here is a cool video on the new helmet:

cascade helmet

word is that the Marlies are going to try it.

Last night’s game with the Ducks was a breakout for many Maple Leaf players. Hagman and Kaberle come to mind as obvious choices. Clearly the monster allowed the Buds to relax a little enroute to 11 power plays. It is not going to be easy if they have to rely on 11 powerplays every night to win a game. I am pretty sure that the Maple Leafs out of the first period were just under 10 minutes in time with the man advantage.

So with a few guys appearing, at least for night to get their game on, there is one guy who just clearly is out of it. His play, for lack of a better word, sucks. That would be none other than whipping boy Jason Blake. Forget for a small second the amount of cash he is earning. Forget the number of years he is playing and just look at the stats through the first several games. Through 9 games he has 1 goal, 2 assists, he is a -7 with 6 penalty minutes and 31 shots on net. At this pace he should be thanking everyone alive if he gets close to 20 goals this year let alone the 25 he had last year. It has become more and more apparent that the guy simply can’t play. He looked totally lost and disinterested throughout the entire game last night. Talk about a guy destined to play for the Marlies right now. I can’t for the life of me understand why Burke hasn’t followed through on his promise to bury guys who aren’t performing irrespective of their contract. Here is a guy who makes big bucks for no, not little, no bang. There has to be someone down on the farm who can produce as well as he can with a small percentage of the salary cap hit.

As demoralizing as it can be for a team to have a goalie let in easy shot after easy shot, it has to be equally as troubling to see a guy as untalented as Blake is get 12-16 minutes per game. Hell Luke Schenn has seen his ice time rocked back under 10 minutes and this clown is nearly averaging 15? Schenn’s a rookie. Enough is enough Brian, swallow hard, bite the bullet and bury JFJ’s wonder boy. Perhaps, not likely you can do something with him on re-entry waivers. Blake is totally ineffective offensively. He is a liability defensively. And to top it off he makes a lot of money.

All of those things to me scream of demotion. So far, in this respect Burke has yet to walk the walk. He has said he would do it. We are just waiting for him to do it. Let’s hope that Blake is the first to go, setting an example of the others who are out there floating.

@yyzsportsmedia

Quick article review and then Ron Wilson’s potential shot…

If you only read one article on the state of the Maple Leafs, make it Bruce Arthur’s column. It really is a fair and accurate assessment of the where we are today:

“Let’s go over the checklist. What general manager Brian Burke wanted was a team that created a fear-free environment for the skill players; what he has is a fear-drenched environment for his goaltenders. What Burke wanted was a team that played an aggressive, no-Leaf-left-behind style of physical play; what he has is a group often reduced to tentative pylon imitation, afraid to take a penalty on a team that can’t kill penalties.
Oh, and this team still needs work on shooting the puck down the ice on the penalty kill – they failed three separate times on Colorado’s first man advantage. No, seriously, they have trouble shooting the puck down the ice.”

That’s a pretty good summary wouldn’t you say??? Seriously. Where the hell is the team that was fun to watch during exhibition season? I mean Kadri is gone and Bozak back on the pharm, but was Jason Allison the gel holding this team together? Seriously what the hell was in the water up at the Deerhurst?

“Throw in the regression of Luke Schenn, the unwise grittiness of guys like Mike Komisarek – who took a boneheaded elbowing minor 50 seconds after the Leafs cut it to 2-1, leading to a decisive Colorado goal – goaltending only slightly better than that provided by a fire hydrant, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.”

It isn’t pretty, that’s for sure. On the Schenn thing, how come I haven’t read sophomore jinx yet? Seriously??? Can someone smarter than me tell me that already this season his minutes are down? I mean why else is this guy choking the splinters out of his stick?? He is playing as if he screws up on a shift he will be send to the Marlies…..

“But panic, frankly, is a perfectly reasonable response to this. Before last night’s game the deckchairs were rearranged, in the hope that it would motivate the entire crew. MacDonald and Tyler Bozak and backup goalie James Reimer were elevated from the Toronto Marlies; Toskala – he of the .812 save percentage after the Monday night massacre – was sent for a rather convenient MRI, which was expected to detect his badly sprained confidence

I am so glad he wrote that. What else do people want from Leaf fans? Apathy? Would the media be happier if people were saying gosh gee wilikers, will get the next time????? It’s ok to see things for what they are.

“We don’t seem to have much resilience,” said Leafs coach Ron Wilson, whose sarcastic condescension isn’t playing so well, just now. “So I think right now getting some younger people in there that don’t carry a bunch of baggage around is the way to go.”

Baggage, six games in? Oh, boy. And forwards Matt Stajan and Nicklas Hagman, who had combined for five of Toronto’s 12 goals in the first five games, were benched. Why them?

“Why not?” answered Wilson. “It has to be significant changes. To sit out guys who play on the fourth line but have given a really good effort makes no sense to me.

“We have to shake things up … It can’t always be like the movie Usual Suspects.”

This team already seems shaken enough, thanks. And it certainly looks like there are a lot of the usual suspects hanging around. For all the talk of change, nine of Toronto’s forwards were here last year, mostly on the top three lines, along with more than half their defencemen. Unsurprisingly, this team hasn’t figured out how to play a Burke style, which makes sense, since they’re not Burke guys.

That’s right. 100 percent right. There is a lot of work left to be done by the GM. Unfortunately he is in a bad spot. There clearly aren’t reinforcements on the farm. If there were, they would have made the team. He can send down some vets, however in doing so he has to replace them. Say he goes and gets more experienced (older) players. Then those players will be taking ice time from the kids. We know the battle cry, we have seen this movie before. There is only 1 thing that solves this, or maybe 2. First, is SOLID goaltending. I don’t care what anyone else says, a team plays differently when it plays in front of a goalie that they trust. If you fear that every mistake is going in you will take less chances and make more mistakes (which do in fact end up in your net). Second is time. WIlson and this group need some time.

Ron Wilson’s Shot?

Now, riddle me this batman. Last night Steve Simmons, during Wilson’s post game press conference suggested that nothing is really going right for this team. Wilson’s response surprised me. His response was “well, your right, that is what happens when you set high expectations.” Now, maybe most people didn’t catch it. Maybe too few in the room were paying attention. From where I am sitting, there is only 1 person that set high expectations and his initials are BB. You can watch the video right here. The media didn’t set expectations. I am pretty sure that Ron Wilson didn’t either. Who else could Wilson be referring to? Maybe it matters. Maybe it doesn’t. I am going to file that under the hmmmmmmmmm column. I think it’s worth keeping an eye on.

Maple Leafs would be ecstatic but for that whole September 18th trade. While alarm bells shouldn’t be sounding after 5 games (they should be blarring) the fact that the Maple Leafs have no where to go but up should be music to us Maple Leaf fans. I mean so many times we have been told the only way to improve is to shit the bed- literally- finish dead last and get the top pick. Problem is, we never had the right person at the top to assemble the right combination of talent to get us to the bottom. Cliff and Brian did too well last year and we didn’t get to the bottom. Like many years prior bad simply wasn’t bad enough.

Now, however, 5 games in Leaf fans it looks like we may just have the right group. These guys are, without a doubt the worst group the Leafs have assembled in a long time. No, 5 games does not a season make. However these first 5 have been preeeeeeeeeeety telling. Let’s see, the forwards can’t score, and they can’t come back to take a pass or help the d. The d, they, for lack of a better word Ssssssssuck. No really, they suck. Ian friggin White is the best of a bad bunch right now. In net?????? baaaaaaaaaaaaah The bright side is that this could be a good draft year…

What?????

We did what with our first round pack????????

So, what’s a coach and GM to do? I mean where do you turn?????

Cox suggested demoting Toskala and Blake to save some big $. Ok, let’s say for a second we are going to do that. Who or what are you going to spend that money on???? Personally I don’t think Blake has been in the bottom half of the forwards in terms of performance. I know Wilson benched him tonight, but he appears to be the only guy forechecking. Who do you bring up from the Marlies???? Those offense powerhouses Hanson and Bozak??????? They are kids. The answers have to lie in that locker room. The coaches have to find a way to reach this guys. There really is no other way. Unless there are some real hidden gems who have yet to be signed that I am not aware of this group is it. Burke has dealt the first round picks for this year and next. The young kids aren’t worth moving. The answer is currently on a plane likely freaking out. It’s a long season and Burke and Wilson should support the bunch they went with. If this continues for long then, as a friend used to say- throw a bomb in to the room.

It is amazing though how are perspective has changed due to one day when one trade was made. If Burke doesn’t make that deal the level of panic is dialed way down- except at all the local media outlets where wait till next year wouldn’t be good for ratings. With the picks gone, the negative tone of the media will continue to carry the day. Wait for all the i told you so’s in the paper tomorrow.

TSM

The Marlies just don’t get it. For that matter, the folks who run MLSE don’t get it. The target audience for their product is families. Those who want to take the kids to a game but don’t or can’t afford NHL prices. They have once again priced their product way too high. Consider if you will:

Team Best Ticket Price Lowest Ticket Price
Marlies $41 $21
St. Mikes $19.95 $12.95
Brampton $18 $10

Now, I know already there are promo’s and other incentives to lower prices and throw in all kinds of freebies. However this is the same across the board. I also know that the price is reduced when season tickets are purchased, however that too is across the board. So for arguments sake let’s just consider the basic individual season ticket price.

I also know there is a difference between CHL hockey and AHL hockey. Guess who doesn’t? My kids. What they know is that there will be loud music, dancers, t-shirts, player access, and all the bells and whistles at junior games better if not similar to Marlies games. So if my kids don’t care the difference between a Marlie vs Phantoms game as opposed to a Battalion vs. Colts game, why the hell would I? This is simple. It’s all about bang for the buck and the absolute buck itself. I can get the best seat in the house for a junior game for $20, $1 lower than the worst at the Marlies. Guess where my money is going!

I also know there are diehard Marlie fans out there who are going to cry bloody murder that I would even consider comparing the two products. I know it. Those are the folks who go to lots of games and are either season ticket holders OR multiple game package buyers. I respect that. I am not putting you down at all. What I am saying is that in the battle for my entertainment buck, the Marlies have little to no shot. My family will be equally as entertained for $80 at an OHL game in the best seats as they would be for $84 in the worst. Here is the harsh reality when it comes to these types of sporting events, they have to sell the sizzle and not the steak. It’s more about the environment then it is about the on ice product. Parents like me care only that our kids are entertained; that there attention is captured for the amount of time we can keep them focused on the event.

What the Marlies don’t get is that if they priced themselves to compete with the OHL, they would attract that market. The games would be better attended and they would win in the long run. Look, the proof is in the pudding. Last year the league average was 5115 per game. Our Marlies came in at 3728 4th worst in the league. Now, I know, Toronto isn’t a hockey town. It is, however home to lots of potential customers like me. Folks who are looking for fun and exciting things to do with our kids as opposed to movies and the usual options. I am hear to tell you that the Marlies are blowing it. They have next to no shot at getting my money a those prices. There is no reason to go their games as opposed to the competition. I know, they are the Maple Leafs of tomorrow. Ask yourself this, as I did last year. Who would you have paid to see, John Tavares or Jiri Tlusty? My point is there is as good a shot to see an NHL star in the making at an OHL game as there is at an AHL game. So what exactly would I be paying for?

Baring serious sizzle at a Marlies game, there is no reason to go. Based on price alone, it’s an easy decision. Until MLSE wakes up and realizes, that every fan who is there, irrespective of the ticket price will spend more money and are therefore more valuable than the empty seat, it’s going to be very tough for them to draw more than they have. Lots of people say it won’t work here. I completely disagree. I think it can work here. I think it should work here. Until the tickets are close to the next best alternative they won’t work here.

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

So, time flies when you are having fun. Hard to believe it was a year ago that Bryan Mccabe was ummmm, taken from us in a deal for Mike Van Ryn. This was, in Blue Jays terms and with all due respect to Van Ryn, equivalent to letting Alex Rios go on waivers. Mccabe, once the sweetheart of the Maple Leafs and fans was let go for a guy with ummmm injury problems. Not quite getting nothing in return, but this was a cash dump of massive proportions and also giving a guy in desperate need of a new start tha chance to renew his career.

Mccabe: 2008-09 Florida Panthers NHL 69 15 24 39 41
Van Ryn: 2008-09 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 27 3 8 11 14

Fletcher was never going to get value for Mccabe, everyone knew he wanted to deal Mccabe. So it may not be entirely relevant what he got back, Van Ryn got off to a pretty good start before getting hurt again. One has to wonder what he could do if he stays healthy. One has to wonder what he has to do to stay healthy. By the sounds of things, Brian Burke and Ron Wilson have challenged all the Maple Leaf players to report in the best shape of their lives or risk playing for the Marlies if at all. This is his last year on his deal so, it’s put up, stay healthy or shut up time.

I wonder if Burke where here at this time last year if he would have dealt Mccabe. Something tells me he would have tried to make Wilson work with him. However, I thought the same thing about Pogge and his new goalie coach. Mccabe represented the last of the Maple Leaf problem children as described by Cliff as guys who had to move on. Not bad number by Mccabe however certianly not a return to what he once did. Are the days of ex-maple leafs performing better than when they were here finally behind us???

It is a different time for sure. There is more hope this year than last. Last year we were waiting on Burke. This year we are waiting to see if it was worth the wait.

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

Just got back from the Blue Rodeo concert and it was awesome. Lt rocked and rolled through the entire show and sang every word! The opening act as many of you suggested was really good too.

Rookie camp is almost up on us and there are two players I think that will garner the most attention in both rookie camp and the full training camp. The Toronto Maple Leafs first round pick Nazem Kadri has, unfairly, in my opinion huge expectations simply because of the season Luke Schenn had last season. As a result of Schenn making the team last season, expectations for Kadri will be high. I know the answer is simply that just because Schenn made has no bearing or reflection of Kadri. I do know about expectations though in this town, and people I do believe will feel let down if he isn’t good enough to make the team. The right answer is that he should play wherever it affords him the best opportunity to develop. Opinions on that will be far and wide. Where does leave him, I don’t know, but I am betting that he doesn’t make the team. I would be less surprised to see him back with the London Kinights than I would to see him a Leaf. That would really surprise me.

In the same vein is the question of the young goalie Gustavsson. He is older, more mature, but he too has never played in the NHL. Goalies also tend to take longer to develop. If Gustavsson bombs out of the gate, how long do they let him stay with the big club and not play? How soon do they send him to the minors? How much of that is based on the play of Vesa Toskala? If Toskala is no better this season than he was last, will that put added pressure on The Monster? I really hope not. In an ideal world, the growth and maturation of Gustavsson should be totally unrelated to that of the rest of the team and or Vesa Toskala. He should be afforded every opportunity in training camp to make the team. If he struggles then he should go down and get his game minutes in. Will that happen? Time will tell. In both cases the pressure on both kids will be immense. The pressure on Burke will be equally as high. Not trading away picks and prospects at the draft was Burke’s first test. Not rushing his kids will be his second.

On the topic of the Maple Leafs, it is very quiet out of MLSE after the report of no official team representative at Ted Kennedy’s funeral last week. Silence tells me that, unfortunately, there is no good explanation for the absence and that the good ship Maple Leaf screwed up. The appearance of not caring in this matter is hard to ignore. The silence on the matter is deafening too. Let’s hope that if it is true, that no one from the team was there, that it was a total 100% mistake and that the will admit so publicly.

So, Paul Kelly is on the hot seat already in the NHLPA? This has to be a joke right? How is it possible that the NHLPA can be this dysfunctional. Again, if it is true, and they are really thinking about replacing Kelly, then I have the perfect replacement for him. David Miller. Yes the Mayor of Toronto would be perfect to serve the NHLPA. He has done such a wonderful job as Mayor of the City of Toronto, i feel that we Torontonians should swallow hard and suffer by letting him go and run the NHLPA. If not Miller, Glen Healey would be an awesome choice! If you are sensing a little bit of sarcasm it’s because I am laying it on pretty thick!

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

Editors note, I thought that if kadri made the leafs and lost his junior eligibility he could go to the marlies. I was wrong.

Late Friday afternoon, while many were rejoicing the end of the work week, our Maple Leafs issued a press release announcing a couple of non-player moves by Brian Burke as the summer inches to completion. Joining the Maple Leafs are two coached to work with Dallas Eakins’ Marlies staff. First is former Maple Leaf player Derek King. King, it appears hasn’t been involved in the game in a coaching role since 2003-2004 when he finished his second season as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. There isn’t much written about what King was doing over the last 5 years.

Joining Eakins and King is Gord Dineen. Dineen is the coaching veteran of the group having been coaching in the minors for the better part of 9 years. He was the head coach of the Iowa Chops in the AHL last year. The Chops last season were almost playing .500 hockey. They went 33 and 33, however they lost 14 games in overtime! Dineen is widely recognized as one of the up and coming stars in the coaching ranks.

The Dineen hire I understand. He has worked his way through the minor ranks (including a stint with the best named team in sports history, the Macon Whoopie- where I had a chance to meet Dineen after a game down in Macon GA when he was there). He has put in his dues, and has a reputation as being a smart hockey guy who works well with kids and really understands the game. Eakins, while he clearly knows the Leafs players better than anyone else has never been a head coach. Furthermore he wasn’t even a coach for the Leafs last year. This isn’t a knock on him, nor a criticism. It’s just a little odd. Then to add King who seems to have been out of the game, at least at the coaching level for so long is even more bizarre. Not a knock on Burke, who also dipped out of the hockey world to grab Dave Poulin, just hoping he knows what he is doing.

Although it hasn’t been announced, it looks like Burke has replaced Rudy Cantu, who was the teams athletic therapist (read trainer). Andy Playter, who was in the same role with the Marlies last year appears to be the new guy who we will see running onto the ice every time a Maple Leaf goes down injured. Playter also served with the Owen Sound Attack and did a stint in football too. These guys work their butts off all season and most of the off-season to make sure guys remain healthy and get back as soon as possible. Burke has grabbed a former Canuck in Marty Dudgeon who was with the Canucks for a long time as the assistant trainer and he joins the Maple Leafs in that role too. Burke also promoted former ECHL goon, Anthony Belza from the Marlies where he was the strength and conditioning coach to the same role with the Maple Leafs.

We are clearly getting closer (thank god) to training camp as the vacancies are all starting to get filled and with the way the last month or so has gone in this town it couldn’t come soon enough.

TSM

Some random thoughts while listening to Al Strachan yabber about nothing while on the Score. In case you missed Al tonight he:

1. Called MLSE “PIGS” for raising ticket prices
2. Claimed that MLSE weren’t listening to Obama’s economic stimulus plan and is sticking it to the little guy by raising ticket prices, charging too much to bars for leafstv, forcing raptors tickets on maple leafs season ticket holders, forcing personal seat licenses on people, forcing TFC ticket holders to buy Marlies tickets.

Before I go any further, and further I shall I go, does anyone care to venture a guess as to whom Brian Burke was scouting while watching the Los Angeles Kings take on the Minnesota Wild this eve? I mean, for a GM to go see a game 7 days before the deadline has to mean something right?

Anyways, back to the Strachan comments. First let’s talk ticket increase. I don’t care what anyone says, this was just plain dumb on the part of MLSE. I know they can charge whatever the hell they want, but the optics of it just plain sucks. No matter what the reasons or the rationale the fact that they chose to do this now reeks of greed. Having said that, and no I am not going to try to defend it, but compare these two comments:

1. “We got to a point where we had to do it [raise ticket prices],” Anselmi said.”It always a challenge,” said Anselmi, when asked how MLSE weighs ticket increases against what the average fan can afford. “We know we ask a lot of our fans. We’re blessed to be in this market. We’re blessed to have the kind of loyalty we do. We don’t take that for granted for one second.”We just got to a place where costs keep going up and we felt we had to do it. We tried to minimize it and make it as painless as possible. I think our fans will understand and we hope they do.” that courtesy of globesports.com

2. “We still have a waiting list of 2,500 people,” said Richard Peddie, president of of MLSE, in describing the demand for Leafs tickets. “The problem is the waiting list only saw 24 seats come due last year.” “People say ‘How can you do this?’ but we have had cumulative price increase of 1% since the lockout,” said Mr. Peddie, whose hockey team looks poised to finish out of the playoffs for a fourth straight year. “We took it seriously because in this economy everybody is getting hammered.” “Selling hot dogs is harder,” said Mr. Peddie, who declined to say how much concession sales are down this year. that from the nationalpost.com

Now, whom do you have more respect for? Someone explain to me how Richard Peddie is allowed to speak to the press? You raise prices in the worst economic times of god knows how many years and you say we have over 2500 people on the waiting list? How arrogant are you. Selling hot dogs is harder???? Are you nuts? Are you expecting sympathy? What kind of comment is that? It is one thing to take advantage of the fact that you have a product that appears to have a ceilingless price and raise your prices, but to rub it in people’s faces at a time like this is deplorable. Anselmi’s comment are at least a little bit softer. They kind of cushion the blow don’t they?

It gets worse folks. Howie got a chance to track down Peddie at the outdoor leaf practice yesterday (why he was there is anyone guess, but I digress), get a load of some of this crap:

“We’re excited to see what Brian can do, but equally excited that we’ve surrounded him with people like Dave Nonis, Joe Nieuwendyk and Ron Wilson,” claimed the CEO. “When we started the [hiring] process a year ago, we wanted to beef up the I-Q, the experience, and the proven winning nature of our management team. I hope Leaf fans will agree that we now have the finest hockey group in my ten years with the company, and probably many years before that.”

Count the “we’s” folks…there are more “we’s” in that sentence then were wii’s at my local ebgames at Christmas! Someone please tel this guy that this team isn’t about him!

“I’ve got an inkling that Brian wants [the team] to get tougher, grittier; he wants to have two really solid lines then two kind of plumber lines to make sure the top six are not getting abused. He wants to do the same thing on the defensive side. We also want to go younger, and I can’t wait to see how he does all that.”

Just shoot me now. You have an inkling? That is all Burke has been saying in any interview he has given since he took the job including his opening press conference! An Inkling???!!!! Please, don’t talk hockey anymore. We will forget the past if you agree to just stop talking hockey.

““Of course we want to win and make the playoffs,” Peddie said. “The people on the board are fans, too. [Chairman] Larry Tanenbaum sits in the seventh row on the aisle and he feels it when the fans are not getting what they want. He hates it when we lose, as do I. And, we also feel losing on the business side.”

I am not sure, is that a dig at the owner for having good seats? Every game I have ever been at Peddie has been right down in that area as well! With ticket prices where they are and the product where it is, don’t take about feeling the losing on the business side; just don’t go there, no one is going to be the list bit sympathetic.

“First of all, we gave [the price hike] a lot of thought. In our math, over the past five years, our total price increase for tickets is one percent. And, what’s inflation over that time… 10, 12 percent? We’ve had a lot of costs go up. The new CBA hasn’t been a big benefit to us. We’re spending in the $50 [millions] on player contracts and we give $10 million to [NHL] revenue sharing. So that’s about a break-even for us — almost the same as it was before [the lockout]. We’ve also put an incredible amount of capital investment in the [Air Canada Centre]. This ticket increase, for instance, doesn’t even pay for half of the new Jumbotron scoreboard that everyone is enjoying this season.”

If you are speaking to corporate Toronto, stop. They don’t want to hear it. If you are talking to the average fan, they don’t give a rats ass about inflation. The reality in our world is that you now live in a cap world, you have fixed player costs, you aren’t spending to the cap, you had, for a short time a huge spike in the Canadian dollar, your building is full, you have tv rights and people are getting let go all over the place and you just raised ticket prices. I am surprised he didn’t try to stick to the fans for building condos! I mean look at the benefit to the fans by having the condos there There was no reason to go there. It’s better to say nothing. If you have to say something, keep it short, RESPECTFUL and simple.

Here is what I don’t understand. Peddie is clearly very bright. He has been very successful. Why can’t he keep his mouth shut? Why is he even the one talking on these issues? Isn’t Brian Burke the President of the Toronto Maple Leafs? When (and yes I said when) the Leafs win the cup is Peddie going to run onto the ice and take the cup from Captain Tavares (let me dream okay?)? He has looked the part of the fool on so many occasions in the past, I thought he would have learned to just shut up. I mean when he publicly said that hiring JFJ was a mistake, and JFJ was still a Maple Leaf employee… That was an employment lawyer’s wet dream. It is clear that Peddie works his magic in the business side of things. Why does he continually open his mouth to trip over every stinking word???? How or why was someone not said “we have to keep him in his cage (which is allegedly covered with photos of himself with famous athletes) and away from a microphone?” Since Burke was hired, have we had any more of those types of embarrassing comments? Not a one. With the Raptors reeling, and Colangelo firing a coach, I don’t recall seeing any dumb Peddie comments. Everything went through Bryan Colangelo. Now, as we are 7 days from the deadline he just can’t help himself…there is no I in team pal…stick to what you do best, leave the talking to someone who does that best.