The Official Ottawa Sports Radio Thread #7

[AchtzehnBaby]

Out of town right now... just caught up on the last few pages.

Is there a transcript of this or a link to something other than team 1200? (can’t play it out here)

 

[Samsquanch]

Just when I think things can’t possibly get worse, the owner of the team is badmouthing the most beloved sports media personality in Ottawa...

I really have no idea what his end game is? Is he being paid by the Leafs to destroy the Ottawa Senators?

He says winning will solve everything... well, things won’t get solved because a Broke Melnyk assemblés team will never win anything.

At this point I seriously cannot discount this theory anymore. Its almost impossible to believe that he and his management group are so out of touch with reality that they dont see the harm thats being done to their brand by Melnyk. The fact the he keeps getting on the radio every few months to undo all of the work that his PR team is doing has moved from extremely puzzling to suspiciously odd.

He's either the dumbest person in hockey, or a brilliant double agent.

Ian Mendes was probably the teams best chance at bridging the mountain valley sized gap between the fan base and the team. He is the only media guy that I've seen successfully (and tastefully) try to tell the Sens brass how we're really feeling as a fan base. And they literally just spit in his face... f*** Eugene, hes truly a PoS that's hellbent on ruining our hockey team.

I seriously hope that someone decides to write a book someday about these last few years in the Sens org. It will be a textbook example of how to destroy a franchise/brand in a dramatic fashion over a short period of time.

 

[otown]

You succeed in toxic environments by either changing the environment, or by leaving it. PD is seemingly incapable of doing either.

There is one person capable of changing the toxicity surrounding this team.

He just spent the last two days doubling down on that toxicity.

Ok so we all know you think it is a toxic environment. Given that Melnyk and Dorion aren't going anywhere in the near future it would appear that we have to live with it........frustrating as it is!
Nice to vent though!

 

[FunkySeeFunkyDoo]

My takeaways:

....

MEH:

1. The Leafs stuff, thought it was funny, and he isn't wrong. I just wouldn't criticize other teams as an owner

...

Disagree with most of your list, but will only respond to this one.

When you own the team that has been the laughingstock of the league for the last 18 months, you really shouldn't take shots at teams that are legit cup contenders.

 

[The Lewler]

I don't think apathy is the way to go. At least, I'm not at that point yet. I completely agree with stop spending money though.

Yeah I'm not actually claiming agency over your decisions of course.

I'm just saying I've stopped caring. Legitimately. I'll check in on highlights every few days when I fire up my PS4. Or check in on HFBoards when a Sens story pops up on my Reddit homepage.

It's just kind of an idle , hilarious and sad , diminishing part of my life.

 

[coladin]

Yet yesterday he was claiming his customers aren't real fans. He is completely disconnected from reality and yesterday was the proof.

I can't believe anybody still believes a word that comes out of this guys mouth.

The context of the questions was how he was taking it on social media and Twitter. I think, as he is accustomed to jarble things because he wants to say 10 things at once, he was trying to say that there are a lot of fake accounts putting stuff out there. Likewise, there are accounts supporting him that are pretty dubious. And then there is Jack Maxwell!

I think today was proof that he is not disconnected. In fact, he may be , at times, too connected. And perhaps should get off twitter. There is literally nothing to gain for him there. He acknowledged that the fans are pissed.

He told you exactly he was going to do. And he did it. I think people should believe him when he pretty much carried out what he said in December 2017 and in the Boro talk. You just don't like what he said.

 

[Daffy]

Anyone who pays to go to the games right now is a huge f***ing problem.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

My takeaways:

POSITIVES

1. He knows the fans are "pissed". Terrible communication. That is positive that he isn't "disconnected" as many continue to say
2. Love the shot at the mayor, but that's just me. And he is 100% justified to say what he did
3. He wants to win, and is committed to the city and the team
4. Whether fans go or not, i like that. Means he is not going to let ticket revenue dictate his commitment
5. Will pay this core because he really believes in it. Hope he is right. Mentioned the right kind of numbers
6. Dorion is clearly on notice.

MEH:

1. The Leafs stuff, thought it was funny, and he isn't wrong. I just wouldn't criticize other teams as an owner
2. A new arena, nothing interesting here of things that weren't out there

NEGATIVES:

1. Mendes shot. He can believe it, and in my opinion, he isn't completely wrong. That's just me. I just wouldn't have said it.

It is time for action, not words. Take care of Chabot this summer will go a long way

You just want to like Melnyk, seemingly out of some troublingly misguided sense of brotherhood as business owners. You rationalize far too much for your own good and we all know that is the truth.

Taking shots at the mayor is justified? No one likes Melnyk and no one wants public funds to go to an arena at Lebreton. Being justified does nothing when you are already way off-side.

Melnyk has no credibility based on his own established track-record. He is still fighting tooth and nail against it, playing the victim, because he is clearly considers himself entitled to everyone else's money by virtue of being the owner of an NHL team.

So muxh about about taking responsibility for their actions. Far easier to play the victim! "If I am not successful, it is because the world is against me!". Welcome to Conservative politics in the XXIst century: responsibility only applies if you can't afford to go on radio and say it isn't your fault.

Melnyk essentially is an incel: blames everybody and lacks introspection.

 

[Engineer]

I think today was proof that he is not disconnected. In fact, he may be , at times, too connected.

So connected he thinks Cowen is still a prospect, mkay.

He told you exactly he was going to do. And he did it. I think people should believe him when he pretty much carried out what he said in December 2017 and in the Boro talk. You just don't like what he said.

The thing about pathological liars is, every once in a while something they say actually is true. They're similar to broken clocks. You go ahead and believe what he says, the rest of us won't be fooled.

 

[coladin]

I disagree on almost all your points. The positives you've listed aren't that positive (taking a shot at the mayor is not a great idea, regardless of how you feel about the mayor.

EM should be focused on repairing some key relationships... Like the mayor, the fans he's alienated, the media he's driven a bus over.... But instead, you celebrate that he recognizes there's terrible communication, WHILE DOING AN ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE JOB COMMUNICATING.

I just don't get it man.

That's cool. That is what forums are about.

The mayor has gone out of his way to take shots at Melnyk, which is a little unbecoming. And I 100% agree with what was submitted in the lawsuit about the mayor stating that he wants no part of bad press in an election year, even though Lebreton deal was failing. Watson does a lot of things right, but he is conniving and self serving, to say the least. Just look at the latest scandal brewing over phase 2 LRT.

I think the communication part has to improve, for sure. But as you see here, alot of things he has said, he has done, but people don't believe him. Then, they chalk it up to lack of communication. He told everyone what was going to happen in December 2017. Is that terrible communication or people who didn't want to believe, or people who dismissed his words?

 

[MiscBrah]

Serious question - does Dorion have to go to the draft lottery thing where they bring the GM's of the bottom 5-teams? Secondly, will they have Colorado's logo or the Sens logo under the card?

 

[Samsquanch]

Yeah I'm not actually claiming agency over your decisions of course.

I'm just saying I've stopped caring. Legitimately. I'll check in on highlights every few days when I fire up my PS4. Or check in on HFBoards when a Sens story pops up on my Reddit homepage.

It's just kind of an idle , hilarious and sad , diminishing part of my life.

Just curious, how are you checking the highlights on your PS4? Just through the web browser? Or is there some cool, easy to use app that I've been missing out on?

 

[coladin]

Also, your last line is hilarious. You call for action, but think it's positive that he keeps talking? How does that crow taste coladin?

Crow? You lost me. It's funny how in one post you look polished and mature, and then resort to this. Oh well.

I want action. While i like some of what he said , I also want action. The market needs action.

 

[Engineer]

Serious question - does Dorion have to go to the draft lottery thing where they bring the GM's of the bottom 5-teams? Secondly, will they have Colorado's logo or the Sens logo under the card?

GMs don't have to go to that, it can be any team representative.

and no it makes no sense for him to attend.

 

[BonkTastic]

1) Melnyk including Jared Cowen as a current Senator roster player is hilarious.

2) The shot at Mendes was bush league.

3) thinly-veiled threats at the Mayor is a real bad look.

The rest was just fluff, or stuff we already have figured out for ourselves, for the most part.

 

[Individual 1]

GMs don't have to go to that, it can be any team representative.

and no it makes no sense for him to attend.

Oh, so he will be attending

 

[coladin]

So connected he thinks Cowen is still a prospect, mkay.


The thing about pathological liars is, every once in a while something they say actually is true. They're similar to broken clocks. You go ahead and believe what he says, the rest of us won't be fooled.

He messed up some words, ok. It was pretty jarbled but I don't know what happened there.

He said he was going to cut payroll. He did. He said he was going to go young. He did. Full rebuild. He did.

Just look at what happened, so people can make their own conclusions. I am certain that Duchene and Stone were supposed to be here, and they failed. So, it will be a longer rebuild. But, as I stated earlier, we need Chabot extended this summer. That will help rebuild the team and the market. We need some tangible actions.

 

[The Lewler]

Just curious, how are you checking the highlights on your PS4? Just through the web browser? Or is there some cool, easy to use app that I've been missing out on?

Yeah you've been missing out. The NHL Gamecentre App is on Playstation. Access it from the TV/Video menu.

 

[Engineer]

I am certain that Duchene and Stone were supposed to be here, and they failed.

Right, that's why Melnyk said this:

"A lot of people were really upset about us trading away the three in the end, which was Duchene, and um, Stone, and [jarbled word], and Dzingel, and if you think about it, uh they're all looking for 7 to 8 year contracts, at the age of 27, and uh uh for uh anywhere from 8 to 10 million dollars a year, if you think about it 5-6 years from now, they're all going to be in their... almost mid thirties, like, 33, 34, and you know you're going to have all these kids coming up, uh we have 8, actually 9, uh 10 if you include the goalie, 10 potential stars"

There you go, the President of the organization himself stating that it would have been a mistake to sign the UFAs. The writing is on the wall, the rest of us can see it.

 

[BatherSeason]

That's cool. That is what forums are about.

The mayor has gone out of his way to take shots at Melnyk, which is a little unbecoming. And I 100% agree with what was submitted in the lawsuit about the mayor stating that he wants no part of bad press in an election year, even though Lebreton deal was failing. Watson does a lot of things right, but he is conniving and self serving, to say the least. Just look at the latest scandal brewing over phase 2 LRT.

I think the communication part has to improve, for sure. But as you see here, alot of things he has said, he has done, but people don't believe him. Then, they chalk it up to lack of communication. He told everyone what was going to happen in December 2017. Is that terrible communication or people who didn't want to believe, or people who dismissed his words?

Eugene Melnyk just had the biggest real estate development in the history of the city of Ottawa in the palm of his hand and even found a way to screw that up while also holding the city hostage on the project for 4 years so yes every shot given by anyone including Jim Watson is well deserved.

I hope that Cowen guy he mentioned pans out though.

 

[GoSenatorsGo]

Today would be a good day Ian to allow Lee to go on one of his rants.

In all seriousness if I was a business partner or sponsor of the Senators, At what point would you start to worry about this fan backlash and it translating to a boycott of product?

 

[PeterSidorkiewicz]

I see comments all the time that from Melnyks POV and a business perspective that if fans don’t come and what not then he shouldn’t or can’t put money into the team.

I’m just curious why Melnyk is allowed to look at it from his business perspective but the fans aren’t allowed to look at it from an entertainment perspective then? Why should the fans spend money on the product?

 

[Samsquanch]

Yeah you've been missing out. The NHL Gamecentre App is on Playstation. Access it from the TV/Video menu.

Damn. This info would have been super handy 2 years ago when I cancelled my cable subscription.. But thanks for the tip!

 

[Samsquanch]

I see comments all the time that from Melnyks POV and a business perspective that if fans don’t come and what not then he shouldn’t or can’t put money into the team.

I’m just curious why Melnyk is allowed to look at it from his business perspective but the fans aren’t allowed to look at it from an entertainment perspective then? Why should the fans spend money on the product?

I feel like your implying that Melnyk has a logical answer for his behaviour and the actions that the team has taken (trading everyone).

I think we all need to accept that Melnyk is a broke, lame owner that will never admit that money is the motivation for all team decisions, even when it clearly is.

Keeping the dumb fans going to the games/watching is his only hope to keep hanging on to ownership for as long as he possibly can.

 

[coladin]

Right, that's why Melnyk said this:

"A lot of people were really upset about us trading away the three in the end, which was Duchene, and um, Stone, and [jarbled word], and Dzingel, and if you think about it, uh they're all looking for 7 to 8 year contracts, at the age of 27, and uh uh for uh anywhere from 8 to 10 million dollars a year, if you think about it 5-6 years from now, they're all going to be in their... almost mid thirties, like, 33, 34, and you know you're going to have all these kids coming up, uh we have 8, actually 9, uh 10 if you include the goalie, 10 potential stars"

There you go, the President of the organization himself stating that it would have been a mistake to sign the UFAs. The writing is on the wall, the rest of us can see it.

Those players are gone. Sour grapes? Moving on? Take your pick. But he took the looking on the bright side attitude. At some point, people have to accept and move on. You obviously are not there yet, maybe you never will be there