Sportsnet: NHL should have thrown the Maple Leafs a McBone

[Tie Domi Esquire]

Why don't they just rig the games instead?

 

[Menzinger]

What an odd article for sportsnet to post.

 

[RoyalGremlin]

Great, like the media just had to make the rest of us fans look even worse. Oh wait..

 

[EN4CER]

I'm amazed at the emphasis that some people put on living vicariously through a bunch of rich jocks.

We're talking about Toronto missing out on McDavid. Not Dion & Elisha.

 

[BEERnSOUP]

The salary cap and revenue sharing has also kept payrolls lower. Without a cap, I wouldn't be surprised if the Leafs would have payroll that is $20M or so higher than they do with a cap. The cap and revenue sharing may actually be saving them money.

Except they'd make a ton of extra playoff revenue. Every time they bring in another super star FA by offering more than anyone else can the extra they shelled is recouped in massive jersey sales. Really they'd make a lot more without the salary cap.

Everyone would hate us for buying the best players, but really we're terrible, have been for awhile, are paying their teams salaries and they hate us anyway .

On topic though, the article is stupid as hell. But since Sportsnet practically owns the sport now they can do whatever they want I guess lol.

 

[HEAVY DUTY]

lets just move on. pls.

this is just making us look bad. like we're sore losers.

 

[Grant]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/nhl-should-have-thrown-the-maple-leafs-a-mcbone/

I was reading a Jeff Blair column he wrote on Sportsnet and he says the NHL should have made sure the Leafs won the draft lottery and select Connor McDavid and he here is some of what he says.

Folks around the rest of the country won’t like hearing this, but the Maple Leafs have bankrolled the NHL for a long time. They were printing money while other Canadian franchises were on financial life-support, or wringing their hands over weak Canadian currency. It would have been nice to get a McBone thrown in their direction, you know? And you’d think that Bettman’s background in the NBA would have taught him a thing or two about the strategic value of, um, “directing†generational players. Remember how Patrick Ewing ended up with the New York Knicks in 1985 (the frozen or creased envelope conspiracy)? Remember how the Cleveland Cavaliers went from fourth to first in the 2011 draft lottery (hmm … don’t the Leafs have the fourth pick?) after losing LeBron James? Or how about 2008, when Chicago native Derrick Rose ended up with the Bulls when that team, in dire need of a star after the post-Michael Jordan years, cashed in on a 1.5 per cent pre-lottery chance of getting the first pick overall? Coincidence? Yeah, right. Professional sports is about entertainment and marketing and money and TV and such. Fairness sometimes sucks. Connor McDavid should be a Maple Leaf, and everyone knows it – including McDavid himself.

2/3 of his examples Bettman wasn't even in the NBA.

 

[HellasLEAF]

I actually couldn't agree more with the OP.

But I'm way over it. I never expected us to win it and that's exactly what happened.

Moving on..

 

[hfdshdh]

How is this allowed to be an article?

 

[ConnorTO]

to think just a couple more losses (tho already it has been dreadful)

and we would of landed connor

 

[johnnybbadd]

Terrible terrible thought process from some fans here. When the Leafs had the money to spend, they allowed Sundin to have Jonas ******* Hoglund as his linemate for years instead finding some real winger and they never spent enough to fix the holes the team had at that time. It always felt that the Leafs were a player or two away from being that one tier higher where New Jersey, Dallas, Detroit and Colorado were. That was also down to terrible management since weren't developing enough talent that is always key to a successful franchise. The Leafs drafting in the 90s was absolutely terrible. The league owes the Leafs nothing and the NHL is and always will be bigger then any of it's franchises.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Terrible piece of journalism to be frank

 

[RayNibbs]

The right minded adult over here wanted McDavid at any costs!

This lottery loss still stings daily whenever I read about this ****.

Hey, I wouldn't have complained... because if it was done well enough nobody would've known

But whining after the fact is just pointless and gives the rest of the league another reason to throw a **** storm of hate our way. Even though we have bankrolled the majority of the teams they're supporting...

 

[ConnorTO]

people have to understand the lottery isnt "fair"

there is no justice, it doesnt look at edmonton and go
WHOOP NOT THIS YEAR

so yeah majority 1 2 and 3 will win most of the time
but at times, even scum oilers will repeat

am just glad a good team like LA didnt get mcdavid i guess

 

[Bps21*]

I'm confused as to what it is you guys have to let go of...you were fourth...you didn't have anything taken from you or even move down. Buffalo was moved from McJesus, Arizona was moved from Eichel...you stayed the same. For buffalo or Arizona fans to be angry...it would mean a feeling of entitlement that something they felt they deserved was taken from them when it was never theirs to begin with...but at least it would make sense.

 

[BlueBaron]

What an odd article for sportsnet to post.

Uh huh.

 

[Mojo19]

Does the author suggest the lottery is not a fair lottery?

 

[Woll Smoth]

Is this our modern Kerry Fraser missed call?
Jeez it hasn't even been a week and I'm tired of hearing about it. I was content with drafting 5th. We stayed at 4. Gonna get one hell of a prospect this year

 

[SprDaVE]

What the hell is this...

 

[ULF_55]

I agree that the NHL was never going to fix the lottery to make sure the Leafs won it. However I do agree with him that the Leafs have bankrolled the other teams with all the money they make for the NHL and I remember others on here mentioned that prior to the lottery. At the very least at least Blair realizes that which no one else has mentioned.

Flames fan at work said McDavid to the Leafs would have been about the best option.

This is in Calgary.

I'm fine with Strome or Hanifin or whoever else is identified as BPA.

No smurfs.

 

[achtungbaby]

Imagine Lowe and the club never getting to watch McJesus play in the new building. Wouldn't that be something? He'd be like Moses who took his team through the desert all those years and will never get to see the promise land. Of course it's 95% his fault the team is the position they are in but that still has to smart.

 

[SprDaVE]

I'm fine with Strome or Hanifin or whoever else is identified as BPA.

No smurfs.

I thought you were better then this Ulf. Disappointed in this way of thinking... sigh...

 

[Mojo19]

Flames fan at work said McDavid to the Leafs would have been about the best option.

This is in Calgary.

I'm fine with Strome or Hanifin or whoever else is identified as BPA.

No smurfs.

A big no for Marner then?

I haven't seen Strome or Marner very much, but Marner's numbers look amazing.

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

I get what he is saying but if the 1st overall is to be decided by a lottery pick it should be fair and done the way it was done.

Hypothetically, if McDavid boost shirt sales etc 100% for what ever franchise he gets drafted by then of course the team with the most fans will help the league out more with revenue sharing. So that would mean Leafs, Habs or possible the Rangers would be the best franchises for him to end up at.

And who knows with everything else above shirt sales that extra money generated could help some of the southern franchises a lot more had McDavid been a Leaf instead of an Oiler. How much extra cash will they generate?

But rules are rules and I am fine with the league sticking to theirs.

 

[ULF_55]

I thought you were better then this Ulf. Disappointed in this way of thinking... sigh...

Can't have an entire team of sub 6' forwards in the top 6.

I mean real 6', not the baloney the stats say.