Mike Commodore goes off on Babcock (Mod warning in OP)

[The Apologist]

I'm really just laughing.
There are a chunk of people posting here who was screaming how blue and white disease needed to end, and how there needs to be accountability and people earn their spots in the line up now screaming how Spezza deserved to be given something simply because he's fromToronto and signed a good contract and how he was embarrassed.


why a 4th line person would automatically assume he's playing in the home opener knowing there is a platoon going on is beyond me. like i said unless Babcock told him he was playing then yanked the rug out of him which is a horse of a different colour.



Note - No one is ever able to answer this? I've been asking this every time this is pointed out. like let's be honest. people want the "Toronto Kid feel good story." over the "Guy carves out a second chance but he's NOT from Toronto ." story. that's it. (they are also holding on heavy on the "vet took less money to be here." like that owes him anything. (also,also - note how people like Shore are also people we need to attract - those who will take league minimum and take bit roles, vs. taking more money and wanting more playing time).

There seems to be this sentiment going around that the Leafs should be 12 all star forwards who either punch someone's lights out or light the lamp non stop. Not sure yhats how hockey works. You need the guys who will take less but put in the effort, go into the corners, forecheck, backcheck, pokecheck, take the man, play the pick. It can't always be pond hockey. We need the Hymans, the Shores, the Goats/Moores/Mykheyevs to complement the high powered offence at the top.
I don't know Spez personally. I don't know his work ethic, attitude, abilities to adjust. I know he's not Jason Spezza, NHL top center all star anymore. He doesn't have a guaranteed spot in our lineup. If he came in here believing that to be the case he set himself up for disappointment.

he was clearly lying.

Clearly, players only tell the truth when it's gonna hurt them the most and people never say things negative when they have a grudge.

People are ticked off.

This basically sums it up. The media always needs a story. Has anybody thing actually come from Spez himself? I haven't seen it. So it's basically the drama queen media and it may or may not be the same people who were calling out 'Blue and white disease' but regardless we all know by now Babcock owes these players nothing and if he doesn't think you are putting in 100% he will not play you. See Marner or Nylander on the 4th line for example.

 

[Daisy Jane]

This basically sums it up. The media always needs a story. Has anybody thing actually come from Spez himself? I haven't seen it. So it's basically the drama queen media and it may or may not be the same people who were calling out 'Blue and white disease' but regardless we all know by now Babcock owes these players nothing and if he doesn't think you are putting in 100% he will not play you. See Marner or Nylander on the 4th line for example.

it's basically all the media people who are friends or closely associated w/Spezza. because there were a lot of Toronto Media who were like "so who cares? he's a 4th liner."

and exactly.

 

[Larcos_Unal]

I'm curious to see what Babs has in store for the Oct 25/26 games. Back to back Sharks and Habs.
If history has taught us anything, Andersen gets the first game and Hutch the 2nd. Any sane coach on the planet would give Hutch the Sharks on Friday, and Freddie the Habs on HNIC...but Babs is not a sane coach is he?

 

[The Apologist]

I'm curious to see what Babs has in store for the Oct 25/26 games. Back to back Sharks and Habs.
If history has taught us anything, Andersen gets the first game and Hutch the 2nd. Any sane coach on the planet would give Hutch the Sharks on Friday, and Freddie the Habs on HNIC...but Babs is not a sane coach is he?

Depends really.
I don't think the Habs game was on Hutch but Babs may wanna give him the chance to redeem himself anyway. The boys should be super hungry for that one given the f*** up in the last game. If they aren't we have bigger issues to deal with because they really should have spanked the Habs.

If Babs thinks the Sharks are the better team (and they really should be, start to season withstanding) then he would probably start Freddie against the better team.

I don't think he would be insane at all to start them in reverse of your thoughts.

 

[GardinerTheForward]

There have been several people refuse to come to Toronto and in most cases, that has worked out in spades for Toronto (i.e. they haven't missed out on much).

That said, Filpulla was directly quoted as saying that Toronto has a good team and a good coach but that he wanted to stick with his trade list.

I’m not sure if thats what he said or not but it was in the news he refused to waive because he didn’t want to play for Babs.

 

[The Apologist]

I’m not sure if thats what he said or not but it was in the news he refused to waive because he didn’t want to play for Babs.

The only place I see mention of the Babs thing at all was Reddit and of course here on HF.

Most news sources seemed to be pretty positive.
Valtteri Filppula nixed Maple Leafs trade: 'Nothing against Toronto' - Sportsnet.ca

 

[nsleaf]

What if Spezza was from anywhere else but had the exact same career, would there be a thread calling out Babcock because he sat him in the home opener.

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

I’m not sure if thats what he said or not but it was in the news he refused to waive because he didn’t want to play for Babs.

I dug up the actual quotes and he said it's a good team and a good coach but he wanted to stick with his trade list. Possible he said more later but that's his quote at the time it came out.

"Je n’ai rien contre Toronto, ils ont évidemment une bonne équipe et un bon entraîneur", a expliqué aux journalistes Filppula, en faisant taire les rumeurs entourant sa mauvaise relation avec Babcock. Il a plutôt décidé de garder sa liste d’équipes en lien avec sa clause de non-échange.

Filppula confirms TOR had interest in him, "but I decided to stick to (my no-trade) list."
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) 9 mars 2017

Of course, saying they have a good coach doesn't mean he likes him.​

 

[stuart5035]

What were those treatments?

Mike Modano was a game away or two from a big milestone in his career as he finished his playing years with the Red Wings and Babcock wouldn’t dress him. To this day, Modano says that really hurt.

Spezza was not allowed in the opening lineup last week against Ottawa. It would have been a big moment as he took a big pay cut to join the Leafs and play in his home town,?plus it would have been against the team he played so many years for. Babcock gave some idiotic reason for not letting him enjoy a special moment

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

Mike Modano was a game away or two from a big milestone in his career as he finished his playing years with the Red Wings and Babcock wouldn’t dress him. To this day, Modano says that really hurt.

Again, it isn't considered a big milestone by anybody, save apparently Modano and he was scratched multiple times in the playoffs.

 

[ACC1224]

Again, it isn't considered a big milestone by anybody, save apparently Modano and he was scratched multiple times in the playoffs.

Round numbers are always considered milestones.
I don't think Modano was at 1499 and then sat the rest of the year. He just ended the year at 1499.

Being a jerk to Spezza doesn't mean he was a jerk to Modano.

 

[ElbowLander]

The Mike Modano thing isn’t true.

Yes it is

Modano talks 'unique experience' of playing for Mike Babcock - Sportsnet.ca

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

Round numbers are always considered milestones.
I don't think Modano was at 1499 and then sat the rest of the year. He just ended the year at 1499.

Being a jerk to Spezza doesn't mean he was a jerk to Modano.

You do realize how arbitrary that is right? Step back and think about that. Round numbers are a reason to be mad at another person.

Surprised our species isn't more evolved yet and getting angry about primary numbers. I mean, fractals are a definite.

 

[ACC1224]

You do realize how arbitrary that is right? Step back and think about that. Round numbers are a reason to be mad at another person.

Surprised our species isn't more evolved yet and getting angry about primary numbers. I mean, fractals are a definite.

I don't make the rules.
50 goals, 100 point are other examples of milestones.
Perhaps you don't believe in milestones? That's fine too.

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

I don't make the rules.
50 goals, 100 point are other examples of milestones.
Perhaps you don't believe in milestones? That's fine too.

Big difference is those are actually recognized by people. 1500 isn't recognized by anyone.

 

[ErnieLeafs]

How does this still have legs on this board?

 

[stuart5035]

Again, it isn't considered a big milestone by anybody, save apparently Modano and he was scratched multiple times in the playoffs.

I think if you google “Modano talks unique experience of playing for Mike Babcock” you’ll see the key points.

I’ve been on the fence for awhile as I mentioned about Babcock, but the Spezza thing (and the subsequent outrage) has done me in. I know coaches don’t have to be popular to be good (Scotty Bowman comes to mind amongst others) but I believe hatred for your coach is counter productive, and I think if the Matthews of the world could talk, they’d agree.

 

[ACC1224]

Big difference is those are actually recognized by people. 1500 isn't recognized by anyone.

I haven't seen any authorized list of recognized milestones do I can't comment on that.

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

I think if you google “Modano talks unique experience of playing for Mike Babcock” you’ll see the key points.

I’ve been on the fence for awhile as I mentioned about Babcock, but the Spezza thing (and the subsequent outrage) has done me in. I know coaches don’t have to be popular to be good (Scotty Bowman comes to mind amongst others) but I believe hatred for your coach is counter productive, and I think if the Matthews of the world could talk, they’d agree.

I've read it. He's demanding. Yet they also say several good things about him. Some people can work with demanding, some can't.

Personally I'd consider all angles. There's a lot of context in there.

I see lots of things to question in Babcock. I just take issue with a lot of the lies or lack of context pushed out there.

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

I haven't seen any authorized list of recognized milestones do I can't comment on that.

No but I bet you'd have a lot easier time naming 50 goal and 100 point scorers than 1200, 1300, 1400, 1500 etc. game players.

 

[stuart5035]

I've read it. He's demanding. Yet they also say several good things about him. Some people can work with demanding, some can't.

Personally I'd consider all angles. There's a lot of context in there.

I see lots of things to question in Babcock. I just take issue with a lot of the lies or lack of context pushed out there.

I agree there is a lot of context.

In the end this is Matthews team, and I believe there is a lot of acrimony there; between his lack of playing minutes, the trip by Babcock etc. I have to think Matthews would take it to a higher level playing more a more “guys coach”.

If nothing else, this tips the scale for me, I’ve given him the benefit of the doubt for his overplaying the Marleau’s, the Browns, the Hainsey’s, the Komorov’s and so on, the fact he’s hardly won any playoff rounds. But enough!

 

[GardinerTheForward]

www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/modano-talks-unique-experience-playing-mike-babcock/

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

I haven't seen any authorized list of recognized milestones do I can't comment on that.

No but I bet you'd have a lot easier time naming 50 goal and 100 point scorers than 1200, 1300, 1400, 1500 etc. games played.

Wonder why that is?

 

[Ignatius Reilly]

www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/modano-talks-unique-experience-playing-mike-babcock/

So.... Modano was benched with 3 games to play in the year and 3 games to get to 1500? Is that right?

Anyways, if that's supposed to be an article that proves Babcock's no good, it doesn't really do that. Has some pro and cons, like anyone does.

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

I agree there is a lot of context.

In the end this is Matthews team, and I believe there is a lot of acrimony there; between his lack of playing minutes, the trip by Babcock etc. I have to think Matthews would take it to a higher level playing more a more “guys coach”.

If nothing else, this tips the scale for me, I’ve given him the benefit of the doubt for his overplaying the Marleau’s, the Browns, the Hainsey’s, the Komorov’s and so on, the fact he’s hardly won any playoff rounds. But enough!

It would be interesting to see how they would do with Keefe.

To me Babcock's player usage is a big and fair question. I actually don't mind the idea in regular season but feel in playoffs he needs to lean heavier on the game breakers. Unless of course they aren't busting their asses. If they aren't, they can sit in favour of someone who is.

I would be cautious about selecting a coach to meet certain player's likes. Then the tail is wagging the dog.