Leafs fire John Fergu-gone

"We need to forge the start of a new beginning for [the] Toronto Maple Leafs."

The way to do that, according to MLSE, was to fire embattled general manager John Ferguson.

Seriously?

The way to turn around the Maple Leafs is to fire a guy that everyone thought was basically already fired?

The ground-shaking move to jolt the Leafs out of their almost decade-long doldrums is to get rid of a lame-duck general manager whose impotence didn't give him much, if any, actual power in Leaf hierarchy?

This is no knock on new interim GM Cliff Fletcher, who has one of the best eyes for talent in hockey. He's proven himself throughby those early 90s Leafs teams he built himself, in addition to amassing young talent for the Phoenix Coyotes before being summarily fired before he could see them become a legitimate contender for a playoff seed in the West. But this just highlights the real problem: ownership doesn't see itself as at fault, when in reality they're the problem itself.

Coaching changes and general manager upheavals make sense in certain situations. This isn't one. The organization's flimsy dedication to winning is a pervasive one that goes beyond those two posts, and have extended since at LEAST the days of Pat Quinn. His reign as GM has come and past, and so to has his successor's, and it's hard to see any real change.

Paul Maurice can be an effective coach, and in spite of his not giving Jiri Tlusty enough minutes, I still believe that he deserves to stay on. But the team's talent pool is deficient, with no real prospects on the up-and-up. As I've said before, free agency is a band-aid; developing and keeping home-grown talent is how teams thrive and succeed.

So the move, in the end, is a completely unsurprising one. MLSE barely showed faith in Ferguson's ability, but in approving his moves by not acting, the Leafs have stagnated. Ferguson, like the team, did just enough to keep his job. Unfortunately for Ferguson, that's not enough to Leaf nation. But in a strange twist of hypocrisy, the organization doing just enough to keep its job is enough to make the city bleed blue and white.

MY BRAIN ASPLODE

Don't you just hate it when everything you thought you knew about the sensible and rational world around you just falls apart at its seams?

After last night's debacle, where in a shocking turn of events Eli Manning played like a normal quarterback in the most important time of the year, instead of throwing five interceptions (including one to his own team), I've basically gone Descartes on my own ass. How can I know what is real anymore, when Eli Manning plays clutch?

It was my own fault, I guess. I was under the impression that a quarterback wasn't supposed to start off every play by looking overwhelmed and confused, smeared on a face that screamed I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING I'M ONLY HERE BECAUSE OF MY FAMOUS FAMILY, and hands that caused entire stadiums to stand in frustration, capable of flicking perfectly lofted passes into the hands of opposing teams. But here's Eli Manning, in the Super Bowl.

So I've decided to question it all. I can't look this stupid again. This isn't a computer I'm typing on...and the background of this blog isn't black, or at least, what I used to name black but now has no name, no colour. What is colour? What is a name?

I can't trust anyone or anything, anymore. My mother phoned last night, and I launched the phone out the window. I've also decided to stop eating food, and that dinosaurs must still be alive, along with Elvis, Tupac, and Britney Spears' career.

Anyway, congratulations to the Giants on winning the right to stand in the Patriots' way to perfection. Oh shit, my brain just exploded when I wrote that.

A Tale of Two Shitties

I want to say it's good to be back at the Triangle O, wipe away tears of bittersweet joy and write the best damn blog post you've ever seen. But me and good writing have a real love-hate relationship that dates back the last five years or so, and let's just say I've been sleeping on the couch a lot in the last six months. As a fun little tweak of my proverbial nipple, the best thing I've written- that last post about Ryan Smyth- seems to have been deleted by Blogspot.

Now, I could go the easy route and talk about the Mitchell Report, that has left baseball in tatters. And if you don't agree, well, arguably the best pitcher and best hitter in baseball HISTORY are being questioned about the legitimacy of their stats. We have a commissioner of ten years and a union president who are admitting fault for allowing a pervasive atmosphere of straight-up cheating in a professional sport, and doing so about ten years too late. And when fantasy baseball experts have to factor in things like, "is he in for a drop in his stats because he's not on the roids anymore," we've come to a sad time in a sport that once gave a country identity and defined a culture.

But what I DO want to talk about is the falling apart of two franchises both headed on the same downward trajectory, but yet couldn't be more disparate: the MLB's Oakland Athletics and the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs.

In spite of my Cardinal and Blue Jay allegiances, I've always halfway rooted for the Oakland Athletics. Maybe it was the clean green uniforms. Maybe it was the sight of Dennis Eckersley falling off his ass, the picture of effort, to throw a fastball for a strike. Maybe it was the under, then slightly over, stated genius of Billy Beane and his Moneyball philosophy, and the fact that for all the naysayers, we couldn't deny that the Beane-led Athletics just kept on winning.

Whatever it was, I respected the Athletics for what they were, which was up until last year a contending outfit. In the new millenium, the Athletics have finished no lower than second in the AL West division, and has made the playoffs five times. But after an injury-plagued, underachieving 76-86 campaign in 2006-07 for a team where success was an expectation, Oakland management blew up the roster, trading away its best (and most popular) hitter in Nick Swisher, its ace pitcher in Dan Haren, heart-and-soul centre fielder Mark Kotsay and rumblings that it could deal star closer Huston Street and starter Rich Harden, all for prospects and picks.

These were not moves that were met with unthinking praise by an already middling fanbase. Haren is a 27-year-old 15-game winner who was the best pitcher of the season's first half; Swisher is also 27, a guy who hit 35 homers in 05-06 and, in this most recent down year, hit for 22 homers and a higher average than the year before.

But even as Oakland readies for a stadium move to the little-known suburb of Fremont, and even though it would've made all the sense in the world to welcome that new stadium with recognizable faces, it took huge cojones for Beane and the others in Athletics management to decide that even if the team wasn't injured, it wouldn't have been enough.

Cojones is exactly what Leaf management, or rather the entire franchise, doesn't own. It has middled at pathetic mediocrity for 15 years, the days of looking to actually improve the team long gone. Last year was the second consecutive year without a playoff appearance for a team with a storied legacy of competitiveness and winning, and they returned after the offseason with a lineup largely unchanged except for the position they regrettably believed to be their weakest, in net. But the problem goes deeper than an Andrew Raycroft proverbially "sucking", or any one player performing poorly. The sad-sack collection of skaters in Toronto are playing to their ability and have no one to blame than a hilariously bad string of administrators and a franchise where staidness has become a team philosophy.

Sadly, I don't really blame them there, after all- why would they make changes if they're going to sell out every game, no matter what kind of half-ass product they present on the ice? At the time of this writing, 10 players are 28 or younger, and none of them are impact players. The most productive is Nik Antropov, who is so injury-prone that he has already beaten my yearly over-under on how long it would take for him to get a year-ending toenail injury (I had bet it'd take 20, tops). Alexander Steen and Matt Stajan, who started off their careers with reasonable promise, both have a meager 19 points more than halfway through the season. Jiri Tlusty, their first-round draft pick from two years ago, has five points in his nine minutes a game.

Free agency is not a long-term, or even really a short-term, fix. Free agency lets you fill in holes on a team that needs only minor tweaks. Still, the Leafs have failed to recognize that teams are built on cultivating youth, trades, and the balls to struggle through the hard times. But the Leafs are so incredibly neutered by the Toronto market, scared to make any move of tangible value and build a long-term power like the ones in Detroit and the up-and-coming ones in Phoenix, Minnesota, and Edmonton. Detroit, especially, proves that you can balance current success with future potential, and because of it boasts two players in the top ten of league scoring, a 29-year-old Pavel Datsyuk and 27-year-old Henrik Zetterberg.

The Athletics have done this before- blown up the whole thing and dealt away two-thirds of their "Big Three" pitchers, Barry Zito, Mark Mulder and Tim Hudson. The year after, they managed to come first in the division, doing so on the back of such young talent as Haren and Swisher. Now, with an assessment that is at the same time brutally honest and perfectly timed--and yes, Toronto, you can have both--the Athletics are primed to thrive with the prospects they received in return, including star-to-be Daric Barton.

It's a lesson that the falling Leafs need to learn. In fact, it makes sense for the Leafs to be able to be the greatest example of that lesson. That I-bleed-blue fan base should allow them to more easily swallow the understandable lows of developing youth and can ascertain their return when that youth hits high gear. Instead, that fan base is a depressing cyclical tragedy, replenishing itself with more blindly rabid fans when fans realize they're supporting the problem. It just allows the team continue to not worry about the little issue of being accountable to their fans. So too does this allow them to ignore the knowledge that when things get stale, and no young, revitalizing talent is coming up the pipeline--a result of years of inadequate drafting--you HAVE to get youth into your team. There's no hope for this team, as it exists, or with any single free agent, to win the Stanley Cup. And if you're only aiming for mediocrity--just enough to get you into the playoffs so you can charge for those ever-expensive playoff tickets--then perpetual mediocrity is exactly what you're going to get.

So while the Athletics may have done the unpopular moves, Athletic fans can know that there's at least hope. The Leafs, meanwhile, are an unwatchable outfit with all the potential for improvement as a hacked-down tree stump.

Roar Of A Lion

Can This Man Save England?

The questions of loyalty and talent are now all out the window.

What plaugued England in the last few major competitions has been that very question of loyalty, along with a missing determination, will to win, and a work rate, which is missing mysteriously from the skill of these multi million pound making athletes.

Playing for the pride of the country, but lacking that edge: This is the philosophy of England, from the dissapointing faltering in the 1998 World Cup, through to the 2002 dissapointment, the 2004 Euro heartbreak, 2006's missing results, and the failure under Steve McLaren to qualify for the 2008 edition of the Euros.

What in the fuck?

Yes, what in the fuck is the only way to look at it. The single most important nation in the game of football (Soccer for canadians, americans, and certain other english speaking nations), still winless since 1966, are NOT playing in a European tournament. Now with all due respect for the men who played in the final game against Croatia: You didn't deserve it. The men who were hurt and came backto play in a few days for their clubs: You didn't deserve it. To Steve, the man who was the scapegoat for everyone when Scott Carson couldn't be used: YOU did NOT deserve IT.

We saw a few new, young talents rise, but they either saw a brief stay with the Senior team, or aren't given the chance. We blamed Sven Goran Eriksson for the failure in 2006, but it wasn't him, and looking now, i wish we had him for the 2008 campaign.

Enter Fabio Capello.

A track record of all track records. An ego the perfect size for English football. A desire to win, and only win.

He's played for the best, and managed even more of the best. Sure, it was in Italy and Spain, but the man has a nack for the flair, as well as the defensive prospects needed to win big competitions. If there was a more qualified free agent not named Jose, then the FA failed us again.

4 1/2 years of this man will bring with it the most important World Cup in the history of England, and the reason is this: The sides that were supposed to bring us glory within the last, lets say 10 years, have failed, and they're getting old, nowwe find a "un-worthy" bunch of young players who need guidence, and the qualifying campaign will prove to be the most important tournament, leaving the tournament itself side, in the history of the English game.

Word to Albonglahor.

One day i'll post the 23 men i want to see represent England at the turn of the new decade, but that will come at a later date.

LoL of the day: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=498732&cc=5901

Boys In Red

R.I.P. to my friend, my foe, and my brother Nick Quinn, and the other 6 young men who died in the accident in Bathurst this weekend.

I didn't know him too well, but we talked, we played soccer together (And against each other), and there's no doubting the kid had not only athletic skill, but he was smart in school, and a positive role model for all those around him.

I didn't know the other people in the accident, but the fact they're associated with Nick is proof, we all lost special people.

I have to play tonight, basketball, and I wonder if this is weird if i'm doing this in the name of these guys or not. Sure i knew Nick, but is there a point in honouring these guys on the hardcourt? Sure, they did it their way, and i'm going going to do it mine in their name.

Rest In Peace brothers, the world mourns for you.

Fuck Eli Manning
Fuck Brandon Jacobs
Fuck Michael Strahan
Fuck Tom Coghlin
Fuck the ENTIRE New York organization

FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK

I feel bad for any self-proclaimed "Romosexuals" out there. You're now known for being amazing down the stretch, but when it comes to finishing you just go limp and fall apart.

We Lost As A Team Man

This is what we all wanted, thank god.

Neutral fans rejoice, we're set for the best conference championship matches in many years, for reasons that aren't there then reasons that are.

Nothing seems new.

The Pats are 17-0, we know, we know...

Dallas lost, T.O. cried, Romo frigged up again, and a Manning is there.

BUT WAIT

Newsflash: The Manning is Eli... weird isn't it?

This sets up a match-up that makes me think those un-defeated bunch may have a battle to win their 4th Lombardi trophy. The Packers are great, they have the home field, they have the momentium, they have Favre. Not since the old Niners teams have i seen a team so loved by so many. I think this is setting up to be the battle to be "America's Team", because we all know the Pats are going to be the enemy.

But here i am getting ahead of myself. The Chargers rebounded from a sketchy win over the Vince Young's to win in the RCA (Note: This was the last game played in Indy's faithful home... sad sad shit) and make a date in New England. Do they have a shot? Well they're beat up, Phil, LT, Gates, all hurt. The Franchise is on a mend, but this season is a HUGE success. Word to Marty Shot.

What do i want? Well i wanted to see the Redskins play the Jags (I'm a wishful thinker, love you too)... But since that is an impossible task in way more ways than one, i think in Arizona we'll see the Pats and the Pack, with two of the games all-time great quarterbacks battling.

But the Nile and Manning the 3rd will have something to say about that.

So that's that, my LoL of the day (Empfh on the L's)
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=280113018

Two

New World Order

Where the hell did we go?

Well, for lack of better terms, we went crazy, Kings crazy. So crazy, the only way to describe it is as the word itself, crazy.

What's Chris been sayin'? Well, those pesky Sox managed to pull another miracle season to give me the blessing of witnessing 2 World Series titles in my lifetime, and then took the time to bring the trophy to beautiful ol' Nova Scotia. "Sweet" (c) Jay-Z.

But the bittersweet part of it was how we won. Lowell, Ellsbury, Pedroia, Youkilis... Not Manny and Ortiz. It's hard to believe Lowell was a "throw-in" in the Beckett deal... SMH, but i'm not mad!

United (With Ronaldo pictured above, not looking too impressed with the absence of the Triangle Offence for the past 3 months) have continued the magic of 2006/07, with the form that proves to me that we're theb est club in the world. New signings Tevez, Nani, Anderson and run-away Canuck Hargreaves, featuring youngester Danny Simpson and Gerard Pique, have given us the depth to make another run for the title. Indeed the footballing world is being swept however, but the man in the picture.

The Raptors are having a fallout from the magical season that ended too short, but they're still a 2nd tier team in the East, and it's more than i coudl ask for aftery ears of post-Carter madness. Bargs and Bosh are playing exceptional ball, and i expect Jamario Moon to surprise ALOT of people at the ASG this year and win the dunk comp.

The dissapointment of 2007 was my Falcons.... Should i even begin? No i wont, but i promise you at least 8 wins in 2008, and playoffs in 2 seasons. WE HAVE A FUTURE!!!

Boston sports GOD DAMN... Every fan of New York sports are lickign their wounds right now... The Sox, The Pats, The Celts, BC, The Revs (I know, who?), EVEN THE BRUINS... The jersey sales are through the roof, and a boston athlete holds at least the top spot in every sport minus hockey except for hockey. That's sick.

Speaking of the sold shinny, my boy Brad Marchand won the gold with the J's, and is now a member of the Herd. Memorial Cup run? I would pray so, especially since we havent seen such depth in a mooseheads team since that talented 2000 team. This is our year, look out Kitchener.

PLAYOFF SHIT: Chargers are going to shock alot of people and make a game out of it against the Colts, and i expect Dallas to hold of the Giants, unless New York A ((c)) score some early points.

P.S.: My Super Bowl pick was Patriots - Packers, my upset one was Jags - Skins, and i have every player left on my fantasy roster. I'm set !!!

So yeah, im gonna try and update this daily. From what i heard we had 11 religious readers who were pissed when in november they'd check their bookmarks only to find we hadn't updated since September 24th. As well, Connor knows, Adians will know, and now i know.

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