This is Mike Easler. It took him forever to establish a major league career. Easler arrived in the majors at age 22 for a cup of coffee, made a couple of pinch hitting appearances at age 28 on a World Series team, and finally had a full season in the show at age 29. That's a slow timeline for development.Easler took forever for two reasons: luck and timing. He was a pretty good hitter early on and by age 25 was hitting .352 at AAA. However, he had some bad luck in that the team who owned his rights gave all the at-bats to a Punch and Judy (Greg Gross). His timing was bad because Easler was a quality power/walks player in a time when batting average ruled the earth.
He still had a fine career.
--
Robert Nilsson's career--when compared to Mike Easler--is upside down in many ways. Nilsson didn't spend much time in the minors before getting a full season in the NHL. He played for a poor team, wasn't ready and was sent away to a second team. There, he had a solid season, received a longer term contract and then sputtered through the length of the three year deal. Nilsson showed signs of being capable of landing and holding onto a top 6 role. Here are his 5x5 points/60 minutes totals:
- 07-08: 2.37
- 08-09: 1.22
- 09-10: 1.49
Nilsson beat back the competition (Pouliot, Schremp, others) when it was middling, but with the team adding three quality prospects on the wings and the organization flushing all those undersized forwards to make room, Nilsson didn't survive the purge.
Word this week that he's signed in Russia. Nilsson had complete chances with the Islanders and Oilers, and third chances in the NHL are not promised to anyone. If he's to have a second NHL career a strong showing in his new home is vital, Having a big league career in his 30's similar to Mike Easler is a distant bell, but he has ability. I think he's a player we'll see again in the NHL.
I agree that he can still get another chance if he can string together some impressive years in the K. The onus will be on him to convince managers in North America though. No one's going to give him a free lunch like KLowe once did (which we almost universally thought was a good contract).
ReplyDeleteIn retrospect, a three-year term was probably a bad idea for a guy known for having perennial motivation problems.
Please don't use Epic Fail ever again. You are an intelligent writer.
ReplyDeleteI think your use of epic fail was just fine.
ReplyDeleteI also think Nilsson will either find motivation in the KHL or he will find Vodka. We will see.
My daughter uses epic fail. It's part of my lexicon, nothing I can do now. :-)
ReplyDeleteThere were times when the guy showed that he had the strength and smarts to play a two way game and check his man but overall he wasn't interested enough and/or didn't think he had to do these things in order to stay in the bigs.
ReplyDeleteHe was wrong and good riddance but at least O'Marra and Plante might work out and Ryan Smyth wasn't elite anyway.
It'll be interesting to see what kind of numbers he puts up. He got himself onto the best team in the league and should succeed there. Does he eclipse one of his replacements (OMark) 20 goals? Thoresen had 24 on the same team last season.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, great potential that sputtered. Why did his development find the slippery slope? His nerve?
ReplyDeleteRowbear preferred to avoid the tough areas more often than not. If he'd just learned to be more slippery (brave and quick) and make more plays he'd have become quite useful. A great triggerman, a nice passer (sometimes even Weight-like), but he didn't, it seems, offer enough opportunities for the North American puck to be around him.
book¡e, there is no such thing as fine use of epic fail.
ReplyDeleteIt's the lowest common denominator of internet speak and has been abused by mouthbreathers across the internet too stupid to say anything useful. Whatever value it might have had has long since been raped and pillaged.
dawgbone,
ReplyDeletemy first acquaintance with the phrase came due to my close proximity to 43 fourteen year olds. It was on their lips frequently, which suggests it is more than internet speak. More like 'grody' 'gnarly' and 'sick' in its categorisation as fad language for the current crop of teenagers. Wait 5 years and it will be another anachronism.
Whatever value it might have had has long since been raped and pillaged.
ReplyDeleteConnotatively, yes.
Denotatively, it still functions perfectly well.
While "epic fail" may conjure dawgbone's painful memories of reading internet comments (who does that?), it has been absorbed into the language and will assuredly be part of the OED in a few years' time.
Nilsson is a guy I've followed since he was drafted. I always rooted for him and thought he'd be an impact player. I have hope that he does. Man has all the skills and ability, but he just can't seem to muster that drive and will consistently. I hope to see him return the Oilers in a few seasons and tear up the league =)...ah to dream.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Dawgbone on the use of the e.p. term. Phrases such as "like whatever!" and "fo shizzle" are things I heard all too often from teens while using public transit. Just because it's widely used doesn't mean it should be =).
Ahhh, the "hitman". Glued into Expos' telecasts in the early 80s and fearing that guy when he came to bat against Gullickson, Burris, Lea et al.
ReplyDeleteLowetide, man you should start an Expos blog, there are many many who would love to see the team back in Montreal. You can't be that busy with this and ON blogs...haha.
Can't see Nilsson comming close to the 'hitman' but who knows. Would take him over POS in a heartbeat. Say hi to Putin Bob.
Thanks to the term "Epic Fail" I can now say that lexicon has become a part of my lexicon. Epic Fail....Not.
ReplyDeleteNilsson is another in a long list of players we expected too much from, too early. (I'd put Torres and Stoll and that list too.)
ReplyDeleteIt's par for the course. We see a guy with some ability, who reasonably projects to round into a league average player around the age of 26, and we pretend his flashes of ability are evidence that he's going to be truly excellent.
Part of the problem is that management keeps rolling out young players who are just emerging as average NHL'ers and puts them in roles they can't handle. And they have to play the role while playing with too many other "young guns."
We then buy the hype from management that if that the fact that the player has shown some flashes in that role means the player has the potential to be great in that role in a few years. Then we start to dream that if the player lives up to his potential, he'll be awesome. Dreams then become potentials. Potentials become expectations. But we forget that very few players reach their highest potential. Most become something less. And even so, lots of players take years to get there.
So, when they fail to live up to our unreasonable expectations, we move the player for a middling prospect or a younger guy who has shown some flashes of ability and start the cycle again.
So beware Cogliano, Nilsson, Petry, and Peckham! The team you play for has borderline personality disorder. They'll pull you in, say you're amazing, shower you with love for being something you're not, and at the slightest hint of disappointment, they'll go nuts.
---
That said, I wanted Nilsson out. In the new NHL, you're probably better off signing a veteran on the cheap than playing a guy who isn't yet, but projects to be average, like Nilsson game in and game out. Why not wait until someone else's Nilsson matures and becomes average and then sign him?
Goodbye Nilhouse. We'll miss you.
Dawgbone,
ReplyDeleteSnobbery Fail
All your comments are belong to us.
Just because it's widely used doesn't mean it should be
ReplyDeleteThis is called prescriptivisim and it is foolhardy.
Resistance is futile.
Re: Nilsson
ReplyDeleteI think (hope?) he will find success in Russia, so it should be a positive move. Plus, Kenta should be able to take in a few more of his boy's games.
Dasvidaniya, Rowbear.
I don't mind Epic Fail as it's usually used somewhat properly. It's the standalone "Epic" that bugs me.
ReplyDeleteBuddy dropped his hat down the sewer! Epic!
One clue about Nilsson and his challenge is from an comment from his dad that I saw in the paper 2 or 3 years back.
ReplyDeleteHe described him as moody (like his mom I think he said). Sorry, no idea where to even look for the article as it was a quote from a bigger piece.
He then went on to explain something about Robert needing to focus better and be more consistent or something like that.
I think that pretty much sums it up.
I always considered Greg Gross an oddity because he was one of the few ballplayers that wore glasses; Brian Downing and Teckulve were the only others and the latter was in a glass all his own because his glasses were tinted.
ReplyDeleteSo, this has been bothering me for a couple of days now, and I wanted to see if anyone knows something I don't.
ReplyDeleteWhy isn't Gagner signed yet? Is it too early to start wondering what's going on? Have there been discussions?
I know he didn't opt for arbitration, which is good, but having heard nothing else... and having nothing else pressing on my mind... what's going on?
Nilsson might end up back in the NHL one day, maybe as a 3rd liner, but i'm not surprised he's signed in Russia. another NHL team not wanting to sign him shows the Oilers were right to buy him out.
ReplyDeletedawgbone said...
ReplyDeleteIt's the lowest common denominator of internet speak and has been abused by mouthbreathers across the internet too stupid to say anything useful. Whatever value it might have had has long since been raped and pillaged.
Hmm, Epic Fail...
As low and as mis-used as "mouthbreathers"? Over-the-top drama like "raped and pillaged"?
Are you sure you're the person from whom we should be taking Internet English lessons?
...L8er Bitchez.
;o)
Dug,
ReplyDeletewould agree, the only other comment to that is he jumped earlier than some to KHL, as there is a glut in UFA's out there due to the silly domino effect from Kovalchuk.
He probably didn't want to wait longer and risk no NHL contract and scrambling for a KHL spot in September.
Mirtle tweets:
ReplyDeleteBlackhawks have acquired centre Jeff Taffe from the Florida Panthers in exchange for centre Marty Reasoner.
Meh - While it certainly is not a hockey market, the scenery for making a cool million is much nicer in florida than it is almost anywhere else in NA.
ReplyDeleteFound this via PuckDaddy link
ReplyDeleteDucks and Souray
and further to that ... Blake has 2 yrs left at $3M per with a cap hit of $4M.
ReplyDelete"This is called prescriptivism and it's foolhardy"
ReplyDeleteToday I have learned I was using the wrong term for my oxycotin addiction.
It may also explain why all the ladies in the book club I joined grip onto their purses so tightly after I share.
my 2 cents on Souray-when he was waived a few weeks ago I said that "recall waivers are the last thing we want"
ReplyDeleteI've changed my mind on this-I think I would rather eat the $2.7M cap hit for 2 years and take the roster spot.(this of course,is assuming someone actually claims him on recall)
We could then spend the other 2.7 on (fill in the blank...3C,another D)
Trying to shoehorn Blake or whoever onto the roster isn't making the team any better imo.
I suspect the Hawks intended to use Marty much as they used Madden next year, but when Hjarlmarsson's offer sheet pushed their cap commitment up, they figured they could trim a couple hundred k in that spot.
ReplyDeleteLook at dat dawg pwning da noobs. KABLAMMO!
ReplyDeleteAnyways, Nilsson might make it back if the league has a need for stupid, lazy, crappy hockey players.
Meh - While it certainly is not a hockey market, the scenery for making a cool million is much nicer in florida than it is almost anywhere else in NA.
ReplyDeleteI agree. The way the sun glints off the oil slick is particularily beautiful. Nice complement to all the dead birds washed up on the beach.
@Regwald, i just don't believe there was much of a market for Nilsson anyways, and he probably was looking for similar money as he was getting in Edmonton, which is a joke, and other teams knew that, so i as well believe he did take a gig in the KHL while the getting was good!
ReplyDeleteI agree. The way the sun glints off the oil slick is particularily beautiful. Nice complement to all the dead birds washed up on the beach.
ReplyDeleteThat's fair, but you could just as easily say the same thing about northern alberta. The big difference is that one was an accident, and the other intentional.
Having someone claim Souray on recall waivers (if that is how it's played out) would be adding insult to injury.
ReplyDeleteLeast value for dollars spent in Oilers history IMO. Imagine paying him $2.25 Million dollars for 2 years to play for someone else.
One good year + one year on the IR.
Dug,
ReplyDeleteI am one of those guys who had higher expectations for Nilsson.
I think it was KHL offered more money versus no interest here. Or maybe the interest here might have been more about training camp invites.
Greg MC-that was my initial reaction as well,but I've changed my mind.
ReplyDeleteIt's about cutting your losses at this point-would you rather pay Souray $2.25M to play elsewhere,or Blake $3M and take up a roster spot?Brewer?Hecht?
If Tambo can get roster player(s) that are useful to this team,great,if not,I'd rather just eat half the remaining contract and be done with it.
My 2 cents anyway.
Oh I won't disagree that North Alberta is total ass city. We're in complete agreement.
ReplyDeleteJordan said...
ReplyDeleteThat's fair, but you could just as easily say the same thing about northern alberta. The big difference is that one was an accident, and the other intentional.
OK, I'll bite...which one do you think is the accident and which one do you think was intentional?
Anyway, I bet Marty's wife is happy with that change of location, and they will be on the Atlantic side, which shouldn't have the same tarball beaches as the Gulf coast side.
Gerta, I think it depends what is the teams real goal this year.
ReplyDeleteIs there a serious plan for the playoffs this year? Looks like a lot of promising young players coming in. And the goaltending is up in the air.
But I want them to ice the best team they can without sacrificing the flexibility with cap room as there will be opportunities I believe to pick up good players cheaply due to other teams cap issues.
Hope Sheldon is moved ASAP. It's like having a boil on your Maximus.
ReplyDeleteAgreed completely-if Tambo can sit quietly while other teams near the cap blow their brains out,a couple of nice players may fall in our lap if we have the cap room.And I'm not a dive for 5 guy,I want to watch competitive hockey this year.
ReplyDeleteI just view Souray and his contract as a sunk cost at this point-it's now about managing what comes back in a trade.
We're scorchin' the mother loving earth here, Greg!
ReplyDeleteLottery, here we come!
Regwald:
ReplyDeleteIf Blake is swapped for Souray, wouldn't that be worth it just for the difference in salary?
5.4 M - 4 M = 1.4 M cap hit/year savings. Then if you do the waive & recall bit you might only be on the hook for 2 M /year instead of Souray's 2.7.
Or you keep Blake for veteran presence and offensive skills this year and buy him out after the season.
Not really my favourite player, though. If I was Anaheim I would want Bieksa first.
I hadn't thought of that hoil-and it's all predicated on the other 28 teams actually wanting these players at half price.
ReplyDeleteThe other problem I see is we have to assign either player to OKC first,and then recall,and I don't think you can do that during the summer(somebody correct me if I'm wrong)...and once we get past Labour day the rosters start to tighten up.
Hopefully the start of another special team! I don't normally watch old games but the NHL Network had a couple of classic series on 80's Oiler's and it was amazing to watch that skill level executed at top speed. No pressure Oilers!
ReplyDeleteLowetide said "epic fail"... :P
ReplyDelete@Dawgbone I don't see how using such a phrase suggests lack of intelligence in any way...
Oiler news by Matheson: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/Former+Oilers+winger+Robert+Nilsson+heads+Russia/3311101/story.html
ReplyDeleteKent Nilsson has quit...anyone surprised since Bobby was bought out? Other tidbits in that article as well.
It's been about 20 years since I did mushrooms but I think someone must have powdered some of that product and put it in my beer because I Think i just read someone saying Ryan Whitney might be the next Lee Fogolin!!
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna go now and listen to my Black Sabbath Greatest Hits cassette because that used to even me out when I was shroomin:)
Just stay away from the brown acid,Dennis.
ReplyDeleteWell, Whitney is a better player than Fogolin was, but the point remains the same. Fogolin would have walked through fire for that team.
ReplyDeleteThose guys don't grow on trees.
Holi,
ReplyDeleteYes, that would be a good swap cause it saves salary over the duration, but then I'm not sure how you fit him on this roster unless there are other movements and/or the kids start on the farm ('cept for Hall).
Do you then bury him in the minors for $3M a year ?
I to would agree if I was GM, I would take Bieksa over Souray. However, I did read that the reason Bieksa is expendable is because he does not want to follow a game plan. i.e. uncoachable
Lowtide,
ReplyDeleteAs you probably know, Fogolin was as tough as nails. I read an article once where Curt Brackenbury was renown for his fitness and strength level. Typically stated as the best on the team.
He would bring this fitness wheel into the workout room and compete with the other players. It's the little wheel with two handles and you start it under your body, say your chest and then roll it forward and then back again under your body.
The only player to keep up with Brackenbury was Fogolin.
Regwald: Oh God yes. Fogolin was a huge part of that Oiler team and was no doubt getting everything possible out of himself. Great Oiler.
ReplyDeleteHow about the time on the road when Fogolin ripped an abscessed tooth out with a coat hanger. Tough tough guy. Too bad things went sour with the organization.
ReplyDeleteLowetide,
ReplyDeleteYes, he was a great Oiler along with a few others (besides the banner boys).
I think it's time for the media to start pushing for the Oilers to begin honoring the past more than just the hall of famers.
It would be great to see a wall of fame or a walk of fame in the building and they could honour some of the old time Oiler players who lived and died orange and blue but not necessarily received the recognition.
Even back to the WHL days. They had some amazing
Stan Weir who you wrote about earlier, Dave Dryden, Dave Hunter, Randy Gregg, K-Lowe, Ranford and/or Cujo on down thru players through the leaner times like Weight and maybe Guerin, etc.
Anyways, it would be great if they could do something like that because unless a miracle occurs, there will not be a HHOF Oiler player unless someone from this current crop makes it happen.
I must admit, I really thought Nilsson would get snapped up by a team like PIT, maybe on a one year, 1 mil deal.
ReplyDeleteIf Nilsson spent as much energy chasing the puck as he did chasing tail he would have been an allstar.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, he was 4th on the team in RelCor and scored 1.49pts/60 5v5. Almost infinity better than JFJ.
Then again moving him makes room for Omark and Eberle on RW.
speeds: It may have come down to refusing to sign a 2-way contract. I think he'd have a real shot as a TC invite on a few teams.
ReplyDeleteAtlanta, for sure.
@ Hoil
ReplyDeleteBoth Environment Canada and Alberta Environment gave the thumbs up to the Tar Sands plan to create the "settling ponds" that will be sludgepools for hundreds of years.
BP cut costs by about 75K when they only put 3 emergency shut off valves on that pipe rather than the standard 8, and after those 3 were damaged, were months behind on the maintenance to get them replaced.
I call the Tar Sands intentional and the Gulf of Mexico accidental, but in reality, both are so far in the insanely stupid category that they really ought to give out Einstein's Infinite Universe Prizes to all parties.
If you don't know what I'm talking about, look here: Quote
Since H-bomb doesn't seem to be around to take care of business...
ReplyDeleteUnder no circumstances do I want Jason Blake anywhere near this team. Dirty, underhanded, candy-ass c*** who absolutely jobbed Fernando for the Masterson trophy because he played for the fucking Maple Leafs. To even think of him suiting up in the same copper and blue uniforms as Gretzky et al. is, in my opinion, sacrilige in that he is the antithesis of what the Oilers of old were known for.
He plays with the disgusting personality that just because he's an NHLer he's entitled to think that he's better than 99% of the people on the planet, even though he's regresed to a 4th line player on bad teams. He was caught up on a perfect storm-type of season, and wouldn't be in the NHL anymore if JFJ wasn't one of the biggest idiots in the NHL's history.
There are some people who I wouldn't brake if I saw them crossing the street. I'd speed up for Jason Blake.
DG beat me to it ever so slightly.
ReplyDeleteFuck.
All I can add is this:
There is no way in hell I am accepting a deal that sees that see you next Tuesday added to the team the same summer the man whose award he stole because he took a pill every day while not missing a single practice, but living in Toronto, is let go from the team do to his debilitating disease.
Hell no.
Oh, and WG:
ReplyDeleteI don't think Nilsson puts much effort into chasing tail... just a lot of time.
I always considered Greg Gross an oddity because he was one of the few ballplayers that wore glasses; Brian Downing and Teckulve were the only others and the latter was in a glass all his own because his glasses were tinted.
ReplyDeleteHey Dennis, your razor-sharp memory is failing you, son. There were a lot of ball players who wore glasses: Darrell Porter, Reggie Jackson, Tom Henke, Dick Allen, many more.
One famous glasses wearer of the past was Ryne Duren, who supposedly wore coke-bottle-thick glasses to complement his ~100 mph fastball. Just a trifle intimidating. Bill Veeck wrote about him in at least one of his (great!) books, probably "Veeck as in Wreck". His scouting report: "Ryne Duren could throw a baseball through a brick wall, but he probably couldn't see the wall." :)
So Chicago dumps Fraser, upgrades to Reasoner and then are forced by the Sharks (I assume) to downgrade to Jeff freakin' Taffe?...that really sucks for them, and Reasoner too I suppose
ReplyDeleteWhatever happened to Jeff Taffe, I recall a few years ago he was being touted a bit and looked like he had a bright future.
ReplyDeleteNow he looks like a career AHLer that can put up just under a point per game there, but can't get much more than spot duty in the NHL, even on some pretty awful teams.
It's hardly Blakes fault a bunch of east coast writers picked him instead of Pisani for the Masterson.
ReplyDeleteNot saying Blake isn't a douchebag or that I'd want him as an Oiler.
I'd rather swim in a tar sand sludge pool and eat the ducks floating around in there then see Robert Nilsson on the Oilers.
ReplyDeleteBruce: in my defense I'm thinking around the late 80's; that's when Gross the primary PH for some terrible Phillies clubs.
ReplyDeleteThat doesn't explain why I'd throw Teckulve in there though, does it?
Dennis: You probably confused him with Tom Henke?
ReplyDeleteNo, probably not. Tekulve was a one and only, for sure. Esp. in that stovepipe hat.
... and speaking of faulty memories, how the hell could I forget Ron Kittle?
ReplyDeleteYou're all out to lunch. Rance Mulliniks was the coolest glasses wearer.
ReplyDeleteJordan said...
ReplyDeleteBoth Environment Canada and Alberta Environment gave the thumbs up to the Tar Sands plan to create the "settling ponds" that will be sludgepools for hundreds of years.
BP cut costs by about 75K when they only put 3 emergency shut off valves on that pipe rather than the standard 8, and after those 3 were damaged, were months behind on the maintenance to get them replaced.
I call the Tar Sands intentional and the Gulf of Mexico accidental, but in reality, both are so far in the insanely stupid category that they really ought to give out Einstein's Infinite Universe Prizes to all parties.
I will try to make the oil debate point brief, since this isn’t a political blog. If the 1600 dead ducks in a tailings pond in northern Alberta were killed intentionally by Syncrude, does that mean that Al Gore intentionally chopped up the 1,962 birds & bats wiped out in the first 8 months of operation at Canada's second largest windfarm, Wolfe Island EcoPower Centre?
There is a separate, legitimate debate to be made over the existence of tailing ponds and whether any mitigating measures can adequately protect them, but there were deterrents and people in place (cannons, etc.) to prevent migratory bird deaths, until Syncrude got caught with their pants down in 2008 with inadequate readiness for the spring migration (& snowstorm).
As for the Gulf spill, BP has been accused of many things, by many people. If you find this stuff interesting, this site has some more technical info from guys that know a lot more than I do: (http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6421). Kind of like why I read this blog.
Back to hockey: With the Blake for Souray bit, I wasn’t pimping him as the guy I wanted on the Oilers, but responding to the linked article about potential trades. I was just playing with damage control mathematics.
I kill threads Cliff Claven style!
Heard a rumour that LT is going to "do" Oilers Lunch today. Not sure if that means a segment or the whole show or what.
ReplyDeleteHe's on now. Definitely a better radio guy than me. Smoooooth.
ReplyDeleteNice punt on the question about whether the MSM is too soft LT. ;)
ReplyDeleteLiking LT on Oilers Lunch, Disagree w/ view on MC79 guy only because to me he appears to be a unprofessional wad towards Tencer.
ReplyDeleteGood Riddance Rowbear and Kenta! Neither of you really brought much to the Oilers anyway.
ReplyDeleteI find it fitting that the picture of Rowbear in the Journal article is of him "attempting" to score a goal and being stopped.
Not like they could find a picture of the guy actually scoring.
sschulte1 - I don't think you can call me unprofessional, given that nobody's paying me anything.
ReplyDeleteTencer offers about the shallowest analysis in the world, has approximately zero self-awareness and has a view of his own skill that's about an order of magnitude too high.
He has a house and a passport though, which is still pretty impressive.
MC - In my viewing you seem to go out of your way to attack and question Tencer at every chance you get. He does a fine job on the radio but I will not disagree that he has his flaws but wow, comes across as jealousy from you. I was probably a little out of line with the unprofessional comment, and I do respect your blog and whatnot.
ReplyDeleteStream's bricked for me. Anyone else having issues?
ReplyDeleteAnd as I post that, the damn thing kicks in.
ReplyDeleteI'm a little weirded out by LT asking questions as opposed to giving positions on the air. I'd prefer a treatise from him on Oilers life "as it ought to be".
ReplyDeleteAlso, still won't buy that the beginning of the season was luck...we should have been in an even better position than we were as our execution was off.
That's great stuff LT-can't wait for the 1 hour special Pouliot:what might have been...:)
ReplyDeleteGreat job LT
ReplyDeleteStauffer comes across badly. He's probably a nice guy, but people who spend too much time on the radion end up sounding "like a radio guy." Not sure how that works. Youneed to sound confident and come up with a lot of new material. Eventually you end up sounding arrogant while making shit up.
mc79hockey,
ReplyDeleteMy issue with Tencer is he is one of the most uninformed hockey people in the main stream media.
I can believe his personality, schooling and presentation could get him in the door for the job with only limited or casual hockey knowledge.
However, since hockey is his focus, he should really start to get informed on the standard things. His lack of hockey knowledge is what I feel is below that average hockey fan.
The only reason I listen to his show is for the post-game scrums and to hear what Stauffer has to say - either inside stuff, trivia and stories.
In short, Tencer is awful and is not even trying to improve his knowledge.
Good to hear you on the radio LT.
ReplyDeleteHope you pop up there from time to time.
Ryan Smyth to Oilers dressing room after trade "I Messed up."
ReplyDeleteThat's some interesting stuff right there.
Ribs,
ReplyDeleteWas that from Stauffer ? I heard him say that one time on a post-game, but he wouldn't explain the whole story (he made it sound like he knew the details).
But said maybe some time in the future he would share it.
I don't think you can call me unprofessional, given that nobody's paying me anything.
ReplyDeleteMC: Isn't that the very definition of "unprofessional"? ;)
PS: Nice job, LT. Thanks for the shoutout for Derek's work at C&B, even as Stauffer credited "somewhere on the Internet".
Ribs,
ReplyDeleteI heard an unsubstantiated rumour that basically said they had verbally agreed on the number and when the went to finalize the last minute deal which pushed Lowe to a higher salary than they wanted, but wanted to get it done.
Then they, (his agent or smyth, not sure which), threw out there they wanted free use of luxury suite as part of the deal. I also heard another variation that said they asked $100K more per year after the verbal agreement.
Lowe thought they were trying to pull a fast one, he got pissed and they picked up the phone and made the deal to NYI.
How true ? no idea ... just rumours ...
Regwald- Yea, it was Stauffer. He didn't elaborate much more than that though.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard that story before.
Ribs,
ReplyDeleteAs per above my comment about Tencer's show. I would love to listen to MacT or OTC post game stuff and if Stauffer was on - quite often til 11 or Midnight, I would tune in.
Stauffer throws out some real gems sometimes.
Regwald- There was obviously a huge miscommunication that day.
ReplyDeleteI unfortunately missed it (at work), but congrats on your TEAM 1260 spot, Monsieur Lowetide.
ReplyDeleteRibs,
ReplyDeleteYup, I think there was. I also think when Smyth answered questions about the trade, I thought he said something about his agent handled it all.
Maybe this was a poker bluff gone bad - both ways.
Great to hear you on with Stauffer LT. It was a lot of fun to listen to you put Bob on the spot with your questions about Smyth and Souray.
ReplyDeleteOilers Report (http://twitter.com/OilersReport) has MAP signing a two-way for Stevie Y.
ReplyDeleteThey've been a pretty reliable source on all fronts.
Tampa also signed other ex-Oiler (4GP) Dan Lacroix as an Assistant coach.
ReplyDeleteGoodnight sweet prince.
ReplyDeleteMay you return when you are ready.
Add another to the pile:
ReplyDeleteWayne Flaming hired as Boucher's third assistant coach.
http://tampabay.sbnation.com/2010/7/23/1584960/lightning-hire-wayne-fleming-joins
And in news equivalent to the sun rising tomorrow morning, Sami Salo is injured again.
ReplyDeletePut a hold on any Bieksa trade.
Rumour has it "Salo injured" returns more results from Google than "Lohan jailed".
To the guys ripping on Jason Blake in my absence: good work guys. He's a piece of shit of the highest order and it would be shameful if he put on the Oilers jersey.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm thinking MAP still has a career in the NHL, one more significant than that of, oh, let's say Rob Schremp.
Maybe I'm alone on this, but I'll always believe Smyth had no intention of signing a deal before getting to test the FA waters that summer.
ReplyDeleteMy guess is that he intended to ultimately come back, but wanted to make sure he got top dollar for his last big payday (and fair enough from a guy who once came to TC without a deal).
Could be the "screwed up" part came from him not just levelling with them about the plan and making it clear he'd talk to them first, rather than faking negotiations and squirming out of verbal commitments.
I definitely believe he never thought there was a chance in hell of them trading him, and that the tears were 100% real because he wasn't really intending to leave.
Unlike Gretzky.