College of Sports Media Game of the Night:

It was a night of firsts for the Toronto Raptors last night. The Toronto Huskies paid a tribute to the NBA’s roots, be unveiling their Toronto Huskies retro look for the first of six games this season. Back on November 1, 1946 the Toronto Huskies played the New York Knickerbockers at Maple Leaf Gardens in the first game of the Basketball Association of America. The Raptors beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 94-88, winning their third straight game for the first time this season. Guard Jarrett Jack got his first start of the season, replacing an injured Jose Calderon. Jack filled in nicely scoring 17 points and dishing out eight assists. Tonight Toronto (10-13) is back at it again. They’re in Milwaukee to take on rookie sensation Brandon Jennings and the Bucks (9-11). Milwaukee sits two games in front of Toronto in the East, but the Bucks are on a four game losing skid. Last night they were in Boston and they lost 98-89. If the vote for rookie of the year were today, Jennings would win by a land slide. He’s averaging 21 points per game and just over 5 assists per game. Back on November 14, he lit up the Golden State Warriors for 55.

On the ice, the Toronto Maple Leafs are at home to take on the New York Islanders. On Monday night, the Leafs had five even strength goals in the second period and cruised to a 5-2 win over the Atlanta Thrashers. Now the last time the Leafs played the Isles, they peppered goaltender Dwayne Roloson with 61 shots and lost in overtime 4-3. Don’t look now, but since their horrible start the Leafs have been gaining ground in the East and are only five points back of the eight seed. The Islanders are one team of five teams that stand in their way. New York played last night and they took a beat down from the Philadelphia Flyers, losing 6-2. John Tavares scored his teams lone goals. Tavares leads all rookies with 13 goals and 23 points, but has yet to register a point at the ACC.

Sorry for the absentisim of late. I have been traveling a ton and am sitting at Pearson right now enroute to Calgary.

I read with great interest in the Toronto star yeaterday Rosie’s article on maple leaf gardens. The gist of her article was that having grown up sneaking into and then gaining her sports writing stripes at the Gardens she isn’t happy to see the old place become a loblaws. She then went on to say how it is nothing against the folks at ryerson either. Her story ended with how the last thing that the city needs is another large grocery store in the core.

So, this may not be the popular view but I for one don’t think old buildings like the gardens should be preserved, at least not by a government entity. Los of other great sports buildings have been torn down around the world why should the Gardens(where I too grew up, spending most Saturday nights there) be any different?

Having said that, once a building is preserved, who cares who the tenant is? I mean, once your keeping it around for historical purposes, should the eventual interior use really matter? How do we dictate? Would it be better used as a movie theatre? A bank? Ikea???

There is no right answer and you aren’t going to please everyone, that’s for sure. When I go to Detroit it’s hard not to feel a little sad when you see all the old buildings sitting abandoned. I drove by the old gardens last Saturday night pointing it out to mrs tsm. It was similarily sad sitting their vaccant. So many memories, mostly good, of a time past. Yet the building doing nothing.

So while there is some humor in buyig diapers, steaks and vegetables at the gardens, the decison was made to keep it standing. Once that was done, most uses are acceptable, an won’t be entirely popular.

More from arctic Alberta.

TSM

Our pals in all the major dailies took the swords out to the Maple Leafs today in collective force. Here’s a recap of the day that was in the papers:

That was the cover story of the Toronto Sun today. The accompanying story by Gary Loewen, actually the best story he has ever written, basically compared the current Maple Leafs to that of the Ballard era.

” During Ballard’s 19-year term as principal owner, the Leafs never won fewer than 20 games and missed the playoffs only five times from 1972 to 1990. The current Leafs, under the condo-flogging, basketball-dribbling, soccer-scuffling Maple Leaf Short of Entertainment Ltd., are on target to miss the playoffs for the fifth year in a row! ”

Hard to argue with the facts as Loewen lays them out.

” As the owner, Pal Hal was visible — he attended practices and watched games from his end-zone bunker at Maple Leaf Gardens. He was an easy target for vilification by fans. Nowadays, could anyone actually pick out an MLSEL governor from a line up of chablis-swilling navy suits in the platinum club at the Air Canada Centre? Club president Richard Peddie might be recognizable, but even he has disappeared into condo limbo since GM Brian Burke become the face of the Leafs on Nov. 29, 2008. ”

Well, I am not sure how valid that point is. A certain former assistant GM who’s fingers used to have problems with fax machines is pretty blunt in his opinion of the current group. Not only that all the media outlets have no problem identifying the figure heads either. As for the Peddie part, he isn’t an owner and the fact that we don’t hear from is a good thing…

” When Steve Stavro was bought out in February 2003, it laid the groundwork for the current board. Mistakes were made: Board members and players formed relationships; certain players got contracts they didn’t deserve; and the inexperienced John Ferguson Jr. was hired as GM.

The Leafs are still trying to dig their way out of the JFJ mess, which left some lingering, malodorous contracts.

The Leafs have the fourth least salary-cap space (about $600,000) in the NHL, so trying to pull off a trade can be a financial nightmare.

However, Burke’s arrival has accomplished two things: It has cut off interference from the board, and his personality has brought passion to the organization. ”

I think that’s a very fair assessment. The truth of the matter is, until this current group wins a cup- they can’t claim much more than Ballard did.

Still with the Sun, Joe Warmington had a very good article entitled ‘It’s time we held Wilson and Burke accountable’. A good story in that I think it fairly reflects the current state of the team and where the blame, if any, should lay:

” Since the Toronto Maple Leafs are the worst team in the National Hockey League, in a year when you gave up a potential first-round lottery pick and could miss out on a franchise player, it’s your turn to be called out for a change.

We are No. 30, after all.

We saw fans with bags over their heads in the more successful eras.

How long before it happens again? Anybody can coach or manage this team to last place — and for a lot less salary.

Despite all of the bombastic banter, and off-season acquisitions, the Leafs at the 20-game mark have won just three and lost 17. Spare us the argument that overtime or shootout losses are ties!

The “pugnacity, testosterone, truculence and belligerence” Burke promised seems to have instead become poor, pathetic, pitiful and pomposity.

Still Burke woos always wishful Leafs Nation with sweet-talking BS about “like a movie” one day the Leafs will “ride off with the girl on the horse followed by a parade.”

That seems to sum up the sentiments of every email I have received from similarly depressed Toronto Maple Leaf fans. It’s not about being impatient with the results per se, rather the pathetic display of hockey this team has played this year. The team appears to have gone backwards and forwards from the team we saw last year.

” After the last-second blowing of the Carolina Hurricanes game, Wilson said, in his usual caustic way: “We need more commitment from some people who are feeling sorry for themselves.”

Yet it was him who had a minus-five Nikolai Kulemin on the ice to help blow it.

Perhaps Wilson should be sent to the minors.

As for the reporters he seems to loathe, they are having a better season. Everytime he says something like “I am sure you guys would petition City Hall to have a street named after” a player who did “well,” I wonder if he would prefer to have the kind of interest they have in Phoenix? ”

I totally agree with the last part. These guys are working in the hockey mecca of the world. As much as they may loathe the MSM- at least they get coverage. At least people care.

” As Hans Christian Andersen wrote in 1837, perhaps the emperor has no clothes. People are starting to notice the clothes are not new — as illustrated by former Leaf Gary Roberts raising questions about the team’s potentially “ludicrous” training regimen and former NHL tough guy Jim Thomson telling TSN’s Michael Landsberg that “Ron Wilson is not a good coach” and “can’t motivate players.”

Time will tell on both because there are many years and millions of dollars owed to these “geniuses.”

I don’t have much faith in guys yapping from the sidelines. Everyone has an opinion and as long as you are on the sidelines you have an agenda. Is Wilson the next coming of Toe Blake? I have no clue, but the guy has won more than his fair share of games as a head coach. As the adage goes, he didn’t forget how to coach over night.

Over at the Toronto Star, Damien Cox chimed in on Wilson as well.

“Perception is everything in politics and sports, and in this case, there is a growing perception that Wilson would be safe even if the Leafs had zero victories because he has already by tabbed by Burke to coach the American Olympic team in February.

Leaf fans will take a lot. They’ve proven that over four decades. But keeping a coach in place so he can coach a U.S. team in the Olympics? That won’t fly, even if it’s not the reason Burke has indicated Wilson is safe.

So if the water keeps rising, and it’s rising very quickly around the Leaf enterprise right now, Burke may ultimately get pushed into doing something he is dead set against.”

I don’t believe Burke will get ‘pushed’ to do anything by anyone but the facts themselves. He doesn’t appear to be in the position to fire Wilson simply because ownership is unhappy. This is his bus and it’s way too early for him to do that. If Wilson’s team stays on this course 4 wins in 21 attempts, to 8 in 42, then Burke may be pushed to fire Wilson.

“The guess here is that Wilson has 10 more games to show some noticeably positive results.

The team is healthy, particularly the key players, Wilson was lucky enough to have a pure scorer in Phil Kessel added in early November and he’s working with a team that isn’t overly inexperienced.

The club, however, was dead last in defence and penalty killing last year. It still is. Youngsters like Luke Schenn, Nikolai Kulemin and John Mitchell are going backwards or sideways.

Whatever Wilson and his assistants are preaching either isn’t getting across to the players, or it’s a game plan they can’t execute”

I agree with that notion. To hear Burke suggest otherwise was laughable the other day. If this continues it just can’t be ALL the players, you have to look at the common denominator.

“Three wins in 20 games is pathetic. If, after 30 games, we’re still looking at six wins or less, the pressure on Burke to make a coaching change will be excruciating.

Maybe that won’t affect him. People should remember that his first two years in Vancouver were just as ugly as they have been so far in Toronto, maybe uglier.

But Burke wants to win, and so far, there is little or no evidence that Wilson is going to be able to fashion even a .500 club out of the current lineup, which may simply mean he’s no Criss Angel.”

I don’t disagree with any of that. Things just can’t keep on like this much longer. Tonight’s shootout win is a start. Let’s see it again and again and again…

“Burke, in London, Ont., watching top draft pick Nazem Kadri on Friday night, is working on at least two trades. He will undoubtedly attempt to make roster moves first, preferring to make a coaching change the last resort.”

Burke has to do something to get this team going. It doesn’t take rocket science to arrive at the conclusion that this squad doesn’t have the horses…

“Interestingly, Randy Carlyle has the Anaheim Ducks in last place in the West, and if he were to get canned there, Burke would have a bona fide option. Carlyle has worked for Burke with the Canucks and Ducks.

At the moment, there’s Wayne Gretzky, who was severely disappointing after failing to strike a free agent deal as a player with the Leafs in 1996 and probably isn’t done with coaching yet. It’s suggested Gretzky has lost 20 pounds and is feeling great these days, but also noted that a job that takes him far away from his home in Thousand Oaks, Calif., might not be at the top of his wish list.

Interestingly, Gretzky shares Burke’s philosophy on the need for toughness in the sport and enforcers on the ice. He learned a great deal from his experiences in Phoenix and, like the late Ron Lancaster of football fame, could be that rare superstar who struggles in his first coaching assignment then excels in his second attempt.

Certainly, you couldn’t get a bigger name.

Craig MacTavish, Peter Laviolette and Mike Keenan are also out there, and Ted Nolan’s name always comes up.

Burke won’t like it that candidates are even being discussed. But that’s the dark cloud that three wins in 20 games brings.”

I don’t think anyone likes that the team is as shitty as they’ve been. At least not anyone with any love of the Leafs anyways. The fact that the papers are circling before December 1 is astounding.

Over at the Globe, David Shoalts checks in and to be honest, I think his latest work is mostly out to lunch.

“If most fans had their way, Brian Burke would be busy this weekend firing Ron Wilson, trading Nazem Kadri, Tyler Bozak, Luke Schenn and just about any other prospect the Toronto Maple Leafs have, and presto, they would no longer be the worst team in the NHL.:

While I have heard people suggest Wilson’s firing, no one that I know has suggested trading ANY of the names Shoalts listed. At least no fans with brains.

“The populace that bragged during the summer of 2008 that it was willing to wait while the Leafs underwent a massive rebuilding operation that promised to be a minimum of two years is, 14 months later, somehow under the impression that today’s 3-11-6 team is the equivalent of seeing the 1977 Montreal Canadiens going off the rails.”

That’s just utter bullshit. The fan base has the stomach to go the right route. Burke elected not to go that way. He didn’t break the whole thing down and go with kids, he went a non -traditional route of being half pregnant. By signing the guys he signed and saying the things he said, he send a message that things weren’t going to be as bad as they are. That people are pissed isn’t a sign of impatience. It’s one of disbelief and reality of having seen this before.

“In the meantime, fans should remember this is a rebuilding team. Unlike previous years, there are some prospects on the farm, though. Consider that the best centres in the organization (Bozak and Kadri) are not even with the Leafs and practise some patience.

As for the current edition of the team, there is not much hope for dramatic improvement. In the wake of Thursday’s ghastly blown lead and loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, Stempniak admitted the Leafs are a little short on fortitude.

“We don’t respond to adversity very well, I guess,” he said. “We play really well and then let one little mistake get to us and compound it.

“We need to do a better a job of being mentally tough and being a team that knows it takes 60 minutes to win a game.”

Stempniak and a few others may have to learn this with the marlies”

Um David, your MSM brothers and sisters should remember that too, don’t ya think???????

So, one win versus Washington and now we see what happens. Burke can’t be swayed that things have turned by this one win…

Loewen is here
Warmington is here
Cox is here
Shoalts is here

Here in London England, the holiday spirit is alive and well. The streets are filled with lights and the store fronts each more imaginative than the next. It is quite remarkable to see and I have to admit I am a bit jealous that Toronto does not carry the same spirit. This year, with a new animation movie hitting the market for the holidays, Jim Carrey in A Christmas Carol, the streets here are full of sponsored decorations. Marketing in the year 2009, everything is for sale.

So with that in mind I reflect on the possibility of our Toronto Maple Leafs applying to host an outdoor game. I have to admit, and I fully realize that I may be alone in this thought, but I really couldn’t careless. The reality is, despite the fact that Toronto is a Maple Leaf town, and I love to go to as many games as I possible can and watch every minute of those I am not able to attend, I have no desire to go to an outdoor game, here, there or anywhere. I would have liked to attend the first one. For me, everyone after doesn’t compare, it’s no longer new, cool nor hip. It’s gotten to be quite passe.

The idea of watching the Leafs play outside vs. the Habs, or any other original six team does absolutely nothing for me. Personally, I would rather see them put ice make in Maple Leaf Gardens for a night. Now that would be cool. If we could go back to the old rat infested Gardens for one night…That I would pay for. That would be a new, fresh, exciting event. It also couldn’t be replicated in many markets as the old barns simply don’t exist anymore. Put the Leafs and Habs in their old uniforms, let the pension plan folks sit in the old bunker, Jimmy Holmstrom on the organ, the horribly ugly old usher uniforms for one night…that would an honour to our tradition.

With respect to an outdoor game in Toronto I say Bah Humbug- pass. I am already bored with the idea, it’s no longer innovate, I personally wouldn’t go if the tickets were free.

On another note, I see the Leafs want to host another all star game and a draft. I was at the last all star game, it was fun. Given the recent play of our team, it was the first time there was a real buzz in this town over hockey for a long time. Hell, more people would care about the all star weekend then will the Pan Yawn Games. As for the draft, if memory serves me correctly, wasn’t the last draft hosted in Toronto a total bust? I seem to recall less than stellar turnout with no one giving a rats ass about it being in town.

Yes, all three things are about the almighty buck to MLSE. They each represent additional gate revenues. The game of areana success is all about filling yours more nights than others. So if they can squeeze more asses through the turnstiles 1, 2 or 3 more days a year it means more beer, hot dogs, sushi and popcorn etc. I would assume that the message would be more about building or rebuilding the hockey fan base in Toronto. The usual suspects in the MSM would call the spade a spade and cry that is about nothing more than money. The typical out of town media would complain about Toronto getting more attention then needed etc.

If we get the draft or the all star game, cool. If we don’t – oh well. Personally, I would much rather have meaningful games later in the year and playoff home dates (yes, plural) than have these events.

Didn’t see any of the game last night, it sounds like there was a coaching issue again last night. While Wilson can’t play the game, if a team comes out flat or unprepared, that to me is a coaching issue. The coach was unable to get his guys up for and prepared for the task at hand. It also further establishes the lack of leadership on the team. The Maple Leafs don’t have the guy to grab the team by the proverbial neck and get them going.

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

So we are finally at the time when can start to look at the now, as opposed to looking forward. Summer is over. Most of our beloved reporters and media members will be back from vacation, Maple Leafs rookie camp is on, soon the big boys and the Raptors will be working out and of course, the NFL is almost ready to start up again. This week, there is going to be more news on the Coytoes and I would bet on the NHLPA. Follow that with Kessel, Heatly and it should make for an interesting week. Before we look at those items as they unfold, I thought it interesting to look back a little bit to see how far we have come.

It was 10 years ago, a search showed that we were hearing rumblings of the potential sale Of Maple Leaf Gardens. How sad I must say that not much has happened with the old building since the sale articles appeared in September of 1999. Only in this city can we sit on a historic building for so long. Look around at other cities with, dare I say equally if not more historical properties that either get restored or torn down in short order. Here in Toronto a building just sits. For my two cents, it doesn’t matter what is done with it as long as it gets done soon. If it were a movie theater, it would be cool to know you are sitting in the old gardens. If it were condo’s it would be cool to know that they were the old gardens. But for nothing to go on isn’t right. I suspect the city has held this up (way to go Mayor Miller) as there is nothing better for bureaucrats to do. It’s time me move on. Get this right.

Similarly, I read that it was 10 years ago that the Maple Leafs had 2 potential players as hold outs, Dimitri Yuskevich and Bryan Berard. What a difference 10 years make. When was the last time we saw a holdout with the Maple Leafs. Holding out these days will make it pretty difficult to play. If players hold out too long they won’t play at all. Funny in reading the articles back then to read the quotes of one Ken Dryden and of course one Wilbur Watters. My how their careers have changed in 10 years. Interesting also to read quotes from Dryden having to defend the Maple Leafs payroll of about 33-35 million back then. Does anyone miss the Dryden years? Does anyone miss the Watters years? The good thing about the Watters years was we knew the media would get lots of info and scoops. Watters was a great quote then, much as he is now.

Ten years ago I was just married living in Miami. We had a dog, but no kids. 10 years ago the Jays were bad, and well, not much has changed there either. It’s hard to believe how fast time has gone, yet equally so hard to believe how little has changed.

With all that has gone on this summer, it will be fascinating to look back and see where things are 10 years from now. Will the Jays be any better, will Burke’s Leafs have won the cup?? Where will the Coyotes play?

Interesting questions, any predictions where we will be in the year 2019?

By the way, did anyone catch Bob Elliott’s latest column in the Sunday Sun. He had a summary ala Simmons Last Word piece. I have to say it was damn good. Interesting how versatile the Jays writers are. Griffin has written some excellent non-Jays stuff I seem to recall, you all know where I stand on Jeff Blair and now Elliott. Do you think there is a reason for this? I do.

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

Theodore Samuel “Teeder” Kennedy who was born December 12, 1925, passed away today, he was 83. I don’t say this often, but Wikipedia says it best about this hero:

“He won the Hart Memorial Trophy in 1955 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966. In 1998, he was ranked number 57 on The Hockey News’ list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players. In 1951 he was captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs when he greeted the future Queen Elizabeth II when she visited Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. He won the Stanley Cup five times — 1945, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951. The last 3 Stanley Cups were as captain of the Maple Leafs.”

He played 14 years in the NHL, each and everyone as a Maple Leaf. He was many a fan of that generation’s favorite Maple Leaf (including my mother’s)

Here is a great video on him:

Let’s hope the Leafs pay tribute to a great member of the Maple Leaf family and a terrific piece of our history.

As a kid growing up here in Toronto I was fortunate enough to go to the gardens a lot. Most Saturday nights during the winter months I was lucky enough (i didn’t realize how bad they were then) to go to a ton of games. My brothers, uncles, cousins and even babysitters used to take me. If I wasn’t at a game I was certainly watching on tv. Hockey has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.

As much as I love the ACC I do miss the gardens. Some memorie of the gardens include:

The guy who used to yell goooooooooooo leeeeeeafs gooooooooo
The old PA announcer who was truly awesome
the rats that were visible around the area where the Zamboni used to come in and out of
going to watch the Marlies on Sunday afternoons and sitting wherever you want
the roasted chestnuts they sold outside
meeting friends at doug laurie’s sports during intermissions
the sink like urinals in the bathrooms
the “awesome” usher uniforms and hats
the old style organ
being able to walk right by the dressing rooms
how close the benches were to each other
my buddies’ front row reds that were right behind the leaf net
The night that Bobby Clarke got his teeth knocked out and my cousin knocked on the glass, offered him a stick of chewing gum by sliding the stick under the glass and seeing Clarke smile sans teeth
Harold Ballard and King Clancy in their bunker
Seeing Gretzky play his first game in Toronto as an NHL player
Dick Beddoes hat
Bad teams, and I mean BAD teams….
John Brophy, Roger Neilson, Dan Maloney, Mike Nykoluk, Geroge Armstrong, Tom Watt, Doug Carpenter, Nick Beverly behind the leafs bench
Waiting outside the hot stove lounge for autographs
coke’s that used to come in milk cartons

All of those Saturday nights instilled in me a love for the game. I have played the game (poorly) since age 7 and play ever Sunday morning still. Those experiences taught me to coach, write and pretty much live hockey every day.

However, the greatest memory I have of hockey today is of the night my son came home from the hospital only 2 days after being born. While he was a great baby in the hospital, from the minute we got him into the car for several hours later he did nothing but scream; not cry, scream. Finally with the help of a nurse we got him bundled up and he sat (lay is more like it) in my arms and watched the Leafs beat up the Habs… It was our first hockey game together, me 30, him 3 days. Today, at the ripe old age of 6 he is every bit hockey fanatical as I am. I’d like to think it has something to do with that first night I shared with him, me Bob Cole, Harry Neil and Mats and Co….

That's my boy

and of course here is this year’s photo:

This Year's team

Let me make this perfectly clear, there is no one player who I have more respect for then Steve Yzerman. I lived in Detroit before the Wings went on their run. I saw what the guy went through. I remember when their was a rumor that Scotty was going to trade him to Ottawa. He was a phenomenal leader and an amazing captain.

He also has done an admiral job learning the ropes in management. The reviews have been without exception very good. The job he has done on the international stage has been superb. He will be an NHL GM one day. By the sounds of it, he even knows that to do so he may have to leave the one NHL franchise he has been with his entire life. I can tell you that when the happens, I will root for him. I like him that much.

Now, to the news of the day. If the Leafs management team had announced last spring, tomorrow or next spring that Steve Yzerman was the next GM of the Leafs, MLSE would be absolutely roasted for the choice. Newsflash here folks, the critics would be right. This franchise is not in the position to hire a guy with NO experience running an NHL franchise. Hello?????? we just went through this mess. The Leafs don’t have the ability for someone to learn on the job. They current ownership group blew that with JFJ. You know it, I know it and media knows it too.

Does that mean that Yzerman won’t be the next coming of Lou Lamoerello? Of course not. He may be the next best GM ever to walk the face of the earth. The Leafs can’t appoint him as GM in the same way they can’t hire Joe Nieundyk as the next GM, or Doug Gilmour as the new coach. That ship has sailed for now. So word that MLSE chairman said the Leafs wont hire Yzerman as the next GM is not a shock nor is it insulting. Oh and by the way, someone new at a job in sports is by definition a rookie. When Yzerman gets his first gig as a GM, he will be rookie GM Steve Yzerman. He will be allowed to and expected to make Rookie GM mistakes. It is no slight in calling him a rookie with respect to a GM role. He has never had a GM position, so his first one will be his rookie season.

Listening to Watters and Brady today was insulting to those of us with an IQ over 10. Wilbur can’t even describe his current status properly. He keeps calling himself a disgruntled employee. Hey Wilus, they fired your ass. You aren’t an employee and you were never disgruntled. You are a bitter former employee, with an axe to grind. No more, no less. It’s funny, down the dial Gord Stellick is also a former employee who was fired, his brother was also once a Maple Leaf employee. It’s funny how different his tone is. He is balanced, he criticizes when required but always balanced.

Brady is a shocker. The guy just came from Detroit. He was on the morning show on their own version of the Fan (WDFN). He had no problems only yesterday rejoicing in the firing of Matt Millen. Arguably the worst GM in recent sports history. Millen for those of you who don’t know was hired by the Detroit Lions seven years ago to serve as president and gm. Millen was a phenomenal player. After a storied career, he became a very good broadcaster, arguably one of the best in the business. As a GM, he was a total disaster. He made rookie mistake from the minute he took control until the time he was fired. Seriously, no joke. How Brady, who spent hours bashing the hell out of Millen can turn around and bash Tanenbaum for not wanting to hire a rookie GM is astonishing. Damien Cox was forced off primetime sports because his negativity combined with McCowan’s created an “unlistenable” product. The powers that be should learn from that. When he started Brady was a hell of a lot more balanced then Wilbur. He should go back to that form. I had some respect for him then, but very little now.

When the Leafs hired JFJ, the media bashed this shit out of them:

“When he took the job after the axing of Gerry McNamara in February, 1988, [Gord Stellick] was no more or less qualified to run an NHL club than John Ferguson Jr. is today.”

That was what Damien Cox wrote the day before JFJ was hired. At least JFJ had been the GM of an AHL team. Yzerman hasn’t, to the best of my knowledge done that. All the usual suspects bashed them for not taking Neil Smith, a more experienced GM. Do you think hiring a rookie GM this time around would be received any better especially given the JFJ fiasco?

Gotta love some of the meathead comments on this story in the Globe:

” D Man from Canada writes: You have to be kidding me. He doesn’t want a “rookie” . Stevie Y is in the top 5 most knowledgeable hockey people out there, and get so much respect around the league. If the next hire will be in place for 5-10 years, he would seem to be the perfect fit – a guy with instant credibility in the game that can grow stronger with the organization. Another indication that the leafs are going no-where with the upper level guys they have in place.”

The top 5 most knowledgeable hockey people out there…sorry, can’t stop laughing

“Dave The Rave from Ottawa, Canada writes: This is the kind of supercilious statement one can expect from the suits at MLSE. Enough said.”

What the hell does that mean?? Anyone impressed by the 10 cent word?

I think these are the same Einsteins who call in after games!

Question of the day for all of you out there….

Yankee stadium is perhaps one of the greatest historical buildings in sports history correct? How is it that the building will be demolished in less then a month without much fuss and the old Maple Leaf Gardens remains vacant, 10 years after the Leafs moved? Is Yankee stadium at the very least not equal to the Gardens in terms of historical significance or are our priorities just a tad bit screwed up????

I thought so….