Photo by me of my world famous sign
Being a big sports fan, you're bound to read a lot of crazy things when it comes to sports journalism. Whether it's writers trying to garner attention for themselves, or if it's something wacky that someone does. It's almost common place. So, it takes a lot for me to really get going when it comes to an article or story. Jeter winning the Gold Glove was one. Another was a recent article I read about former Lightning General Manager and my arch nemesis, Brian Lawton.
Being a big sports fan, you're bound to read a lot of crazy things when it comes to sports journalism. Whether it's writers trying to garner attention for themselves, or if it's something wacky that someone does. It's almost common place. So, it takes a lot for me to really get going when it comes to an article or story. Jeter winning the Gold Glove was one. Another was a recent article I read about former Lightning General Manager and my arch nemesis, Brian Lawton.
The full article can be found here: Stevie Y's Inheritance
Everything starts out great. Talking about what a big turn around the team has experience since new ownership took over and Steve Yzerman's first season as a GM and giving credit for the work he has done in the first quarter of the year. And then, Damian Cox loses me really fast. He goes on to say that so much of what Yzerman was able to accomplish was because of work that Lawton had done in the previous two years.
REALLY? He is given credit with drafting both Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman. Two years ago the Lightning were the worst team in the league and Stamkos was the top prospect. Ditto with Hedman once the Islanders took John Tavares. I didn't know that a team official deserved credit for making no brainer moves when your team underachieved so much. Excuse me, I didn't know that's how it went. Lawton is also praised for the trade that sent Matt Carle to Philly and brought Steve Downie to Tampa Bay. What is conveniently left out is that Matt Carle came to Tampa in the lopsided trade that sent Dan Boyle packing to the west coast. Matt Carle played twelve games in a Lightning sweater. I am pretty sure a trade that involved a bag of pucks and some stick tape would have been seen as a good return.
The article argues that Tampa was on it's way back to success before Yzerman came in. I think that is the biggest load of crap I have heard in a long time. I am able to look at a lot of things objectively when it comes to sports because I understand at the heart of everything, sports are a business. Lawton was bad business when he was here and I sincerely hope that that stigma follows him for the rest of his non career in the NHL.
Lawton is quoted as saying he thought he did a good job while he was in Tampa. I say one of the happiest moments of the last few lowly seasons was the news that he had gotten the boot. You are not missed, sir.
Everything starts out great. Talking about what a big turn around the team has experience since new ownership took over and Steve Yzerman's first season as a GM and giving credit for the work he has done in the first quarter of the year. And then, Damian Cox loses me really fast. He goes on to say that so much of what Yzerman was able to accomplish was because of work that Lawton had done in the previous two years.
REALLY? He is given credit with drafting both Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman. Two years ago the Lightning were the worst team in the league and Stamkos was the top prospect. Ditto with Hedman once the Islanders took John Tavares. I didn't know that a team official deserved credit for making no brainer moves when your team underachieved so much. Excuse me, I didn't know that's how it went. Lawton is also praised for the trade that sent Matt Carle to Philly and brought Steve Downie to Tampa Bay. What is conveniently left out is that Matt Carle came to Tampa in the lopsided trade that sent Dan Boyle packing to the west coast. Matt Carle played twelve games in a Lightning sweater. I am pretty sure a trade that involved a bag of pucks and some stick tape would have been seen as a good return.
The article argues that Tampa was on it's way back to success before Yzerman came in. I think that is the biggest load of crap I have heard in a long time. I am able to look at a lot of things objectively when it comes to sports because I understand at the heart of everything, sports are a business. Lawton was bad business when he was here and I sincerely hope that that stigma follows him for the rest of his non career in the NHL.
Lawton is quoted as saying he thought he did a good job while he was in Tampa. I say one of the happiest moments of the last few lowly seasons was the news that he had gotten the boot. You are not missed, sir.
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