AUDIO - Cam Neely looses it on 98.5 as Felger and Mazz pound him with questions

[Therick67]

Maybe I'm remembering it wrong, but Harry had a temper.

 

[bp13]

Possible. But that's not the point.

The point is that both Neely and Sweeney have mentioned that it got them cap flexibility on multiple occasions (re the Savard/Smith trade). I haven't heard JJ say that. I may have and forgotten. It's just not factual. The cap situation remains the same, only the dollars paid changed. I doubt JJ said no though. He allowed Chiarelli to use it any year he wanted to.

No one has asked them to explain this "cap flexibility" that trade (Savard) brought them.

I feel like the Smith trade had much more to do with things GM's don't put out there for public consumption. My read is that the "passenger" talk this team's young "leaders" (Marchand, Krug) were so fond of mentioning referred to Smith in particular. And I think Sweeney/Neely felt they were getting a player who'd benefit them by making them a little "heavier" on the right wing. You know, that "heavy" crap Neely is always talking about.

so ultimately I think they envisioned a little addition by subtraction as well as finding a better fit. Obviously after year one, they seem wrong again.

 

[Artemis]

Felger should be the president of the Bruins.

Nah, he should be coach. I'd pay to see him panicking behind the bench.

 

[Gee Wally]

Maybe I'm remembering it wrong, but Harry had a temper.

Huge temper.
But back in those days he could get away with it. Too much has changed now in this world.

 

[Roll 4 Lines]

Wish it was me asking the questions

Oh boy, do I share this sentiment!

Actually thought it was pretty tame, considering the title of this thread.

Cam could make everything real easy by just saying something along the lines of "The buck stops here."

 

[bp13]

Maybe I'm remembering it wrong, but Harry had a temper.

And he was vindictive.

You can't help but look at how quickly guys like Seguin, Hamilton, Smith get jettisoned once there are "issues" and wonder whether Harry's fingerprints aren't still detectable. Then you add in the money grab effort that was the keeping of Loui and addition of assets at the deadline and there's real reason for worry.

I don't know...something smells funny over there.

 

[Therick67]

Huge temper.
But back in those days he could get away with it. Too much has changed now in this world.

Sure. I'm just trying to debunk the notion that a Manager at that position can't have a temper, because we had a guy for a couple of decades who did.

I completely understand you can't get away with things you could in the past.

 

[HiyaGeorgii]

Too bad the players didn't have the same fire. At least Cam represents much of the fan base. Obviously not the passive ones, but the ones that actually wear their heart on their sleeve and get mad and actually hold the players accountable.

 

[Mpasta]

It's unhealthy to lose your temper but it happens to everybody. For instance, I get irrationally upset when people spell a simple word wrong.

 

[rocketdan9]

I will say this, then let you guys have your discussion. Everyone has the ability to make their own choices, so you can choose to believe what you want.

I have no ties to the Bruins and therefore I can say what I want, when I want without fear of losing my job, or being blacklisted by the team or what have you. Maybe some in the media in Boston have to keep that in the back of their minds. I don't know.

Dan (DKH) will tell you I had this phone conversation with him sometime last season (2014-2015). I told him then, watch out for Sinden and watch out for Neely. None of this cam out in the Boston media until this season.

When we were talking, Dan started about the Seguin trade and Chiarelli when I interrupted him and said "hold on a second Dan, it wasn't Chiarelli's choice to trade him, he was told to get the best deal possible for him." Dan was shocked but here we are today. I'm not about to say it was Neely, not about to say it was Sinden. But what we heard Neely say at the presser (despite KPD (?) saying Neely doesn't have to sign off on trades) he has the ability to stop trades. Not just Sweeney's, he had that right to stop Chiarelli's deals as well. It's the President's job. And as Dan has told us many times, he used that authority given to him under the NHL constitution to stop a Chiarelli deal with Arizona.

Those are facts. By Neely's own admission, despite what has been written in the papers, and what I have been trying to say here for over a year.

Here's how I see recent events. Neely met with JJ a week prior to the presser. IMO Neely was told last chance and thus JJ and Charlie basically came out and said the buck stops with Neely. It's on him. This set up Neely to be the fall guy next offseason if things don't improve.

My problem is that Neely acts on emotion. And if he could, he would blow things up out of haste. The Bruins need a calm, rational, level headed person with patience to see this through.

Enter Don Sweeney.

Sweeney is exactly that and he will keep Cam on a level keel. The problem is that it should be the other way around. Neely is the one who should be keeping things level headed.

Don't really care who reads this, I know someone in the Bruins organization will read this. Personally, I think Sweeney has been given the green light from JJ to do as he sees fit and that began with keeping Julien in place. But if that's not the case, then Neely will ultimately be released before Sweeney.

They made the bed. Neely is responsible for what happens. Now we wait for success, or the shoe to drop.

IMO they will all get fired as a package . Not only Cam.

In any case, the next president can fire Sweeney if they don't meet eye to eye .

 

[ODAAT]

It's unhealthy to lose your temper but it happens to everybody. For instance, I get irrationally upset when people spell a simple word wrong.

sure, everyone has moments where they lose their temper but in the business Cam`s in, if he`s making decisions while boiling over with various emotions attached, does that sound like the kind of guy you want having one of, if not the final say?

Now, I have no evidence that Cam has made any swift moves solely based on emotion, love his passion, no doubt he wants only the best for the B`s but there also has to be a side to a GM/Prez where they allow themselves to cool down, come up with a basic and sane needs assessment and move forward, not 100% sure that would be in Cam`s comfort zone

 

[HiyaGeorgii]

I feel like the Smith trade had much more to do with things GM's don't put out there for public consumption. My read is that the "passenger" talk this team's young "leaders" (Marchand, Krug) were so fond of mentioning referred to Smith in particular. And I think Sweeney/Neely felt they were getting a player who'd benefit them by making them a little "heavier" on the right wing. You know, that "heavy" crap Neely is always talking about.

so ultimately I think they envisioned a little addition by subtraction as well as finding a better fit. Obviously after year one, they seem wrong again.

And after the Habs exposed them in '14 he was saying we need more skill.

Then when they draft skilled players like Koko and sign Czarnik we never see them. I would have taken a green Czarnik or "lazy" Koko over a crappy Kemp any day of the week.

 

[ODAAT]

And after the Habs exposed them in '14 he was saying we need more skill.

Then when they draft skilled players like Koko and sign Czarnik we never see them. I would have taken a green Czarnik or "lazy" Koko over a crappy Kemp any day of the week.

the biggest need is to find players (specifically D-men) who are, at the very least fast enough to keep up with the pace of the game and have those players have the skill level to compete at the NHL level

It appears based on their picks last summer, they identified D-men who have mobility, issue is, most likely those kids will need time

 

[Therick67]

You can have a team with a mix of speed, skill and grit/heaviness - It's not all one or the other.

The best teams in the league have that mix.

 

[Ozamataz Buckshank]

I listened to the whole thing hoping for some goods and that just seemed pretty tame. Felger and Mazz tried to poke the bear and Cam was just a little frustrated, but I don't blame him as they are pretty horrible. The organization is under no obligation to explain to them the inner workings of the front office and who gets final say on certain decisions and who is accountable in the end.

 

[Therick67]

I listened to the whole thing hoping for some goods and that just seemed pretty tame. Felger and Mazz tried to poke the bear and Cam was just a little frustrated, but I don't blame him as they are pretty horrible. The organization is under no obligation to explain to them the inner workings of the front office and who gets final say on certain decisions and who is accountable in the end.

if the organization is going to make itself available to the media, should they just get all soft ball questions?

The fans would like some answers and this is how they get information.

Something as simple as, who has the final say shouldn't be a tough question.

 

[GloryDaze4877]

Felger should be the president of the Bruins.

You seem to be pretty knowledgeable, but when you say stuff like this (and appear to mean it) I have a heard time taking you seriously as a poster.

 

[ranold26]

if you think anything drastic will change before Chara finishes his contract and retires as a Bruin, you're foolishly mistaken.
Even then, until they move out major money to land one or two top defencemen, keep smoking the rainbow while riding that unicorn.

 

[WhalerTurnedBruin55]

if you think anything drastic will change before Chara finishes his contract and retires as a Bruin, you're foolishly mistaken.
Even then, until they move out major money to land one or two top defencemen, keep smoking the rainbow while riding that unicorn.

Bruins win the lotto in 2019. Return to contender form in 2024; sound about right?

 

[Saxon Eric]

I found nothing wrong with the interview, I liked the questions asked and I thought Cam answered them politically correct and as vanilla as he could, which is to be expected in this day and age unfortunately.
We are back to the dark days of 2006-2007 till further notice

 

[Therick67]

Bruins win the lotto in 2019. Return to contender form in 2024; sound about right?

Sure to be the worst jackpot in lotto history

 

[Ice Nine]

I will say this, then let you guys have your discussion. Everyone has the ability to make their own choices, so you can choose to believe what you want.

I have no ties to the Bruins and therefore I can say what I want, when I want without fear of losing my job, or being blacklisted by the team or what have you. Maybe some in the media in Boston have to keep that in the back of their minds. I don't know.

Dan (DKH) will tell you I had this phone conversation with him sometime last season (2014-2015). I told him then, watch out for Sinden and watch out for Neely. None of this cam out in the Boston media until this season.

When we were talking, Dan started about the Seguin trade and Chiarelli when I interrupted him and said "hold on a second Dan, it wasn't Chiarelli's choice to trade him, he was told to get the best deal possible for him." Dan was shocked but here we are today. I'm not about to say it was Neely, not about to say it was Sinden. But what we heard Neely say at the presser (despite KPD (?) saying Neely doesn't have to sign off on trades) he has the ability to stop trades. Not just Sweeney's, he had that right to stop Chiarelli's deals as well. It's the President's job. And as Dan has told us many times, he used that authority given to him under the NHL constitution to stop a Chiarelli deal with Arizona.

Those are facts. By Neely's own admission, despite what has been written in the papers, and what I have been trying to say here for over a year.

Here's how I see recent events. Neely met with JJ a week prior to the presser. IMO Neely was told last chance and thus JJ and Charlie basically came out and said the buck stops with Neely. It's on him. This set up Neely to be the fall guy next offseason if things don't improve.

My problem is that Neely acts on emotion. And if he could, he would blow things up out of haste. The Bruins need a calm, rational, level headed person with patience to see this through.

Enter Don Sweeney.

Sweeney is exactly that and he will keep Cam on a level keel. The problem is that it should be the other way around. Neely is the one who should be keeping things level headed.

Don't really care who reads this, I know someone in the Bruins organization will read this. Personally, I think Sweeney has been given the green light from JJ to do as he sees fit and that began with keeping Julien in place. But if that's not the case, then Neely will ultimately be released before Sweeney.

They made the bed. Neely is responsible for what happens. Now we wait for success, or the shoe to drop.

Fantastic insight. Absolutely cracking stuff, Dom.

 

[BMC]

Yeah we don't see eye to eye on this one. The defense "wasn't as good as they hoped it would be"? How could they hope that defense is anything but terrible? It's a terrible group! Did he not watch Chara and Seidenberg the prior seasons meltdown? They invested nothing to improve that defense and it once again sucked. And Rask!? Yeah he wasn't very good, but he didn't let Cam down as much as they let him down by forcing him to play net behind an AHL defense. In my eyes there is no ambiguity on this. That defense sucks, they should have known it sucked and pretending like they might have had higher expectations or the goalie was an issue is being ignorant.

And this whole emphasis on making the playoffs terrifies me. This is Sinden type crap. It's not a "tournament". Teams with crap defenses don't win. Acting like you're all pissed you didn't win the booby prize and get smoked in a week comes across as a smokescreen. So many other things to be legitimately pissed about.

Way to nail it!

Management did nothing to improve the defense until they acquired John-Michael Liles at the deadline. The deadline FFS!!!!! 65 games into the season with an AHL caliber (I'm being kind here) defense, THEN they decide to make a move. I'm not slagging on Liles, he was good during his brief stint here. But he wasn't & isn't the answer to the black hole that is now the Bruins' defensive corps. He was a band aid for a defense that needed a tourniquet.

So I don't want to hear any bovine excrement about how disappointed & ticked off management is that the team didn't make the playoffs again. This edition of the Bruins was not a playoff caliber team from the opening of training camp to the end of the season.

 

[Ice Nine]

And he was vindictive.

You can't help but look at how quickly guys like Seguin, Hamilton, Smith get jettisoned once there are "issues" and wonder whether Harry's fingerprints aren't still detectable. Then you add in the money grab effort that was the keeping of Loui and addition of assets at the deadline and there's real reason for worry.

I don't know...something smells funny over there.

Bang on, again.

I'm also highly skeptical about what Cam has said about why Loui wasn't moved.

 

[the overrated]

Firstly, thanks to Dom for all of his insight lately. I feel like quite a few talking points have been neutered because of the knowledge that he's bringing to the conversations.

I am with you on this one. I like having Cam as the president. He has passion and bleeds black and gold. I prefer that over some professional suit with standard answers.

I don't have any stats in front of me to prove what I'm about to say, but I'm willing to wager that the teams that hire professional suits with standard answers do better than teams that hire guys based on what color their blood is & what their passion-level is.

From what I've seen from Neely, he's a good figurehead and a great cheerleader, but I haven't seen enough (save that one, oft-mentioned vetoed trade) from him to say that I'd prefer him to someone with more professionalism. Put me in the "would like a more professional, less passionate President" column.