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FERGUSON JUST ANOTHER BODY IN THE MAPLE
LEAF SYSTEM
September 7, 2003
Courtesy of The
Fan View
Story by: Michael Hobson
If there any Maple Leaf fans out there
who are under the illusion that newly hired
General Manager John Ferguson Jr. has control
over the club's hockey operations then those
fans are living in a dream world. Ferguson
is merely another person in the room with
an opinion. He may be able to make some
small decisions on his own, such as calling
up a player from the AHL, but anything that
can even remotely be considered a major
move would have to be approved by the board.
He will certainly help the organization
get through the mounds of paper work they
receive.
Let's look at a worst-case scenario. The
Leafs fall off the map in a big way this
season and are muddling around at the bottom
of the Eastern Conference playoff pack in
March. Ferguson has come to the conclusion
that the team needs an infusion, some new
blood, and would be better off with a new
leader, a new coach. How easy would it be
for Ferguson to go to the board and convince
them of this fact? What are his chances
to convince the slow moving, conservative
thinking, money motivated Board of Directors
to take out a coach that has not only brought
the organization a sense of stability over
the years but makes more than two million
dollars per year? The likely answer would
be-"hey kid, when you've been here
a few years then maybe we'll listen to you.
For now just shut up and do what you're
told."
The Leafs are not run like any other organization.
The hierarchies are very simple elsewhere-President,
General Manager, Coach-in that order. With
the Leafs it is Board of Directors, President,
Coach and anybody else. The Board is well
aware of the fact that the team needs to
be successful in order to maximize profits.
The team needs to be a Stanley Cup contender,
or at least be perceived that way by its
fan base, to be able to charge top dollar
for tickets to its games. The team needs
to maintain its position as top six to eight
team in order to ensure the organization
can net the more than $20 million it has
annually made the past few years. The Board
does not want to rock the boat, and the
firing of the coach would constitute a major
rocking of the boat.
Of course, to ensure that the organization
is stable, the Board insists that the GM
has control over all hockey matters, trades,
firings, etc. so that the fan base can confidently
fork over their money. Fans will be very
hesitant to pay if they believe the organization
is being run in a slip-shod manner. But
the hiring of Ferguson was done to alleviate
any and, hopefully, all concerns of the
Maple Leaf fan base who have watched the
dysfunction on a daily basis. Having a normal
hierarchy is intended to satiate all concerns
and to ensure that the Maple Leaf organization
can be trusted. It is intended to make the
loyal Leaf fan confidently fork over their
hard earned cash.
The best-case scenario is that Ferguson
will be able to mine the fields of minor
hockey and secure the services of younger,
and cheaper, players with the talent and
the potential to make it to the big club.
In essence he is the head scout. Pat Quinn
still has the decision-making authority
over the big league club and no decision
can be made, no player can be brought in
or sent away, without his stamp of approval.
He has acquired the trust of the Maple Leaf
Board. Ferguson will have to earn that trust,
and it won't happen this season.
For this year, nothing has changed. As
I have said before, when it comes to the
Leafs-meet the new boss, same as the old
boss.
Reprinted courtesy of www.thefanview.com
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