Interview: The Zen of Ron Wilson
1
Last week, Ron Wilson showed the Leafs a clip from In Living Color.
The sketch comedy series, which ran on Fox in the early 90s, featured a recurring segment titled "Fire Marshal Bill." The character, played by Jim Carrey, was a combustible mix of good intentions and self-destructive actions.
In the 4-minute clip Wilson selected for airing behind closed doors, Bill takes his maniacal grin to a classroom. But while teaching the kids about fire safety, he electrocutes himself, rolls his face across thumbtacks, sets his hand ablaze, torches a wall mural and, eventually, blows up the entire school.
The Leafs beat St. Louis last night in a shootout. But during a 7-minute clip in the third – in which the Blues scored three unanswered goals to obliterate a 5-2 Toronto lead – the bumbling spectre of Fire Marshal Bill was raised yet again.
As Wilson told his players last week:
"He's trying to do all the right things to teach the kids, but he ends up sabotaging the whole thing and blowing himself up. And that's what we have to get over. We've got guys who are trying to do three or four people's jobs, as an example, and you're not even doing your job well. Concentrate on doing your job.
"Don't become Fire Marshal Bill."
2
It's Wednesday morning and Etobicoke is bathed in winter sunlight.
As I pull into the parking lot of the MCC, the song playing on boom 97.3 is Colin James' cover of "Into The Mystic."
Inside the rink, a 55-year-old man with a conservative haircut and weary expression hovers on the ice. He watches his young players scrimmage the way a parent watches his children at a playground. A whistle dangles around his neck. His eyes dart from side to side, as if attempting to keep track of several different storylines, all of which are tethered inexorably to his future.
Now in his third season as Toronto's head coach, Ronald Lawrence Wilson is a man under siege.
The "Fire Wilson!" chants started weeks ago, ricocheting around the Air Canada Centre as his team tumbled into a self-made abyss. The radio shows and message boards crackle with blistering censure from fans demanding his head on a platter. His boss and longtime friend, general manager Brian Burke, has been asked repeatedly about a "possible coaching change" – a possibility he has repeatedly denied.
What many fail to understand, though, is that Wilson is philosophical about his own fate. If this is a siege, he's not afraid to come out with his hands up. After nearly two decades in the churning maelstrom that is NHL coaching, he has reached a twilight point in his career where, truth be told, the shine of balanced life is more alluring than the heat of the chase.
Ron Wilson has gone Into The Mystic.
3
Why hasn't your team met expectations from this summer?
This is one of the questions I ask Wilson as we sit inside his second-floor office at the MCC later that afternoon. For a nanosecond, he eyes me suspiciously. Then he sits forward in his chair.
"I guess even my own expectations were a little bit higher," he says. "But in looking back, maybe unrealistically so."
Wilson talks about sophomore jinxes, free agents struggling to blend together, inconsistent play and the death-rattle panic that can disfigure the trajectory of a game when a young team makes a mistake that leads to more mistakes. (See last night's third period.)
When people take aim at Wilson, one of the sharpest arrows in their critical quiver is special teams: Why has the power play and penalty kill lagged for much of his tenure in Toronto?
"Our special teams were great the first month of the season, especially our penalty killing," he says. "We didn't change anything but a couple of people got hurt. Dion got hurt and Colby Armstrong got hurt. And we had a period of about three weeks where we lost all confidence in our penalty kill and the things that we were doing. We were expecting bad things to happen.
"I think we're over the hump there but, you know, in our league you have one disastrous month and the overall picture of your special teams gets a little bit out of whack."
Contrary to what his detractors say, Wilson defends his special teams with a stat.
"If I told you now that the other team has only scored two more goals on their power play than we have, you wouldn't believe that. We've given up 28 and scored 26. So the difference in our power play and penalty kill is only two.
"So our power play has actually been better than we get credit for, especially with the type of team we have. And our penalty killing on most nights has been adequate. But on some nights, if it goes south, it goes completely south and it ends up skewing our numbers."
The trade rumours are now swirling. Burke says he is open for business. But transactions in the new NHL are easier said than done. So I ask Wilson a simple question: Do you have confidence you can win with this team without player personnel moves?
There is a pause.
"Well, I don't look at this like we've got to win 30 games in a row," he says. "We've got a young team that we're building for the future. And there's where all the misconceptions come from about our team.
"We are the youngest team in the league. The second youngest is below us in the standings and that’'s Edmonton. And Edmonton is looked at as being totally young, all these rookies in the lineup, yet we're younger than Edmonton.
"So Edmonton's expectations are rock bottom – to suffer with a young team and let them grow. Our expectations appear to be we have to make the playoffs even though we have the youngest team in the league.
"I think we can win. I'm perfectly content with our team as long as it's showing signs of growth. And I think most of our young players are showing signs of growth. The Grabovskis and the Kulemins, Luke Schenn on defence. We're getting some real good goaltending from young, inexperienced people. Reimer has played really well."
He talks about inconsistency and how difficult it is for a young team to deal with adversity: "A bad moment happens in a game and it turns into a bad four or five moments."
He talks about how veteran teams can block out these bad moments and carry forth, a quality he strongly believes his team will eventually learn. (See last night's final score.)
But all of this raises another question: Were expectations too high at the start of the season?
"No, no," he says. "No. What I am saying is, did everybody have us going from the second worst team in the league to Stanley Cup champion? By actually going from (average age of) 28 years old down to 25 years old?
"Our goal is still to try and make the playoffs and put together a string of games where we can climb back in. But the only expectations I have are to try and improve every day."
And you're satisfied with this improvement?
"Well, to an extent. I'm a very competitive person and I would prefer to win every single game. Period. That's what you're in this business to do. Try and win every single game. If you get frustrated, you get frustrated because you are doing everything you can and some nights you can't win a game."
4
The downside to being a competitive person, the downside to hyper-fixating on a career in a demanding, public realm such as the NHL is that, at some point, you end up with personal regrets.
Not about the game. But about what the game has cost you.
"Early on, your priorities are so focused on your career," says Wilson. "As you get a little bit older, you start to realize how many things you have missed in your life."
Ken Hitchcock once said to be a coach during the season is to traipse around life with a 50-pound backpack you can never remove. Wilson says it's like being in school your entire life. There is little to very little downtime and, when there is, you are still trapped on the ice.
"I know I'll sit around when my family is around sometimes and I'm in another world," says Wilson. "They are discussing something and I don't hear a damn word. That's just the way it is. I'm sitting there thinking about the Leafs or how do I get this player going or what's wrong with our penalty kill and you're sitting there, everybody is having a conversation, but you're just a piece of furniture.
"I am having my own conversation in my mind."
In another soliloquy inside his mind, Ron Wilson is looking back at his journey so far. And he is alarmed by the sheer number of domestic milestones he missed as his hockey life rode roughshod over his family life.
"You can't get those days back," says Wilson. "Once that's gone, it's gone. I can't go back to high school graduations because my kids aren't going to go through that any more."
And so you end up with regrets.
"You have to live with it. I have a great family that has always stood by me and understood. But, yeah, those are personal things that you certainly regret. At the time, for your kids, those are the biggest moments in their lives and you're absent from them.
"My God, all my memories, it seems, are hockey and they are not my family. A lot of the things that should be important have been erased by this tape recorder in your mind that is recording all the hockey moments because that is where your focus is.
"In certain areas, I have recorded over my family moments with my kids, if that makes any sense."
It makes perfect sense.
It also explains why Wilson is now determined to spend as much time as he can with his two granddaughters, who are 4-years-old and 6 months of age. It explains why he is an intensely private person who is quick to erect an emotional guard.
And it explains why he is philosophical about his future.
5
On Tuesday night, Wilson sat in front of his flat-screen TV, fired up his Blu-Ray player and watched Dinner For Schmucks. A few days earlier, he went to see Barney’s Version at a Yorkville theatre. Before that, it was True Grit.
Wilson watches movies. This is his escape from the grind of coaching, his refuge from the siege. With his wife spending most of her time at their home in South Carolina, where she has more friends and more peace, film has become a sort of companion for Wilson, a comfort when he needs to decompress.
Sometimes, he watches alone at home. Other times, he will put on his jeans, pull the hood up on his Canada Goose jacket and venture, also alone, into a megaplex. It's a jarring image to consider: The head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs sitting alone inside a darkened theatre.
But even during these moments of planned escape, even as he attempts to strike a more balanced existence between the two solitudes of professional hockey and family life, a scene or character will yank him back onto the ice.
"Often there is something that happens in the movie – oh, that character is going through something that we've got three players going through. And then it all comes right back and you're like, 'Get out of here! Get out of here!' I need two hours to flush stuff out of my head so I can think clearly."
I ask if he's recognized when he's strolling around town.
"You'd be shocked," he says. "I do not get recognized as much as you think, especially in the Yorkville area."
When he is, the encounters are mostly pleasant. When the stranger is too exuberant, too determined to talk about matters that will yank him back onto the ice, Ron Wilson simply denies that he is Ron Wilson.
"Ninety-nine per cent of the people I bump into are very supportive. And the other people who aren’t supportive do not say anything to your face, wait until you are a block down the road and then curse at you or call you an idiot."
6
What is the biggest misconception about Ron Wilson?
"I seriously don't read the papers. I don't watch TV. I don't listen to the radio. So I really don't even know what anybody's perception of me is, nor do I care. Because I've been doing this for almost 20 years and I'd like to think that I have a pretty good idea of what I'm doing or I wouldn't have been around this long."
How does coaching in this market compare to coaching in Anaheim or San Jose or Washington?
"The interest in some of the other cities wouldn't be, I suppose, as intense as it is here. There are so many media outlets here and it's very competitive amongst the outlets. So everybody here analyzes everything that goes on with the Maple Leafs and has an opinion about it without really a lot of inside information.
"So, therefore, I don't regard those opinions as very important because the people aren't sitting in here, they don't know what you deal with on a day-to-day basis."
What comes next for Ron Wilson?
"What comes next for me? Well, hopefully nothing!"
I try again.
At some point, whenever that point arrives, Ron Wilson will not be coaching the Toronto Maple Leafs. What happens when this happens?
"My dad died when he was 48 years old and he was a hockey coach. And I'm 55 going on 56. You work. You have a nice home. You have other hobbies. I boat and I golf a lot in the summertime. I want to be able to be healthy enough to enjoy all those things.
"I have no plans on coaching until I'm 70 years old or even, I don't think in the back of my mind, until I'm 60 years old."
Here's the thing: Siege or no siege, win or lose, compete today or rebuild tomorrow, Wilson is already mentally prepared for his final lap. He has no interest in becoming a general manager. Advising may be an option, but only if it does not suffocate his family life as coaching has done.
"I was built to coach," says Wilson. "I've put everything into it. And when somebody tells me I'm not going to coach any more, or I'm done with the Leafs, I'm probably done as a coach. How long can you keep on coaching? How healthy is this kind of business?
"A lot of people don't even realize I'm like sixth all-time in games coached and games won. For all the heat that I seem to take, I've been around a long time and seen a lot of things and been relatively successful.
"So I'm content with my coaching career. I would like to win a Stanley Cup more than anything. But if it's not to be, it's not to be. You've done the best that you could. That's how I look at it."
Zen.
"I want to be healthy enough to live my life and see my granddaughters graduate from high school, college, hopefully see them get married one day. At the end of the day, you want to have something left over so that when you're not coaching you can actually live your life and smell the roses that you planted all the way along."
PHOTO: VINAY MENON/TORONTO STAR
Vinnie: A very thoughtful piece on Ron Wilson. It is nice to know there is a heart and a soul under the three piece suit. I think we often take a position on someone who we only see, often under duress, and make up our mind the person is this, or that. By Ron's admission he is only going to coach for 4 more years - you didn't ask him how close he could come to a cup in that time. Perhaps a question better left unanswered. I am not one of those who believe that through coaching you can win or lose, (certainly you can lose) but, I do believe that a good coach can take the elements he has on his team, fashion a system for success and get the guys to buy into that system. At that point you make the moves during the game that bring success. On the other hand, if you lose the room, you've lost it all. Ron seems to be somewhere in the middle.
Posted by: Robert | 01/07/2011 at 12:56 PM
Great piece. I'll excuse you not covering the game because of it.
Posted by: Simon | 01/07/2011 at 01:23 PM
I never thought an article on Ron Wilson would make me my eyes well up with tears. That part about his family was pretty sad. Ron seems like a good guy, its too bad people here are so short sighted.
Posted by: ostrich lover | 01/07/2011 at 01:25 PM
Nice article Vinay. In reading this, I got the feeling that Wilson has his obvious regrets about being involved in hockey for so long, but it appears to me Vinay, that he feels he is nearing the end of his hockey career. @ Robert, you make a good point, Wilson is not a Scotty Bowman, or Al Arbour and with the teams he's coached, he may never get to the promised land. Here's to hoping that changes with the Leafs!
Posted by: We BeLeaf | 01/07/2011 at 01:29 PM
I really liked this interview. I like seeing that Ron is a real person and makes me appreciate him just a little bit more.
I coach in minor hockey and I know the kind of burden it can be when none of your own family is on the team. I does take time away from daily life and I definitely understand where he is coming from.
With this article I get a feeling that he is actually trying to succeed a may not have lost the room. I may have been listening to Kyper too much.
We will see.
Posted by: gOogl3pl3x | 01/07/2011 at 01:34 PM
Being the youngest team in the league certainly does have its disadvantages when it comes to mistakes, however, I don't believe it is the young players that are necessarily at fault. I hate to keep harping on it, but Komarisarek has been around as has Beauchemin, Kaberle, Giguere and to a lesser extent Phaneuf. I think the majority of us can live with the mistakes of the younger players as long as we see development but it's the players who have been in the league for quite a while who seem to make the same mistakes over and over again. Case in point - Kaberle last night on the tying goal. How can he possibly be glued to the boards as he was? Someone posted on another story that the linesman was more in the play than Kaberle was. How many years has he been in the league, 14? and still making mistakes that you would expect from the rawest rookie and there was no accountability as he didn't miss a single shift.
Posted by: hoofheartz | 01/07/2011 at 01:47 PM
It makes me think that Wilson expects to not be coach of the Leafs that much longer. Given that they won't make the change mid-season, I hope they let him voluntarily resign at the end of this season or next, and sign him as a senior advisor or tactician. He has long had the rep of a great tactician, and that role would give him more downtime, not having to travel all the time.
.
Call me crazy, and I have not been kind to the Leafs this year, but I now think that they are close to something good. The current goalies are not the answer, but there are Reimer and Rynnas with promise to make it better. The veteran defensemen are a big problem, but the Marlies are well-stocked with good ones. And the forwards seem to be developing, with 6 likely 20-goal scorers. Whatever else we say about Wilson, we should also keep in mind that his legacy in developing this group the past couple of years will best be judged in about 3 years' time. And with that in mind, we'll look back more kindly, in my revised opinion.
Posted by: Krakondack | 01/07/2011 at 01:54 PM
Very nicely done Vinay. I really appreciate the insight into the man who so often seems on the surface at least, not to care. He clearly does.
He makes a great point. So many people, myself included, are so quick to offer solutions without really seeing the entire equation. As if Wilson didn't think of asking Kaberle to shoot the puck more. Sheesh.
The interview made me look at the situation with the Leafs a little differently. Seems like being a coach - especially of a young team - is as much being their therapist as it is being a hockey tactician and motivator. Anyway, very nice interview Vinay and thank you Ron Wilson for revealing a little more about yourself.
Posted by: moe green | 01/07/2011 at 02:30 PM
All this article does is confirm that Wilson is not motivated and doesn't work hard.
I certainly understand the personal side of life and I value it above the professional side, but the fact of the matter is, there are 29 other coaches in this league who probably work their butts off. And there are a lot of aspiring coaches in junior and in the minors who probably work their butts off. Around the clock. They don't have time for movies. And they certainly haven't already checked out and wish they were retired.
Do us all a favour and resign, Ron. Your 20 years of coaching experience is in the past... this man is the very definition of resting on your laurels.
Posted by: Mitch (Georgetown) | 01/07/2011 at 02:48 PM
I loved this article and I'm happy to see that I'm not the only one who feels that the teams performance isn't necessarily tied directly to the coach all the time. The article is kind of sad though. For as much as he's tied to the cities fan base he seems to live a fairly solitary, almost lonely life.
Posted by: Jesse | 01/07/2011 at 02:51 PM
Well looks like the Leafs need a young, hungry coach... not one taking in his last pay cheques before retiring.
Posted by: Sean | 01/07/2011 at 03:01 PM
Great article, he seems stressed. For his sake he should resign.
Or Burke should fire him....for his sake.
Posted by: AnthonyX | 01/07/2011 at 03:19 PM
I read somewhere today that San Jose are calling for coach Todd McLellans head . Isnt this the guy who took over after they canned Ron Wilson, and , with Thornton, Marleau and the other stallions, was supposed to gallup to the Stanley Cup ? Hmmm.... Willie now is turning grey trying to get the youngest team in the league to improve. He is a decent human being, and much smarter than all of us arm-chair coaches. It isnt him who constantly turns the puck over, nor is it him who makes an incredible move on a shoot out. What Ron does is appreciated by people like Brian Burke. You do not last for as long as Mr Wilson has as an NHL coach without the people on the inside KNOWING that you have the qualities to do the job. Period. Finally...a very nice piece of writing by Vinay.
Posted by: RICK AKIN | 01/07/2011 at 03:25 PM
A great piece that once again reinforces the idea that the person behind the name isn't always who we think they are. We see them for two or three hours a nite, two or three times a week over a six to seven month period and we think we know these people but we do not. The only cynical thing of the whole piece was the part about not reading the papers, or watching the TV or listening to the radio. All athletes/coaches say this and they are all full of BS. How can Ron say he doesn't get into that stuff and then turn around and say that what bothers him most is the amount of coverage and hom many of their opinions are misinformed? How would he know their opinions if he did not listen to/read them? A small thing to pick at but it did make me smile slyly to myself as I read it!
Posted by: Michael | 01/07/2011 at 03:46 PM
excellent article Vindaloo real paragraphs too This article confirms what I always knew Ron Wilson Is a good coach and a good man! thanks again Vindaloo already waitng for the next one
Posted by: whatthe! | 01/07/2011 at 04:23 PM
I've always felt that Wilson had a history of developing good young players, like Marleau, Cheechoo, Setoguchi, Pavelski, Clowe, Ehrhoff, Vlasic, Murray in San Jose... so I was on board with his hiring if we were going to rebuild... however, the problem hasn't been the rookies. Sure Schenn's had some growing pains and Kulemin still makes the occasional bad play, but it's the Beauchemins, Komisareks and Kaberles on this team, the vets, that are making the biggest mistakes.
Though it's a double-edged sword. It's hard to trade a veteran player that you've been benching on a regular basis :)
Posted by: TPiddy | 01/07/2011 at 04:24 PM
Hate to sound harsh, but have to agree with Mitch (Georgetown). Wilson seems like an interesting guy -- and Vinay, great article with a lot of insight --but couldn't the Leafs use a hungry up and comer? Put in the closest thing we can find to Dan Bylsma and see if we can get some energy into the club while developing the young guys. Also, I don't mean Eakins. I don't think he's earned his shot just yet.
Posted by: Wade | 01/07/2011 at 04:31 PM
In spite of it all I'll bet he'd say it was the greatest job in the world.
Posted by: moe green | 01/07/2011 at 04:32 PM
Mitch you are way off base. Where is there any indication that he does not work hard, because he goes to see a movie? Come on. Where does it say he is not motivated, because he thinks about the end? By his calclation that is 4 years away. If he was not motivated he would not be employed as a coach in the NHL, that is for sure.
You value the personal side of life more than the professional side but then if he is notworking 24/7 he is not fit to coach in the NHL. So you value it but it doesn't apply in this case.That is hypocritical. Especially since he ackowledges that thoughts of the team come into his head when he is in the middle of a movie.
Ron Wilson seems like a descent guy who is comfortable in his own skin. I have said this before. The guy doesn't tell stories to be heard. He has always said what is on his mind and I have to respect that. He came here with a reputation that he had a chip on his shoulder regarding media and it seems to me that it is the media that do or say anything to get him to crack because it it good for its copy.
Does he know hockey, well yes. He knows it way better than me. I am surprised though, that he did not turn this team around as fast as he did with San Jose. He got them to play better from day 1 and that was before Joe Thornton. I am disappointed with that didn't happen here and it has been 3 years and I hope that this team is ready to turn things around next year but I am not convinced it will. I was happy when he came to Toronto. If Brian Burke thought he was the problem he would replace him and Brian Burke is a way smater hockey than anyone reading this.
Posted by: Ken Baumgartner | 01/07/2011 at 04:51 PM
I guess Pyramid isn't up yet but when he gets here, Have a good game tonight! I won't be posting during the game. Also you may want to watch your predictions on scores for the game. Just play updates lol.
Posted by: gOogl3pl3x | 01/07/2011 at 04:52 PM
You are probably right Moe..
@Wade , take Crosby and Malkin away and Bylsma may be more like Cory Clouston in Ottawa I am sure. Bylsma has the best player in the world to work with. Crosby or Bozak, which one do think will make the coach better?
Posted by: Ken Baumgartner | 01/07/2011 at 05:01 PM
Good article, hunamizes him a lot more than his press conferences/media scrums. I would have liked some questions on his almost constant defensiveness (comes across as whining to me - get the man some cheese) and his apparent arrogance with the media. These have been apparent since very early in his tenure. And the intensity of the media? Um, didn't he know that coming into the job? And if not, he was woefully unprepared. If he did know about the media intensity, shouldn't he have developed a better attitude or approach. As far as missing family moments, well, sorry if I don't seem sympathetic, but I seriously doubt anyone held a gun to his head to take the jobs. Of course, it's easy to get stuck in a rut and stay in the position, but it sounds as if he's realized he has missed out - not anyone's fault but his own.
To Mitch (of Georgetown): That is an inane comment. Everyone needs time to decompress, I will guarantee you that no other coaches devote all waking hours to the job - and you obviously don't either. Get off your high horse and let the man watch a movie or two - and start working all the hours of the day that you aren't sleeping, hypocrite.
Posted by: Tabber | 01/07/2011 at 05:03 PM
I have said it a couple of times...Currently this team isnt ready to compete...They do have some bright lights on the team and down the road....But Wilson can't squeeze blood out of a rock......
These team has some holes which no coach unless he jumped on the ice himself could fix.....Kaberle, has expired......He isn't worth the contract anymore and only seems to burden this team with defensive lapses....Beauchmin, maybe a moot point as the trading deadline approaches with rumours of his trading coming almost daily. Komi, I am hoping he will request a trade, he can do so each year he is here by giving in a list of teams he could go too....
I say it was an interesting read, shed some light on a great hockey mind...I for one..Think he is doing the best he can...With the best he has been given.
Posted by: Nik Culoman | 01/07/2011 at 05:23 PM
Nice job, Vin.
Posted by: Sensi-Bill | 01/07/2011 at 07:13 PM
so far, this game, me likey.
Posted by: moe | 01/07/2011 at 08:02 PM
i know this sounds crazy, but it feels different. is it me?
VM Replies: It does feel different. Thank God someone is in the broadcast booth tonight. I fear we have lost PP indefinitely due to censorship issues in his faraway land.
Posted by: moe | 01/07/2011 at 08:06 PM
Nice post today Vinay, I have never been a fan of the human interest story as news, but you continue to impress me as a writer. I still don't think Wilson is the right coach for one of the youngest teams in the NHL. He is clearly a good coach, or he wouldn't have a job.
I must agree with another poster, you can't spend all your time in front of the cameras and microphones, ripping the coverage of your players, then say you pay no attention to the media in Toronto.
He seems to be, and you alluded to this in the article, already thinking about the other things that he should or could be doing. This can't be good for a team that needs so much work, especially in the fundamentals like coverage and play without the puck.
When he is no longer the coach of the Leafs, I hope Burkie pursues a coach who can relate to the players. His condescending attitude is prevalent far too often. I don't get the impression he likes or even respects the players he coaches. The first impression is often the right one. He looks upon you and then looks you over as if you are there to hand him a Ricin laced envelope, instead write a more than positive piece.
Look its pretty obvious that I think the Leafs could do better, his sarcasm has worn out its welcome. That and the fact that they are still as bad special teams wise as they were when he got here, despite the fact that he has 18 new players to implement his systems.
I wish you had asked him about the misdirections about who will start in goal over the last few games. I think this petty crap is unfortunately more of the same from this guy.
VM Replies: Thanks for the thoughtful rejoinder, Dr. Waffles.
Posted by: waffles2010 | 01/07/2011 at 08:10 PM
i always thought he was kgb... kidding. Sad to hear. I will be as "here" as I can tonight. I hesitate to say this, but they seem confident tonight. It's almost as if - do I dare say it - they've turned a corner? Dare I say it?
Posted by: moe | 01/07/2011 at 08:16 PM
Hey Vinay,
I know you are aware of the situation PP is in. I'm currently assisting him in trying to fix his problem. Hopefully we have a resolution shortly...
VM Replies: Good news. Not exactly sure what the issue is, but if I can help let me know: vmenon@thestar.ca
Posted by: We BeLeaf | 01/07/2011 at 08:17 PM
2 to 1 for the good guys after one period. Big four game road trip, they need to compete in these games, come away with at least 2 wins. GO LEAFS GO No letting up on the gas pedal tonite.
Posted by: waffles2010 | 01/07/2011 at 08:17 PM
Vinay, in person, did Wilson come across as being passionate about coaching? He expressed how all-encompassing it was, but did you get a real sense of his passion. I know he's not prone to hyperbole, but did he ever intimate that he had the "best job in the world," for example? I didn't really get that.
VM Replies: He did say just that.
For context, my question was, "If you could change one thing about your job, what would you change?" His answer: “I wouldn’t change anything. It’s the greatest job in the world.”
Posted by: moe | 01/07/2011 at 08:21 PM
On another note, I spent some time this week playing Gerry Rafferty's, City to City album. He passed away on the 4th, the album is kind of mellow, like Van Morrison, originally recorded Into the Mystic. Give some of Rafferty's work a listen if you have the time, its worth it. Great with a bottle of wine a fine looking lady.
VM Replies: "Right Down The Line" is one of the great songs of that era.
Posted by: waffles2010 | 01/07/2011 at 08:22 PM
Vinay, do you think his response to the greatest job in the world question, was authentic or the answer he thinks he is supposed to give? I only ask because since he has been here I never got the impression that he felt that way. From his words and actions anyway.
VM Replies: I spent six years as a television critic and interviewed a great many people who were "on message." I didn't get that sense from him. That said, I can't say for sure if he feels this way or not.
Posted by: waffles2010 | 01/07/2011 at 08:34 PM
you've been as constant as the Northern star
the brightest light that shines
its been you, woman, right down the line
my favourite song on that album too. pretty weird
Posted by: waffles2010 | 01/07/2011 at 08:38 PM
an interesting game. leafs have some poise tonight - a rarity
VM Replies: Still early to make sweeping statements. But they seem like a very different team in front of Reimer.
Posted by: moe | 01/07/2011 at 08:39 PM
Yeaooooo!
Posted by: moe | 01/07/2011 at 08:52 PM
IT just feels different
Posted by: moe | 01/07/2011 at 08:55 PM
I've obviously died.
Posted by: moe | 01/07/2011 at 08:57 PM
Vinay, how am I ever gonna get a blog of my own if you purloin my comments from 2 games ago. lol They play better in front of Reimer. "That's it I'm back on strike, no bagel, no bagel, no bagel." If we may continue the Seinfeld thread from last nite.
VM Replies: Sorry! But in fairness, I did say they should be starting him before he got his first start.
Posted by: waffles2010 | 01/07/2011 at 09:00 PM
I am so happy tonight. almost giddy.
Posted by: moe | 01/07/2011 at 09:02 PM
Hey - in the din of Leafs "journalism" - this is a gem. Nicely done. Rather revealing. Could be an unintended epitaphe.
Posted by: mattmurphy@nexicom.net | 01/07/2011 at 09:04 PM
When the Leafs play in front of Reimer, there's a different type of confidence on the ice. This is awesome but I hope the hockey god's don't pull a prank on us again in the 3rd. I went to see that awful 6-3 game against this and want nothing more..... WHOA 6-1!!!
.... What was I saying... oh right... REVENGE!
Posted by: Alecia | 01/07/2011 at 09:07 PM
Yes Vinay, you did say he should start. I'll let it go this time, but any more of this blatant thievery, and we will move on from the airing of grievances, to the feats of strength.
Posted by: waffles2010 | 01/07/2011 at 09:07 PM
Vinay, I hate to mention this but, in my opinion, the Leafs are wasting goals that would be helpful in another game.
Posted by: waffles2010 | 01/07/2011 at 09:11 PM
Is this for real?? Seriously??
8-1?!? The LEAFS!?
...words.....escape......me...
Posted by: Alecia | 01/07/2011 at 09:11 PM
End of the second period: Score: Maple Leafs 8, Trashers 1.
Vinay, I hope you have something special in mind for the next blog...
Go Leafs Go!
VM Replies: My body is going into shock. I may not be able to write anything.
Posted by: We BeLeaf | 01/07/2011 at 09:13 PM
Waffles - this is what you really call a moral victory, let them pound them in!! Are we really complaining that they are scoring TOO much??
Posted by: Alecia | 01/07/2011 at 09:14 PM
Hey Alecia, how's it goin? You asked a question last nite that I meant to post a response to. Sorry I forgot. So here goes, " like a scared turtle"
Posted by: waffles2010 | 01/07/2011 at 09:14 PM
I know Alecia, it does seem wrong that I think that way. But I do, can't help it. I want them to win 2-1 and bank the 6 goals they have scored for use in another game. The Leafs are the only team with the goal bank, no other teams get this feature. I figure that the Leafs need all the help they can get.
Posted by: waffles2010 | 01/07/2011 at 09:18 PM
To Baumgartner and Tabber...
I do feel that being a workaholic is not the best way to approach life, but I think that it will achieve the best results for you at work (not necessarily as a person). Therefore, just because I don't live that way doesn't mean my opinion is hypocritical.
I'm not saying Wilson as a person should become a workaholic, but if he wants to coach the Toronto Maple Leafs, it should be a requirement. I say this simply because I know there are qualified coaches who would be willing to take that approach to the their job if they were given the incredible opportunity to coach an NHL team.
Of course, I don't know everything that goes on behind the scenes, but the impression this article (and others) gives of Wilson is that he does not have that killer instinct that maybe a young and hungry coach would.
Just my opinion, but I feel that "wisdom" and "experience" can often be overrated... past success makes a hiring look good to the media, but is not always an indicator of future performance.
Posted by: Mitch | 01/07/2011 at 09:18 PM
Frightened turtle!!!!
Frightened turtle, you know, kinda like the Trashers.
Okay, I have to ask. We are going into 3rd... I don't even want to utter the following words, so I won't, you all know what I am asking... ?
VM Replies: I am increasingly concerned about your alleged psychic abilities. This one is over!
Posted by: Alecia | 01/07/2011 at 09:22 PM
The Leafs aren't evaluated based on their coaches' and players' values and life perspective.
Posted by: Mitch | 01/07/2011 at 09:23 PM
good article VM - gives one an inner glimpse into the man. only problem i had was when he said; "So Edmonton's expectations are rock bottom – to suffer with a young team and let them grow. Our expectations appear to be we have to make the playoffs even though we have the youngest team in the league.'
The expectation for the leafs to make the playoffs is because burke says he's building the team to win now - edmonton is hanging onto their draft picks and building for the future.
VM Replies: Thanks, palbo. You make a good point.
Posted by: palbo | 01/07/2011 at 09:24 PM
To all on behalf of Pyramid Power,
Due to the censorship problems encountered by Pyramid Power, it appears that he may not be able to join us on this blog for awhile. I would appreciate it if there is anyone who wishes to help me out with getting him back on this blog. I can be contacted through Vinay. And finally a few words from the man himself...
"Please post a nice note on Vinay's blog saying PP is loving it in China and misses everyone and will miss everyone."
Posted by: We BeLeaf | 01/07/2011 at 09:35 PM
I blew a hard drive at 6-1, what did I miss? Wow!
VM Replies: Massacre in the deep south.
Posted by: no moe green | 01/07/2011 at 09:55 PM
So I went out to play in my own league. I left with 1-0 Thrashers. Anybody want to tell me what happened? I have a feeling the LHC tunneled us into a Universe where goals are actually bad...
VM Replies: Big Bang x 9.
Posted by: Simon | 01/07/2011 at 09:58 PM
I'm sorry to hear about PP. I hope its not too big an issue (this is the first I heard of it). I hate to hear a Canadian in trouble for censorship.
Posted by: Simon | 01/07/2011 at 10:02 PM
Anyone see a shoot the puck in, cycle down low tonight? Finally, they played the game the way they can. Sure, Atlanta had two sieves in the net, but, Toronto passed beautifully, shot the puck, worked hard, skated like hell and deserved the win. Reimer was good when needed, and if you watched Colby, he got what he deserved for his own cheap shot along the boards earlier. It always comes back to haunt you. As for Eager, totally lost it. You wait Mr. Eager, the opportunity will present itself to get even. You made a goon of yourself tonight and embarrassed your team. Well done Toronto, keep skating.
Posted by: Robert | 01/07/2011 at 10:27 PM
Vinay, I understand you may still be sitting on your couch paralyzed, but we are all awaiting your game analysis. :)
Posted by: Alecia | 01/08/2011 at 10:34 AM
What a great piece Vinay. I know others have said this, but I will repeat it. You showed a more human side of Ron Wilson than he allows people to see. I was feeling kind of sad for him that he has missed so much in his family's lives.
On another note, my friend has now demanded that I go to visit her every time the leafs play, after we watched the game together last night.
We weren't sure if we had had too much wine and reading the score incorrectly.
Go Leafs!
Posted by: oakville_girl | 01/08/2011 at 10:37 AM
Very, very good piece Vinay.
I often just skim over longer posts, but I was completely drawn into this one. In the end I almost feel bad for Wilson, but in a good way if that makes sense.
This guy is one of the most successful coaches in the modern era, sad to think he will retire after he is done with the Leafs, all the more reason to hope for a brighter future for this team.
http://5thlinecentre.wordpress.com/
Posted by: The 5th Line Centre | 01/08/2011 at 12:42 PM
Oooh, VM, I saw this printed on the front page of the sports section. Congrats. :D
Posted by: Tom | 01/08/2011 at 01:36 PM
As I have said elsewhere, huge congrats to the Leafs and their fans on the team's amazing blowout of the Atlanta Thrashers.
Posted by: Sensi-Bill | 01/08/2011 at 10:58 PM
@Nik (re. 5:23 p.m, post)
"Currently this team isnt ready to compete..."
Interesting, if ultimately highly inaccurate, pre-game analysis.
Posted by: Sensi-Bill | 01/08/2011 at 11:01 PM
VERY sorry to hear of Pyramid Power's difficulty. I miss him already and hope he can get back here as soon as possible.
I do believe his posting here is good for him --- and good for us.
I know he refers to me as "the enemy" but I'd prefer to be his friend.
Guess I'll have to wait until he gets back to get my hug. (smile)
Or maybe, being happy to see him back, I'll just give him a big 'ol hug the moment I see him again, to welcome him back.
Posted by: Sensi-Bill | 01/08/2011 at 11:08 PM