The character assassination of Jason Spezza continued unabated today on the typically obnoxious Over The Edge radio show after a month of silence on the subject.
The reason for the renewed bile spewing from the blathering duo of Kulka and Versage came from Bryan Murray's comments that the Senators best players had to be better.
No shit.
But like they always do, the Over The Edger's take any open door they see and pry it wide open in their attempt to run the amiable but young superstar out of town for strange reasons that can only stem from personal dislike.
Because if they were strictly talking from a hockey perspective, trading Jason Spezza is a moronic notion.
You have zero chance of winning without a true offensive number one center. There's no argument against that. Nobody is going to trade their current number one center to Ottawa for Spezza simply because they already have one on their roster. Those teams, like Ottawa, are looking for a goalie, a defenseman or a winger. Ottawa might be able to trade Spezza for a good power-play defenseman but who is going to be their top center? If you think Mike Fisher or Mike Comrie can fill the same role, you're dreaming.
Yesterday, the Over The Edger's had nothing to say about Spezza because the team has been going good under coach Cory Clouston's new system and the Big 3 are turning things around as well. But today, now that Murray singled out his best players in what was simply a general statement that was already obvious, the defamation game is back on for the bumbling duo. In the course of two sentences, Spezza is now enemy number one again.
All because these clowns don't have any better material for their pathetic radio show.
It's funny because I was never even that big a fan of Jason Spezza but listening to the constant garbage being bandied about which is full of untruths and cliché assumptions has brought me to his side wholeheartedly.
People with as little hockey knowledge as Kulka and Versage just grab some obvious subjects and beat it to death as a replacement for real insight into the game and the team. Their take today was that Todd White could do a better job as the Senators number one center simply because he has more points than Spezza.
The problem with their argument is that it exists in a vacuum. They don't take into account any other factors, such as the coaching change. Every player under Craig Hartsburg was underachieving, including Spezza. Now that Clouston is in charge, the whole team is playing at their normal expected levels, including Spezza.
Rational thinking would lead us to conclude that this trend will carry over to next season, meaning a big season out of the Big 3, including Spezza.
Yet rational thinking is not the forte of the Over The Edger's. Nothing will get in the way of their prolonged campaign to run Spezza out of town. Dany Heatley is not far behind.
I have no problems with people criticizing Spezza, because he does need to be better.
I have problems with intentional campaigns to discredit player's reputations based on nothing more than a lack of hockey knowledge, a treasure trove of worn out clichés and personal animosity.
8 comments:
How about people start e-mailing the station? Kulka is too dumb to be allowed to have his own radio show. Besides his obsession with dumping on our best players, he is very, very stupid and can't speak the English language properly.
Here's the program director's e-mail address:
dmitchell@team1200.com
I'm in the same opinion as you, that show is ridiculous & only bring negativity to the city about our team. We are lucky to have a professionnal hockey team and a great one as the Sens. But, with guys like Kulka & Versage (mostly Kulka cause the other guy just agrees with anything Kulka's say) it bring nothing good to the team.
Spezza is a great (yes a great centerman) in the NHL. If we trade this guy, we would need a lot in return and i don't see a team out there to morgage their team & their futur for one great centerman. Murray needs to find players who can play with the big 3 cause they are doing their part, its the others who needs to step up (Fisher, Kelly & all the others who will come play on this team). Murray is doing a great job by finding young players who will eventually be impact players on this team (Karlsson in 2 years, Weirciock 2 to 3 years, Derek Grant 3 to 4 years, O'brien 1 to 2 years) etc. To bad he might be out of a job by then. He will have build another Stanley cup team for an other GM.
If i would trade Spezza, it would be with Edmonton for Gagner, a defenseman who play in the 3-4 slot, Robbie Schremp & a draft pick. My opinion!!!
How a about Gagner, Gilbert or Grebeshkov, Schremp and a 1st would a start! Also throw in O'Marra for good messure.
I think that the scapegoating will continue until we hear from the big man, Melnyk.
Bryan Murray was interviewed in the USA Today a couple of days ago and he just ran over Hartsy. It wasn't enough that he threw him under the bus a few weeks ago. Murray backed up the bus, and ran over him again, this time ensuring that imprints of the tire treads were branded on his forehead.
I thought that it was a classless move by Murray, but more than that, an odd move. You don't normally see GM's taking public shots at old coaches.
My interpration was that Murray is not feeling completely secure in his job. I think that he is trying to deflect blame for the past season on anybody but himself.
When I heard about his scrum where he blamed the players for underachieving, I thought it was odd again. The timing doesn't make sense. Since Clouston has arrived, the big guys have played well, for the most part. Why throw them under the bus?
Again, I think that Murray is doing his best to deflect the blame on others. I don't think that he would be doing this unless he felt, on some level, that his job was in jeopardy.
Personally, I think he's done.
It's time for Melnyk to show that he believes in accountability
Good post, Jeremy.
The great thing about blogs like yours is that you provide balance to debates.
The Edgers are clearly off center again. In a city that is as hockey mad as Ottawa, it is shameful that the Team 1200 can't put together a better show than that. Truely pathetic.
Spezza's only 25 years old. He compares favourably to guys like Thornton and Lecavalier when he was their age. I think that it is shortsighted to contemplate trading him. The Sens would be far better off nurturing talents like Heater and Spezz. They should build a team around these guys, not the other way around.
On the flip side, Spezza needs to be better. He has shown flashes of brilliance. He has to be more consistent. I think that it will come with age and experience.
classic post. i'll never get sick of you panning those guys..
Good post!
As a former listener...cut Kulka, let Versage get the good guests and tell him to shut up and listen.
Jason is safe, so safe, Eugene loves him it's a Toronto thing...I'm good with that.
Problem!!! post phone conversation (Owner/GMBM)Press Conference, the message, ONE PERSON removed, the CORE is OK and improving, the Defence is passable and does not need anyone...READ THERE WILL BE NO "EXPENSIVE" DEFENCEMAN!!
I guess the goalies will be Auld/Leclaire...leaving Elliott as an inexpensive target for someone else.
It's not the Murrays, although they are talking out of both sides of there mouth right now, I think it's MONEY (read Eugene Melnyck) and I think it's the wrong time to go cheap...the true Sens fans will not go for it, the Season ticket holders will not renew.
If GMBM loses Elliott and does not get me my expensive Defenceman I am moving to Tampa, where I can play golf and watch live hockey cheap...I shall be Eugene's nightmare fan, attacking him in his two lacations from a fortress third.
Here here, 10/10 for that rant.
Post a Comment