I wrote this today in the A.M. and didn't publish it as it was just one big ole rant.
With the last breaking news that Hitch has been fired I figured I'd throw it up to point out one major thing - Hitch is just one piece of the puzzle of what ails this franchise and quite frankly I think there are much bigger problems to address. There is a lot of other cleanup that must take place.
While I type up my thoughts on the end of the Hitchcock era I thought I'd post this in the interim.
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It's getting increasingly difficult to muster up the energy to write about this squad.
...and you know what? It's not even about the losses any longer. That ass kicking at the hands of the Avalanche last night was just another embarrassing loss in a long string of bad losses.
Ho hum.
The losses don't even register an emotion from me at this point. If they win.. "good"... If they lose.. "good"..
The season has been shot.... in fact its looked like a union blue coat after the battle of Gettysburg for quite some time now.
No.. for me I'm absolutely disgusted with the "plan" for this franchise. A "plan" that looks about as well thought out as a finger painting.
If anyone really knows what the "plan" is please chime in. I think it's to draft and develop young talent and surround them by competent veterans. I think it's a to play a defensively responsible game that generates it's chances off of checking.
Here's the problem. You have to be able to draft and develop talent and you have to have veterans that are capable of playing in the roles they are given. Never mind that a defensive checking system is like bringing a knife to a gun fight in today's NHL.
The Jackets have to be the worst team in the NHL at drafting and developing talent. They have 1 star out of all of those lottery picks and even he is invisible to often. They've never connected on a 2nd round pick. They have young players who have regressed to the point of embarrassment this season. I have absolutely no confidence that if this team does end up with a top pick that the Jackets won't screw it up.
Somebody please tell me how Don Boyd has a job? Oh, it's not his fault? Then whose fault it is? I'm sick and tired of the excuses.
We have a GM who doesn't even make a damn phone call to see what it would take to land a young defensive stud who even on a down year would be the best in this lineup. A player who only a year ago many saw as a top 10 defensemen in this entire league and was put in the same sentence with young stars like Crosby, Malkin and Ovechkin.
There are holes so big on this roster you could fit the entire state of Texas in it yet not even a friggan phone call!?
He's too expensive... he's got attitude issues.. more excuses. Great players are expensive.... every professional athlete has attitude problems. That is why you pay a coach 1 million a year to deal with them.
(it's just one game but the Leafs shutout the Devils last night in Phaneuf's debut...just sayin)
I don't even want to know what Howson's plans are for the deadline - if he's even thought out that far.
A coach who scratches a player because "he's in-between two systems". Here's a new flash - this team has been in-between two systems all year. Play the friggan guy so his trade value increases and we can unload him.
We have ownership that squeezes it's cheeks so tight that a g-string couldn't find it's way through.
Speaking of owners -- does Mike Priest and co. really expect this fan base to be convinced they care when they've heard absolutely squat from the from the majority owner?
Outside of a guy like Umberger I'm not sure any of the veterans really give a shit anymore. As I said uur captain has been invisible too often. Commodore sounds content cashing his checks at the Club CBJ service desk. Huselius is too busy picking his butt after yet another turnover. What has Sammy Phalsson done all season for his 2.6 mil? Oh that's right - he plays his best in the post-season....
We have game ops that's as stale as a ballpark beer and as sloppy as a 2 year old's diaper.
We have broadcasters that make people want to change the channel.
There is no direction. There is no accountability. I get no sense at all that there is any plan at all other than the status quo.
That is a plan that will see MANY season ticket holders throwing in the towel and taking the next off ramp come renewal time.
I'm not here to tell anyone what to do with their hard earned cash -- I can only say what I can do with mine. When I get that phone call to renew I'm going to have a checklist and if those items aren't checked than I don't sign any checks.
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The good news is that firing Hitch shows that the status quo will not be tolerated and that the powers to be have finally started looking towards next year. The firing of the coach is the easy part however -- there are bigger and more challenging issues to address.
I'll have much more on Hitch later tonight.
-LTL
