THURSDAY COMMENTARY – GOOD MONEY AFTER BAD
(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98 & Rock 98.5 FM)
IT WAS ONE OF THOSE GREAT SPORTS DISCUSSIONS.
IT CAME TUESDAY NIGHT IN THE SEATS AT FLA LIVE ARENA IN SUNRISE, FL AS THE NHL’S PANTHERS WELCOMED THE TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS.
THERE WAS A REAL BUZZ IN THE BUILDING – WITH OVER 15,000 IN THE CROWD – AND TORONTO’S AUSTON MATTHEWS WAS OUT TO SET THE LEAFS SINGLE SEASON GOAL RECORD IF HE SCORED.
IF YOU FOLLOWED, IT WAS ONE OF THE WILDEST NHL GAMES OF THE YEAR WITH TORONTO BUILDING UP A 5-1 LEAD ONLY TO LOSE 7-6 IN OVERTIME.
THE DISCUSSION AROUND ME CENTRED ON THE HAPLESS LEAFS WHO FOUND A WAY TO GIVE ANOTHER GAME AWAY. THE QUESTION AMONG MY SEATMATES WAS “WHY CAN’T THE LEAFS EVER GET IT TOGETHER TO WIN A STANLEY CUP?”
WE ALL KNOW THEY’RE ONE OF THE RICHEST TEAMS IN THE LEAGUE AND THEIR POWERPLAY CONSISTS OF MATTHEWS, MARNER, TAVARES, NYLANDER AND RIELLY. IT’S CLEAR THAT THE TALENT IS THERE.
IT MAY BE HARD TO BELIEVE BUT I JUST SAT THERE AND BIT MY TONGUE, CONTENT TO LISTEN. IT WAS SUGGESTED THERE’S TOO MUCH PRESSURE IN THE TORONTO MARKET, AND IT’S TOUGH TO WIN IN TODAY’S NHL, AND THEY KEEP GOING THROUGH COACH AFTER COACH.
AS I WATCHED THE GAME, IT WAS TYPICAL TORONTO. THEY TOOK A SILLY TOO MANY MEN PENALTY, A LAZY HOLDING CALL WHILE COMPETING FOR ICING, AND WE ALL NOTICED THAT TORONTO WAS PLAYING WITHOUT PASSION. (SIMILAR TO GAME 7 AGAINST MONTREAL IN THE PLAYOFFS LAST YEAR).
THESE ARE THE REASONS THEY CAN’T WIN IT ALL, I FEEL. THEY’VE GOT THEIR HEADS UP THEIR ASSES.
I’VE HEARD IT TIME AFTER TIME – THE PRESSURE EXCUSE – BUT I JUST CAN’T BUY IT. MANY FORMER LEAF PLAYERS AND COACHES HAVE SAID YOU CAN’T GET AWAY FROM THE GAME 24/7 IN TORONTO, AND THE MEDIA MAKES UP CONTROVERSIES WHICH AFFECT THE LOCKER ROOM.
BUT TO ME, IF THAT WAS THE CASE, THE NEW YORK YANKEES WOULD NEVER WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP, NOR WOULD THE LAKERS, ROUGHRIDERS, OR MY DALLAS COWBOYS.
NO, I DON’T THINK THAT’S IT.
WHAT I THINK IT IS, IS THE BRAINTRUSTS IN THESE PRESSURE MARKETS JUST CAN’T FIND A WAY TO GET IT DONE. IT’S THAT SIMPLE.
AND UNTIL THEY DO, THEY’LL CONTINUE TO THROW GOOD MONEY AFTER BAD AND THE FANS WILL BE PLAYED FOR SUCKERS.
THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY.
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET on Game+ TV Network across Canada and the USA. Call your cable provider for details. You can also watch on YouTube Live or listen 24/7 at RodPedersen.com/ListenLive)
Wonder what Roughriders the author of this article is referring to? Surely not those perennial losing Saskatchewan Roughriders? The brain thrust of that organization has barely put together 4 pathetic titles in a 100 plus year history. One man, Mr Kent Austin is personally responsible for 3 of those.
The author is referring to the pressure and fishbowl the Riders work in…….and that it’s NOT an excuse for only 4 GC titles…….
That is exactly why. The Maple Leafs drafted #1 overall a farm kid from Kelvington. He never took a shift off. They traded for a second line Center from Calgary and were a game away from the finals. 1993 was a long time ago. The problem in that organization is simply nobody takes the reins to l.e.a.d. I like John Tavares but he ain’t exactly the Messiah in 1991 heading to New York. The list goes on. Al Strachan lost his career publishing a book “Why The Leafs Suck” – similar to edmonton there was not a word I could… Read more »
You nailed it!! Brilliant assessment!!
Don’t even get me started on 1989 – we had 3….count them 3 first round picks. Wiffed on every single one of them. Then we trade Russ Courtnall for……looney tunes John Kordic. 1991…..We had the third pick. The consensus was Owen Nolan. I went to and still go to a tonne of Pats games. Once a year this Scott Neidermeyer breezes through town….we trade the #3 pick for Tom Kurvers in New Jersey. Now think of this for a core. Wendel Clark 3 First Rounders that are First rounders Scott Neidermeyer Doug Gilmour Russ Courtnall This keeps me up at… Read more »
Further I am used to Toronto taking 3 steps forward and 5 back I knew we were screwed when they let Mark Hunter and Lou walk. That was the first thing. Then we hired a women’s olympic team member to oversee development. Right there that is corporate do gooding to play the political game. I puked in my mouth thinking – we are accumulating all this talent and who exactly is overseeing it? Her and the Head Coach is one of those David Frost guys. Meanwhile take a gander at the braintrusts in Carolina, Tampa, and Florida. These teams operate… Read more »