Babcock named Team Canada's coach for World Cup

[CarltonTheBear]

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=786429

To the surprise of nobody. His assistances will be Quenneville, Julien, Trotz, and Bill Peters. Peters is the current head coach in Carolina, and worked with Babcock as an assistance in Detroit previously. A little surprised that Lindy Ruff isn't involved.

Anyway, I know I'm basically doing exactly what he wants, but here's our resident MSM idiot Dave Feschuk ripping Babcock for this:

And so it?s worth asking: Why on earth didn?t Babcock politely decline the invitation on account of that other pressing concern that?s supposed to be weighing on his brain 24-7?

Think about it: Babcock just committed to an eight-year contract to tackle what?s most certainly the most difficult and all-consuming task in his sport ? you know, that tiny little $6.25 million-a-year day job that involves attempting to turn around a national laughingstock that hasn?t made the playoffs in an 82-game season in nearly 12 years and doesn?t look poised to do it anytime soon.

...

Leaf fans will be heartened to know Babcock will be enjoying some yucks while he?s learning so much. But what about the Maple Leafs players he?s being paid to coach? They?ll be slogging through the second training camp of the Babcock era largely without Babcock. Given that the World Cup will overlap with NHL camps, Babcock acknowledged it?ll be his Toronto assistants who?ll have to do most of the Leaf-wise coaching next September. In what should be an important month, with the organization possibly facing crucial decisions about the NHL readiness of prized prospects like William Nylander and Mitch Marner, Babcock won?t be able to give a comprehensive assessment of the young talent on hand. For a developing team, that?s a huge loss.

...

That?s what he?d be doing if he made this decision using his brain. Clearly it?s his ego in charge here.

And it says a lot about the way things run in Leafland that nobody in the hierarchy overruled it.

 

[Peter D.]

John Shannon took the same stance as Feschuk on PTS yesterday.

 

[TimKerr]

No matter what Babcock decides here the media is going to 'scold' him. If he had turned it down, then the articles would say he is letting down his country and he doesn't have any national pride etc, etc.

At the end of the day the media is just trying to create page views and thus will ALWAYS take the contrarian stance. There is no room anymore for any balanced, well-thought out analysis.

Look no further than the demise of Grantland to see what happens when journalists try to have reasoned in-depth opinions.

 

[bustaheims]

Ugh. Feschuk. I refuse to read more than the snippet posted here, but I'm sure it's equally stupid drivel.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Ugh. Feschuk. I refuse to read more than the snippet posted here, but I'm sure it's equally stupid drivel.

Those were the worst parts. I didn't want to link to it for obvious reasons, but I feel like some don't quite understand how truly awful he is so I had to bring it up.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=786429

To the surprise of nobody. His assistances will be Quenneville, Julien, Trotz, and Bill Peters. Peters is the current head coach in Carolina, and worked with Babcock as an assistance in Detroit previously. A little surprised that Lindy Ruff isn't involved.

Anyway, I know I'm basically doing exactly what he wants, but here's our resident MSM idiot Dave Feschuk ripping Babcock for this:

And so it?s worth asking: Why on earth didn?t Babcock politely decline the invitation on account of that other pressing concern that?s supposed to be weighing on his brain 24-7?

Think about it: Babcock just committed to an eight-year contract to tackle what?s most certainly the most difficult and all-consuming task in his sport ? you know, that tiny little $6.25 million-a-year day job that involves attempting to turn around a national laughingstock that hasn?t made the playoffs in an 82-game season in nearly 12 years and doesn?t look poised to do it anytime soon.

...

Leaf fans will be heartened to know Babcock will be enjoying some yucks while he?s learning so much. But what about the Maple Leafs players he?s being paid to coach? They?ll be slogging through the second training camp of the Babcock era largely without Babcock. Given that the World Cup will overlap with NHL camps, Babcock acknowledged it?ll be his Toronto assistants who?ll have to do most of the Leaf-wise coaching next September. In what should be an important month, with the organization possibly facing crucial decisions about the NHL readiness of prized prospects like William Nylander and Mitch Marner, Babcock won?t be able to give a comprehensive assessment of the young talent on hand. For a developing team, that?s a huge loss.

...

That?s what he?d be doing if he made this decision using his brain. Clearly it?s his ego in charge here.

And it says a lot about the way things run in Leafland that nobody in the hierarchy overruled it.

So it took what, 6 months, for the media to try to create some ridiculous Babcock controversy?  Fortunately I don't think he could care less.

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=786429

To the surprise of nobody. His assistances will be Quenneville, Julien, Trotz, and Bill Peters. Peters is the current head coach in Carolina, and worked with Babcock as an assistance in Detroit previously. A little surprised that Lindy Ruff isn't involved.

Anyway, I know I'm basically doing exactly what he wants, but here's our resident MSM idiot Dave Feschuk ripping Babcock for this:

And so it?s worth asking: Why on earth didn?t Babcock politely decline the invitation on account of that other pressing concern that?s supposed to be weighing on his brain 24-7?

Think about it: Babcock just committed to an eight-year contract to tackle what?s most certainly the most difficult and all-consuming task in his sport ? you know, that tiny little $6.25 million-a-year day job that involves attempting to turn around a national laughingstock that hasn?t made the playoffs in an 82-game season in nearly 12 years and doesn?t look poised to do it anytime soon.

...

Leaf fans will be heartened to know Babcock will be enjoying some yucks while he?s learning so much. But what about the Maple Leafs players he?s being paid to coach? They?ll be slogging through the second training camp of the Babcock era largely without Babcock. Given that the World Cup will overlap with NHL camps, Babcock acknowledged it?ll be his Toronto assistants who?ll have to do most of the Leaf-wise coaching next September. In what should be an important month, with the organization possibly facing crucial decisions about the NHL readiness of prized prospects like William Nylander and Mitch Marner, Babcock won?t be able to give a comprehensive assessment of the young talent on hand. For a developing team, that?s a huge loss.

...

That?s what he?d be doing if he made this decision using his brain. Clearly it?s his ego in charge here.

And it says a lot about the way things run in Leafland that nobody in the hierarchy overruled it.

Dave Feschuk writing tip #1:  "If you're going to make up a controversy (and I highly recommend doing so), be sure to sell it with plenty of made up outrage."

 

[Can8899]

Dave Feschuk writing tip #1:  "If you're going to make up a controversy (and I highly recommend doing so), be sure to sell it with plenty of made up outrage."

Was it Dave Feschuk who pissed off Phil last year when he snapped?

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Was it Dave Feschuk who pissed off Phil last year when he snapped?

Yeah, it was.

 

[Redleaf]

Would it in any way reflect on his stature as the premier coach in the NHL (and subsequently Leafs coach) if Team Canada can't repeat as champions this time out?

 

[herman]

It's been pretty  : to listen to Feschuck and Simmons patting each other on the back after every incendiary 'article' they write draws the ire of the their subjects because they aren't afraid to face them the next day.

 

[bustaheims]

Would it in any way reflect on his stature as the premier coach in the NHL (and subsequently Leafs coach) if Team Canada can't repeat as champions this time out?

That really depends on how it plays out. If they lose in the semis or the finals in a close game? No, not at all. If they don't make it that far or lose badly? Maybe, but that will depend on the circumstances, and will have, at most, a minimal impact. He has enough big wins on his resume that it would take some really crushing defeats to tarnish is reputation.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I'm completely fine with Babcock coaching so this comment has nothing to do with that, but I am a little bit surprised about the schedule of the tournament. I didn't realize it could run all the way to October 1st. I thought it'd be like the 2004 one that finished mid-September.

 

[Highlander]

Hey let Babs win something until the Leafs start playing well in about  3 or 4 years,  all the losing in between may cleft his chin in half.