Words to Live By

It is amazing what can get people all hot and bothered over hockey in this town.

Example: Paul Maurice says his team will "make the playoffs and compete for the Cup," and it's treated as though by an unintended slip of the tongue he revealed the cure for cancer.

Let's break this down.

Maurice has promised his team will be among the 16 clubs in a 30 team league that qualify for post-season play.

Hardly a promise to immediately begin stacking bricks with a plan to reach higher than the Burj Dubai.

And if you make the playoffs, then you are by definition "competing" for the Cup, because it's a tournament. Atlanta competed for the Cup last spring, its just that they ceased competition after four quick losses.

Good for Maurice, one supposes, by sounding like a coach with confidence in his men, although what his alternative statement would have been escapes me.

Of far more interest, it seems to me, was the latest gobbledy-gook to come out of the mouth of the one, the only, Richard Peddie.

Yesterday, the prez announced the the "search had stopped" for somebody to either come and work with GM John Ferguson or oversee Ferguson.

Fabulous. Stopped just before O.J. stopped his search for the real killers.

But let's make sure everybody understands what actually happened over the past three months.

Peddie and his bosses promised Ferguson a contract extention, and JFJ hired a high-profile sports agent, Gil Scott, to negotiate a deal. The promise came sometime after an end-of-year meeting with the MLSE board in which JFJ was told he was doing a fine job.

And then the Leafs never bothered to call about the extension. Moreover, a weird search began for a greying executive to somehow stabilize or improve the Leaf front office.

For weeks, it went on and on, with the Leafs going so far as to actually interview John Muckler while flirting endlessly with Scotty Bowman. The classy Ferguson, who had to deal with the death of his famous father at the same time, never uttered a negative, complaining word.

Now, if anyone would be so silly to take Peddie at his word, the search is over.

Until the Leafs lose two or three, of course, at which point it will begin again, and if Maurice is completely wrong, MLSE sounds like it want to hand over all powers and a gigantic contract to Bowman. This silliness is right up there with the days when George Armstrong didn't want to coach the Leafs, but was afraid to tell owner Harold Ballard, and then announced all the Leaf picks at the entry draft.

So these brilliant thinkers have managed to turn this season already into a season all about Ferguson's future. Every win will be a check mark in his favour, every loss an "X" against his name.

As camp starts, Ferguson and Maurice have every right to like their team - just not the part of the organization that inhabits the fancy board of directors lounge and will decide their future.

Comments

[Mobeen]

Hi,

In my humble opinion the the executives hire GM's and coaches to run a team. If it's a GM's or coach's job to manage a team then the executives should let them do the job and not interfere.

Part of MLSE's problem is that they act like Canadian federal government. As soon as something goes wrong they come in guns a blazing trying to find a "solution".

Come one!!! Let the coach and GM do their job and give them time to do it and plus keep your nose out of it.

Regards,
Mobeen

[Stephen]

I'm not a fan of JFJ's skills as a GM, but there's no question he's been far classier than his superiors. Yes, I'm looking at you, Peddie.

[Wardo]

The Canadian government charges in, guns a-blazin' to find solutions? That's news to me. Everything I ever read or hear is, "what is the government going to do about this?" by carping citizens. Think about it.

Back to hockey - I am no Ferguson fan, but I tip my hat to him. MLSE has undermined his position for months - first by refusing to greenlight any of his trade ideas without Board approval, second, refusing to extend his contract, and now finally, actively shopping for what is essentially a replacement GM, all the while Ferguson is attempting to run the hockey team.

And like you say, not once in that time has Ferguson even hinted at any discontent. Even while dealing with the terrible sickness and death of his father.

He's a bigger man than I. I would have blown my cool ages ago. "Do you want me to run this team or not?" I would have directed my tirade at the hair-raisingly effeminate Peddie. He seems a bit of a dandy. Maybe an old-fashioned shakedown with Richie could have ended this issue a while ago.

I thought about saying, "If Ferguson had any pride, he'd walk away from this trash," but then I thought that one over - this is one of the greatest management positions in the league. And the team is finally getting Ferguson's stamp on it - how could he possibly walk away from it, regardless of the circumstances?

So now I think, no - Ferguson needs to hang on and force the tall foreheads to fire him outright. Pry the job from his fingers. Because quitting would be too easy for MLSE, and more than they deserve for the unprofessional treatment they have applied to their GM.

What a joke of a team. I used to bleed blue, but I'm giving it all up - it's a waste of my finite life following this team. With this structure of management in place - why should anyone have any reason to imagine victory is possible?

[Darryl Keeping]

"Good for Maurice, one supposes, by sounding like a coach with confidence in his men, although what his alternative statement would have been escapes me." Maybe something along the lines of "We'll be in a dogfight to make the playoffs." Maurice was right when he made that less-than-optimistic comment during last year's training camp. Maurice strikes me as a level-headed, call it as he sees it coach...What's wrong with that?

[Dan Carthew]

Ferguson gambled when he traded for Toskala.If we get average or better goaltending Fergusons job is safe.If Leafs have a terrible start we could have a new GM by Christmas.I think he has been taken on every trade,for our sakes lets hope, not the last one

[Ian D]

Ummmm I it's the media who have made it all about JFJ. I haven't heard anyone from MLSE come out and say, "hey, anyone want to talk about JFJ and his contract?".

As much as I agree the Leafs are very good at putting a lot of attention on their board or executives throughout the year, I as a fan am more interested in the team than JFJ's status. is it a topic? Sure. Is it THE topic? Not in my mind, but in order for it to be that way I have to ignore a lot of articles that talk endlessly about it.

[Some guy with a keyboard]

Peddie could make Leaf fans nostalgic for Harold Ballard.

[Steve Barnett]

Dick Peddie effeminate? That's beautiful, and you know what? He probably would'nt care who said it as long as they are talking about him. He drives me round the bend when he starts yapping like he knows hockey. Dick is a reactionist, first JFJ needs help, then he does'nt. I would love to be a fly on the wall when they have thier meetings and Dick has to sit there and watch Colangelo tell him what the Raps are going to do. Must just kill him and his larger than life ego. Dick is a media whore. He probably has someone tape all his interviews so he can watch them later while he is polishing his portrait of himself.
And say what you like about Tannenbaum, and I have, but he does'nt put it out there for everyone to see and comment on.The longer this charade goes on the more respect I have for JFJ. Most guys would of told Dick where to shove it by now. And I can only imagine what the Board of Governors thinks of this clown.
He reminds me of the little dog in the cartoon chasing the big dog telling him "were buddies, right spike? were pals right spike?" The guy is an embarrasment, It's almost like him and Paul Godfrey were separated at birth. And dont get me going on Godfrey and his ultra annoying kid either. Dick reminds of something my dear old Dad used to say..."Dick, you could'nt find water if you went to the beach".