Fi - re! Sut - ter!
That’s what I heard in my section of the ‘Dome last night when I witnessed first hand the destruction of the Flames by Cochrane boy Mason Raymond… my reaction to that chant? Which Sutter?
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/Calgary/2010/12/02/16409241.html (Not a bad read by Randy Sportak, Calgary Sun 02.12.2010) or http://nhl-red-light.si.com/2010/12/03/flickering-flames-taking-heat-in-calgary/ (Stu Hackel, SI.com 04.12.2010)
IF we were to Fire just Brent… I mean this guy and his staff have now had 2 full pre-seasons and a full season to get everyone on the same play book. Yes, the players have to perform but they also need to know what the heck the system is and the best way to learn it… Why is it that the New Jersey Devils and Red Deer Rebels were so effective under Brent Sutter and the Flames just look like airheads on the ice? Sending a message to his forwards by tiring out his other defensemen on a PP? These hockey players aren’t total idiots and they’re no less smarter than New Jersey, so WHY haven’t they grasped the concept? Brent, your time is almost up… perhaps it’s you! (they made the playoffs under Playfair and Keenan… go figure?!)
If we were to just fire Daryl… This would seem like an answer that everyone would like but there is still a mess and an unwanted rebuild period ahead of the next guy… who in all logic is Jay Feaster. I trust Feaster as much as I trusted Daryl when he moved upstairs permanently but all in all, it’s either blow up and rebuild or piece by piece get younger and more mediocre ’til the contracts run out and he can start fresh. Firing Daryl is a putting a tourniquet on top of the band-aid. Brent would then have no excuse with the players he’ll get…
Firing both Sutters… This would be one of my solutions as it brings in Feaster and an interim Head Coach who can instill some life into this team and have a chance to make a mark on becoming a permanent Head Coach for Calgary. Jim Playfair is my choice to succeed Brent OR Lowry/McGill, and by doing this move, it’s sending a message that the management will no longer tolerate failure, even if they have a deep love and respect for the Sutters.
My Solution? Fire Brent and Make Daryl stand behind the bench… It was what they made Isaiah Thomas do with the stupid contacts he signed as GM of the New York Knicks in the NBA, Jeff Bower was forced to coach his team (the team he built as GM of the New Orleans Hornets) after he fired Byron Scott… same with Kevin McHale and the Timberwolves so why not give Daryl the responsibilty of his own mess? If he succeeds, he’ll get to stick with the Flames Org. as long as he likes, if he fails, it’s his responsibility. Something needs to give and the Flames are falling back at a hurried pace…
Always a pleasure.
naoto
December 5th, 2010 at 5:40 pm
When is Calgary going to stop being embarrassed by the Sutter brothers? Fire both of them and get people who know hockey! If the owners are not ready to fire both the Sutters they could get always get more older players that are ready to retire. We can in Daryl’s words “get them cheap” and they could help them fight for the bottom.
Fire them both and fire them now!
December 7th, 2010 at 10:23 am
I think you’ve got to clean house. Incremental changes are what’s gotten us where we are today. If we want this team to move in a new direction, I think anyone who’s been around for more than one training camp should be on the way out. I don’t like the idea of canning the head coach every two years, but in this case I can condone it as part of a wholesale overhaul. Daryl returning behind the bench to pay penance doesn’t do anything to make this team better in the long run. It makes more sense to just cut our losses.
To me, this includes ousting Ken King, Darryl Sutter, and the entire coaching staff. I’m even inclined to say the same thing should be done in Abbotsford. Bring in some new blood to re-build this team. Give Feaster the reigns on an interim basis (although, I heard something last summer along the lines of Ken Holland wanting to move back west for new challenges … have I got a challenge in the west for him). Most importantly: Don’t give Daryl another trade deadline day.
Enough waffling in mediocrity brought on by continual changes that attempt to keep us competitive. Tear it down so it can be built back up.
December 22nd, 2010 at 2:55 pm
Fire the Sutters for sure, but only when you have something better to replace them with.
Yes we are mad about the idiot trades to Toronto etc. the dumb dumb contracts they have signed.
Yes we are mad that the Sutters want Igie to play their game and not build a team around the way Igie plays.
But before you throw out average make sure you got great to hire and not something worse.
March 7th, 2011 at 8:26 pm
I guess you load mouths are eating a little crow