.

``I don't know what he's got in store or what his goals are or whether he wants to help his team. But it's time to move on. It's what is best for his organization and my career.''

Lindros was reacting Wednesday to comments by Clarke that the former Philadelphia captain abandoned his teammates by rejecting an $8.5 million qualifying offer during the summer.

Clarke, who two weeks ago suggested that he and Lindros meet face-to-face this week in Toronto, said Wednesday he ``doesn't care'' if Lindros plays in the NHL or who he plays for.

``He was the one who walked out on his team,'' Clarke told the Edmonton Journal. ``I don't care if I talk to Eric for the rest of my life _ it won't kill me. I don't care if he ever plays again. All he did was cause aggravation for our team.

``If he wants to play, he might have to come back with us if nobody else wants him. I doubt if any team will sign him without talking to me.

``It's not going to happen that he plays, say 10 games for us first so teams can see how he looks, then I'll trade him. I'm not renting a player. If the doctors clear him to play, then he's healthy.''

Lindros denied reports that he and his father, Carl, who also is his agent, had ignored entreaties from Clarke to have a peace summit in Toronto this week.

Lindros said he has been in phone contact recently with Flyers assistant general manager Paul Holmgren.

``Paul and I have talked on a number of occasions,'' Lindros said. ``I told him the reasons why I didn't feel it was necessary for us to meet.''

Clarke said he has given up having any dialogue with Lindros and his father.

``They've (the Lindros family) tried to bully their way through life, starting in kids' hockey,'' Clarke said. ``They bullied the Ontario Hockey League because they didn't want Eric playing in one of their towns. They wouldn't go to Quebec after they drafted him. They've always got their own way.''

The last direct discussion between Lindros and Clarke is believed to have been at the end of July when Lindros had to make a decision on whether to sign the qualifying offer.

He rejected the offer, which made him a restricted free agent. Teams interested in acquiring Lindros must either make a trade for his rights with the Flyers or sign him to an offer sheet in hopes the Flyers will take five first-round picks as compensation rather than matching the offer.

Lindros said the decision to reject the qualifying offer indicated that he had no intention of playing for the organization any longer.

``Everything that's gone on in Philly was caused by Lindros,'' Clarke said. ``We didn't put him on a plane (after his lung collapsed in Nashville) to kill him, like they said. He never went to our trainers and said he had yellow vision (after one of his concussions).

``What are we going to do, fight with him over everything? He creates all these problems, then blames us, or his dad and mom do.''

After all this, Clarke would take him back, with reservations.

``He can play hockey,'' Clarke said. ``I don't give a damn who his agent is _ whether it's his dad or not but his parents aren't going to criticize our doctors, trainers and coaches and who Eric plays with.

``We've put up with all that before, thinking Eric would grow up and change, but he never has.''