NYRBlogger from Blueshirt Banter did a great job summarizing this topic. (The full article is here) or here is an excerpt:
An entire decade and all Sather can brag about as far as his career in New York goes is two measly playoff series wins. There is not much else to his name in the Big Apple. He traded away a legend in Brian Leetch, he tried going in multiple directions with this team and just repeatedly failed, and now he has run out of options and is taking whatever leftover scraps from other teams that he can find. And not only has he done that, but he has handed those players all-star salaries to do, well, close to nothing.It will be interesting to see what tricks the part-time Jedi-master has up his sleeves this off-season.
Just take players like Wade Redden, Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, Donald Brashear and Ales Kotalik. Granted he got himself out of two of those contracts, but two of them still remain and are coming back to bite him down the road. Don't forget Michal Rozsival, who was re-signed at $5 million when he was probably worth around three million, if that. At least in the "Dark Years" as they are termed by the Ranger faithful, Glen was reeling in marquee names such as Eric Lindros and Pavel Bure. Although they were washed up by then, there was still some sense of direction as far as what he was trying to do. Following that, it was the European era with Jaromir Jagr, Martin Straka and Michael Nylander leading the offense. Now, what is his aim? What direction is he moving in? We have seen so many attempted rebuilds fail so what should make us believe that the one they are currently in the middle of is going to be any better?
Moreso this season than in years past, the Rangers organization is no longer affiliated and relying upon CABLEVISION to subsidize their acquiring of big-names and big-contracts, as Cablevision is no longer attached to Madison Square Garden. Currently, the Garden, Radio City Music Hall and The Beacon theaters, plus the two sports franchises (Rangers & Knicks - both didn't make the playoffs this year) are the sole sources of income for this new spin-off organization. It may not be public knowledge that the MSG's touring shows (RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL, BANANA-SCHPEEL and WINTUK) have not been as profitable lately in a bad economy around North America and in NYC, plus unknowing season-ticket renewal returns this coming season are still a big-question-mark!!!
So with all this change, MSG has to corporately put the heat on Glen Sather for delivering a first-rate product. With the NY Rangers still maintaining the "2nd most profitable hockey team in the NHL" (Toronto being the first), accountability and good management is thrown out the door when folks don't have the money for bad product. The Rangers will lose paying customers (all of us in the 200's, 300's, & 400's) if we get the "Rags" over the "Rangers" this coming season. Our pockets are getting empty, the economy is tanking, there will soon be no edible seafood on the planet in a couple of years --- this shit is stinking and we want 'good' hockey to pick up our spirits --- THAT's why we keep coming. When all else is failing around him, there is no one else to blame but the guy who is ultimately responsible for it.
Maybe there should be a rally? Oh shit....right!
tdr
Nice post. I can't imagine any other team in NY sports, excluding hockery, getting away with this performance without dumping the GM.
ReplyDeleteOf course they have to find him first. I found him up among the suites and in true fashion rather than have a conversation with me he ran by me and dissed me. When he dissed me he dissed all Ranger fans.
You are right. He has no regard for the fans. He is your typical corporate blob managing upward, in this case to an equally invisible owner.
As long as The Stealth stays in control the Rangers are doomed.