Random thoughts from my attendance at the coca cola fans first game...and viewing of the pre-season so far. Take from it what you will, I am merely a blogger under the influence of inexpensive beer.
1) Toronto fans would be louder if beers weren't $12.75...seriously...it's more expensive to drink, then drive home safely then it is to have one large beer and get a DUI ticket.
2) Fans really do appreciate funny criticism of the buffalo sabres...at least the ones in section 119 rows 21-23 do!
3) Wendel Clark has a firm handshake. Go Section 119!
4) Ryan Hollweg is awesome.
5) Toronto has a great fourth/energy line. Hollweg - Moore - Mayers. (THUMBS UP!)
6) Grabovski is better than Kulemin.
7) Kulemin is being rushed to the NHL. He does not look confident.
8) Schenn needs another year outside of the NHL. Altho he does look decent, he still doesn't have the killer instinct he had in juniors. He needs to continue gaining that confidence.
9) Vesa Toskala is going to keep us from getting the first overall pick. He looks great.
10) Nicklas Hagman is a smart shooter. Shoots from all angles...but not from 55 feet...Jason Blake.
11) Kubina is the key to our success on the point. Can he be a consistent first liner?
12) The penguins aren't that bad. They haven't had Crolkin in the lineup together yet.
13) We are going to be tough to play, because we can consistently compete on every line. We have an excess of hardworkers...fortunately. (Kyle Wellwood)
14) Robbie Earl is a year away.
My predictions for this year coming next. Will we score enough goals? My stats don't say so...
Until next time.
BF6
Friday, September 26, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
Report: MLSE Does Not Budget For Playoffs......fans haven't since JFJ was hired.
DISCLAIMER: This blog was not meant to be a response to the nonsense the Toronto media spews everyday about the Leafs, unfortunately they make it very easy. You've been forewarned.
An article released on the Puck Daddy blog on yahoo sports indicated that MLSE for the first time in a decade, will not budget to play any playoff games in the upcoming season. Now my first question is why in 1998-99 were the Maple Leafs not budgeting to make the playoffs, knowing that the Leafs had finished with 97 points that year, and then I researched their 1998 Team Roster, and I realized why MLSE had no pipedreams of making the playoffs that year. Top five scorers Derek King, and Igor Korolev don't exactly put a scare into opposing goaltenders...let alone Timbits Hockey goalies.
My second question right after reading was...why are the Toronto media ripping on MLSE for now admitting they are rebuilding and not going to toile in mediocrity anymore? One month ago every member of the Toronto press was all about leaving Mats off the team so that we could truly rebuild and start from the bottom up. Well I'm sorry Garth Woolsey, but the Pittsburgh Penguins did not get Fleury, Crosby, Malkin, and Staal by finishing first OR hanging around 7th place in the conference for five years. Now don't get me wrong, I don't want to see Toronto lose 82 games this year by a combined score of 820-0...but at the same time I don't want to see us beat the losers and be the biggest losers amongst the decent teams anymore. To see a group of younger players fight and claw their way to a 3-2 loss would not be the biggest disappointment in this bloggers mind...provided they went down fighting. After 3 or 4 years without any passion, heart, or guts...I think we can all agree that we'd like to take one of MLSE's old catch phrases and re-discover that "Passion that unites us all". If you preach giving them time, give it to them. Rome wasn't conquered in a day...just Patrick Lalime's five-hole.
Until Next Week
BF6
An article released on the Puck Daddy blog on yahoo sports indicated that MLSE for the first time in a decade, will not budget to play any playoff games in the upcoming season. Now my first question is why in 1998-99 were the Maple Leafs not budgeting to make the playoffs, knowing that the Leafs had finished with 97 points that year, and then I researched their 1998 Team Roster, and I realized why MLSE had no pipedreams of making the playoffs that year. Top five scorers Derek King, and Igor Korolev don't exactly put a scare into opposing goaltenders...let alone Timbits Hockey goalies.
My second question right after reading was...why are the Toronto media ripping on MLSE for now admitting they are rebuilding and not going to toile in mediocrity anymore? One month ago every member of the Toronto press was all about leaving Mats off the team so that we could truly rebuild and start from the bottom up. Well I'm sorry Garth Woolsey, but the Pittsburgh Penguins did not get Fleury, Crosby, Malkin, and Staal by finishing first OR hanging around 7th place in the conference for five years. Now don't get me wrong, I don't want to see Toronto lose 82 games this year by a combined score of 820-0...but at the same time I don't want to see us beat the losers and be the biggest losers amongst the decent teams anymore. To see a group of younger players fight and claw their way to a 3-2 loss would not be the biggest disappointment in this bloggers mind...provided they went down fighting. After 3 or 4 years without any passion, heart, or guts...I think we can all agree that we'd like to take one of MLSE's old catch phrases and re-discover that "Passion that unites us all". If you preach giving them time, give it to them. Rome wasn't conquered in a day...just Patrick Lalime's five-hole.
Until Next Week
BF6
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
My Apology Letter to Bryan McCabe
Scrambled thoughts on a Wednesday from an Unemployed Leafs Fan
Reading over some of the articles on the Bryan McCabe deal, I was struck by one article on SLAM! Sports today that was in reference to the classy way in which McCabe conducted himself in the post trade hours, and it got me to thinking...do I owe Bryan an apology?
Allow me to preface this article by saying I like many of you have been frustrated in the decline over McCabe's play. He, like Tucker lost that edge, lost that will to throw their body in front of anyone, sacrifice every piece of themselves for the team, and worst of all...began to lose his eyesight (clip of him scoring on his own net). However, I was most frustrated over his desire to not waive his no trade clause at the trade deadline last year. I know that he has the right to not waive it because it was given to him, but to be fair, his agent went into that negotiation against a functioning retard (in terms of hockey). It was the straw that broke the camels back, McCabe had managed to transform himself from a hapless hard luck loser to a super villain. I booed, you booed, we all booed at one point or another, but was it for the wrong reasons? Were you, like me booing not only because of his poor play on the ice, but because of his selfishness in not accepting a trade, when the Leafs could have acquired something to drastically help in the rebuilding process? (Aren't I a selfish die-hard?)
Now, I CAN'T honestly say after years of drinking and various other abuses to my body, that my memory serves me better than most people, HOWEVER, if I can recall correctly back to last February I remember countless members of the media and Leafs organization insinuating that the reason McCabe was not moved at the deadline was because of his own free will. He chose not to waive his no-movement clause, and was the reason that a deal could not be done.
Was he? OR was Bryan McCabe made out to be a bad guy on purpose? Did Cliff know that if he made McCabe out to be a villain that he would gain the support of the fans in forcing him out of his contract in the summer? Or worse...gain support for a trade that loses yet another draft pick and gains another questionable defenceman.
Quotes such as "McCabe is not considered one of the veterans Fletcher will try to move by the Feb. 26 trade deadline. He has a no-movement clause in his contract, but even if he did waive it, McCabe will cost a team $5.75-million (all currency U.S.) against the salary cap for the next three seasons. Not that he wants to go anywhere, anyway." from the Globe and Mail, and numerous "McCabe Doesn't Want to Move!" articles spread throughout the mainstream media. One was lead to believe it had to be true, especially with no denials from Cliff or Peddie.
Apparently it wasn't. Today in the SLAM! article referenced earlier, it states, "I had a meeting with (Leafs general manager Cliff Fletcher) right before the trade deadline and told him I was open to anything if it was presented to me," McCabe said. "He never got back to me."
McCabe gave Cliff an empty slate, and he could not deliver. The complete opposite of what we were all lead to believe. He did the right thing and understood it was his time to move on, and was left hung out to dry, without so much as a word of recognition to the public that he gave MLSE the opportunity. To say McCabe was terrible as a player here does not do his play from 2002-2006 justice. To say he was terrible from 2006-2008 does not do him justice as well, though I can understand some of you feeling it. He was a very solid offensive defenceman, with a few too many defensive lapses. This angered me. However, you were a stand up guy, and you gave the Leafs the chance to move on.
So, to you Bryan McCabe, I say this; I am sorry. I'm sorry for unjustly villifying you for your off-ice decisions. I'm sorry John Ferguson Jr. is as useful as Damien Cox. You were a class act in your time here, and always accountable for your inconsistent play over the last few years. It's unfortunate that our time together didn't work out, but sometimes things don't. Good luck, and we'll see you on the 6th of January.
Final Thoughts:
'Asked if he had a message for Leafs fans, many of whom booed him in his latter years in Toronto, McCabe said he had a great time. "Thanks for the memories," he said. "They were all good. I cherished playing in the best hockey market in the world."'
More nonsensical rambling to come next week.
BF6
Reading over some of the articles on the Bryan McCabe deal, I was struck by one article on SLAM! Sports today that was in reference to the classy way in which McCabe conducted himself in the post trade hours, and it got me to thinking...do I owe Bryan an apology?
Allow me to preface this article by saying I like many of you have been frustrated in the decline over McCabe's play. He, like Tucker lost that edge, lost that will to throw their body in front of anyone, sacrifice every piece of themselves for the team, and worst of all...began to lose his eyesight (clip of him scoring on his own net). However, I was most frustrated over his desire to not waive his no trade clause at the trade deadline last year. I know that he has the right to not waive it because it was given to him, but to be fair, his agent went into that negotiation against a functioning retard (in terms of hockey). It was the straw that broke the camels back, McCabe had managed to transform himself from a hapless hard luck loser to a super villain. I booed, you booed, we all booed at one point or another, but was it for the wrong reasons? Were you, like me booing not only because of his poor play on the ice, but because of his selfishness in not accepting a trade, when the Leafs could have acquired something to drastically help in the rebuilding process? (Aren't I a selfish die-hard?)
Now, I CAN'T honestly say after years of drinking and various other abuses to my body, that my memory serves me better than most people, HOWEVER, if I can recall correctly back to last February I remember countless members of the media and Leafs organization insinuating that the reason McCabe was not moved at the deadline was because of his own free will. He chose not to waive his no-movement clause, and was the reason that a deal could not be done.
Was he? OR was Bryan McCabe made out to be a bad guy on purpose? Did Cliff know that if he made McCabe out to be a villain that he would gain the support of the fans in forcing him out of his contract in the summer? Or worse...gain support for a trade that loses yet another draft pick and gains another questionable defenceman.
Quotes such as "McCabe is not considered one of the veterans Fletcher will try to move by the Feb. 26 trade deadline. He has a no-movement clause in his contract, but even if he did waive it, McCabe will cost a team $5.75-million (all currency U.S.) against the salary cap for the next three seasons. Not that he wants to go anywhere, anyway." from the Globe and Mail, and numerous "McCabe Doesn't Want to Move!" articles spread throughout the mainstream media. One was lead to believe it had to be true, especially with no denials from Cliff or Peddie.
Apparently it wasn't. Today in the SLAM! article referenced earlier, it states, "I had a meeting with (Leafs general manager Cliff Fletcher) right before the trade deadline and told him I was open to anything if it was presented to me," McCabe said. "He never got back to me."
McCabe gave Cliff an empty slate, and he could not deliver. The complete opposite of what we were all lead to believe. He did the right thing and understood it was his time to move on, and was left hung out to dry, without so much as a word of recognition to the public that he gave MLSE the opportunity. To say McCabe was terrible as a player here does not do his play from 2002-2006 justice. To say he was terrible from 2006-2008 does not do him justice as well, though I can understand some of you feeling it. He was a very solid offensive defenceman, with a few too many defensive lapses. This angered me. However, you were a stand up guy, and you gave the Leafs the chance to move on.
So, to you Bryan McCabe, I say this; I am sorry. I'm sorry for unjustly villifying you for your off-ice decisions. I'm sorry John Ferguson Jr. is as useful as Damien Cox. You were a class act in your time here, and always accountable for your inconsistent play over the last few years. It's unfortunate that our time together didn't work out, but sometimes things don't. Good luck, and we'll see you on the 6th of January.
Final Thoughts:
'Asked if he had a message for Leafs fans, many of whom booed him in his latter years in Toronto, McCabe said he had a great time. "Thanks for the memories," he said. "They were all good. I cherished playing in the best hockey market in the world."'
More nonsensical rambling to come next week.
BF6
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