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Post by socca10 on May 20, 2015 13:13:39 GMT
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Post by 50belowzero on May 20, 2015 13:18:06 GMT
See,what did i tell you,Harry just had to rubber stamp it. Cam & Charley are exhausted! Lots of time before the draft. All these threads to see who the new GM is and whats the delay weren't needed,Seabass had his man all along!
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Post by jmwalters on May 20, 2015 13:21:34 GMT
See,what did i tell you,Harry just had to rubber stamp it. Cam & Charley are exhausted! Lots of time before the draft. All these threads to see who the new GM is and whats the delay weren't needed,Seabass had his man all along! They must be exhausted after scouring the earth looking for the best possible GM fit.....as if they would just hire a guy from within yet take months and a blessing from ole Sinden to finally do it. Oh wait.... |
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Post by 50belowzero on May 20, 2015 13:25:05 GMT
Maybe JJ needed Harry to tell Neely and Charley,"look you two,get some rest! You guys look haggard and worn out! Looking far and wide has its plusses and advantages but its bad for your health, name Sweeney and be done with it." 'Here,i've even drawn up the contract,you just need Donnie to sign,JJ has rubber stamped it and i threw in a clause that he has to report to Cam before any moves are made,now get to it!!" "Its a good deal for us money wise as well,wink,wink!"
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Post by seobrien on May 20, 2015 13:55:37 GMT
The surprise-o-meter barely ticked. Sweeney certainly knows "The Bruins Way".
Lets see what ya got, Don. First order of business should be Julien's future.
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Post by bookboy007 on May 20, 2015 14:20:07 GMT
See,what did i tell you,Harry just had to rubber stamp it. Cam & Charley are exhausted! Lots of time before the draft. All these threads to see who the new GM is and whats the delay weren't needed,Seabass had his man all along! They must be exhausted after scouring the earth looking for the best possible GM fit.....as if they would just hire a guy from within yet take months and a blessing from ole Sinden to finally do it. Oh wait.... Let's not get dramatic here. Chiarelli was fired April 15th. It's a month and 5 days. |
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Post by UtahGetMeTwo on May 20, 2015 14:27:31 GMT
Congratulations Don Sweeney!
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Post by jpbsfan on May 20, 2015 14:28:41 GMT
No real surprise here, congrats Don !!
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Post by crowls on May 20, 2015 14:38:09 GMT
Seems like a solid choice. Will be interesting to hear from him about philosophy and priorities.
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2015 14:40:19 GMT
Its a natural fit. Not like Sweeney's has been working at Legal Sea Foods the last 5 years. Nothing wrong with him being able to work with Cam. Good luck, Donnie.
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Post by badhabitude on May 20, 2015 14:47:07 GMT
They must be exhausted after scouring the earth looking for the best possible GM fit.....as if they would just hire a guy from within yet take months and a blessing from ole Sinden to finally do it. Oh wait.... Let's not get dramatic here. Chiarelli was fired April 15th. It's a month and 5 days. So what was going on for a month and 5 days? Press conference should be interesting. |
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Post by stevegm on May 20, 2015 14:58:48 GMT
Seems like a solid choice. Will be interesting to hear from him about philosophy and priorities. Doesn't seem at all "solid' to me. He was Chirelli's hand picked man. He was the main man during all of those terrible "draft' seasons. If he was all that solid...the Bruins didn't seem aware of it. Apparently, they had to go on an "exhaustive' mission, in order to appreciate what was already under their nose. And 'philosophy" and "priorities" If any of these qualities were the least bit in demand...it seems odd, the executive would be dragging out, the long mothballed Harry Sinden to further convolute a disfunctional executive. JJ has spoken very clearly, as to his comfort level with the current braintrust. If Julien stays...what started rearing it's ugly head in January(which undoubtedly affected on ice performance) will go down as one of the most hollow, empty, insincere, "improvements"...this organization ever embarked on. |
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Post by jmwalters on May 20, 2015 14:59:31 GMT
Let's not get dramatic here. Chiarelli was fired April 15th. It's a month and 5 days. So what was going on for a month and 5 days? Press conference should be interesting. I would hazard to guess combing the known universe for the best of the best, large scale cost/benefit and risk assessments, input from all relevant stakeholders, and a final report of options and recommendations.
Or they just took their time for the hell of it....
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Post by bookboy007 on May 20, 2015 15:18:45 GMT
Speculating on why this could be a good move (3 thoughts) and a bad move (3 thoughts):
Good
1. Continuity. Even those who came to despise Chiarelli have to acknowledge that much of what he did for the team worked very well. If last year's draft was any indication, the new scouting staff is also heading in the right direction with Pastrnak being the biggest surprise of the draft and Heinen rocketing up in many people's estimation. One of the most common sentiments in the wake of Chiarelli's firing is that the Bruins should be back to playoff contender in short order with just decent health and a regression to the mean by most of the team's scorers. The one thing that could have ruined that is an activist GM who wanted to remake the team in his image. So continuity part one is that Sweeney has a sense of what Chiarelli was doing and why. To top that off, though - Sweeney was the GM in Providence and had probably the biggest hand of any of the management team in working with the prospects. The Bruins need to start benefiting from better integration of the farm team and the big team, and this GM choice seems to be a smart step in that direction.
2. What we don't know. There's been a lot of fooforah about evil Cam and his disagreements with PC. It's entirely possible Sweeney also advised PC against moves that didn't help the Bruins. It's entirely conceivable that Neely and others are well aware of the recommendations Sweeney made and that Chiarelli went the other way because they were in the meetings at the time. Ralph Nader loves to say that 9/11 wouldn't have happened if he'd been elected because it was on his platform to improve cockpit security on commercial planes (although those flying pigs would be a bigger safety issue), and in this scenario, Sweeney doesn't have to say what he'd have done differently. It's known. When he says he'd have dealt Seguin for a different package of players, he's not playing a what if game on the internet. He knows who was on the table, what could have been done, and what he wanted to do at the time.
3. The King is Dead; Long Live the King. Hey, it's hockey. No one gets a job without knocking off a guy who had that job. One way to look at this is that the up and comer knocked off the vet. We all know the risk that entails on the ice, and it's no different off it. Sweeney will make mistakes and it will be how he deals with them that determines whether this is a good hire or a terrible mistake.
Bad
1. Optics. By staying in house, the Bruins have courted all sorts of cynicism. You'll hear a lot of the following in some version or another - Sweeney's main qualification is that he's a lifelong Bruin; Sweeney was drafted by Harry Sinden, so he had a leg up; Sweeney was trained by PC, so the only thing that will change is that he was a teammate of the Pres.; Sweeney was the cheapest GM available. We know that they didn't even interview Gorton (perhaps that was the one thing Harry was brought in to do - call Slats and get a straight answer on whether or not he'd release Gorton, and the answer was no). We don't know who the other candidates were other than McPhee, really.
2. If he's PC junior, which genes did he inherit? We really don't know much about how Don Sweeney will go about running this team other than that he was PC's trusted "number 2". He's a first-timer, and it's inevitable that the sharks are circling and making him trade offers as we speak. "Donny, Lucic is overpaid, but we have cap room and these two smallish guys who scored 20 goals last year. Want to make a deal?" This could go a bunch of ways, I guess, but two that come immediately to mind are that Sweeney sticks with the wrong elements of Chiarelli's plan including his own work with prospects - if one of the downfalls of the previous regime was drafting and development, and Sweeney was in charge of development, how would this move improve that situation? - or we discover that PC liked Sweeney because he was the contrarian who tested the logic of PCs moves but who didn't have the power to stop them when he disagreed.
3. The Dilemma and The Stamp. Given that everyone will see this as more of the same - short Harvard grad 1 v short Harvard grad 2 - and given the bosses billing the need for significant change, Sweeney's on the horns. Neely's words said big change but the hiring says very little change. Sweeney may actually have more pressure to make a "signature" move this offseason than Gorton or another outside hire would have; an outside hire would have been able to say he was "evaluating" without people saying "that's PC's thing; see, we knew he'd just be more of the same!" Sweeney can't win here unless he makes a very shrewd move that pays off brilliantly, improving the offense, transition and physicality of the team as the bosses promised while also maintaining the things from the previous regime that worked. The push to make a high risk move that shows he was the right choice is going to be heavy. And if the goal is to ensure people say "Chiarelli would NEVER have done that", well...that's a double edged sword.
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Post by Fletcher on May 20, 2015 15:20:03 GMT
I am surprised. I mean, I wouldn't have been surprised a month ago, but after being convinced that they were waiting for the opportunity to speak with Fenton or Gorton, I am surprised by this.
Again, to me the whole thing has been clumsy. The press conference was confusing, the waiting period was confusing, bringing Sinden in was confusing, and now the decision is confusing (based on the press conference and the waiting period). I am confused.
Based on what was said you got the impression that they were unhappy with the coaching and wanted someone with a different vision than Chiarelli as GM. It appears to me that they are keeping the coach and appointing someone very similar to Chiarelli (a disciple? as GM. My worst fear is that Sweeney represents a soft, malleable personality that can be shaped and influenced by the Cam-Junior-Harry braintrust.
With all of that said, I like Don Sweeney, and I really want him to succeed. It's nice to have a GM too. I wasn't particularly excited about McPhee, Gorton, Shero or anyone else. I assume that Sweeney has had a big head start on anyone else preparing for the draft, with knowledge of our scouts, our roster, and our needs.
Good luck to Don!
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Post by jmwalters on May 20, 2015 15:24:32 GMT
Yeah, the direction Sweeney wants to take the team will be self evident by what he does this summer and leading up to the start of the season. Every move, or non-move, will no doubt be analysed intensely and critiqued accordingly. This could get very, very interesting.
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Post by bookboy007 on May 20, 2015 15:24:55 GMT
So what was going on for a month and 5 days? Press conference should be interesting. I would hazard to guess combing the known universe for the best of the best, large scale cost/benefit and risk assessments, input from all relevant stakeholders, and a final report of options and recommendations.
Or they just took their time for the hell of it....
I can't think of many organizations in sports where they fire one guy because they don't like the direction he's taken the team, then replace him with his assistant (not including "interim" guys) without first at least giving the impression that they're doing their due diligence. The only examples that I can think of that come close - like when Quinn got pushed out and Renney given the reins in Edmonton - are situations where the usurper was forced on the guy in the first place. Jason Garrett in Dallas.... A month that begins at the same time as the playoffs, so many teams are unwilling to let you talk to their management guys, isn't that long to conduct a process. |
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Post by bookboy007 on May 20, 2015 15:26:18 GMT
...I mean, would you just immediately toss the keys to the franchise to the next man up without at least exploring other options? Even if that takes time?
Because they hired Sweeney, it looks like they didn't do much. They probably did a lot more than we know.
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Post by jmwalters on May 20, 2015 15:31:10 GMT
I would hazard to guess combing the known universe for the best of the best, large scale cost/benefit and risk assessments, input from all relevant stakeholders, and a final report of options and recommendations.
Or they just took their time for the hell of it....
I can't think of many organizations in sports where they fire one guy because they don't like the direction he's taken the team, then replace him with his assistant (not including "interim" guys) without first at least giving the impression that they're doing their due diligence. The only examples that I can think of that come close - like when Quinn got pushed out and Renney given the reins in Edmonton - are situations where the usurper was forced on the guy in the first place. Jason Garrett in Dallas.... A month that begins at the same time as the playoffs, so many teams are unwilling to let you talk to their management guys, isn't that long to conduct a process. due diligence can be a buzz word thrown around, however. You would think that firing PC meant they had a succession plan in place otherwise the optics would perhaps make the move look reactionary and slapdash. The whole "waiting for playoffs" is a bit of a presumption because in the end they are hiring a guy before they are even over...so if one were perhaps handcuffed due to other orgs unwillingness to talk to staff, and that was indeed what the Bruins wanted to do, you would think they would actually wait until its completion.
In any case, it doesn't matter now. Sweeney is da man!!
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2015 15:38:22 GMT
...I mean, would you just immediately toss the keys to the franchise to the next man up without at least exploring other options? Even if that takes time? Because they hired Sweeney, it looks like they didn't do much. They probably did a lot more than we know. Or quite possibly they did very little . Maybe they were waiting on Gorton and realized they wouldn't get him.............then just took Sinden's advice as an advisor. "Get your asses down the hallway and tell Sweeney he's got the job ". Easy money for Harry ! Can't wait for the press conference saying Sweeney was the only guy they wanted all along. |
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Post by seobrien on May 20, 2015 15:50:44 GMT
If things were as bad we were lead to believe, and Chia was fired for (among other things) not axing Claude when things were not going well (all speculation, sure, but it was out there). It would seem to indicate that Sweeney got the job with his first work action already mandated by Junior and The Legend.
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Post by kelvana33 on May 20, 2015 15:54:52 GMT
...I mean, would you just immediately toss the keys to the franchise to the next man up without at least exploring other options? Even if that takes time? Because they hired Sweeney, it looks like they didn't do much. They probably did a lot more than we know. I'd have to think that's the case. Very interested to hear what his vision is for this club going forward. |
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2015 16:04:57 GMT
I'm still getting used to all this "hate Cam Neely" stuff. No, actually, I'm not.
And the cynicism about this hire? Really? DS was an obvious choice. The guy is familiar with the system, was the AGM for years, and is comfortable with the Prez who fired the last guy he wasnt comfortable with. If there was a multi-Cup winning hall of Fame GM candidate out there that the B's missed in the last month, thats unfortunate. They took a month and hired a decent candidate. Who cares if it took a week or 5 weeks?
People that argued that PC should have been given a "mulligan" or a second chance are now complaining that all is for naught if CJ isnt fired fast enough. Again, whats wrong with giving him a shot to take another direction if thats what Sweeney decides to do? He's on a short leash.
Some of the teeth-gnashing about replacing a GM that looked to be an obvious fire and replacing him in-house is positively Red Sox-esque. |
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Post by NAS on May 20, 2015 16:12:03 GMT
They took an assistant GM who has years of admin experience after a long, solid career and an education at Harvard.
Remove that he's an in-house pick and it looks good to me.
Any and all calls of paper-GM are about as valid as Cam the Figurehead statements from before. 100% unfounded with nothing to back it up.
I hope he does a great job.
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Post by kelvana33 on May 20, 2015 16:14:58 GMT
I'm still getting used to all this "hate Cam Neely" stuff. No, actually, I'm not.
And the cynicism about this hire? Really? DS was an obvious choice. The guy is familiar with the system, was the AGM for years, and is comfortable with the Prez who fired the last guy he wasnt comfortable with. If there was a multi-Cup winning hall of Fame GM candidate out there that the B's missed in the last month, thats unfortunate. They took a month and hired a decent candidate. Who cares if it took a week or 5 weeks?
People that argued that PC should have been given a "mulligan" or a second chance are now complaining that all is for naught if CJ isnt fired fast enough. Again, whats wrong with giving him a shot to take another direction if thats what Sweeney decides to do? He's on a short leash.
Some of the teeth-gnashing about replacing a GM that looked to be an obvious fire and replacing him in-house is positively Red Sox-esque. I'm a fan of Chiarelli. While I do think he made some questionable moves (show me a G.M who doesn't have some on his resume) I am grateful to him for bringing this franchise back from the dead. That's where it was when he took over. I hold nothing against Neely other than that awkward press conference announcing the firing of Chiarelli.
One thing is for sure, we will now what kind of G.M Sweeney is right off the bat. Some decisions need to be made, and quickly.
I find Julien still being around kind of weird. Wonder whats going to happen there. If they are going to sack him, do it now, guy deserves that.
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If any of these qualities were the least bit in demand...it seems odd, the executive would be dragging out, the long mothballed Harry Sinden to further convolute a disfunctional executive. JJ has spoken very clearly, as to his comfort level with the current braintrust.
