Babcock Interview (Since being hired by Saskatoon) "Something doesn't add up"

[PromisedLand]

I find it hard to digest that Babcock who works a lot for the mental health awareness does not respect other people's mental health.

Did he have ego struggle with a few folks along the way and rubbed them the wrong way? Sure. I assume people who have been lucky in life to get popularity/money/success have massive egos and when massive egos clash it is not pretty.

Calling him out on his coaching decisions because of lack of results (i.e. benching matthews in Game 7 against the bruins or riding marleau etc....) fair enough

But going full on character assassination without tremendous amount of proof or evidence is probably best avoided and not useful. His kids probably have to hear about it all the time as if Babcock is an evil person and that doesn't help anybody.

Time to move on....

My 2 cents.

 

[BertCorbeau]

“You can't have the wife I have and the kids I have and the family I have without being a good human being. I don't have any problem with that whatsoever."

What an unbelievable lack of self awareness from a real piece of garbage

Not sure what's worse about this.. The ignorance, or the lack of humility. These character flaws, outside of him looking like a total jackass, are the reason he's not in the NHL now.

Too stubborn to adapt or change his ways, and see what he's done wrong.

O-Dog nailed it IMO.

 

[ottomaddox]

Leaf fans still trying to fire Babcock. You can't be anymore fired then being fired.

Funny how no one hated Babs when he coached Canada in international play.

 

[GordieHoweHatTrick]

Leaf fans still trying to fire Babcock. You can't be anymore fired then being fired.

Funny how no one hated Babs when he coached Canada in international play.

It’s the mob mentality. People see others piling on and join in the fray. Some of Babcock’s actions are inexcusable but give it a rest already.

 

[IPS]

I find it hard to digest that Babcock who works a lot for the mental health awareness does not respect other people's mental health.

Great on him, but maybe he should examine himself. Johan Franzen's story is quite something. There's being a tough coach, and then there's being a vicious bully which Babcock clearly was. Stating facts isn't character assassination.

 

[Martin Skoula]

Leaf fans still trying to fire Babcock. You can't be anymore fired then being fired.

Funny how no one hated Babs when he coached Canada in international play.

What a miracle that he managed to win with a team that had 9 #1Cs and 7 #1Ds, truly the underdog story of the decade. I couldn't believe they managed to win 2-1 against powerhouse team Latvia, personally.

 

[willmma]

to be honest, I think far too much time is spent judging his shitty character rather than focussing on the much more relevant issue of his shitty coaching.

Exactly. Players hate him, fine.
My problem is that he got out coached in every playoff series.

 

[PromisedLand]

Great on him, but maybe he should examine himself. Johan Franzen's story is quite something. There's being a tough coach, and then there's being a vicious bully which Babcock clearly was. Stating facts isn't character assassination.

Would need other folks to speak up to certify that story. possible scenarios are:

• Franzen and Babcock both have massive ego; they clashed. Was Franzen going through something else in his private life that this clash broke the camel's back? Franzen probably wasnt playing up to 100% and got called out and thought "OMG nothing is going well in my life...."
• The only corroboration on this story comes from chillios and franzen himself; may be others should speak up including every player he has ever coached I guess to really get a consensus
• Franzen took Babcock's "hard treatment" as bullying
• May be Babcock was really bullying him and of course that is not acceptable
• Who really knows?

you see there are many layers to a story. If this case was in a court it would require many proofs and evidence. So far folks in media and social media have been judge, jury and executioner. Which I think is a bit unfar. If babcock really is a dick then sure call him out; if these are isolated cases of clashing egos then perhaps character assassination is not a good way to go about.

 

[Stephen]

I think it's time to move on.

The "old school" NHL coach is a notorious figure for terrorizing players, so at the end of the day, I don't know how atypical or extreme the Mike Babcock experience was compared to guys like Scotty Bowman, Ken Hitchcock, Mike Keenan, John Tortorella, maybe Pat Burns, or even some of the more unpopular jerk coaches the Leafs have recently employed that the fanbase hated like Randy Carlyle or Ron Wilson.

In the end, he did some good things for the team as part of a brain trust that brought the Leafs back to respectability, did some questionable things to individuals and fell on his face because he was too arrogant to work in a team structure towards a goal the fan base wanted to see.

Oh well, move on.

 

[Joey Hoser]

I'd bet he's unemployed less because of Franzen/Marner and more because of throwing Dubas under the bus & openly trying to show him up (not playing his guys like Holl, Spezza, etc).

Babcock was more invested in a power struggle with Dubas and ended up fired and made other GMs worry that he'd do the same to them.

Well the reason he's not working is the money thing. He makes like 5 million a year doing nothing. A team has to pay him at least that, or else he's paying to work.

 

[RogerR]

Keefe has an awful long way to go and a lot to prove.

He's doing better than Babcock with the same roster.
Point is his success is really making Babs' decisions look real bad

 

[Superstar]

Mike Babcock speaks on criticism: ‘Something doesn’t add up’

Babcock, 57, spoke on-air with conviction, enthusiasm and that unmistakable Sasky charm, all of which he’ll bring to his new gig coaching the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.

He touched on the past but focused on the future. He casually referred to the NHL as the “Income Tax League,” which is good line. And he boasted about his upcoming golf trip to the desert.

He also avoided words like “Marner” or “Franzen” or “sorry.” (Babcock’s prime-time interview Wednesday with Sportsnet’s Christine Simpson should be more challenging.)
People near to the serial winner advised Babcock to keep a low profile after his bench was transferred to Sheldon Keefe.

So, he cashed his hefty cheques — the Leafs owe Babcock $5.875 million per season until June 30, 2023 — and spent time outside with his passions (hunting, waterskiing, downhill skiing) and inside with his three 20-something children, stuck working via Zoom.

“When I got fired in Toronto, we went all-in on the entertainment,” Babcock said. “But after a while, you get tired of hearing some of the things. I think it's important you get to say your piece.
“None of us are perfect. We're all trying to get better.”

Even in his bubble, Babcock could feel the spears.

The infamous Mitch Marner list debacle looked awful. Former player Johan Franzen revealing his mental struggles in Detroit and telling Swedish outlet Expressen that Babcock was “a bully who was attacking people” and “the worst person I have ever met” looked worse. Chris Chelios, the Hall of Famer, backed up Franzen.

“I'm not a big media guy, following what's going on. You know if you're getting whacked or not. You also know in today's world, the way it is, even the people that really value you, it's hard for them to step up just because they're going to get whacked. I know who I am. I know what I've done. Some of this doesn't pass the smell test at all,” said Babcock, speaking during a family ski trip in Colorado.
“It’s just common sense. When you look at my career, I've always been hired by people who knew me. It's not like we had a Zoom meeting.”

Babcock rhymed off deep connections to the late Bryan Murray in Anaheim, Jim Nill and Ken Holland in Detroit, Steve Yzerman with Canada’s Olympic program, and Brendan Shanahan in Toronto. If they wanted to work with him after knowing the real Mike Babcock for years, he suggested, what’s the problem?

“Something doesn't add up,” Babcock said.

I'm surprised that he didn't say whenever he uses the term "gud pro", he's really referring to himself...

 

[Martin Skoula]

He's doing better than Babcock with the same roster.
Point is his success is really making Babs' decisions look real bad

How was Babs supposed to know that playing your best playmaker and goalscorer together would work? How was he supposed to know keeping your best RHD in the press box all year was a bad idea? Keefe just got lucky taking those crazy risks.

 

[Coachcorner]

Some coaches also I such favourite players whom they favourize. I've played miself so I remembers. Not all coaches are so clear with it though. Some have some bad habits. Drinking or and smoking makes them more eazed and relaxed. Worked well for some :thumb: :up:

 

[Thissiteisgarbage]

Babcock and today's generation are like oil and water. I'd be shocked if he gets results.

 

[Suntouchable13]

I don't really care about what kind of person he is. I am sure they are a few asshole players too that coaches have to deal with on a daily basis. I didn't like him at the end because of his very questionable coaching decisions. That's all, couldn't care less about his personality. There are very few "angels" in the Leafs dressing room, I bet.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

It’s the mob mentality. People see others piling on and join in the fray. Some of Babcock’s actions are inexcusable but give it a rest already.

“Sure he mentally tortured and scarred grown men, but give it a rest would ya?”

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Glad we fired him. I really don't care about any of the other B.S at this point. He is just another former coach that didn't work out.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Maybe if you weren’t a combative, vindictive, and uncooperative prick you’d still be Leafs coach.

 

[nuck]

He's doing better than Babcock with the same roster.
Point is his success is really making Babs' decisions look real bad

This years Leafs are the roster Babcock wanted. The most balanced group they have had in years. Some dangle out and some size and grit in. No dis on Keefe but he doesn't lap Babs until he wins a playoff round, otherwise its just another 100pt regular season club except this one doesn't see the Bolts or the Bruins.

 

[Cor]

Maybe if you weren’t a combative, vindictive, and uncooperative prick you’d still be Leafs coach.

lmao what a loser.

Dubas and Shanny gave you 2 and a bit years. Had nothing to do with “wanting his own guy”

 

[ShaneFalco]

Look at all these hens clucking away.

And you came from where?

 

[Ryan Michaels]

Honestly yeah Babcock is a dick but I thought everyone knew that from day one. When people talk about "old school coaches" that's basically what they're acknowledging. Yes Babcock is particularly bad for this because he's manipulative vs. just being hard on his players like Torts.

But that wasn't his problem in Toronto.(although his Spezza decision was just being an asshole and his arrogance was unhelpful)

He was a bad coach for the team, he either refused to adjust or was just past it. He had the gall to complain about his excellent roster, even unhappy when Dubas brought a dman he had on his Olympic team in Muzzin because he wasn't right handed....which yes, a right handed Muzzin would have been ideal but it was a great add.

He refused to play Matthews and Marner together, he refused to play Matthews more. He gaslighted many members of our fanbase into thinking this was somehow okay.

Our team played what I call Rocky Balboa defence, which entailed absorbing an enormous amount of pressure and getting punched in the face for 60 minutes a night which they obviously couldn't absorb with our personal.

Lineup choices were consistently bonkers. He's also the first coach I've ever seen get the pass "it is literally impossible to win with a bad backup goalie."

This team is way better with Keefe.

I don't hold his cruelty against him personally, I expected it. I hold against him that he made this team boring and didn't get results.

 

[Ryan Michaels]

to be honest, I think far too much time is spent judging his shitty character rather than focussing on the much more relevant issue of his shitty coaching.

Yup. I was not at all surprised Babcock was an ass, I assume this came with the territory of the "old school coach" thing...I thought that was part of their...I wanna say appeal? He did a bad job that's all I care about.

 

[Guy Boucher]

Well the reason he's not working is the money thing. He makes like 5 million a year doing nothing. A team has to pay him at least that, or else he's paying to work.

Not true. Another team can negotiate paying only a portion of it with MLSE.