Sportsnet: Friedman: Maple Leafs need to look inward for answers

[indigobuffalo]

Here's the link.

Some good quotes:

[Toronto] had a 16-game road losing streak broken when Florida couldn’t dress a 41-year-old goalie mid-game. Every game, you think it can’t get worse, and, every game, it somehow does.

...it’s never been this toxic, never seemed so ugly. A lot of it is the social media age, and it would be insane to see the Ballard Era re-lived with Twitter.

That’s where the Toronto Maple Leafs’ players are. Yeah, they’re not the only ones to blame. But it’s hard to look at them and say they’re doing enough to change it. If they want out of this situation, they’ve got to do much better job of convincing other teams they’re worth the investment.

It's interesting that this article was posted two days ago and prior to Shanahan benching Kadri for an additional two games. I think this article addresses some of the incentive behind the decision.

But more importantly, it addresses the players in general, and how this mess isn't going to get any better by "bottoming out".

The Leafs have already hit rock-bottom this season, now it's just dealing with the aftermath. Players need to step up, even if it's just on an individual basis. Same situation as with Chris Stewart in Buffalo. If you want to be traded, show other teams that there's something there to go after.

Click to read more...

 

[Leaf Army]

Friedman hates the Leafs and I have absolutely no interest in what he has to say about the team.

 

[Tie Domi Esquire]

Everyone hates the Leafs according to Leaf fans... except all the superstar players that never end up signing here.

 

[Kelly]

Friedman hates the Leafs and I have absolutely no interest in what he has to say about the team.

Friedman tells it like it is, and is one of the few reporters who doesn't let his bias get in the way of good reporting. In my eyes he's gold among dirt on the Sportsnet crew.

 

[Nithoniniel]

He's pretty much right. There have been way too much excuses and whining on everything around the team for a while now. That shouldn't be accepted anymore if we can get a culture change going.

Everyone hates the Leafs according to Leaf fans... except all the superstar players that never end up signing here.

Haha yeah.

To be fair, this is not just Leafs fans. I remember reading around on a soccer forum on a particularly noteworthy English referee. Turned out that pretty much every fanbase in the Premier League had a large group who claimed he hated them and was secretely a fan of their rivals, usually based on something extremely vague.

 

[Pocket Hercules]

Friedman hates the Leafs and I have absolutely no interest in what he has to say about the team.

Not that I doubt you but can you provide proof of that?

Friedman is probably as unbiased as they come with hockey journalism.

 

[Antropovsky]

Blah blah blah... Rinse and repeat... Blah Blah blah

 

[WTFMAN99]

I am fine with this stance. Friedman is a great member of the media, no bias and states facts. That is fine, there is no agenda pushing from him.

Overall though the media in this market sucks. We really need to limit our players interactions with the media, instead a locker room full of people, maybe give 3-4 reporters access to the team and if they act a fool, they are moved. Feschuk would be gone for example.

Or remove media interaction altogether like New Jersey, there players do not need to deal with the media and just get to focus on hockey.

Team should also be off twitter, facebook (unless under a fake name), instagram and advised to avoid other media.

 

[Pocket Hercules]

I am fine with this stance. Friedman is a great member of the media, no bias and states facts. That is fine, there is no agenda pushing from him.

Overall though the media in this market sucks. We really need to limit our players interactions with the media, instead a locker room full of people, maybe give 3-4 reporters access to the team and if they act a fool, they are moved. Feschuk would be gone for example.

Or remove media interaction altogether like New Jersey, there players do not need to deal with the media and just get to focus on hockey.

Team should also be off twitter, facebook (unless under a fake name), instagram and advised to avoid other media.

I agree with this. Don't really understand why sports reporters in this town have carte blanche with the Leafs. It's ok to ask an hard hitting question every now and then, but when you have asshats like Feschuk, Simmons etc. asking questions with the sole purpose to ellicit an negative response from the players, then kick those ****heads out of the media scrum and ban their ***** permanently.

I'm so sick of these spinless coward journalists getting their licks in while the team is in a downward spiral. All they do is create more negativity on top of the already existing negativity.

 

[Leaf Army]

Friedman tells it like it is, and is one of the few reporters who doesn't let his bias get in the way of good reporting. In my eyes he's gold among dirt on the Sportsnet crew.

When I hear him speak all I can hear is his love the Canadiens and dislike for the Leafs. I personally don't think he hides it well at all.

At least with George he admits it openly so it doesn't really bug me. The fact that Friedman fools people with it is what drives me nuts.

Not that I doubt you but can you provide proof of that?

Friedman is probably as unbiased as they come with hockey journalism.

I disagree. He can barely talk about the Leafs without rolling his eyes. He used to talk about how he loved being a Canadiens fan despite growing up in Toronto.

 

[hullsy47]

Friedman hates the Leafs and I have absolutely no interest in what he has to say about the team.

hes right tho .....only kessel will bring back value and he ll likley score 50 next year ,the minute he gets traded he ll work his nuts off to try to feel welcomed by his new team
the next chore is staying above the cap floor ,cause im even sure some of these guys would be picked up on waivers ...

 

[Pilky01]

Damn media! Always losing hockey games.

I can't wait until the media turns things around and get us a Stanley Cup. Do you think they will engrave the media's names before or after the Leaf players' names?

....but seriously....aren't the Maple Leaf players embarrassed by this "media" excuse? The inference in placing any fault on the media is that the players are so mentally and emotionally soft that strong language can make them suck at their job.

The players should be embarrassed at the mere suggestion....but instead the 8 Million Dollar Boy can't wait to take shots whenever he gets the chance.

Anybody who blames the media, especially players who blame the media, are pathetic.

 

[Duke Silver]

Friedman hates the Leafs and I have absolutely no interest in what he has to say about the team.

I have NEVER heard Friedmann be anything but objective and unbiased about the Leafs.

Perhaps he says good things about the Habs and bad things about the Leafs because the Habs are good and we're bad?

Probably the least biased reporter in hockey journalism.

 

[BraveCanadian]

Friedman hates the Leafs and I have absolutely no interest in what he has to say about the team.

What?

You're out to lunch on this one.

This is a terrible collective of Leafs players and everyone has known that for quite a while. They are in a negative feedback loop right now.

 

[ITM]

Nothing wrong with Friedman's comments. He's a pleasure to listen to and read. A rare, conscientious HOCKEY reporting professional that far outpaces the other ROGERS employees.

And if he's wrong, I'm wrong. I posted an opinion some weeks ago asserting that this team is the worst team I've ever witnessed through the latter part of the seventies, the worst part of the eighties, etc...And for Leafs fans attempting to drown out dissenting voices on the premise that to do so is to betray the club and fan base...If there was ever an instance in which Leafs fans would be justified in showing up with (caution: figurative language based on Frankenstein to follow) pitchforks and torches, it's this team, this year.

I think even Friedman has tried to give the benefit of the doubt, but like many of us is simply saying, shocking as it is to hope against hope, this is the bottom of the barrel, the worst team that we've had the displeasure of (occasionally) watching. And not just bad, but almost, creatively and intentionally bad.

That or the highest paid group with the lowest IQ to occupy an original six franchise in the history of the NHL.

 

[Pookie]

Well how about all you aspiring journalists take a shot at reporting something positive about this inspiration that is the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Ummm yeah. Anyone?

I guess there's that Corsi improvement thing we had going on.

 

[Mess]

Friedman is now the 3rd or 4th local reporter/analyst that has called this Era the worst in history and rivaling the Harold Ballard Era.

Bobby McKenzie and Kyper and MacLean also made this same reference lately as have the Leafs Lunch crew.

For those Leaf fans that endured the Ballard years can certainly appreciate the reference and comparison as to how toxic it is right now for the Leafs.

Its just one thing after another and its all making the Leafs a once proud organization the laughing stock of the NHL.

Hopefully the upcoming purge ahead can change this.

 

[Trapper]

Friedman is now the 3rd or 4th local reporter/analyst that has called this Era the worst in history and rivaling the Harold Ballard Era.

Bobby McKenzie and Kyper and MacLean also made this same reference lately as have the Leafs Lunch crew.

For those Leaf fans that endured the Ballard years can certainly appreciate the reference and comparison as to how toxic it is right now for the Leafs.

Its just one thing after another and its all making the Leafs a once proud organization the laughing stock of the NHL.

Hopefully the upcoming purge ahead can change this.

I don't want them to look inward for answers anymore.
I don't want to beg them, baby them or discipline them.
I just want the majority of them to go now. Just go.
The Ship has sailed and enoughs enough.

 

[hotpaws]

I don't want them to look inward for answers anymore.
I don't want to beg them, baby them or discipline them.
I just want the majority of them to go now. Just go.
The Ship has sailed and enoughs enough.

This !!!!!!!!!!!!

enough is enough with this core group of losers , ship them out and the sooner the better

I don't want our future group of kids to be exposed and mentored by this gutless core of quitters .

 

[Sonny21]

I don't want them to look inward for answers anymore.
I don't want to beg them, baby them or discipline them.
I just want the majority of them to go now. Just go.
The Ship has sailed and enoughs enough.

Agreed.

 

[Metal God]

Friedman is a basketball guy and came from basketball. I don't get all the love for him.

 

[Atomos2]

Thanks for the psychoanalysis Freudman but I'd rather have someone with a bit more experience assessing our dilemma.

 

[TheLeafsBro]

He's pretty much right. There have been way too much excuses and whining on everything around the team for a while now. That shouldn't be accepted anymore if we can get a culture change going.



Haha yeah.

To be fair, this is not just Leafs fans. I remember reading around on a soccer forum on a particularly noteworthy English referee. Turned out that pretty much every fanbase in the Premier League had a large group who claimed he hated them and was secretely a fan of their rivals, usually based on something extremely vague.

Let me guess, Howard Webb?

 

[Diamond Joe Quimby]

I think Elliot needs to grab a coke and smile and enjoy this tank.

 

[Duke Silver]

Friedman is a basketball guy and came from basketball. I don't get all the love for him.

Came from basketball but has been reporting on hockey for, what, 15 years?

He's right up there with McKenzie and Lebrun in terms of insider knowledge and insight. I really don't get the criticism.