Making a Small Thing Big

Ron Wilson's inability to comprehend he's no longer coaching in San Jose - or Washington, or Anaheim for that matter - continues to confound.

Specifically, after three full seasons with the Leafs, Wilson is still unable to get his head around the fact that Toronto is a huge hockey media market compared to the others in which he once coached, and a market in which small stories can blow up into big ones if not managed effectively. Whether Wilson wants to acknowledge it or not, being able to capably steer the team through media-infested waters is a big part of being the head coach in Toronto.

A perfect example came Wednesday when it was announced by both Wilson and defenceman Cody Franson that Franson would make his Leaf debut on Saturday against Calgary. By doing it that way, what was a one-day story will now turn into a four-day story as the Leaf Nation chews on the issue of putting Franson in the lineup after he was acquired from Nashville during the summer.

The Leafs are still 2-0, and most coaches wouldn't change a winning lineup. Moreover, as big or bigger than Franson's insertion into the Leaf lineup will be the identity of the player that comes out - Wilson didn't say - and that will now become the big debating point until Saturday's game, and probably after.

(ED. NOTE: After a day of reading people ranting and raving about things that weren't even written in this blog, let's set a few things straight. First, I'm a columnist; my job is to write opinion. You can agree or disagree, whatever turns your crank. Second, if you don't understand that in 2011 a big part of any Leaf head coach's job is to deal with the media, you're so out of it I can't help you. Third, the media is the instrument through which fans glean some, if not the majority, of their information. The more they hide, the less you know, and that's true whether you're talking about the Leafs or City Hall. The entire point of this piece was to describe how Wilson turned a small story into a big one. It's what is being talked about everywhere. It didn't have to happen that way. Again, if you can't understand that rather basic point, I really can't help you.)

Expect many to demand that Mike Komisarek be the Leaf taken out. Komisarek is this year's designated whipping boy - he was last year as well - not for his play, really, but for the fact his play doesn't match his salary. It could be Komisarek, and that's probably the sensible move, given that Franson is a right-handed shooting defenceman accustomed to playing the right side, but sending Komisarek to the press box for the first time in his Leaf career would be a huge blow to the veteran's pride.

Now, Komisarek gets to face three days of questioning about it, to which he'll probably have to throw his arms in the air and say, "I have no idea. Ask the coach."

It could also be rookie Jake Gardiner, who had the least to do with Saturday's near-collapse against Ottawa as any Leaf blueliner. Moreover, he plays the left side, which is a bad fit for Franson, or Komisarek, for that matter. If you're going to remove Gardiner, you'd be better off putting Keith Aulie, currently with the Marlies, into the lineup.

Heck, based on Saturday, you could give Luke Schenn the night off. Schenn, for a player now endowed with a big contract and one supposed to be a shut-down, stay-at-home type, was running around as much as anyone against the Senators, including inadvisedly leaving his feet several times in wild attempts to block shots rather than being a steadying influence.

But Schenn's not coming out. He's a golden boy. Wilson might say, as he did on Wednesday, that he's trying to "eliminate that sense of entitlement outside of the room,” but he's the coach who insisted on having Schenn in the NHL as an 18-year-old and preferring to hold him to a different standard than other older defencemen.

No idea, by the way, what the added bit "outside of the room" might mean. Is Wilson saying it's the media who believes there's a sense of entitlement among Leaf players? Or is it his players who feel entitled to play even when they don't deserve to?

So, given the headlines about the "disgruntled" Franson that were on the web by late Wednesday afternoon, this is now the biggest story in Leaf-land, with several more days of speculation and analysis still to come. It may be silly, but the identity of the fifth or sixth defenceman in Toronto is a bigger hockey story across the country that who's on the first line in Dallas, or Nashville or Long Island. That's just the way it is, like who's batting ninth for the Yankees and the identity of the fifth starter.

Again, in the case of Franson, this is a coach allowing a story, one that wouldn't receive nearly the play in many markets around the NHL, to become needlessly significant. Carolina was able to send first round pick Ryan Murphy back to junior on Wednesday without it becoming a big deal. That would have been impossible in Toronto, where everything's a big deal. But Wilson doesn't seem to get that.

All he had to do to effectively work this story was tell Franson on Friday night that he was playing, which would have probably become evident on Saturday in the morning skate, and then it would have had barely a day to percolate. Given the nature of the weekend sports news cycle, Sunday wouldn't have included much coverage of the story and by Monday it would have been superseded by some other story.

Wilson loves to complain about the Toronto media, about the tendency to build mountains out of molehills, about how he can't say anything nice about a player without the media "building a statue" to that player.

To some degree, he's right. But his inability to effectively navigate the Toronto media market was one of the big questions about him when he arrived here, and the Franson story shows he still lacks the skill to both use the media to create creative and useful competition within his team and to manage stories in such a way as to make them less of a distraction and pain-in-the-butt for his team.

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[hoofheartz]

Cox, you never cease to amaze me. You complain about Wrong Wilson not being able to navigate the media waters in Toronto after 3 years but you can't let go of the fact also after 3 years, that Schenn made the team as an 18 year old, against your advice.

[Sam]

Mr. Cox you have been on Wilson's case since the day he's arrived. This is the way he is, why do you keep railing on him for being himself? Just because you think this market demands he act a certain way doesn't mean he has to conform.

[David]

And "When is Franson going to play?" wouldn't have been a story? Yes, Wilson has media-handling problems, but in in Toronto, who wouldn''t? Move left, the media moves right; move right, the media moves left. There's no way to win when what you do is questioned, as well as what you don't do. The media need a story? They make one.

[M Stewart]

Maybe Wilson did exactly what is best for the team...by telling Franson early he would be in the line-up, he gives him 4-5days of practice with his partner and gets him ready to play...

isn't that his first job ahead of "handling the media"...

nice reach Damian...slow news day

[JTown]

So you're writing a story about Wilson unnecessarily generating stories? This hadn't crossed my radar until YOU brought it up. You don't seem to have noticed that your own story is one of those unnecessary stories. If you don't like 'em, then don't write 'em! More to the point, I generally like your columns about the team, but man is it getting tiring to hear you rail on Wilson for tiny crap like this. You obviously take it personally when he complains about the media in Toronto, and now have a chip on your shoulder with the guy for everything he does. Take the personal offense out of your columns and give the guy a break!

[Ken Baumgartner]

You know, maybe he just doesn't care about being media savvy. Maybe he is just a " Take me as I come, warts and all kind of guy." The media will find a way to blow up everything regardless of what is said so why bother catering to it. Besides it gives me something to read about, which is what you want any ways isn't it.? Let`s be honest here Damien, is he said nothing until games day you would be complaining about that and it would be a blown up story right?

[Mark]

Damien, you have two major false assumptions here.

One, that Franson would not have been a major talking point this week if Wilson had not said he was starting. Being that he is preferred by fans and media over Komisarek, and was hyped in the summer, that would have been a subject of discussion anyway. And then when Wilson put him in, it would have looked like he was bowing to public pressure.

Two, you are assuming Wilson didn't WANT Franson to be the story this week. I think after a near collapse again a non playoff team Wilson would much rather the media talk about Franson than the key leafs (Schenn, Reimer) involved in that shaky third period. Just maybe he's playing you like a fiddle and you don't even know it.

But more than any of that, who cares? I'll take the most media inept coach in the world if he gets what we need out of the players on the ice.

[decibul]

seems to me that ron wilson is just not interested in the toronto media circus. doesn't want to use it , manage it, watch it, perform in it, babysit it. who can blame him? oh right! you. talk about making a mountain out of a molehill! and here's a thought: the idea that stories in the media are a distraction or pain-in-the-butt for players is one created by the media. gotta feed the goat.

[getrdone]

It is interesting to note that you refer to Schenn in a reference to being treated different than other older defensemen" . Interesting in that is older 21 years of age? To me this idea of not dealing with the media has more to do with one whole week of trying to feed this very distrusting media with something other than game info. Think about it Damian you are a hockey writer, one whole week of your team doing nothing as far as games go and you have to show up every day at work and figure out something to say about the Leafs. duhh You guys would dig anything up to satisfy the readers

[Charlee001]

The media is too self important and are always trying to create issues while our team is trying to win hockey games.

[Jeff Prince]

why dont you write a story about the game of hockey not about how a coach handles the media. Ron's here to win games, not worry about the goofs in the media.

[Brutally_honest]

Hoofheartz, i totally agree. it's the media who has the problem. they ask the same stupid questions everyday even though they know the answer, then they rail on the guy for giving them the same answer. Hey idiot, don't ask they question. all these self proclaimed "sports reporters" do is rail on toronto sports teams.... the leafs are off to a 2-0 start, not a big deal, but all you get all the time are articles railing against every move anyone on the team makes. rail on franson, rail on wilson, phaneuf, reimer.... i think the media should be locked out of the dressing rooms....

[Paul W]

l think Wilson is very much aware of the pressures in TO, as is Burke.
..you win your a genius...you lose your a idiot. l've just always thought that the media has more story lines if the Leafs fail.

[Geoff Read]

I get the impression that he doesn't care about the media... but I think Cox's point, which is valid, is that he should care because when he mishandles something like this it effects his players - in this case Komisarek (who's been playing pretty well from what I've seen). Maybe he's Mike Keenanesquely doing that on purpose to screw with his players' heads a bit, but I don't have that impression.

[James]

I think you just made a mountain out of a mole hill... I myself was wondering when he would get his shot, after Saturday's near collapse (as opposed to solid victory) he deserves a shot and if someone (probably Gardiner) has to sit then so be it. I'm a huge hockey fan, as are my friends, we all paricipate in strict hockey pool keeper leagues where there's a fee on every transaction. So who's playing and who isn't is probably more important to us then most and I can tell you that nobody has talked about Franson being put in the lineup. Maybe it is just the media overblowing a story on a slow news day.

Need some ideas for an article? How about this wacky NHL schedule? That's what I hear everyone talking about, Winnipeg has played 1 game, Toronto 2, Pittsburgh will be playing their 6th game when Toronto plays its 3rd and why does any team need a week off at the beginning of a season...

[Jon]

Damien, i cant disagree with what u have said BUT, my question to u would be...did the Leafs bring Wilson here to coach or deal with the media ? I mean when they interviewed him for the job do u think the questions was media related or do u think the questions were more hockey related ?

[jrqb]

I think Ron Wilson knows exactly what the nature of the Toronto media is. He played here at a time when there was 3 dailies with sportswriters who were a heck of a lot more literate than this generation.

It strikes me that Wilson doesn't care about the media focus, or at his own peril, regards it with indifference bordering on disrespect.

If not naming who comes out when Franson comes in makes a few players on the bubble work harder this week than it's not a bad thing. I think getting some other guys some ice time is hardly the risky messing with a winning lineup that Cox suggests. It seems Cox is giving in to the sort of media hyperbole and micro-reporting that probably creates the detached indifference with which Wilson regards the media in the first place.

[Vaughn]

Damian, even if the Leafs go 20-0-0 you would find someway to fault the Team. Maybe something like: They have won at the expense of the young players development; or they have won at the expense of the veterens; they have won, yet their goaltending is not as solid as it needs to be to go far in the playoffs...

However, with regard to Wilson, some PR person should tell him to say "Thank you" after a reporter thanks them for the interview rather than "Your Welcome". That is how respectful people respond.

[nate]

I hate headlines. I was frustrated after reading this headline and opening line, as I continue not to care one bit whether a coach is good, or bad, or hates the media. When Ron Wilson goes on one of his character tirades, I could really care less. In fact, I don't really ever want to see him smiling when we haven't made the playoffs since I was still in school.

But, of course your article (sorry, blog) delineated how a coach can use the media as a tool to navigate players' emotions, with specific examples. I still think every time a member of the media looks to ask a question about a 7th defenceman, they should stop and force Wilson and Burke to answer "When are we ever going to have a first line player here?" everyday until it happens.
Again - hate headlines, love good writing.

[Speedo]

The subtext is that Ron Wilson should care what a bunch of loudmouth schnooks write and then coach accordingly. His job is to maximize the performance of his hockey players not respond to every whim from fussy Chicken Littles whose job it is to sell ad space in newspapers by sounding alarms after every game.

[Don Clark]

Damian, you are right to some degree but for every coach there are different tactics on how they choose to deal with the media. Paul Maurice was probably the best coach in the media's minds in that he was accessible, well-spoken, and accommodating. To be honest, Wilson doesn't really like dealing with the media. He views his job being to coach this team and make it a winner. The media for him is a distraction, and an unfortunate part of the job. Could he deal with the media in a better manner? Sure, but it is not a priority for him.

As for Franson, he was good enough to tell Franson in advance that he was going to play this Saturday and not leave him hanging for three or four days. Yes, he probably has an idea who he may sit out, but why tell the media?? He gets to watch 2 or 3 more practices and then decide. In the meantime, all his other D-men play hard and try to show they deserve to stay in the lineup. It also allows time should another D-man get banged up, as they may not have to sit anyone then.

My advice to the media, is to change tactics with Wilson. You yourself may not be guilty of this, but many of the media try to bait Wilson with their questions, or try to get him to state something profound or critical. Their questions state an observation and then ask Wilson to confirm or deny it. In doing so, they are essentially attempting to put words in his mouth. All that does is put his guard up and make him less inclined to want to talk to the media. Remember WIlson admits he is a procastinator with respect to his decisions, so often the media are looking for an answer to which he has not decided. Hounding him for an answer just aggravates him.

[Ostrich Lover]

More like Wilson just doesnt give a $#%^ WHICH is exactly what makes him so awesome. Wilson is one of the smartest people in this city and like most smart people, he is aloof and disinterested in what people he considers below hiim think.

[Ostrich Lover]

Why not write an article about the one interesting thing you do mention: Komiserik. He is definatley becoming a whipping boy - BY IDIOTS WHO DO NOT WATCH PLAYERS WHO DO NOT HAVE THE PUCK. Mike Komiserik is a great player who brings many intangables (?) to the rink every night. You just do not embarass one of your leaders - Schenn, Phaneuf, Komi - by throwing them to the wolves in the pressbox. You think Both Luke and Ron don't know he had a bad game? You think Ron didnt hold him accountable? Just b/c he doesnt come out and publically thrash a kid, or take him out of the lineup, that doesn't mean he wasn't spoken to.
Plus, I have to wonder what game you watched Saturday. Jake Gardiner was lost out there. He played a bad game. He was directly responsible for the Alfredson breakaway goal as well as at least one other. Now I like this kid alot, but Franzon needs to play, and Gunnerson should be the one to sit unless Aulie is brought back. Obviously a trade needs to go down. What would it take to get Svarrson?

As for Komiserick - He is becoming the leagues most underrated player. Frankly, for a hockey mad town that 'makes a bigger deal of who will be the sixth defensemen than most teams do about their first line' that is just pathetic.

[ldv]

Mr. Cox, possibly one of your most thoughtful and well written articles. I disagree with some of your articles, but this is a very good one. As long as what a coach does directly effects the team (in Toronto everything a coach does has an effect on the success of the team), he needs to be aware, strategic, and intelligent. Can't say if Wilson is any of these as I don't personally know him, but he hasn't demonstrated any of it. He's had more opportunity than other coaches here, and with impunity. Talk about entitlement!

[Bubba]

Wilson's an arrogant blowhard and an idiot. The Leafs will never go anywhere with him running the bench. Burke should have fired him last year. I agree that he's definitely not the man we need here. The sooner he's gone, the better.