I'm not vain enough to think that this article was meant as a rebuttal to my earlier piece about Brian Burke, Ron Wilson and their mis-handling of the Toronto Maple Leafs. I do think it's a very weird article. It's like a bizzaro version of what I wrote, where the author has been sipping on a little too much of the MLSE Kool-Aid. There are some particularly jarring parts that I'm going to break down FJM style because it's too surreal for me to ignore.
After a few introductory paragraphs, Burt unearths Brian Burke's classic quote:
"We require, as a team, proper levels of pugnacity, testosterone, truculence and belligerence," Burke famously said. "That's how our teams play."
When you read this, it's like Burke grabbed a thesaurus before the interview and looked to see how many variations of grit or toughness he could come up with. I wonder what would happen if the team only had the proper amounts of testosterone and truculence but not belligerence. Would only 4 out of the 5 players on the ice finish their checks? Would Thomas Kaberle suddenly become scared to pass the puck as Burke has suggested in the past? Mysteries abound when you play hockey chemistry!
With a full year in the Big Smoke under his belt, Burke has received his share of criticism for producing a team that's tough as nails, but not all that effective at putting the puck in the net.
No, Matt, you see the problem is that Burke hasn't received enough criticism for his failures so far. The Toronto media is inundated with stories like this one; fawning over his successes and glossing over his failures. And what does it mean to be tough as nails? Is this even true of Toronto? Other teams are so scared of the Leafs that they're only outscoring them by 25 (!) goals this year. Imagine if they were only kind of tough.
"My first thought was that there was too much emphasis on the toughness angle," says NHL on TSN analyst Ray Ferraro. "I have always felt that skill is harder to accumulate than size and grit. That would have been my priority, in particular since they do not have very much top-end skill."
While some onlookers argue the team is underachieving, others say they're actually achieving just fine, thank you.
"The Leafs' biggest problem is that they simply are not good enough," explained Ferraro. "I've played on bad teams - sometimes their best isn't enough. This is a time for teaching and repetition of structure - pointing out flaws all the time doesn't make a player better - (head coach Ron Wilson) has to help the current players be as good as they can be until they acquire a better group."
I never imagined that Ray Ferraro would be the voice of reason in all this, but thank you, thank you, thank you. Why isn't this obvious to everyone else whose job it is to notice these things? Thank you Ray, you are a hero in my books. You know Matt, maybe this is going to work out okay after all. Maybe you've come to your senses and this column is going somewhere and I...
Depth issues and other problems aside, there is a different angle to be considered, and that's the one that casts Burke's vision in a positive light, one that gives him the benefit of the doubt on a long-term timeline. After all, he didn't exactly inherit a fantastic hockey team, and one season does not a legacy make.
Oh no. Matt, no. Why did you go and do that? We all knew he inherited a bad team. But since he's inherited them, THEY'VE GOTTEN WORSE. And...
"It's far too early," says McGuire. "First of all, this is a major rebuild. The Maple Leafs just had no organizational depth at all. Burke has tried to be proactive rather than reactive. He's tried to drive the market and and I think he's done some very good things."
Now imagine this scenario: five years from now, hockey fans in Toronto are marveling at the completion of Burke's long-term vision as the team hoists the Cup for the first time since 1967.
Okay, now we've actually entered the realm of the fantastic. I can practically see your Leafs jersey there Matt.
In the Internet age, it's easy for any blogger to throw out vicious barbs (from the office, the classroom or even their parent's basements!) and have it count for something, but the reality is that judgements made this early in Burke's reign are simply unfair.
Why did you have to go and make this personal Matt? I'll have you know I moved out of my parents' basement 4 years ago now and that I very rarely ask them for money! At least Ray Ferraro is still on my side, right?
"I would have hired Brian if it was my team, and I still would," he [Ferraro] said of the first American-born GM in Maple Leafs history. "It isn't unfair to evaluate, but it's way too early to make any judgement."
Hurrm. I'm not exactly sure what Ray Ferraro means by that, but okay! I'll keep on evaluating without passing judgement!
There's a whole lot more of this stuff that I'll sludge through later. But really, it's just the same stuff from the Toronto media. I've been cynical enough for one evening.
NB
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