The best and the, uh, not so best

It's the great contrast in Toronto, a comparison between substance and style.

On one side, Roy Halladay.

On the other side, Larry Tanenbaum.

Care to guess which one's substance and which one's style?

Halladay, for going on a decade now, has been the city's Quiet Superstar, a title he reinforced again Thursday night with his second 20-win season, another year in which he has been non-complaining and largely brilliant, and the team has been mediocre.

He has been the best player on any team - baseball, hockey, football, basketball - in this city for a long, long time, and probably should have a greater profile than he does based on his accomplishments, demeanor and contributions to the Blue Jays.

Others have been major stars - Chris Bosh and Mats Sundin come to mind - but Halladay has been better than any of 'em, arguably the best pitcher in baseball for three or four seasons, with one Cy Young Award on his resume so far.

That's substance.

Then there's Tanenbaum, a wealthy developer and, it should be noted, a philanthropist.

But when it comes to sports, it's been all style, all talk, no substance.

Hearing Tanenbaum's comments on Thursday that he and MLSE aren't interested in just winning one Stanley Cup, but want years of "competitive" teams based on slow, intelligent and steady growth was just too funny.

Being stuck with a very weak-looking roster, it would appear, has the Leaf chairman in search of a new public pose, and a cynic would not think that by publicly admitting that a lousy season lies ahead, and maybe more than one, the Leafs have just bought themselves another three years - five? - before anyone can demand the appearance of a quality team.

He can't tell you who the GM of this team will be in June. But trust him, MLSE has a plan in place. A new plan.

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.

Now, suddenly, it's time to build slowly, carefully?

The man's found his new hockey religion?

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.

Tanenbaum, as a sports executive in this town, has never accomplished a damn thing.

But he can dismiss Yzerman with a wave of his imperial hand?

It's all MLSE blather, all talk to continually try to placate the customer while urging him or her to keep paying while always promising good times are just around the corner. We've got it all figured out this time, the company line goes. 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.

All baloney in a $2,000 suit. All sizzle and slick rhetoric. 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 it's the same people at the top who have been full of it time and time again.

Halladay, by contrast, is a true sportsman of substance, the Quiet Superstar for a city where winning rarely happens anymore, where the best idea anyone has is to try to steal another city's NFL team.

Oh yeah, Tanenbaum's in on that one, too.

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THE MAIL BAG RETURNS!

Damien Cox is back with his weekly Maple Leafs mail bag. He'll answer your questions in his blog every Thursday starting next week. Click here to submit a question.

Comments

[Jim Fisher]

If Toronto teams become successful, Mr Cox is out of business.

[chris]

Wow. Damien writes another bang-on article and all some of you idiots can do is complain about how cynical and negative he is. The truth always hurts. And you people obviously have a terribly low threashold of pain. Stop reading his columns and the pain will go away for you.

[Johnny Thunder]

Where are you going with this one?

off the bat: total irrelevant word fillers:
- why compare doc to bosh and mats, then spend the rest ripping on tan?
- Whats with the NFL ref?
- You compare a cy young winner to Larry T on sports management? I do agree that doc should be in the press box gearing up for the '09 entry draft. Word has it Tavares is high on his radar.

Heres what bad about the meat of this one pal. You rip on tan for not building from inner growth for the last year without stop. Now you rip on him for putting the buds on track for a loose to win strategy? Now you're saying we should spend 10mil more and bring in some top talent and make a push to win more games? Didn't you just yesterday say we have a basement blueline? Miss your buddies sideshow bob and mccabe all of a sudden? What would bringing in say schnider and shanny do? In sunny skies we'd be looking at another battle for number 8 spot, which is what you've endlessly stated is a poor plan. You rag on him for not having a 'plan', but you're idea is to do everything you've criticized for the last handful of years. Thats not consistent man. Its shotty journalism dude!

Note to editor: We're the fans of hockeys greatest franchise, GET SOME DECENT COVERAGE

[GS]

Perfect. Well said. Shame on you, Larry!!! Way to go, Roy!!!

[Wendy Clark]

Hey Jim,

When Toronto teams become successful, Mr Cox won't be out of business. That will just fuel his need to oppose everything that is TML. He knows that there are so many die hard Leaf fans that his opposing views will spark discussion on his articles and blogs. Like the one we have here. Cox is like a baby, just ignore his empty whining and he will stop, he's just looking for attention.

[Kevin Cooper]

Well said Damien. For me the larger issue is not just my attitude toward the Leafs but my steadily diminishing interest in the NHL. It's not only the Leafs who have been my favourite team throughout my life that have earned my disdain but the way the NHL has steadfastness supported useless US franchises at the expense of Canadian teams and the strike. It isn't that I'm angry about any of this but the old passion for NHL hockey is all but gone. In short, I really don't care anymore.

[nugentmania]

Some of these comments get to be too much....

First, to the huge Tannenbaum fan who gave Larry credit for saving the Raptors.....hockey's a different animal than basketball in this country. Larry and Richard Peddie stepped aside because they didn't know the game, and things got far too ugly. Hockey is different, instrinsically. Everybody thinks they know hockey, and these guys can't admit that their presence represents two human pylons.

Secondly, the real laugher is that he used the Detroit Red Wings has the franchise model. You know...Detroit....where ownership lets a group of "hockey" guys run the show. You think Kenny Holland and Jim Nill would have sat by and watched Tie Domi get fetted for 1000 games? No, because the bar for what represents an "achievement" is much higher in the Motor City....

Finally...to the writer who leaves a note for the editor....fans of hockeys greatest franchise? Did I read this correctly? I can't imagine the measurement for what would constitute the Leafs as the greatest franchise. The dumbest fans, maybe....

[Dan S.]

When did all the Larry hating begin? At least he isn't botching things up like Peddie was doing. We should be happy that Larry is finally getting some more say in (he was always the smarter of the two) and at least trying to make us better.

And yes, Halladay should be the sports figure of Toronto, but that will never happen because the Jays are arguably the least popular of the big three in Toronto; with Sundin gone, it appears it's Bosh's title to lose.

[Dave Russell]

Tanenbaum showed his true colors there. He doesn't care if they win as long as they make it into the playoffs year after year. This makes perfect sense because the Leafs (like every NHL team)make money hand over fist for every game in the playoffs. Far more than they make during the regular season. The Raptors had no success until Tanenbaum took his hands off them and the Leafs will be the same. The GM shouldn't have to run all the decisions through Tanenbaum and the board. Let the managers manage, coaches coach, and players play. So far they have done nothing toward rebuilding. They got one good draft pick because of how poorly they played last year, they dumped a few contracts that were a mistake getting into in the first place, and they picked up a handful of 2nd through 4th line players from other teams, some for future draft picks. How is that rebuilding?

[Hockey Writers Speak for the Fans]

I do not subscribe to the theory that true fans do not criticize their team. Nowhere in life is this true. Is your boss at work going to sit ideally by when you work is substandard? The answer is NO! In your personal life is your partner going to say nothing if you don’t do the things that make a relationship work well? The answer is NO! So why then are the fans supposed to say nothing when the team under performs or when team management and ownership make questionable decisions?

You, and other good Toronto sports writers, can speak up about the sorry state of the franchise and about the quasi-criminal conduct of MSLE, and you will be heard. And by this the fan feels heard.

For your role I would like to extend my sincere thanks and compliments to you for speaking your mind about the Toronto Maple Leafs and about the suits at MLSE. Believe me they at least take notice of you.

[Bob Holden]

It is difficult (impossible?) to argue with any of your points. Doc Halliday, superstar-yes! class act-yes!

Larry Tanenbaum, if he is in fact the guy calling the shots, hasn't got a clue!

Best thing that could happen to the Leafs and the NHL, fire Gary Bettman and have Jim Bellisle(sp?) put another team in Southern Ontario and embarrass the Leafs into going big league.