Here we go folks- Game on, tomorrow will either be a National Holiday or a National Day of Mourning….

Here’s hoping it’s a great game.

More throughout the game!

Interesting reading the papers today as the experts respond to Brian Burke’s selection for the USA Olympic team:

“Burke would choose a Canadien over his dead body simply for his having been nearly booed out of the Bell Centre last June at the NHL entry draft. A Size XL ego who is loved or loathed with no grey area beyond his snowy scalp, Burke immediately claimed that he didn’t take the podium abuse personally. But …”

That from Dave Stubbs of the Montreal Gazette.

Choosing the team is thankless, unless of course you win. No one is ever going to be happy and neither Brian Burke or Steve Yzerman are exempt from the criticism.

However, Burke, if nothing else wants to win. I can’t imagine that being booed in Montreal entered Burke’s mind for 1 second when he was picking his roster. His ego, as Stubbs points out is too big. There is no way he would let being booed get in the way of winning gold.

“There will be no better time for Gionta and Gomez to thank Brian Burke for Friday’s vote of non-confidence than on March 20 and April 10, when they personally can stick it to his Maple Leafs.”

We shall see then how much Gionta and Gomex are insulted by their omission from Burke’s roster.

Meanwhile, Larry Brooks, Burke’s number one fan chimes in:

“So if Tim Gleason played for the Maple Leafs and Mike Komisarek played for the Hurricanes, which defenseman do you suppose would have been named to the Olympic squad by Team USA (and Maple Leafs) GM Brian Burke and which would be left at home?”

All kinds of thoughts on this one. My first response is identical to the one above. Burke isn’t going to pick his own players as opposed to others if he knows better. He wants to win. Having said that, he did go out and sign Komisarek this off season, he must like him. Would I think for one second that familiarity played a role in say a tie-breaker situation where it was down to 2 players of, in Burke/Wilson’s minds, equal talent- then the answer is yes. If they were trying to decide between 2 guys whom they thought were equally talented I could see them giving the advantage to the one who plays for the Maple Leafs- the old devil you know adage right?

Then, as Burke was being interviewed on TV tonight during the Swedish game at the WJHC fans rinkside were chanting “Leafs Suck”- according to Damien Cox on Twitter. I would think that of all the attention, Burke enjoys this one the most.

I am having my knee scoped tomorrow so may not be many posts during the day

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

Stubbs is here

Brooks is here

Here’s your bikini of the day from bikinibeat.org:

On Fan 590 Tonight-

- open phones with McCown from 4:05 to 4:40
- Grapeline with Don Cherry & Brian Williams at 4:45
- co-host from 5:00 to 7:00 is Jim Kelley
5:20 Dario Franchitti, IndyCar Champ
5:40 Glen Crouter, Woodbine
6:05 Ed Garvey, Former Executive Director of the NFLPA
6:30 Jeff Blair, Globe & mail
6:45 Brian Gilmore, Creator of Ref You Suck.com

On 640 with Brady and Watters thanks to Mike S.:

- Dave Naylor of the Globe & Mail on football

- Rob Higgins, fantasy hockey expert

- Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Steve Yzerman

- hockey insider Pierre McGuire at 6:10

Here’s your bikini of the day from bikinibeat.org:

On Fan 590 Tonight- thanks to Mike S.

- open phones with McCown from 4:05 to 4:40
- co-host from 5:00 to 7:00 is Bruce Arthur
- Steve Yzerman at 420
-Bob Elliott
- Bert Sugar
- Roundtable with Michael Grange

On 640 with Brady and Watters:

440 David Andrews, AHL Commissioner
510 Chris Rose, Host MLB on Fox (from STL)
540 Jacques Lemaire, Devils coach
6:10 – Mickey Ward – former boxer/sparing partner of Arturo Gatti and friend of Gatti’s
TSM TAKE:

Mccown is back and not a minute to soon. I like when Arthur is on. I know it’s anti-Canadian but I am really quite tired of the Olympic hype already and it’s only July! Doc is on the Block, who better to talk about it than Bob Elliott. He’s a good guest and always sounds so grumpy, it’s quite funny. Bert Sugar, I may listen, a fighter’s wife killed him, allegedly. She allegedly got sick of his hangeroners Grange is certainly a popular guy these days! Watters and Brady were on together for the lunch. Hmmmm, what up with the AHL that the boys want to talk to the boss- maybe to see how close to 7m he gets. More on Doc from Rose, who is good on the radio too. Lemaire, is he as boring an interview as he is a coach?

Lots of you have asked for more of this type of stuff and the folks at both 640 and 590 have been kind enough to provide info:

So…..

On The Fan 590 at noon:

Joining Daren Millard & Mike Brophy:
Steve Yzerman
Mike Eastwood

On 640:

Darren Dreger & Bill Watters with:
Len Barrie

Guess I got a little carried away last night. I mean, it’s bad enough when I have to suffer through 1 hour of Grey’s anatomy let alone two! Happy to have a Brady as a reader. As I have said time and time before, his co-host, is way over the top. His bias is clear and as a result his credibility takes a beating as a result. I do think Brady has it wrong with respect to Mr. T as he so eloquently referred to him as. I don’t believe (and no, I am not him) for one second there was any malice of intent in his use of the word Rookie. We leaf fans suffered through an inexperienced GM (JFJ) and I don’t have a problem with the Leafs not going that route again. As I said in the post, I think Yzerman will be a better GM then JFJ could every dream of. I think it is unfortunate that the JFJ experience tainted MLSE’s appetite for going with a candidate who has never been an NHL GM before… An open invitation to guest write on this site any time you so desire Mr. Brady…..

Now, back to the task at hand….

What kind of crock of shit is Damien spewing this am?????

“With Tanenbaum as chairman, the Leafs have, as has been the case for much of their history, squandered first round draft picks and prospects in search of the quick fix.”

He is right It is indisputable, the record speaks for itself. I agree. However, as Mr. Healy said on the Fan this am, With Tanenbaum as chairman, the Leafs have given their GM’s everything they needed to succeed. They spent up to the cap, they were able to trade draft picks and kids to win then at the sacrifice of now. When they dealt for Owen Nolan, Cox and the usual suspects said it was a deal the Leafs had to make. No one called out the deal for Leetch when they made the trade. Whether the money was spent properly or not (and that is not the boards job right, we want them out of hockey affairs) the GM had all that they ever could have asked for from ownership.

“Now, suddenly, it’s time to build slowly, carefully? The man’s found his new hockey religion?

Ummm yeah, what’s the point. The entire board has bought in. They went a certain way, it didn’t work, time to try the other way. Would Cox be happier if Cliff dealt this years pick for another Jason Blake type free agent? Should they continue on the JFJ path to nowhere???

“Then, to suggest Detroit executive Steve Yzerman couldn’t possibly fit the bill for a new GM because he would be a “rookie” was not only insulting to Yzerman, but given that the Leaf organization sought to hire a new GM in the spring and couldn’t find a single, qualified and acceptable candidate, nearly laughable.”

First, it isn’t what he said. “He said the Leafs will not be hiring a second consecutive rookie GM, given the team’s decline under John Ferguson, who was fired last January. “Steve needs to be a general manager some place (else),” said Tanenbaum, who stopped by the Leafs’ practice on Thursday. “We don’t want a rookie.”

I wrote above why the argument is flawed. More importantly, look again at what Cox wrote the day before JFJ was hired:

“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.”

Cox would roast the hell out of MLSE if they hired a first time GM. He knows it, but he can’t write it because that doesn’t sell papers.

Then he throws out the best part, and I told you he would write this…
“The Leafs, with Tanenbaum as the corporate face of the franchise, have made a big deal about buying out expensive veterans in recent months, suggesting it’s a large sacrifice but one that must be made, while at the same time making sure it’s all paid for by icing a team that will spend roughly $10 million less on the maximum allowed on player payrolls this season.”

Those of you who whom I am lucky enough to call an audience, who have read this blog from day one know that I have told you that if the Leafs don’t spend up to the cap, their will be hell to pay. Here we are 5 days in to training camp and there you have it. It is so predictable. If they spent the money on some older player they would get bashed. They over pay for a younger game named Finger, they get bashed, if they don’t spend it, they get bashed.

“Sadly, some fools find this chatter reassuring, as though their hockey team is finally on the right track with the right people steering the ship even though its the same people at the top who have been full of it time and time again.”

Prove to me that they aren’t on the right track. That is all I am saying. You are the President and CEO, you are the Chairman of the Board, you are the GM and you are the coach….In your little fantasy, what would you be doing right now???

I will tell you this. What MLSE is doing right now may not work. It may not produce a stanley cup. I can tell you this. My optimism as a fan of this team is way ahead of where it was last year at the same point. Last year we had a coach and GM living in lala land. We all knew they were full of it and their team would stink. Guess what, we were right. This year, at least they are younger. They don’t have any contracts that they are “saddled” with. Hell, they have a first round draft pick from this year who is actually in training camp. Luke Schenn’s presence and the absence of Tucker, McCabe, Belak, Wellwood, Raycroft alone makes me feel better, irrespective of where they finish this year.

Enjoy your Friday.

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….

Just got back from a quick trip to Detroit. In reading the two local dailies it was hard to get beyond the scandal that is the mayoral situation there. The Lions and Tigers (and beard oh my) were on the front cover of the sports pages. The Tigers for trading Pudge, the Lions as they start training camp. The Wings were buried later in the paper as the news of Scotty’s departure was discussed. One paper explained the move as one out of compassion. Scotty’s son, who works for the Blackhawks is unwell and the article urged fans to view the move as exemplary, a father wanting to live and work closer to his ailing son.

On the 4 hour drive back to the big smoke, it occurred to me that as teams around the NHL try to follow the Red Wings front office model how difficult it will be to accomplish that. It was hard not to find it a tad ironic when i read John MacKinnon’s article in the National Post:

“By design or not, the Oilers front-office begins to resemble the gold standard, that of the Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings.

In Detroit, single owner Mike Ilitch has an all-star hockey department, led by GM Ken Holland, assistant GM Jim Nill, vice-president and GM-in-training Steve Yzerman, with longtime hockey man Jim Devellano in the mix as senior vice-president.”

As the Oilers add Steve Tambellini as GM and move Kevin Lowe to the President’s office it will be very interesting to watch this from a far. The Red Wings model, in my opinion will be very difficult to replicate. You had a very experienced senior adviser in Scotty Bowman, the ex coach. You also have the very senior ex Jimmy Devilano, who has been there for decades. You then have Ken Holland the GM and Jill Nill his assistant. Lastly you have Steve Yzerman the face of the franchise for the last couple of decades as a newly groomed exec. What all of these guys have in common is longevity with the Red Wings.

it won’t be hard for the Oilers, the Leafs or anyone else for that matter, to add in layers of experience in building a hockey department in attempt to replicate the Red Wing model. It will be very difficult to replicate its functionality because of the lack of synergies and years of working together. It wasn’t so long ago that the Leafs had Mike Smith, Ken Dryden and Pat Quinn as an executive team. We all know how well that worked. The solution is not just putting together a list of guys with experience. Rather it is putting together a TEAM that can and will work together. That is not easy to do. Detroit works because, with the exception of Yzerman, who played his entire career for the DRW, all of the guys have worked together forever too. Holland as a scout, Scotty (even though he is gone) as a coach, Jimmy D as a life long exec and so on.

Keep in mind that the Wings haven’t always been the success that they are today. There were some pretty dark years there to. When Illitch first bought the team times were pretty lean. In the early 90’s before becoming hockeytown, they lost in the playoffs to the Leafs and the Sharks in playoff disapointments. However, by putting the right pieces in place, and building a foundation they became the definitive model for the rest to try to replicate.

This is not going to be easy given all the different egos, as you try to build the foundation. Kudos to the Oilers new owner for trying. Hopefully the Leafs too will get there. For neither team will it come easy.