Now that was a mighty big letdown, wasn’t it? All the anticipation and hype leading up to Joe Thornton’s return ended just 5:13 into last night’s game when the former Bruins captain, often criticized for not playing “tough‿, was ejected for delivering a nasty check to friend and former teammate, Hal Gill.
Whether or not the check from behind deserved a game misconduct (I didn’t think it did) I’ll leave up to you Hockey Krishnas to decide. What I’d like to do is take a few minutes to discuss the sorry state of our hockey team, a state reinforced by the return of the one-time Bruins savior. The great shame of the ejection was that Jumbo Joe didn’t stick around long enough to enjoy rubbing it in the faces of those who blamed him for Boston’s early season problems.
Let’s not pull any punches. The Boston Bruins are a sorry franchise right now, a shell of what the proud and mighty Big Bad Bruins teams of the 70’s were, and ages removed from the competitive and overachieving teams of the late 80’s and early 90’s. Those teams had at least one superstar player you could build your team around. The current B’s, thanks to the Thornton trade, have no such cornerstone.
You’ll recall the justification for the trade from the Bruins Causeway Street offices was that Thornton and the team just weren’t living up to expectations, and a shake-up was necessary. If you listened closely enough, you might have even caught those whispers that Thornton wasn’t putting forth the effort and passion befitting a superstar wearing the “C‿ on the Black and Gold uniform.
Typical, typical Bruins. Blame the coaches. Blame the players. Blame the system. Blame anything and everything except the real culprit. Bruins management. Well, I for one, stopped buying it years ago, and you should, too! The blame for the mess that has become our beloved Bruins lies squarely at the skates of the front office; General Manager Mike O’Connell. Team President Harry Sinden, and last but not least, Team Owner Jeremy Jacobs.
For you youngsters out there, here are a few dates worth noting: Sinden took over as General Manager of the team in October of 1972. Jacobs bought the club in 1974. O’Connell took over as GM in November of 2000. The Bruins last dance with Lord Stanley’s Cup came in May of 1972. Get the point? If not, I’ll spell it out for you. N-O-N-E of them has ever presided over a Stanley Cup champion while in a front office position.
Think about that for a second. The Red Sox, Patriots and Celtics go through a dry spell of a few years and heads roll. In fact, that’s true of almost every sports team. You get a time frame to build a champion, and if you don’t deliver, you’re gone. That time frame doesn’t last 33-years, unless you’re the Boston Bruins. Forget the Stanley Cup. Since losing to Pittsburgh in the 1992 Conference Finals, the B’s have won exactly two playoff series. Count ‘em….Two! The Iraqi military had more success over that same time period!
The funny thing is O’Connell will be the next to go, and justifiably so. He’s the guy who built this disappointing team almost from scratch after the lockout ended. He’s the guy who decided the best way to fix it was to trade the team’s lone superstar, the one player on the roster you could build a team around, and a player so capable of making those around him better that he leads the NHL in assists as of today.
And who will be responsible for finding O’Connell’s replacement when the inevitable firing comes? Team President, Harry Sinden. The same Sinden who trained O’Connell and groomed him for the GM’s job. The same Sinden who has presided over the team’s Stanley Cup drought. The same Sinden who has set the tone for the front office the last 33-years. The same Sinden who 30-years ago traded his leading scorer to “shake things up.‿ Now granted, Joe Thornton never put up the numbers Phil Esposito posted, but then again, he never had the supporting cast Espo enjoyed.
And above it all, sits Jeremy Jacobs. The same owner who allowed Sinden to run his franchise for 33-years without winning a championship. The same owner who never loosened the purse strings so that star players who could deliver that championship could be brought in. The same owner who reaped millions in profits from the most rabid, loyal fans of any team in this city, Red Sox included.
So what can we, as Bruins fans do? While Jacobs owns the team, not much, as long as there are no repercussions for continuously providing a bad product. There’s hope in the new salary cap era, where teams won’t be able to buy a championship. But a salary cap only helps if you have capable management able to recognize and accumulate talented players, coaches who can develop them, and an organization that provides an environment where they not only flourish, but attracts other talented players to the team.
Does such a structure exist with the Bruins? I don’t think so. Do you?
Comments (7)
Great article Ted. You hit all the main hot spots for the demise of that dreaded hockey team. All except one. The last thing you asked and I quote was "So what can we, as Bruins fans do?" I'll tell you what you can all do. How about some complaining. How about not showing up for games. You're wallets have all been sucked dry for years and you've got nothing to show for it except more rising ticket prices. Are you guys kidding me? What you can do is show them that you're not going to take it anymore. You guys always let everyone walk all over you. That's the problem with the Boston fans. No matter what is going on, no one does anything about it. They just take it. Bruins have been sucking your wallets dry and the Red Sox have been sucking the life out of you. At least the Sox won a championship recently so you can get jumpstarted for the next 86 years of having your life sucked right out of you again. They needed to set it up for the next generation.
The stranges thing about the fans is that if there's a player that's not performing, no one says anything. it's okay. You cheer him on like he's playing a youth soccer game that no ones keeping score of or a youth TBall game. Try to stay alive as a Devil, Ranger or even a Yankee if you're not performing. You'll be run out of town. Of course, the only time you do say anything is when your stars all leave for other teams. Then that great star becomes a bum. Sorry, but you do it to yourself. Don't wait until the front office moves on, you'll be dead by then.
Posted by Pauly P. from Jersey | January 12, 2006 12:02 AM
Posted on January 12, 2006 00:02
Right on Ted.
Today's fans are at fault for blindly supporting a lousy product on the ice. The Bruins almost never acquire an impact player at the end of the season heading into the playoffs. Gonchar would be the only exception that I can recall.
With Bruins ticket prices through the roof, I don't believe there are as many real hockey fans buying these high priced seats with their own money anymore. I beleive that companies and corporations are buying these season tickets and then distributing them to customers and employees. Although it pains me to think Jacob's is still making money on me at the concessions (2 games in 5 years), I know that's the only reason I'd ever go to a Bruins game; free tickets and a night out with the wife or co-worker. Bruins games were never the ideal place to bring a date back in the day. Now a days, it's a fashion show and much more family oriented. What I'm trying to say is, I don't think the Bruins have maintained their original fan base of the 70's & 80's. I think they appeal to a totally different crowd who don't really care about hockey, just like their owner.
What I'd like to ask Jacobs and his little pets is: Isn't this new slary cap system what you've been whining about all these years? I can still hear Sinden saying that it's a business and that they would never mortgage their future on any given season just to compete for the Cup against teams going "bankrupt". Then isn't this salary cap exactly what the doctor ordered? I guess Dr Sinden and Nurse O'Connel took a trip to the money machine during surgery. Regardless, I don't believe their hearts are in the right place to run such a storied franchise like the Bruins, and that all starts at the top. The anti-Bob Kraft. And what a shame it is.
Posted by T2 | January 12, 2006 10:15 PM
Posted on January 12, 2006 22:15
Teddy, do honestly think a player like McGinest is capable of winning for this franchise. No doubt has he been a very productive player for the patriots, but in streaks. Though sack record is very impressive, do you believe he will be he will be ready to produce when push comes to shove in Denver?
Posted by solute2pats | January 12, 2006 10:47 PM
Posted on January 12, 2006 22:47
How does a city with so many championships in the PAST, have so many bitter fans? Aren't sports supposed to fire up the competitive spirit in everyone to never give up till you win? It seems all those titles do for most Yankees fans is build up hate and distaste for competition. Are Yankees fans capable of being a gracious, rather than a jealous Red Sox bashers? I mean, the Yanks are supposed to have the best team in baseball, and the Sox are supposed to have the 2nd best team based on payroll. Can't we just appreciate sports for what they're meant to be? After all, it might be in New York fans best interest since all your teams are gawd awful given the resources they have at their disposal. It just comes across as so lame and such a loser mentality. The miserable rich kid on the block who can't buy happiness. Try making an objective comment rather than a condescending one every time and you might find yourself a little happier with things in general. Kinda like Red Sox fans always have been. GO SOX!
Posted by T2 | January 12, 2006 11:25 PM
Posted on January 12, 2006 23:25
T2 is obviously one of the classic examples of what happens when you are beaten down and thrown to the wolves. T2, get your competitive edge up and start doing something about it. Your just showing your weakness. You have to have that attitude living where you live. If you didn't, you'd kill yourself. It's nice being the rich kid on the block who always is looking to better himself and not just bowing to the forces around him.
Gawd awful???? This was used after you said the Yanks are suppose to have the best team in baseball. They will. Don't worry about it. And if they don't, I won't just sit there and be happy and hug my buddies for having a good team. I'll be kicking TV's over and wondering what is going on. It's called competitive sports. What they're meant to be is competitive. Not appreciative. Now go hug your buddies. We'll be in your face once the season begins.
Posted by Pauly P. from Jersey | January 13, 2006 3:27 AM
Posted on January 13, 2006 03:27
BRUINS FANS ARE PATHETIC UYOU BLAME SINDEN ,YOU CRY WHEN THORTHON LEAVES BUT YOU STILL SHELL OUT YOUR HARD EARNED DOLLARS WHILE THE SUITS SIT BACK AND HAVE THE LAST LAUGH TIME TO STOP WHINING AND STOP PAYING THEN AND ONLY THEN WILL THE SUITS OWN UP TO THE MOCKERY THEY PUT ON THE ICE UNTIL THEN THE ONLY MOCKERY IS THE FAN WHO ACTUALLY PAYS TO SEE THEM WHETHER AT THE GATE OR THE T.V.
Posted by the other ted | January 13, 2006 3:52 AM
Posted on January 13, 2006 03:52
I know I'm late to this party, but I hope this thread hasn't lost it's steam yet.
First of all, before people like "the other Ted" start pointing the finger at Bruin's fans for being the cause of the turmoil over the past few years by showing our support is ridiculous.
I don't know the exact financial specifics, but a common sense notion should point to Corporate sponsorship (via season ticket sales or ad. revenue) as footing more of the bill then the average Gallery God.
The blame, WITHOUT QUESTION, belongs to Jacobs and poor management. Jacobs for never caring about owning a championship team and management for making some of the worst decisions EVER (for 2-3 years) in regards to putting together a team worthy of holding anyone's interest for an entire season.
After a summer of O'Connell's "insightful" FA moves (which he took every opportunity to sell us on), there were no surprises to this "PATHETIC" fan, only more evidence that this guy couldn't put together a winning team if his life depended on it. Sinden was a Jacbobs puppet as well, but you can't take away the fact that he has a much better track record of creating talented/overacheivng teams on a limited budget.
Managements assessment of the post-lockout FA market was a bust! Not just in regards of who they acquired, but especially for who they let go, still relating to that same assessment. A few names that come to mind that still hurt: Rolston, O'Donnell, McClaren....etc.. Maybe we should blame the fans on that too.
BUT WAIT, we did get Shawn " I didn't do anything the last time I was here maybe I will this year" McEachern, and he's doing..ummm....right we put him on waivers awhile back.
OH, what about Scatchard!....big coup there....how's he doing.....oh yeah we traded him for another mediocre player.
Well, we did get Zhamnov....which I now know is the Russian word for JALOPY .
At least management caught some of these mistakes and let go our franchise player to make things better.
Geez....maybe it is the fans.
Posted by JesusSavesThorntonScores | January 16, 2006 1:21 AM
Posted on January 16, 2006 01:21