A part of me also feels like the campaign they've run for Sullivan is making it harder for them to do what they should do. All they've done is blow his ego up every f***ing night - American coach that has won this, Penguins all time this, etc, running quotes that are brilliant in their tiny brains and how he has done this to healthy scratch to send a message that the players respect or some dumb shit.
When you've put a bloke on a pedestal and already erected his statue in their minds, it's hard for them to maybe realize or admit now that the only solution is the one that has worked before - Firing the coach. Also I don't get why anyone would feel that's a "coach killer" narrative, that's bullshit. Did anyone say that for Connor McScaredofKetchup?
In 8 Seasons he's had - McLellan, Hitchcock, Tippett, Woodcroft, and Knobber.
Crosby in 20 seasons - Edzo (.5), Therrien (3 seasons), Bylsma (5.5 seasons), Johnston (1.5), Sullivan (9.5 seasons)...
Wouldn't it be interesting Sullivan was actually trying to get fired because he's flat out professionally exhausted? But no matter what he does or doesn't do, he can't.
Maybe he's in a George Costanza predicament where USA Hockey wants to hire him to be head of it all, but he has to get fired first, so he's just hell-bent on phoning it in.
He's wearing around Mario's jersey, he stole the Jagr bobbleheads, he keeps touching Crosby's stick before a game, spikes Jarry's waterbottle with muscle sedatives...
I mean, that would be something, lol. At this point I think the character of George Costanza would do a better job. At least he'd flip out, then get fird and on the way out eat half of Crosby's discarded Sandwich out of the trash can or something.