A Poor Fit?

Sometimes you really have to wonder why Ron Wilson took the job of coaching the Maple Leafs.

Yes, money and a five-year contract while he was otherwise unemployed probably influenced him

But an open question when Wilson signed on with the club was how he would handle the scrutiny of his work and the performance of his teams in Toronto after stops in Anaheim, Washington and San Jose, places where the coverage of the NHL is minimal for the most part and, at times, non-existent

So far, not particularly well. All these people with their annoying questions and comments

Working in Toronto was always going to be a big, big change for Wilson, a good, experienced coach and a smart fellow, but also one of the more thin-skinned hockey men around

After all, the coverage of the Leafs has exploded in recent years. Twenty years ago, a coach might have to deal with three or four beat writers on a regular basis and the occasional TV camera and radio mike

These days, every day is like a full-blown presidential press conference. But it's no different than the coverage of the Yankees in New York - probably less - the Canadiens in Montreal - less intense - or the Cowboys in Dallas - probably similar

Wilson knew all of this going in. Brian Burke surely did as well, and he appears to be loving it. Not a single complaint. He wanted Toronto and all that entailed

But after winning 34 of his first 84 games in Toronto, Wilson seems to be increasingly resentful of the fact fans and media alike have many questions about his hockey club and aren't afraid to vocalize them

He doesn't like positive coverage of his team or negative coverage. Just the other day in Washington, positive questions about the play of goalie Jonas Gustavsson were ridiculed, with Wilson saying the Toronto media always wants to "build monuments" to players before they've accomplished anything

Then he takes the opposite approach. In Paul Hunter's story today about the Leaf goaltending picture, Wilson takes exception to criticism of Vesa Toskala, calling it "grossly unfair."

So the monolithic media is either building monuments or guilty of gross unfairness

Basically, Wilson would prefer it if people just wrote down his words and published them verbatim

He said yesterday Leaf goalies have to perform not "under a microscope but under an electron microscope." True, its not like Anaheim or Washington or San Jose. But didn't he know that? And aren't there terrific benefits that go with working in hockey's Big Smoke, even for a sub-.500 coach? And wouldn't a smart coach use the glare of this market to fuel the performance of his players?

Read Joe Torre's book to learn about handling unrelenting media pressure while still winning championships

Wilson also loves to play games. For example, he said yesterday "We don't question anything about what Vesa's done," which is a complete untruth. Toskala's play has been a hot debating point within the organization for more than a year, and last year both Wilson and Burke questioned his play and work habits.

He said some of the club's defencemen have played like "peewee defencemen" in front of the goalies, but if you ever criticize the Leaf defence you're told the forwards aren't helping enough. His team has been the NHL's worst defensive outfit ever since he arrived, but its impossible to get him to actually explain why that is

The only reason any of this matters, of course, is that blaming the media offers up a crutch that some players are only too happy to lean on

"It's hard to feel good about yourself when you're always being questioned," Wison told reporters yesterday

Well, wahhh. Cry me a river. If I don't want hundreds of emails a week telling me what a moron I am or explaining how I could do my job better, then I wouldn't sign on to work covering hockey for the Toronto Star, Canada's largest newspaper. After 20 years, I keenly understand the reality that readers of The Star feel they know more about the sport than I do and could write about it much more intelligently if given the chance. Both might even be true. Read the comments on this blog sometime. If you're writing hockey in Toronto, you'd better be ready to take a lot of shots if you're going to hand a few out.

Comes with the territory

With the Leafs, Burke knew what he was in for and accepts it. Doesn't bother him one iota, for example, that not everyone liked the Phil Kessel trade. He's not looking for love or consensus

Wilson, however, bristles under the attention and criticism. He either blames the media for nit-picking or complains that media types don't watch closely enough to understand his team

We're either building monuments or ripping players to shreds. He loves to term it all the product of "you guys," as though reporters and columnists for the Star, Sun, Post, Globe, TSN, Sportsnet, The Score, CBC, The Fan 590, AM640 and every other media outlet think as one, work as one and all do their jobs exactly the same way and with the same dedication and effort. Only always sunny Leaf TV propaganda seems to suit Wilson, and that may not even be true

You've gotta wonder why he took the job in the first place.

Comments

[BA McFarlane]

Well said.

[Eoin Kenny]

The only thing worse than a cry-baby is a cry-baby LOSER!!

Given the atrocious job he's done last year and so far this one -- and the unrelenting BS cranked out by his blowhard boss -- no wonder Wilson is thin-skinned.

Course, all he has to do to change things is WIN A COUPLE OF GAMES!!

[TincupCanuck]

I like Burke and Wilson cause they dont put up with the Media crap. Its needed in Toronto. Why? Cause Cox is writing about Wilson today instead of the players. The Media gets to low after a loss, but doesnt get high after a win like us fans...They seem to stay low. Its as if the media is trying to be the GM of the team. WIlson is a bit of a jerk, but its what the dr. ordered for this team.

[TincupCanuck]

One more thing...how do you call him thin skinned? I think he handles the media quite well, other than beeing a bit of a prick...which like i said before is exactly what the team needs right now. He stands infront of 20 camersas and half the nation while you hide behind your blog? Good on wilson and burkie.

PS no rookie players sign up for the bullshit the media in Toronto puts them through...like feeding them to the wolves

[walter bishop]

Agreed. Clearly Wilson is feeling pressure. Goal scoring and goaltending are areas you my have limited ability to teach. But Wilson is responsible for defensive system. Time for Wilson to gain control and change Beauchemin's disastrous pinching. Toskala is done here because of numerous technical flaws over a number of seasons, this is an issue of diminishing skill. Publicly I don't care what Wilson does, but on ice he has been too passive so far. Systems must match players skill level. With right strategies in place and acquisition of a top 15 goaltender we may have an outside chance at final playoff spot. Kessel deal made a bottom tier regular season finish a total disaster. Burke was too quick to gamble on a narrow specialist sniper and we may pay the price for a number of seasons to come. Additional pressure for our very delicate and sensitive Wilson. This is not panic after 2 games, but a rational assessment of what might be if Wilson does not rethink and properly evaluate what has gone on. Wake up Wilson.

[Lew McClain]

Frankly I hated to see Paul Maurice go. A good coach with a good sense of humor, and doing well with the players he was given. Give him this team, and it will be a winner sooner than later....

[Steve C.]

Hi Damien, once in awhile we agree. I'm glad to hear you take your shots so well too.

Wilson probably thinks he's the first one to know how to handle this crowd, when in fact it is predictable, old and tiresome. That cranky, condescending and irritable approach was interesting for the first few months but it seems to be his true nature now - not an approach - and if so this could get very ugly for him.

'You guys' keep on him.

[Bill from Beamsville]

Just because Ron Wilson signed a contract to help the Leafs rebuild doesn't give the media carte blanche to provide hype and sensationalism when none exist, and to then respond defensively to his opinion of the media's behaviour. This overwrought, obsessive criticism of goaltending and defence after TWO games borders on the surreal. (Ever see "The Natural" ?) .Perhaps the media (including Damien) is the real MONSTER in the dressing room.

[Tony K.]

Mr Cox, with all due journalistic respect to you (and I have had loads of it for you over the years), who the heck cares?

Outside of his responsibilities to make himself available to "you guys", Ron Wilson is not obligated to like the media or enjoy being hammered on a daily basis by their usually recycled and pedestrian questions. It is insulting to rhetorically ask why he took the job.

He took the job because:

1) He (like most of us) prefers being employed
2) He wants the challenge of coaching a losing franchise to become a winning contender and...
3) he (and obviously, the suit-clad losers at MLSE) believes he can get it done given time (five-year coaching contract) and good management (enter Brian Burke).

I empathize with Mr. Wilson's sentiments in hemhorraging at the thought of being required to suffer through these ridiculous "presidential press conferences" that the media insists on having staged day after day, night after night.

"You guys" should understand that Mr. Wilson has nothing to gain from the media (or this particular article of yours for that matter). He is not here to be friends with "you guys" or to enthusiastically supply "you guys" with poetically epic quotes when beckoned. If anything, he should be respected for the fact that he is not acting like he does or putting on a false façade for the pitiful delirium of "Leafs Nation".

He is here to win games and overzealous media are not going to help him better coach the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team or have his players perform any better. If anything, the media will actually get in the way and cause distractions (like they usually do in Montreal) for his team.

Despite most people's ignorance to the contrary, overzealous media coverage of sports is not really that important (and I play lots of sports, including hockey) in the grand scheme of life.

Interestingly, I have never seen one article in any newspaper or sports section painstakingly dissecting *that* particular topic.

[Paul I]

The idea of Wilson acting to deflect pressure from his team is laughable in light of his and Burke's very public vote of "No confidence" in Vesa Toskala. How many other players were slow-roasted by the Brain Trust last year? The last thing they are interested in is deflecting pressure from the team.

[koholeaf]

lol Damian, it is in fact the medias job to quote the coach "verbatim" unless verbatim has taken on a new and highly nuanced meaning, which to my knowledge it hasn't.

As far as cryin goes Coxie, isn't that what you're doing here because RW criticizes some if not all of you guys? I enjoy your dispatches but isn't there something you could really write about that is much more interesting. Maybe Ronnie is the perfect fit after the toungue and cheek and permanately bemused Maurice. You guys wrote whatever you wanted to at one time and ran the pressers like an inquisition, maybe RW has said enough is enough and has decided that turnabout is fair play. Maybe you should write about that?

[Tabber]

Look at all Wilson's relatives chiming in here! How can I tell they're relatives, you ask? Because their posts have the same fine whine as all of Wilson's pronouncements. Ronnie, you took the job knowing what it entailed. If you don't like it, don't let the door hit you on the way out, and for crying out loud, stop that annoying whining! (Great, now I sound like my late mother used to, when I was five years old). Ronnie, you're not a kid any more, and the whining doesn't fit - unless you are emotionally five. Is that actually the case? If so, that also reflects pretty poorly on you, but hey, I'm just a fan, so you think I deserve no consideration from you. Right back atcha, Ronnie, get your whine and cheese and arrogance out of town - maybe you can find some respect when you start giving it, Mr. Superior.

[Regg]

Who cares if Wilson isn't media friendly? Waaaaah to the Star - lol
If the team ends up being better under his tutelage all the better. Wilson is right in that the Media is obsessed with anything TML. Lets look at the goaltending for example - its been 2 whole games for heaven sakes and the media wants to send Toskala to Siberia and conversely The Monster is already being hailed a savior and he hasn't even played a full game yet??????

If there should be any criticism of the Leafs maybe it should be pointed towards the GM who brought in 3 -4 goons, a couple of over the hill veterans, an injured player, 3 college players etc. While all the good teams are developing young speeder players through the draft system.

[Frank E]

Kudos to you Damien, it's about time someone took a good look at Wilson's performance. I thought last years loosey goosey system was designed to devlop some creativity and confidence with a group that clearly was going nowhere...a genius move, if it was on purpose. But with Burke declaring the playoffs as the only acceptable outcome,the expensive trading for Kessel and the apparent lack of a significant youth movement occuring(only Stalberg and the Monster made the club, even though they missed the playoffs by a long shot), it's time for Wilson to get aligned with Burke, they need a defence first system...I don't care if they play a boring trap, just protect the goalies and clog up the neutral zone, otherwise, call up all the kids and forget about the playoffs.

[Heywood Jawblomei]

Typical Damien! ahh he's finally back the anti-leaf has returned to the not so ink stained web pages of mediocrity. The problem in Toronto is that the media have such limited stories to write about, so they end up repeating the questions over and over and over and over and over...to the point of pure insanity. They (media) all purport to be hockey experts, yet have never played or even enjoyed a game. I'm guessing ever since the free MLSE buffet went the way of Ted Kennedy the media has been quite ready to revolt...and two games in to a 82 game schedule...here we go. well done Damien! how's the weather in hamilton? that hotbed of mediocrity...

[menchinmontreal]

"as though reporters and columnists for the Star, Sun, Post, Globe, TSN, Sportsnet, The Score, CBC, The Fan 590, AM640 and every other media outlet think as one"

I agree with Damien that Wilson is a whiner but Wilson has a point that all the 'as one' media members mentioned attack when they smell blood. The other thing that is interesting about the aforementioned media 'as one' club is they don't realize or care that there's 29 other teams.

[Bal Virk]

Good for Ron Wilson! He's not as dumb as you take him to be Damien. See, he's got you talking about him, taking the focus - even momentarily - off his players. That's all he's trying to do, and that's what the players could use once in a while - a break!

[Fung Chang]

So the management is feisty and beligerent towards the press in Toronto, what else is new? Given the fact that the Leafs haven't won a cup for 43 years, and have occupied the lower tiers of the divisional hierarchy of the NHL for the majority of the past four decades, it is a wonder why anyone would want to work in this town as coach of the Leafs. I'm not going to bolster your point any further by stating the obvious, but have a close look at the other sport franchises in the city and you begin to notice a pattern. The Jays, the Argos, the Raptors, management of these other Toronto teams have come under fire too. You (the media) exacerbate the pressures by sticking a microphone in their face and turn on the spotlight with a camera. There's no wonder here. You are the Papparazi after all. Now, spend a little effort in your cubicles at work and develope some embarrassing questions to ask these coaches, and then BAM! You get a hostile reaction from them. Big surprise.They should be commended for trying, but instead they are vilified.

[Phillip]

Interesting article....you seem to be equating taking the job of leaf's coach with dealing with the media. Are you saying that if a coach does not enjoy a non-essential part of his job he is a "poor fit?" I think Wilson is a "poor fit" if he does not get the leafs further forward in the season(s) to come not if he is always cordial with the media. What bugs me about you guys (and by this I mean you Damien) is you have an exalted opinion of yourselves. You report on the show. You comment on the show. But you are not the show. I think it is disingenuous for you to get bent out of shape when people who are hired to do a job you only report and comment on won't dance to your tune. I don't ever recall the media wondering about Wilson's credentials with the media when he was hired. Because that isn't a prerequisite to do the job. We all want to see the leafs win, if you all have to work a little harder for your story that shouldn't lead to sour grapes and obviously criticizing Wilson in your article with such a silly premise doesn't help.

[Fung Chang]

Is it just me? or does the people of Toronto like taunting each other. This article and some of it's posted comments are the very point I'm trying to make here. It reminds me of this clip I saw on the TMZ show on CTV. Meagan Fox was walking out of restaurant during the recent Film Festival and some lunatic starts to taunt her about her looks, and shouts out..."my girlfriend is way hotter than you..." The sports commentators on the eleven o'clock news make these snide disparaging comments all the time. Watch, and you'll soon see what I mean. and I mean, this happens often!
Why can't you people cut them a break?

[Mia Buserenis]

Hey DC,

I think the media is overreacting to the coach. None of the stuff that he says is out of line. I think he is really doing a job considering all the dumb questions he fields from the media. Yes, some of your questions are dumb...Having said that if the players or the coach don't like the pressure in TO - they should leave, they can be losers in peace in some other town.

[Jim]

it's funny coz just the other day I heard Ron Wilson doing a radio interview and thought to myself, "boy all that talk about him not going to do well in the market" has been bunk"..he's usually pretty damn accomodating and humourous.
but that's Damian for you

[RJ]

Wilson has a point. The media is tuff here. So why are you whining about wilson whining about the media? What you are doing in this article is the same as what you are accusing Wilson of... Besides, whats the big deal..let him bitch...at least he has character enough to show his frustration... I for one LOVE watching him snap at some of the STUPID questions he gets asked... Id love to see the players do the same thing during those inane interviews between periods...

[x5440x]

Well Damian, didn't you know that when you took the job as a hockey columnist that some of the games would have fighting involved?,,,,,,,Well you still took the job and still whine about it.....what colour is that pot anyways?

[Hockey_puck]

Damien this sounds a little personal. Like Ron addressed you specifically in a way you didn't like. So sounds like sour grapes on your part. I totally get what he's doing - deflecting attention away from his fragile goalie is good coaching regardless how the sensitive media takes it. Now your ego and his clashing is certainly understandable. I've heard you on the radio and you are actually more condescending than Wilson, as difficult as that may seem. But it is good entertainment which is why I like both of you. His job is to win hockey games. I don't see where is behaviour toward "you guys" enhances or jeopardizes that.