Leafs Fire Ferguson: Viewer Vitriol
Posted January 22, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Want to start an argument or a heated conversation in Toronto? Just ask one question: what’s wrong with the Leafs? Uttering that single query is like lighting the fuse on a stick of dynamite. You can be sure just about everybody will blow up. That’s what happened when we asked you about the long expected firing of John Ferguson Jr. as Leaf G.M. on Tuesday and the temporary re-hiring of Cliff Fletcher.
You had no shortage of opinions. Here’s a small sample of what you had to say.
“The Toronto Maple Leafs proved once again that they are the NHL’s top recycling plant. This time, Cliff Fletcher is brought back to manage a team in dire need of rebuilding through the draft. With all due respect to Mr. Fletcher, is this not the same Leaf GM that was notorious for his “draft, schmaft” quote prior to his first dismissal?
“As for John Ferguson Jr., I think he was treated slightly better by MLSE than by the many fans and journalists who stopped at nothing to lobby for his dismissal.”
Ben Kong
“Unfortunately, I think Mr. Ferguson should not have been given another contract last year, even though maybe it was not all his fault, maybe he could not make a move of his own without being overlooked by the brass. I think Mr. Peddie and Mr. Tanenbaum need to keep their nose out of the hockey world as they do not know anything about the game and what the people of Toronto want. They can’t be just satisfied with the money they are stealing from the public for seats and not want to have a good team and be in the running for the Stanley Cup.
“I think they should step up and hand the team fully over to someone like Mr. Bowman to run it without any strings from the Teachers Group because clearly they don’t know what it takes to win. You’re ruining the game.”
Joyce Lundy
“Along with Ferguson, Peddie should have resigned or he should also be FIRED! Ferguson was just a puppet!”
Karen Ruddy
“Now that Ferguson Jr is gone, get rid of Richard Peddie and hire back Pat Quinn. At least he took the Leafs to the playoffs all but one year. The Leafs will never win as long as Peddie is there.”
Brad Wright
“Great news about Ferguson. But …Cliff Fletcher??? Are we going backwards here???? Let me guess, his first move will be to bring Wendel Clark back…”
Nathaniel Brumm
“I’ve been a Leaf fan for many years and the firing of JFJ is no more than a PR move. The fans called for his dismissal and as with Larry Murphy, Jason Smith and numerous others before them, the front office obliged. Cliff Fletcher is a great hockey mind but there won’t be a Stanley Cup in Leafs nation again until MLSE gives up the team. Cliff, feel free to prove me wrong!”
Matthew Caruk
“Each season we are critical of the GM & Coach. Perhaps we need to also address the players responsibility to turn in a decent performance. While it must be kept in mind that players are human & will experience slumps in their career, the Leafs seem to surround themselves with mediocre performances. All the coaching & deal making in the world cannot force the players to “up” their game. These are grown men making substantial incomes who seem to lack the talent/restraint to play an effective game.
“I am 42 yrs old and would like to be able to able to say that I recall a Stanley Cup victory. In order to achieve that, I will be firmly aligned with the Ottawa Senators.”
Karen Anderson
“It’s one thing to finally start moving the Leafs in a forward direction, and I believe this move does it to a point, but it is a completely different thing to drag Mr. Ferguson through the mud and more or less publicly torture him through the media over the past couple weeks. It shows an unprofessional front office team (Peddie, Tanenbaum) who, when all is said and done, may be the real problem within MLSE. I was someone who believed this action was long overdue, but at the end of it, I am left just feeling sorry for JFJ.”
Blair Beveridge
“Yawn … The Maple Leafs’ organization seems to have sealed the patent on seeking out old, proven failures, signing them up and having them prove once again that they are a failure. They minted the technique with players and now they are going to show us how it’s done with management . How could they not see that if they hired Scotty Bowman, a proven WINNER, and let him have the keys to the castle, in 3 years there’d be a Stanley Cup in Toronto. Now all there will be in 3 years in Toronto is yet another hapless team with loser management. Thank God I’m an Oilers fan!”
Leonard Howell
“I’m glad they got rid of him. It’s been a long time coming. I think it’s the best decision they have made all year!!”
Stefanie Davey-Johnston
“To bring in a guy like Fletcher tells me they’re NOT desperate. This guy is past his prime! A real dinosaur!”
Pat D’Alessandro
“I believe he is the right man. We did a lot better in the 90’s then we have done since 2000. All he needs to do is revamp the team and get the players we need to get a Cup. It is amazing how bad the Leafs have done over the last 2½ years, but every game is sold out. To me that shows we love our Leafs. I think if we got rid of Mats and got a better captain we will win the Cup next year. ”
Chris Thompson
