Babcock fired by the Leafs discussion

[MilkofthePoppy]

I knew Babcock was completely fake when the camera zoomed in on his face after Matthews scored his 40th and the Leafs clinched the playoffs in 2017. He looked angry. Dude is a complete fraud.

 

[AustonMarner]

lol

 

[JT AM da real deal]

by Bert - do you mean Templeton?
if so, he was also a very poor human being ... being from Hamilton I knew a number of players that played for him ... some stories are meant to be kept secret but I will say he was a good coach but not a good person at all

I did not play for him but played on teams against his team .. back then guys were not really individuals but tools for da coach to utilize .. he always had big tough teams and we ended up with more line brawls against Bert than any other coach .. he gave me a decent reference going to Indi so can't say anything bad about him even though i only saw him in hallways

 

[Gary Nylund]

Not sure if it's been said already but if it has, IMO it's worth repeating so here goes - LOL Babs.

 

[cyris]

Having watched Jarmo and JD’s press conference I wouldn’t be surprised if more comes out about what really happened.

 

[freshwind]

I did not play for him but played on teams against his team .. back then guys were not really individuals but tools for da coach to utilize .. he always had big tough teams and we ended up with more line brawls against Bert than any other coach .. he gave me a decent reference going to Indi so can't say anything bad about him even though i only saw him in hallways

i could tell some stories ... a few household names involved .... but an anonymous internet forum isn't the place .... maybe over a brown pop one day lol
what i need to know - did you ever fight cementhead when he was with the fincups lol

 

[Suntouchable13]

Makes you wonder why he like Hyman so much. Hyman probably handed him over his phone no problem during their first meeting, and he was a saint probably had nothing questionable or risqué on his phone.

 

[Martin Skoula]

Makes you wonder why he like Hyman so much. Hyman probably handed him over his phone no problem during their first meeting, and he was a saint probably had nothing questionable or risqué on his phone.

I’m more interested in the Marleau situation, he could half ass his game to protect his iron man streak and still get PP time in the playoffs. Then he “adopts” Marner and Matthews and teaches them to play soft and max out their money on short contracts just like he did. Matthews has a public incident with the cop and Marleau tells him to hide it from the team. Marleau goes back on his arrangement to waive his NMC for a California team, gets traded and bought out, and all of a sudden Babcock loses the room overnight.

As a “father figure” to Marner and Matthews, you’d think Marleau would have quite a bit of blackmail material to share with Babs in exchange for never getting scratched, rested, or expected to contribute physically to preserve his iron man streak. As soon as the Matthews situation went public without Babs knowing about it from Marleau before the media picked it up, Babs’ iron man promise seemed to have gone away and Marleau’s cooperation on his NMC dropped off overnight.

 

[Apex Predator]

I would love to know Babcocks line of thinking of going through someone’s photos and what he wanted to accomplish? What in his mind make him think this was a good idea and will get the boys to play hard for me.

 

[Rob Brown]

lol

lmao

 

[Martin Skoula]

I would love to know Babcocks line of thinking of going through someone’s photos and what he wanted to accomplish? What in his mind make him think this was a good idea and will get the boys to play hard for me.

It’s not enough to coach normally and run better X’s and O’s than the other coach, it’s important to reinvent the wheel with Saskatchewan Science so people will write about how genius Mike Babcock is when Mike Babcock inevitably wins the next 5 cups. If Mike Babcock wins a cup in a boring way that doesn’t result in people sharing urban legends about Mike Babcock’s elite mind games at their local Don Cherry’s, was that cup even really won?

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

This whole saga also continues to show how useless and spineless NHL insiders are. God forbid they do any real journalism lest they step on some toes and lose access. More than happy to launder Babs' reputation though despite what a scumf*** he was and continues to be.

 

[Niagara Bill]

I would love to know Babcocks line of thinking of going through someone’s photos and what he wanted to accomplish? What in his mind make him think this was a good idea and will get the boys to play hard for me.

Who said he went through their photos? He asked to see their families. They are important.
What do you think he was doing, picking out a 6 year old?
Time will tell...
But players from 2018 Jr team are still playing...seems so much more serious.
Almost every guy in charge of discipline in NHL was a goon
These Blue Jackets are not children.
Hard to see Bissonette and Commodore setting standards, two guys who are total malcontents for their entire careers.
But this is 2023.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Who said he went through their photos? He asked to see their families. They are important.

 

[Niagara Bill]

I get this, just not sure context and source. Wokeness is not always fully informed. So, a 35 year old man felt compelled to allow Babcock to flip through phone numbers, texts, pictures of all kinds, videos and gave him password or codes?
Got to have more info than this. Babcock is no innocent guy for sure, but sounds a lot like a linching by Bissonette and Commodore

 

[MilkofthePoppy]

As far as I am concerned Elliote Friedman lost all credibility from this issue. For all the talk of cleaning up the league, he and the rest of the traditional hockey media was ready to put this to bed.

6 Days ago Elliote Friedman wrote an article entitled - "For Babcock and the Blue Jackets the standard is nothing short of perfection"

1 Day ago Elliote Friedman writes about the predictable demise of Mike Babcock.

Friedman and the rest of the bozos at TSN, Sportsnet, and the Athletic got outshone by a couple former player dudebros.

 

[Peasy]

This whole saga also continues to show how useless and spineless NHL insiders are. God forbid they do any real journalism lest they step on some toes and lose access. More than happy to launder Babs' reputation though despite what a scumf*** he was and continues to be.

Always funny to watch them instantly turn once the shoe drops.

As far as I am concerned Elliote Friedman lost all credibility from this issue. For all the talk of cleaning up the league, he and the rest of the traditional hockey media was ready to put this to bed.

6 Days ago Elliote Friedman wrote an article entitled - "For Babcock and the Blue Jackets the standard is nothing short of perfection"

1 Day ago Elliote Friedman writes about the predictable demise of Mike Babcock.

Friedman and the rest of the bozos at TSN, Sportsnet, and the Athletic got outshone by a couple former player dudebros.

Friedman is so pathetic nowadays. Can't believe so many people still like him. After the Kyle Beech stuff on podcast I remember him saying that he felt bad he didnt dig into the story more when it was going on and he wouldn't do that again. And here we are. Talk is cheap.

 

[AustonMarner]

lmao

*footage of Babcock looking at people's phones

 

[ACC1224]

Ya its easy for the older wiser of us to come to the conclusion "Hey maybe I shouldn't give this guy my phone"

Different story for younger more naive 18-25 year olds. Realistically they are thinking this is probably my one shot at a 500k salary, even for a few years I better do as Mr. Babcock wants.

Jenner etc. have nothing to worry about, the younger guys on their first contracts?

Were there that many young guys involved? I assumed it was more the core players

 

[Apex Predator]

Friedman was talking about this on Hafford and Brough show this morning and mentioned he did this with the leafs. Marleau and Hainsey had no issue with giving the phone.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

I get this, just not sure context and source. Wokeness is not always fully informed. So, a 35 year old man felt compelled to allow Babcock to flip through phone numbers, texts, pictures of all kinds, videos and gave him password or codes?
Got to have more info than this. Babcock is no innocent guy for sure, but sounds a lot like a linching by Bissonette and Commodore

I think it’s hilarious to cast Bisonette, Spittin Chiclets, the NHLPA, and the NHL in general as being “woke.” This is a league that just 86’d pride jerseys, the last word to describe anything regarding the NHL would be woke.

I don’t know what more you need information-wise. No boss should be scrolling through any employees phone, least of all outside of team facilities. Hell most people don’t allow their friends, family, or spouses to go through their phones. It’s an insane breach of privacy. Also, it’s been made clear that it was young players that were made to feel uncomfortable by Babcock, not a veteran, though Babcock has gone out of his way to terrorize and play games with veterans in the past (Franzen, Modano, Spezza).

Babcock has shown time and again he’s not trustworthy with any sensitive information regarding players, especially young ones. He screwed Marner with vets when he was just 19. What the hell would he do to rookies coming into Columbus after he just went digging through their personal lives?

 

[Maple Leaf]

what did bavobck do with marner?

 

[Stephen]

An interesting person to read about is Scotty Bowman, who was completely despised by his players and intentionally difficult. I wouldn't be surprised if Bowman had a lot of influence on Babcock's development as that kind of coach.

"Scotty Bowman is not someone who is easy to like ... He doesn't call anyone by his nickname ... He is complex, confusing, misunderstood, unclear in every way but one ... He is a brilliant coach, the best of his time."

No coach in the history of sports has been more successful and more despised by his players than Scotty Bowman. Part dictator, part drill sergeant, part psychologist, and according to most of his players, part psychotic.

His enemies pile up with the victories. He doesn't like his players, and they don't like him. He doesn't care.

"Some people don't like Scotty," Detroit's Brendan Shanahan said. "So what? As a player, you trust him when he tells you to do something. Trust, I think, is the key to his relationship with players."

"You hated him for 364 days a year. And on the 365th day, you collected your Stanley Cup rings." _ Former NHL player Steve Shutt

A toy train runs through his office, a picture of the Stanley Cup hangs on his wall. He's 63 years old. He has won five Stanley Cups and, as coach of the Detroit Red Wings, is two victories away from his sixth.

He has won more games than any other coach who has stood behind an NHL bench. More regular-season games, more playoff games.

And more mind games.

William Scott Bowman: This is your life.

"He has the personality of a (expletive) sandwich."

_ NHL player Shawn Burr

Along the way, he never mellowed, never warmed. He still screams, he still ignores, he still alienates. Call him The Grate Dictator.

Last summer he traded Ciccarelli the day before Ciccarelli's three children began the school year. Ciccarelli thinks the trade had been worked out for months but that Bowman waited until the timing was the worst for the Ciccarelli family.

Why would he do that?

"Because that's Scotty," Ciccarelli said. "That's how he works."

Of course, ask Bowman about any of this and he just plays more mind games. It's all about winning, he says, improving the team. There's nothing personal. Just business.

"He's never tried to be anybody's friend. He's never even tried to pretend to be anybody's friend."

Bowman occasionally schedules a practice so early that players have to fight rush-hour traffic. Then he holds them for late-afternoon meetings so they have to fight rush-hour traffic to get home.

Bowman: master of the mind game

"Scotty Bowman is not someone who is easy to like ... He doesn't call anyone by his nickname ... He is complex, confusing, misunderstood, unclear in every way but one ... He is a brilliant...

www.tampabay.com

 

[Kiwi]

Were there that many young guys involved? I assumed it was more the core players

Sounds like he did it with everybody, including people in management as a "get to know each other" type thing

It does seem like the older players and management types had less of an issue with this than the younger guys but he does have a history of doing egregious things to the less experienced guys

 

[Guided by Veseys]

I was kind of interested to see how he would fare in Columbus so ultimately I’m disappointed that he is finished before he even started. It’s a bit of a letdown actually. Too big of a weirdo to coach anymore I guess, not entirely surprising.