Hooligans Sportsbook

random SPORTS thoughts

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reno cool
I'd like to add that in general I know the Leafs and their fans mentality is to go for the hard nosed, "hard working", not too fancy type of meathead player. Thats ok, but don't throw millions at em. Save your money for at least 1 or 2 highly skilled play makers.
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The Leafs throw too much money at all types. Lupul and Kessel are certainly not the type you are describing. But here they are, looking to unload and probably willing to eat some of the contracts just to get on with life.

A funny line I heard this week about people congratulating Dave Nonis for unloading the thought-to-be-unloadable Clarkson contract: "It's like someone puked on the floor at a party - and then they mop it up - and everyone is so thankful the puke is gone, he becomes a hero."
 
Many a team has failed by signing FA's to cover up the lack of minor league development. Toronto should only sign FA's to compliment the talent. All major markets struggle with this because there is so much pressure to sell tickets. It will take a major PR job to tell your fans that we will suck for 3-4 years while we develop our minors.
 
Matty
Toronto sports fans have tuned out the Leafs anyway. Shanahan has carte blanche to rebuild in as how many years it takes.
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Ownership will allow it until TV ratings drop, ad rates drop, tickets go unsold - check back then. For the sake of their fans, I hope they do. The league is much better when the Original 6 teams are strong.
 
FairWarning
Many a team has failed by signing FA's to cover up the lack of minor league development. Toronto should only sign FA's to compliment the talent. All major markets struggle with this because there is so much pressure to sell tickets. It will take a major PR job to tell your fans that we will suck for 3-4 years while we develop our minors.
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That whole concept is retarded. It's a foken game, you shouldn't be sacrificing real years for some possible future improvement. Improve gradually I say. In fact, best option, send these decision makers in the office home to stare at the ceiling for a while, and let the players play without all the politics.
 
FairWarning
Ownership will allow it until TV ratings drop, ad rates drop, tickets go unsold - check back then.
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Toronto is a unique market. Fans do not go to the games. It's the worldly, just-visiting upper class that gets to go to Leafs games, to experience Canadian culture. ACC is a 2 minute walk from the financial district.

i.e. attendance is very unlikely to ever drop.
 
reno cool
That whole concept is retarded. It's a foken game, you shouldn't be sacrificing real years for some possible future improvement. Improve gradually I say. In fact, best option, send these decision makers in the office home to stare at the ceiling for a while, and let the players play without all the politics.
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You have no idea how the salary cap works. You can't just get a bunch of players and think they will improve.
 
reno cool
Of course not. You need to send same players to new teams every couple of months and destroy whatever chemistry and comfort level that develops. And somehow that improves the cumulative talent. :thinking:
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What assets do the Leafs have to build around? Does Patrick Sharp (who Chicago is shopping hard) make them better? The goal is to win the cup, not just make them a playoff team.
 
I was just out and about in my car for awhile - and I put on sports radio - and I listened very carefully.

Ever since the Clarkson trade, the reaction has been almost unanimously positive - happy - elated - and I really wanted to see if I could understand why.


The possibilities as I could figure it:

1) People are simpletons. They have been hard-wired for so long to fret about the salary cap, that they see space being freed up - there's a kneejerk yay!! - and that's it. They are incapable of seeing big picture, that this trade is irrelevant to their current cap situation or overall financials. They are incapable of multi-part thought.

2) Humane reasons. They are happy for David Clarkson as a person to get a new chance away from the extreme critical scrutiny.

3) What I am saying about the value of Nathan Horton.



I heard none of (2) or (3). I heard quite a bit of what sounded like (1), but a couple people added a wrinkle ----> they expect the Leafs to go into rebuild mode - but still be up against the ceiling every step of the way.

So the free cap space is eminently relevant.

:clueless:


I have to confess, that one threw me for a loop. My gut reaction is it is just an alternate form of simpletonism - but maybe I have been working with false assumptions. I guess we'll wait and see about that.

Still be interesting to see if they do something with Horton tho. Blackhawks are in salary cap hell in the off-season. Prime candidates to make a deal.
 
Mudcat
I was just out and about in my car for awhile - and I put on sports radio - and I listened very carefully.

Ever since the Clarkson trade, the reaction has been almost unanimously positive - happy - elated - and I really wanted to see if I could understand why.


The possibilities as I could figure it:

1) People are simpletons. They have been hard-wired for so long to fret about the salary cap, that they see space being freed up - there's a kneejerk yay!! - and that's it. They are incapable of seeing big picture, that this trade is irrelevant to their current cap situation or overall financials. They are incapable of multi-part thought.

2) Humane reasons. They are happy for David Clarkson as a person to get a new chance away from the extreme critical scrutiny.

3) What I am saying about the value of Nathan Horton.



I heard none of (2) or (3). I heard quite a bit of what sounded like (1), but a couple people added a wrinkle ----> they expect the Leafs to go into rebuild mode - but still be up against the ceiling every step of the way.

So the free cap space is eminently relevant.

:clueless:


I have to confess, that one threw me for a loop. My gut reaction is it is just an alternate form of simpletonism - but maybe I have been working with false assumptions. I guess we'll wait and see about that.

Still be interesting to see if they do something with Horton tho. Blackhawks are in salary cap hell in the off-season. Prime candidates to make a deal.
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Good chance Hossa retires and Sharp is moved. Wash is interested in Sharp. One of the big defenseman won't be coming back either.

Not sure how Sharp is perceived around the league, but there is some friction in the Hawks locker room. Allegedly he was banging one of his teammates' wife last year and there was a fight between the two players.
 
Don't get me wrong, I could definitely see people freaking out if/when the Leafs are not at the cap. It will be as predictable as the sun rising in the east. The same people clamouring for a rebuild will switch to alternate hysteria saying, "Omygawd this team has more money than god and they won't even spend the max. They don't care. They only want our money. THEY JUST DON'T CARE!!"

But I just don't see how it happens. You dump all the bad contracts - you commit to building through youth and the draft. How are you ending up at the cap for the next several years??

Am I wrong?

Or are the Leafs detestable sociopaths as people have feared all along?



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