I sure as hell hope someone down at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) was reading blogs this morning or listening to the Rogers Sportsnet FAN590, or AM640, because Leafs-nation took a massive beating this weekend and someone from MLSE needs to start to fix the problem!
It all started to go downhill, when Toronto Maple Leaf forward Phil Kessel – of the 2 first round picks and a second round pick to Boston – was chosen last among all players at this year’s all-star game in Raleigh, North Carolina. Instead of getting mad and shining at the game, Kessel did what he does most nights as the Leafs’ marquee player… he was invisible. His final line for the event read like this; 3 shots on goal.
What would I have done in his shoes!? I would have done exactly what former NHL superstar Jeremy Roenick said on the FAN this morning; that if it had happened to him, he would run everyone in sight each and every shift. While Kessel smiled and said nothing, content to have taken his beating from his peers and then go on to prove them right, Roenick would go to prove them wrong… All of them.
Then came a survey from the NHL Players Association (NHLPA), a survey of 318 players who listed Toronto’s Ron Wilson as the coach they would least like to play for. He garnered 24% of the vote. Granted Mike Keenan who has not coached in the NHL in over 2 years received 9% of the vote, but the NHL’s 4th most winningest coach is perceived to be very much unliked by players. Great.
The other bad news for MLSE and Leaf-nation is the fact that Toronto, the city, ranked 4th last in this poll as a destination to play. See what all the losing has done to this franchise!
Crappy team, crappy coach, no future… Yikes!
MLSE… Wake up!!! Do something! Anything! Be mad as hell and say we’re not going to take it anymore. Please.
Here is the link to Slam Sports article on the survey results;
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/Toronto/2011/01/30/17091976.html
The Urban Daddy KNOWS Sports Too 