A whole lot of sports to digest, finally

What’s this? All kinds of “legit” stuff to talk about?

That ought to keep some of you happy.

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Finally, they got a guy and now we can get on with … well, with waiting for the game to come back.

But at least there’s Ed Stefanski to talk about, the new executive vice-president of basketball operations (I see ginormous business cards to get the mouthful on) for the HOTH, signed, sealed and ready to meet the masses later this morning.

His job?

Let’s call him Another Set Of Eyes And Ears and you really can’t have enough of ‘em in the Raptors front office.

As mentioned in the story, the front office was not unlike the roster – thin – and having another guy around certainly can’t hurt.

He’s doing to do what a lot of sports front office types do, offer advice on players and acquisitions, chat to agents and other execs, be a sounding board for coaches and his boss.

He’s not going to come in and make a huge impact, that job – whatever it’s called – isn’t designed for that.

It’s designed to be a guy on a team, one piece of many and the fact that Ed’s got a wide and varied background – New Jersey, Philly, Wharton School grad, connections with agents, players, other coaches, organizations, sure isn’t going to hurt.

I’m sure there will be gaffes in the front office and successes, some deals will be good and some will be bad. It’s the way the game operates and anyone who thinks one guy is going to make some immediate impact or prove to be the difference-maker doesn’t quite understand how the game works.

If you were to go through the past of every significant NBA exec, you’d find some head-scratching moves that didn’t work out at all. You’d also find most have been parts of teams that have had success.

You hire a guy, trust his judgement and his past experience and hope the advice he offers works out well.

There are no sure things but I’d don’t mind them having a guy who’s been around the league for a couple of decades, someone who’s been with an organization that played for two championships, someone who knows the game.

What can it hurt?

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Lou Williams!

Not sure if any of you heard the little hit I did with McCown and Brunt on Wednesday night but the name of one NBA free agent I’ve heard the HOTH have, or had, interested in completely escaped me.

Now, I don’t if they still do – I heard the name way back before the lockout hit and no one was allowed to talk about players – but his is one name that was kicked around.

Doesn’t mean he’s going to sign, doesn’t mean they still want him but it was the kind of guy they began the process thinking about.

That could all change, of course, given the specifics of the new CBA and that’s why it’s impossible to determine what these fellas might have in mind.

I will say this: I do think Bryan has positioned them financially and with roster openings to make moves quickly regardless of the new CBA.

Of course, we don’t know what that will be so it’s all guesswork right now.

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What? Some of you take yesterday off?

Mail, people. Please. Here.

Now that they want a couple of questions answered to run in the Saturday paper, I’ve got to get started before the stools are even in place on a Friday afternoon so get to it, ok?

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What to make of this 15-hours-of-talks between the league and the union that broke up about 2 a.m. Thursday?

Well, various reports suggest they made some progress on the “system” issues – tax, length of contract, annual raises and the like – but never got around to the split of the Basketball Related Income, which remains the elephant in the room.

But, I’m going to trust guys like Ken Berger at CBS Sports, Howard Beck at the Times, My Man Sheridan and B. Mahoney of the AP; they all sense something more good than bad went on.

But the fact is, we’ve been down this road before.

Remember the overwhelming sense of optimism about two weeks ago, when everyone figured they had the split done and were ready to wrap things up?

Not so much.

Anyway, much better news yesterday and they’re back at it this afternoon. Wake me when they have a deal.

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Appropos of nothing and just to prove we can’t go a day with being all sports, did you know Morey Amsterdam passed away on this date?

And the whole “TV theme songs without lyrics” list grows.

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I know there will be a fair amount of angst among some Torontonians about the Buffalo Bills stuff and how the fans who come out are as much about other teams than they are the Bills and how it’s not nearly the same at the Rogers Centre as it is at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Duh!

Of course it isn’t.

No way people in Toronto can match the enthusiasm of a Bills crowd, won’t happen in a billion years. They’re not the same kind of audience, not fuelled by the same passion, they haven’t been camped out in parking lots for hours getting ready.

Anyone who thinks otherwise is delusional.

Now, I do presume more people might be more excited and boisterous this time around because the Bills do seem like a fun team to watch and the game does have some significance but matching The Ralph?

Ain’t going to happen in a month of Sundays; fans here are not cut from the same cloth, they don’t have the same vested interest in the team.

Took a drive down there yesterday (here’s the first of a trio of stories that will eventually appear) and when I told the guy at the border where I was going and why, he wanted to talk about the Bills and knew right away they’d lost all three regular season games up in Toronto.

Stopped at a Starbucks out near the stadium to do a little work because I was way early thanks to little QEW traffic and a smooth Peace Bridge experience and when I told the nice lady what I was doing, she wanted to chat about the Bills and their foray to a foreign land.

The Bills are the topic down there, people of all ilk live and die with their successes and failures. Here? Just another team playing a game people get to see once a year.

Don’t be at all surprised that the players see it as a bit of a nuisance, and some will tell you it’s not the same.

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Comments

[Richie]

Ah, Morey Amsterdam-the human joke machine. Feel like listening to The Andrews Sisters sing "Rum and Coca-Cola", Doug? You know, for us of a certain vintage as you might say, "The Dick Van Dyke Show" is one of the great sitcoms of all times-great cast, great acting and those capri pants were OK too! Oh, yea. Stefanski? That's good, too.

[Nick M]

Watching a re-run of 'The Office' yesterday about a lunch time pick-up bball game between 'The Office' and the 'Loading Area' employees. Classic. Which got me to thinking what is the beset basketball moment in a sitcom.
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Hands down Kevin McHale playing for 'Cheers'.

[skiff]

"There are no sure things but I’d don’t mind them having a guy who’s been around the league for a couple of decades, someone who’s been with an organization that played for two championships, someone who knows the game."

I'm pretty sure that was the same strategy used by Eatons & Kresge. Where are they now? It's just intersting to me that poor performing organizations, sports and otherwise (and I work in the head office of a large national retailer), continue to make the same low risk decisions, and then everyone sits around trying to figure out who best to blame for poor results, instead of taking ownership and taking calculated risks. It's indefensible in an organization like MLSE since they have the luxury of being able to take some risks (since they virtually print money down there by most accounts, regardless of outcomes), but rarely do. And then we're all supposed to say, "oh well, they tried their best!". And if I'm way off base here, let's see some tangible reporting on what Stefanski's successes successes and failures actually are, instead of merely hearing, "he's been part of an organization that's had some success" (I've been part of a successful organization, does that mean I shoul take credit for all of them and be in line for executive positions at other corporations?)

The point is, same moves, same results. But sure, how can it hurt? What was that definition on insanity again....

[Abbey]

You're right, Doug, about most sports' executives, in their careers, making some decisions that are just plain 'head scratchers'. But with the exception of maybe Bill Caudill, I can't really think of any that Pat Gillick made.

Thanks for the blog.

[D-Mac Ottawa]

How do, Doug,
So would we be correct to assume that Stefanski will not in fact be the acting GM?
And Lou Williams would be a good fit for this squad. He's always been one of those one-man wrecking crews with a career night against the Raps – rather see him trying to pull off those performances against the bad guys than against the HOTH. If Williams is in the fold, hey, just need a 3 and a big and Bob's yer uncle.
Morey Amsterdam was a national, make that international, treasure.
Cheers. Go CBA!

[LeeZ]

@Richie (Richie Petrie?), I wholeheartedly agree: the Dick Van D. show was and remains a classic. And Mary Tyler Moore was like the Virgin Mary (pun intended), in that she slept in a different bed from Rob's and yet they produced offspring (Richie). MTM didn't manage to shed that image until she played the neurotic Jewish mother in Flirting With Disaster (a film that ranks among the greatest comedies EVER) and performed (simulated) oral sex on George Segal. This'll give you an idea: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw4xDTQYIfE

[Juan]

Hi Doug
There was some confusion a couple of weeks ago as to whether talks with Stefanski had broken off? Any background on whether that was subterfuge or just confusion?

Blogger's note: It was an incorrect report

[chris]

Doug - why spend money on free agents to improve the team this year when we have one of the best drafts in a long time coming up.....it wouldn't be a bad thing for the raptors to focus on developing their young guys instead of signing some veterans who might help us become "mediocre".

[Lorie]

Hello Doug!
The Dick Van Dyke Show was perfect; did anyone else used to fantasize that they were actually the love child of Buddy and Sally, who would one day come to rescue you so could just hang out, laugh and tell jokes all day? (Still sounds like a plan to me.) @LeeZ: Favourite Movie Where George Segal Has Simulated Sex? Mine is definitely "A Touch of Class" with the wonderful Glenda Jackson, Malaga and an uncooperative zipper! Cheers!

[john]

Prediction- CBA gets agreed upon this week.
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The basis for my prediction is for no other reason than I can't possibly imagine MLSE hiring someone for what I'm sure will be a few hundred thousand a year for a job that sort of doesn’t exist until the lock-out is over and MLSE probably knows the sides are getting close...

[GM]

* Uh, @skiff, what about Gherardini? Isn't that taking a risk? And if not, why not supply some concrete suggestions as to what might a risky signing look like?

* I'm not quite of the vintage of the Dick Van Dyke Show, but it's still one of my favourite sitcoms of all time.

[curtis]

Doug, Lou Williams isn't a free agent. He's under contract until 2013.

Thad Young, however, is a free agent. Did you mean him?