Official Francesco Aquilini Thread

[Hollywood Burrows]

He’s clearly not a good writer and perhaps that’s reflective of his intelligence. Who knows. But I’m far more concerned with his hands-on involvement with the team and his shielding of Benning from consequences for years.

Whether that comes from stupidity or (more likely) vanity, is immaterial. I just want him to stop doing it.

The same idiot that sends emails to Tom Brady without letting his people check them over is the same guy that sits in on contract negotiations and talks daily with Benning about team moves despite no qualifications or experience

 

[Diversification]

The same idiot that sends emails to Tom Brady without letting his people check them over is the same guy that sits in on contract negotiations and talks daily with Benning about team moves despite no qualifications or experience

If I was a billionaire I'd find it crazy stifling if had to have my people check over informal emails I send to people on my phone. If he wants to show off his seventh grade level writing skills to an NFL QB to arrange dinner plans and a motivational talk for his players, I have no problem with that.

You and I both have a problem with the latter (meddling). And I'm saying I would still have that problem even if he composes beautifully written emails.

 

[Bojack Horvatman]

These guys are in this together. Aquilini loves thinking he's a super smart sports guy and acting as de-facto President of the team and the last thing he wants is to admit failure and to be forced to step back and hire and actual President to run the team, or worse yet to have his bum spanked by his dad and brothers and have the toy taken away from him.

So he will just try to keep digging downward with Benning instead of trying to crawl upward without him.

Yup. The number 1 priority for Francesco is that he gets to play with his toy. Everything else like on and off ice success is secondary. How much rope you get depends on this. This is why Nonis and Gillis were fired pretty much the instant things went south. While Jim Benning would of been fired about 5 times by now in a normal organization, and is still given a chance to turn things around. Benning won't be fired until he goes against Frankie, or if the optics get so bad he has no other choice. We're probably at that point now actually, but ownership had no contingency plans and still seem to be in denial.

 

[krutovsdonut]

it's quite amusing and I think revealing of his management style that he would send out an email containing the sentence "I hope your enjoying your off season with your family after your incredible championship season"

that is a pretty interesting social negotiation. it could be worthy of thackeray if we had the spouse chatter.

aquaman, the aggressive social climber, starts off with an innocuous get together request, then tries imposing on brady to be eye candy at his oscar party thousands of miles away, and then goes for the team meeting.

brady, the established social giant, plays it effortlessly polite and cool the whole time, but ends up getting to flog his personal training business to a group of prime potential customers.

i kind of wonder how much of this was driven by back channel discussion involving their spouses in which giselle played martine like a fiddle to get brady the team meeting he wanted.

 

[Hit the post]

These guys are in this together. Aquilini loves thinking he's a super smart sports guy and acting as de-facto President of the team and the last thing he wants is to admit failure and to be forced to step back and hire and actual President to run the team, or worse yet to have his bum spanked by his dad and brothers and have the toy taken away from him.

So he will just try to keep digging downward with Benning instead of trying to crawl upward without him.

He thinks he's Jerry Jones. Only Jim Benning isn't Jimmy Johnson (and we all know what happened to the Cowboys after Jones got rid of Johnson).

 

[tantalum]

This is really my only hope. The media here has been complacent in the pathetic performance of this team forever. I think the general fan reaction to this gong show has (finally) gotten them to change face... Knowing the media though, they'll win 2 games in a row and proclaim we owe Jim an apology

Well based on the (accurate) hit piece in the Athletic today the actions over the last 48 hours are backfiring. The organization is dead in the water if they don’t figure things out now OR if they do whenever the next inevitable swoon happens. So basically screwed either way. It will become untenable for the, as attendance drops, players want out etc etc. Ownership currently on sidelines will have to make changes or watch the value of their franchise plummet.

Best thing that can happen is vocal dissent within the building, people cancelling ticket deposits, and yes even jerseys on ice. Sometimes when dealing with idiots you need to make it crystal clear.

 

[Hit the post]

Well based on the (accurate) hit piece in the Athletic today the actions over the last 48 hours are backfiring. The organization is dead in the water if they don’t figure things out now OR if they do whenever the next inevitable swoon happens. So basically screwed either way. It will become untenable for the, as attendance drops, players want out etc etc. Ownership currently on sidelines will have to make changes or watch the value of their franchise plummet.

Best thing that can happen is vocal dissent within the building, people cancelling ticket deposits, and yes even jerseys on ice. Sometimes when dealing with idiots you need to make it crystal clear.

If you're a highly qualified potential candidate for the job, would you seriously want to sign here with that owner? Sure, if they were paid MILLIONS and a long-term deal. Not sure Frankie would open up his wallet that much & make that kind of commitment. DimJim likes being a 'yes man'; that's why he's still the GM.

 

[MS]

Well based on the (accurate) hit piece in the Athletic today the actions over the last 48 hours are backfiring. The organization is dead in the water if they don’t figure things out now OR if they do whenever the next inevitable swoon happens. So basically screwed either way. It will become untenable for the, as attendance drops, players want out etc etc. Ownership currently on sidelines will have to make changes or watch the value of their franchise plummet.

Best thing that can happen is vocal dissent within the building, people cancelling ticket deposits, and yes even jerseys on ice. Sometimes when dealing with idiots you need to make it crystal clear.

Drance has buried them as well.

The media is finally turning.

 

[hlrsr]

That Athletic piece really read like it was written by someone from HF. Nailed everything.

 

[Ainec]

Can someone send me a link of the tom brady msg?

Thanks

 

[tantalum]

Drance has buried them as well.

The media is finally turning.

Yep. Even Farhan on the podcast who seems to think players should play to their best ability even if everything else is shit conceded at the end of the last one Drance was correct. Sure it would be good if Boeser and Pettersson were playing well. Doesn’t change this from being a bad team.

It also ignores that they are getting normal or better than normal numbers from Miller, Garland, Hughes and Horvat. Needing the other two to be at their best as well is the same as saying the team just isn’t constructed properly. They can’t weather any storm. Anything goes wrong and they sink to the bottom of the standings.

Media would have turned earlier if it wasn’t for the unfortunate passing of Botchford I think.

 

[F A N]

Drance has buried them as well.

The media is finally turning.

Until the next time he goes on the Sportsnet TV broadcast.

 

[tantalum]

If you're a highly qualified potential candidate for the job, would you seriously want to sign here with that owner? Sure, if they were paid MILLIONS and a long-term deal. Not sure Frankie would open up his wallet that much & make that kind of commitment. DimJim likes being a 'yes man'; that's why he's still the GM.

That’s why the light at the end of the tunnel only becomes visible when The Aquilini Group re-orgs the person at the top and puts in a president. Even if they take the proper step of firing Benning until they address FA the same shit is going to continue to happen. Though it could be better because I do not believe FA is picking out individual players to add to the team or saying trade this pick…at least not for most of the minor adds. We know he wanted Brad Richards and Nonis rightfully fell on his own knife, but the colossal pro-scouting mistakes are on Benning. The lack of a backbone is on Benning. He doesn’t have to be a guy completely under someone else’s thumb…he chooses to be as you say.

 

[SamInVan]

Reminder.

The Aquilini group stiffed migrant workers wages to the tune of $120k and more recently breached a contract with a high tech company for software installed to the tune of $600k. Guilty by the courts both times.

It is one thing to ice a crappy hockey team year after year and call it progress...but this organization goes the extra mile by holding the media accountable for negative reporting and the players accountable for underperforming (hmmmm...heard that one before)...meanwhile Jim, Travis and the rest of the idiots escape criticism.

Travis and Jim aren't going anywhere and anyone following the team during the past 8+ years knows it.

Sucks being a Canucks fan but here we are.

 

[ChilliBilly]

Reminder.

The Aquilini group stiffed migrant workers wages to the tune of $120k and more recently breached a contract with a high tech company for software installed to the tune of $600k. Guilty by the courts both times.

It is one thing to ice a crappy hockey team year after year and call it progress...but this organization goes the extra mile by holding the media accountable for negative reporting and the players accountable for underperforming (hmmmm...heard that one before)...meanwhile Jim, Travis and the rest of the idiots escape criticism.

Travis and Jim aren't going anywhere and anyone following the team during the past 8+ years knows it.

Sucks being a Canucks fan but here we are.

I played golf with a guy who worked for the Canucks. (Rather not give more details as I like the guy). Anyhow, the general consensus was that Mike Gillis was liked and respected by everyone, and that they also all knew that FA was a slimy piece of work. Cheating on his wife. Sued by his business partners. Etc. This was just before Gillis was fired.

It is indeed painful to be a Canuck fan. One of our best players ever looks to be disinterested.

It is unfathomable that Benning has lasted this long. And Green for that matter.

 

[Peen]

I played golf with a guy who worked for the Canucks. (Rather not give more details as I like the guy). Anyhow, the general consensus was that Mike Gillis was liked and respected by everyone, and that they also all knew that FA was a slimy piece of work. Cheating on his wife. Sued by his business partners. Etc. This was just before Gillis was fired.

It is indeed painful to be a Canuck fan. One of our best players ever looks to be disinterested.

It is unfathomable that Benning has lasted this long. And Green for that matter.

Frankie would openly walk around the stadium at the 200 level with different instagram model types all the time.

I always assumed he was not married.

That's hilarious. Him having a wife is news to me lmao

 

[MS]

I played golf with a guy who worked for the Canucks. (Rather not give more details as I like the guy). Anyhow, the general consensus was that Mike Gillis was liked and respected by everyone, and that they also all knew that FA was a slimy piece of work. Cheating on his wife. Sued by his business partners. Etc. This was just before Gillis was fired.

It is indeed painful to be a Canuck fan. One of our best players ever looks to be disinterested.

It is unfathomable that Benning has lasted this long. And Green for that matter.

I've heard much the same from multiple sources on Gillis as well. Staff loved him and he was a genuinely good person and a good boss who treated people well. The 'arrogant big-city lawyer' thing was a total fabrication from some of the fools in the media he didn't suffer, and fans just ate it up.

I've never heard a single positive thing about Aquilini other than Bieksa seemed to like him.

 

[SamInVan]

Frankie would openly walk around the stadium at the 200 level with different instagram model types all the time.

I always assumed he was not married.

That's hilarious. Him having a wife is news to me lmao

HAD a wife....it was his second.

Messy divorce too....wish she held out for his stake of the Canucks though.

 

[Burke's Evil Spirit]

Aquilini joined twitter so that he could put a statement out about his divorce:

 

[Bettman Returnz]

Delete

 

[I in the Eye]

Aquilini is so invested in what he, and Benning, and Weisbrod have been building the last 8 years, that I think it would take an epiphany or a life crisis to change now. I don't think giving up for him will be an event, but a process. I think that things will unfortunately have to get worse, and that this isn't the ending... but the start of this forgettable era's final chapter. The worst thing that can happen right now is any signs of life... It just drags out and prolongs the inevitable. Aquilini needs to be broken, or receive a loving sign from God, to put this experiment to rest.

 

[carrotshirt]

Hey Frank! If you're reading this, just hire Gorton (or Gillis!) to be hockey prez, pay for whatever he wants, and never give your opinion to him whatsoever, because you're a goddamn idiot and you don't help anything. Just pretend you are a sack of money, instead of a moron.

 

[WolfgangPuck]

Thread makes him out to like James Dolan Explains why Benning has not been fired if he’s the puppet and the owner is pulling the strings.

 

[Wo Yorfat]

 

[CpatainCanuck]

Candid footage of Aquilini talking to a sponsored member of the media earlier today while Benning, Weisbrod and Green look on.