Turtling

Funny to see the old double-dipper himself, Pat Quinn, caught taking some thinly-veiled potshots at the Leafs and president Richard Peddie from the safety of Vancouver. Funnier still to see Quinn, who despite his bully rep never had the stomach for face-to-face confrontation, backpedalling like crazy when his words filtered east to Toronto. Naturally, Quinn has been careful to avoid saying bad things about his former employer in hopes of roping in another NHL team to pay him an exorbitant salary as a coach or consultant. The best part of being caught this time is that despite having all of his words on radio, Quinn is still blaming the media, claiming misquote, or at least that devious media types are again twisting his words. Just once it would have been nice to hear this man speak without forked tongue. Just once it would be nice to hear him take some of the responsibility for the Leafs' inability to get anywhere near a Cup during his tenure.

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Terrible conundrum for Jesse Lumsden. The Washington Redskins have cut him loose, and the choice is trying to catch on with an NFL practice roster or return to the CFL and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The practice roster pays a lot better, while the CFL work includes the nasty beating running backs take along with a fraction of the salary. To play for less money or sit on a practice roster for a lot more. Not an easy choice, particularly when the former includes looking for holes behind a weak offensive line in Hamilton. ... Like Nashville's signing of J.P. Dumont, an underrated finesse forward. But while the Preds have added much in Dumont and Jason Arnott, some GMs feel they have lost more in Danny Markov, Yanic Perreault, Mark Eaton, Adam Hall and Scott Walker. ... Quick tip on a hockey book to watch for this fall. Former Globe and Post scribbler Gare Joyce has penned a look back at the infamous 1987 Brawl in Piestany between the Canadian and Soviet national junior teams. It's terrific. ... Count on this now. As soon as a Leaf, any Leaf, loses a fight this season, there will be endless print and electronic discussion about how much the club dearly misses Tie Domi. Count on it. . .Cassie Campbell, who retired from hockey today, may not have been the best player to ever grace the national women's team. But in addition to her talent and versatility as a forward and defenceman, she will go down as an athlete who transformed the women's game with her personality and style. As well as being a key component of several Olympic efforts, Campbell always sold and promoted the game well, and it's not too hard to envision her somewhere down the line as a key national voice for the women's game. It's about time Canada had a commissioner or president for women's hockey, and Campbell would be a perfect choice.

Comments

[Mike P]

Enough with all the Jesse Lumsden coverage. He's not that good a football player. He will never crack an NFL roster and if he did he would be a minor bench and special teams player. If he plays in the CFL he'll be mediocre at best. He's less talented than Tim Tindale and Kerry Carter but gets tons of publicity because he Dad was a pretty good player. Enough already.

[Roberto]

Well I certainly agree Mr. Quinn is arrogant, and the team never got close to a Cup while he was in Toronto, but he does have a point with regards to media coverage.
For example, the Ed Belfour saga where many in the media speculated he was faking his back injury because he was miffed at missing a start. Well, Eddie didn't deserve that and certainly the fact he had surgery is proof the guy was injured.
Similarly the premature tarring and feathering of Wayne and Janet Gretzky over Tocchetgate.

[Robert]

A professional hockey team is responsible for putting the best possible players on the ice.

A professional sports reporter's responsibility is to report honestly about the highest calibre sports available today.

Women's hockey is not in that calibre. A good Midget or Junior men's team would beat the women's olympic team by about 50 to 100 goals.

So then, why do you continue to write about such a low level of hockey.

The bad part however is that you write about this poor level of hockey as if it was just 1 step below the NHL.

[Pete]

Cassie Campbell had a great career and should be a "first ballot" hall of famer. But will she even get a sniff at the Hall given the old boys network selection process?

[Steve]

When Pat Quinn puts some of the blame squarely where it belongs, at the top, you again take out your 22 and shoot him down. Mr. Peddie is a president who is concerned with the logo and the bottom line. This is an organization that has been built on a revenue first policy for decades and Pat is just one coach/GM to have to deal with that philosophy and come away looking like a failure and thus reasonably bitter about the spin that is put on his finally forthright comments.

[Scott Main]

Interesting comment on Tie Domi. Perhaps a dinosaur left from an era gone by but popular in Toronto nonetheless. Tie has outlived his role and time in Toronto and definately would not be an asset in any physical situation anymore. Let him retire where he wants to be and bring in some young blood to take over the duties of enforcer.

[Nathan]

No one will miss Domi, he hasn't done anything in years and hasn't won a fight in ages.

[David]

Mr. Cox states that Pat Quinn feels that "devious media types are again twisting his words". I feel that Quinn was heard quite clearly when the interview was played over and over again. He states nothing more then whats obvious with most successful franchises. Quinn might never coach again but that does not make him completly useless. As well, I dont think anyone will be wanting to see Tie Domi back ever again. Domi couldnt fight his way out of a paper bag. If anyone starts to cry about his absense remind them of how Brian Mcgratton Fashioned Domi's quick exit from the ring.

[chris]

Pat Quinn is a big, fat crybaby who demanded nothing more than the subserviants of Toronto and LeafNation to kiss his ring (or some other part of his anatomy). The fact that there are plenty of people in both groups who are more than willing to do Quinn's bidding speaks volumes of why he had been able to get away with it, for the most part, for so many years.

As for Tie "The Idiot" Domi, good riddance to bad rubbish. Take away his ability to punch people in the face while standing on skates and you left with a guy who's hockey skills were highly overrated.