Mark Bradley

By atlhockey

April 16, 2008 8:56 PM | Link to this

Thanks Mark. I thought the AJC had forgotten there was a hockey team in town.

By HookyBob

April 16, 2008 8:56 PM | Link to this

I’m afraid this franchise has earned a “disfunctional organ-I-zation” reputation around the league. That will add to the difficulty of bringing in a proven coach and players. That wasn’t (isn’t) the case w Phily last year. I think the hill to climb in turning things around is higher and steeper than Don acknowledges. Unlike Holmgren in Philly,…Don doesn’t have a NHL GM named Waddell to make player deals with.

So we need more goal scoring, but retool our defense first. That about covers it. (What else is there?).

Don’t get me wrong I like DW,…I just think he (and the owners) isn’t (aren’t) up to runnning a competitive team in the NHL.

By Sage of Bluesland

April 16, 2008 9:25 PM | Link to this

Mark Bradley illustrates for all what a sell-out he is…There is only one AJC writer who has the stones to tell the truth about the pathetic organization (that being Jeff Schultz).

Mark, what has Don done for you to sell out so completely? Must be similar to your buddy, Pete Babcock (the equally buffoonish GM of the Hawks for near a decade who literally ran the team into the ground) gave you.

What a joke. One constant in the figurative joke otherwise known as “Blueland”…Countless bluster from our bumbling Donny…”Five-Year Plans”, “Building through the draft!”, playoff “guarantees”, and “This year’s team is better than last year’s”…

What have you sold out for, Mark?

By LAC

April 16, 2008 10:14 PM | Link to this

Right SAGE, what a SELLOUT by The Master of Disaster !!!!!!!

When did drugs & booze come into the equasion ? I never heard that ?

Two players away, from WHAT don, 26th place in NHL ?

You hear Hossa & Kovy say the EXCACT same thing, We Are NOT Moving in the Right Direction, and waddell is still here !!!???

Yeah Mr.Bradly is yet another who fails to see the real problems, look at the track record MARK !

waddell stinks as GM, worse coach and a TOTAL incompetent when it comes to NHL players and how to run a professional team.

What a joke artical, I guess you got season tickets for this one !

By Bob Sacamano

April 16, 2008 10:36 PM | Link to this

Hey Mark, did you ask The Moron what five year plan he’s on now?

Did you ask him if he plans on getting 20 cents on the dollar for Kovy next year like he got for Hossa this year?

Did you ask him to explain any of the multitude of idiotic decisions in the draft and free agency that have crippled this franchise’s ability to be competitive in the NHL?

Did you do your frakking JOB as a journalist, Mark, or did you spend the whole interview with your lips planted on The Moron’s @$$?

Please, the few Thrashers fans left in this city want to know.

By polskidawg

April 16, 2008 10:59 PM | Link to this

I’m depressed.

By 12345

April 16, 2008 11:03 PM | Link to this

Great bit Mark… However I look at real progress, not flops.

I ask you this, will you be there opening night when the Thrashers open defense of their 28th place finish ?

Or will you be there because you want to see them defend the Most GAA in the NHL title, for the 7th time ?

I don;t give a $HIT is Waddell is a nice guy or what, results tell the story and simply put this is a Classic case of nice guys can’t finish first.

You need to awaken Mark, Don Waddell is a CANCER on this team and until he is GONE we are doomed to failure just as simple as that, more of the same does Not work !

By Griddle Thrash

April 16, 2008 11:16 PM | Link to this

Bob Sacamano,

Please take your rudeness, your profanity and your rude, uneducated rectum back up North.

You are not wanted here.

By BigBill

April 16, 2008 11:21 PM | Link to this

Loser, Loser, Loser That is all Waddell is period. When will whoever owns this team wake up and do what Vancouver did ?

The Thrashers have No Brains, No Guts and No Glory. They will never be a winner as long as Waddell is here.

He has killed this team and will do nothing except run the star players off and run the team into the depth’s of the NHL basement, He Must Be FIRED ASAP to save the team from total collapse !!!

By Bob

April 16, 2008 11:29 PM | Link to this

“We’re a couple of players away,” he said

Good Golly. That says it all right there. Is there anyone left that soaks up this drivel?

Don Waddell: Nice Guy, Incompetent GM

There have been bigger hockey upsets — Montreal over Boston in 1971, the U.S. over the Soviets in 1980 — but not many

Yep, mind boggling isn’t it?

By Thrashy Thrashy

April 16, 2008 11:46 PM | Link to this

Waddell may be a good man, but as a GM, he’s a bad man. He should be fired for his ineptitude, but ASG will continue to say things like, “Well, we weren’t here for most of his tenure.” That is an absolute cop-out.

In other words:

“He hasn’t been inept enough for our tastes.”

OR

“He’s been so completely pliable that he’ll never challenge us to spend more money to improve the team.”

By NASCAR Dave

April 16, 2008 11:53 PM | Link to this

“I’m going to continue as GM,” he said Wednesday, 11 days after the Thrashers ended their dud of a season. And then: “I’ve got full authority right now. I could hire a coach tomorrow.”

Hey Mark Bradley, don’t you think this quote by Donnie comes across as a little “arrogant”??? After all, this is this the same clown who Fired Stanley Cup Winning Coach Bob Hartley in order to save his own hide. Hartley had the team 6 games under .500. At the end of the year, Donnie had the team at 6 games under .500. Kinda ironic, huh Mark Bradley??? But as the naive fool Levenson likes to say, “We’re moving in the right direction”!!!

“We’re a couple of players away,” he said,

Yeah Don FRAUDell, and you know what? You’re a couple players away from being a NOBODY team when Kovalchuk leaves town in 2 years! I’m sorry Donnie, but i have NO FAITH in you re-signing Kovalchuk here! It is completely unacceptable to the fans when a Top 10 Player in the league (Marian Hossa) LEAVES because he dosen’t like the direction of the team! This is Don FRAUDell’s fault!!! Our 2nd best player just left, and soon our BEST player will want to leave. We cannot let that happen!!!

The Flyers managed 56 points in 2006-2007; the Thrashers just finished with 76. “So we’re 20 points ahead of them,” he said, and a comment like that is why it’s impossible to dislike Don Waddell.

Mark Bradley are you KIDDING me? This comment angers me as a Thrasher fan. I don’t really think this is a time for Donnie to kidding around about this PITIFUL Season He and HIS roster just completed. As the 3rd worst team. Don, you’ve had 10 Years now… and now we are back where we were in Years 1, 2, and 3. So HOW is this progress??? You did NO BETTER than Hartley with this roster. What does that say, Donnie???

All signs point to YOU Donnie…

Nascar Dave thinks Jeff Schultz will be back real soon to tell it like it REALLY is… I hope so, because I agree with the posters above, Mark Bradley could’ve done better. Schultz is the only AJC writer with the GUTS to expose the problem and call out Waddell for his INCOMPETENCE…

10 Years is enough for Don FRAUDell. Time for some “New Blood”…

By Bob Sacamano

April 17, 2008 12:50 AM | Link to this

Griddle Trash,

Appropriate name, huh? Sorry to say, I’m not from the north.

So take your high falootin’ ways and stick ‘em in your rear.

By Sharon

April 17, 2008 2:08 AM | Link to this

Well, well, so the Grim Reaper returns for yet another season. Waddell’s been swinging the sickle of stupidity at this franchise for an eternity. Wait, is that a goal horn I hear? No, damn, it’s the death knell.

Ok, that might be a bit of high drama, but have you seen the low returns? I won’t be investing another dime in this team until I see some signs of life, some real commitment from ownership. Don’t fear the Reaper, my arse.

By Brendan

April 17, 2008 2:18 AM | Link to this

I don’t know that it’s ever been in dispute that Don Waddell is a nice man, who maintains a positive disposition. Even in the midst of utter failure. And that his optimism is boundless, to the point of being “Polly Anna.”

This is about accountability, MB. Not “what if” scenarios offered by Waddell, like “What if we land a couple of Tier I players, either via the draft or in free agency.” If Waddell actually pulled that off, and the A$G actually financed it, then I guess we all have to shut up. Especially, if it results in wins and a playoff berth, and a division title in 2009.

Anyone putting a paycheck on that one? Bueller? Bueller?? Bueller??

Allrighty then. Again, If Waddell lands the players that will keep Kovalchuk here past 2010, then he did his job. And the ASG did its job. But I am getting awfully tired of listening to bluster and filibuster about that which is indefensible. And Mark Bradley, Don Waddell is indefensible. It IS what it IS.

Here’s the tale of the tape: 10 years … 8 seasons … no playoff series wins … no playoff wins … two (2) out of 27 defensemen draft picks in the starting lineup for more than 10 games … no “100-point” seasons, the worst cumulative GA over the past eight seasons … two fired Head Coaches (3, if you count Waddell, who will not be returning as “Bench Boss”) … and one playoff berth that came along with a division title, in a lackluster SE Division.

First round draft picks Patrick Stefan (1st overall, 1999), Dany Heatley (2nd overall, 2000), Braydon Coburn (8th overall, 2003) and Alex Bourret (16th overall) are no longer within the Thrashers sytem. And most of the players they were traded for … are no longer here. Niko Kapanen is in Phoenix. Kapanen was part of the Stefan trade, that also sent Jaroslav Modry to Dallas. A late round draft pick possibly remains somewhere in the system from that deal. Bourret was dealt for Pascal Dupuis and a 3rd round pick. Dupuis plays for Pittsburgh now. Coburn was dealt to Philadelphia for Alexei Zhitnik, who remains under contract for next season, but who was benched down the stretch, to the point where Craig Custance has suggested that Zhitnik has likely played his last game as a Thrasher. And finally, there’s Greg deVries and Marian Hossa, who were the return on the Heatley trade of 2005. Greg deVries scored the Game Winning Goal for Nashville tonight in Game Four vs. Detroit. Marian Hossa plays for Pittsburgh. Hossa and Dupuis were dealt to the Pens for 1st round draft pick prospect Angelo Esposito, Pittsburgh’s 1st round pick in 2008, and forwards Erik Christensen and Colby Armstrong. It’s debatable if ANY of the players that came to Atlanta (Hossa, deVries, Christensen, Armstrong, Esposito, and the future draft pick, yet to be selected) will ever equal the star that Heatley has become (50-goal scorer, 100-point campaign) in Ottawa.

Mark, be honestly about something. Please respond. Wouldn’t you think that a GM who owned two 1st overall selections, two 2nd overall selections, two 8th overall selections, a 10th overall selection and a 12th overall selection would have one of the youngest, fastest, most-skilled, most-feared rosters in the NHL today?

Couldn’t a “reasonable” person make that argument? And yet, the Atlanta Thrashers were the 2nd oldest team in the NHL on “Opening Night, 2007.” Their special teams play was amongst the botton third of the league … all year long. The team never got farther than two (2) games above .500.

Are eight (8) seasons and 80-something draft selections … “inadequate sampling” to evaluate a GM? How can we expect players, and their AGENTS, to simply ignore Don’s track record, as they attempt to negotiate free agent contracts this Summer? Oh, yes. Fine. Some players just need a job. And if DW offers 2-3 years, they’ll sign here. But is that the “dynamic” that brings forth the Championship banners????

Why not argue, “Hey, if Waddell landed Crosby and Ovechkin, the team would surely be better?” It’s completely unrealistic. Atlanta is where it is … through Don Waddell’s direction. Every single player … who ever dressed in a Thrashers uniform … did so because Don Waddell put him there. He’s going to have real difficulties landing any quality free agents, both because of the unstable ownership and because of the lack of success and player retention of this franchise. You’ll note, Mark Bradley, that Marc Savard, Marian Hossa, Frank Kaberle, Eric Belanger, and quite possibly Bobby Holik, have all chosen to leave Atlanta when the option presented itself. And can Kovalchuk be that far behind? (I won’t include Keith Tkachuk in any of this, as he was a straight-up “rental” at the 2007 trade deadline.)

But uhh, the sole architect of all this … should not be held accountable? Can it be possible … that Don Waddell just needs more time? Or, is it more realistic to say … Don Waddell has MORE than had his chance?, over the past decade (1998).

By BigBill

April 17, 2008 6:17 AM | Link to this

If I were running this circus there would one HELL of an intense meeting when I FIRED WADDELL and cussed his stupid A$$ out of town for being a complete BOOB.

Hey Bradley he is a JOKE among other GM’s maybe you should read the Scott Burnside artical… He really spelled it out correctly.

The ONLY job I would give Waddell is I was running the show is making popcorn and I would have serious doubts he would preform to an acceptable level, but he would likely be a little better than GM where he has NO business being.

He needs to be run out of professional hockey on his ear, The Sooner The Better for our team before it is completely destroyed !!!

Do your homework Bradley don’t kiss a bafoons A$$ !!!!!!

By Dave K

April 17, 2008 7:06 AM | Link to this

I like Waddell personally too. So give him the radio color job and let Odgers be the GM. Jeff couldn’t do any worse in the front office than Don is.

By hockeyman3944

April 17, 2008 7:08 AM | Link to this

Nice post Brendan..I want to touch on one point you made, “SOME PLAYERS JUST NEED THE JOB” That hit me..that’s the only kind of player we’ve seen come here, the third-fourth liner, the fifth-sixth defenseman. Why? It’s all Donny boy could rustle up! No one wants to come here and put their future on the line for a rudderless, directionless team with one bona fide superstar and the rest being hangers on. I look at teams like Calgary,who have a great mix of young talent, top tier free agents and quality veterans that compete every night. Players want to play for teams like that, not to come here and throw in their lot with uncertainty, a toothless GM and owners that cant spell “puck” if you spotted them the first three letters! I fear for the franchise that buys into the usual GM speak: “We’re a few players away” well duh! “We don’t have any drug problems”…smoke screen. “We’ve go top draft picks”…sure Dummy..and what have YOU done with the previous ones over your tenure? This boat has a Swiss Cheese hull and captain Donny is singing Anchors Away, and the ASG is on shore waving at him hoping he’ll return from the promised land with bountiful riches…a’int gonna happen! No ownership, no leadership and the paying customers get to pick up the tab…if there’s anyone left soon! Just dreadful..

By BigBill

April 17, 2008 7:40 AM | Link to this

Read this Bradley and think to yourself who ??? Is killing the Thrashers ?

You should have asked the IDIOT if he reads these blogs and that people think he $UCKS as a GM, Which He DOES !!!!!!!!

This is from TSN, where The Atlanta Thrashers are rated NUMBER #30 in the 30 team NHL… This more than anything shows waddell is a LIAR Stupid as hell or knows nothing about professional hockey. I believe a combo of all three so why is THIS LOATHING IDIOT still here, he is killing this team. I look for a 27th place finish next season !

From TSN Power Rankings 4/7/08.

34-40-8
Ilya Kovalchuk sounds despondent when he looks at the state of the Thrashers and it’s understandable that he feels frustrated by the supporting cast that surrounds him in the A-T-L. When the next-best scorers on the team are Mark Recchi and Eric Perrin, it’s reasonable to start wondering just how quickly the Thrashers can turn it around

By ThrashDawg

April 17, 2008 8:24 AM | Link to this

Well Mark, you really did it now! You did a puff piece on Waddell. Your name will be mud from now until you do a fire Waddell piece. Then you will be a hero again.

By GaVaHokie

April 17, 2008 8:35 AM | Link to this

Wow… the thread count is pretty low on this one so far. Bob and Nascar better start making up some names soon.

Mark Bradley… I caught the undertone, unlike the rest of these guys. I understand it’s shocking that Waddell is still around, and he’s hard to dislike personally.

But the one thing he said that I’ve always believed is this…

Bruce and [co-owner] Michael Gearon Jr. sat with me in many intense meetings — about firing Bob, on trading Hossa — and a lot more went into those than we want to share with the public.”

These guys are not in the business of throwing players under the bus because the idea of playing hockey in a football state is ridiculous. Atleast Tampa and Miami have a beach to offer. Guys don’t want to play hockey here anymore than I want to go surfing in Edmonton.

Bobby Holik is the only high profile player that has signed with Atlanta on his own free will… unless you want to count Bondra and Dafoe.

By Mark Bradley

April 17, 2008 9:11 AM | Link to this

A word or two here: My intent was never to do a thumbs-up/thumbs-down on Don Waddell because, as best I can ascertain, that ship has sailed. I was far more interested in the matter of just how he kept his job, which strikes me as nothing short of remarkable. So I asked him, and I wrote what he said.

Different columns do different things, and this was designed as informational one, as opposed to a fire-this-bum rant. Enough people have already expressed that sentiment — and, judging from the above posts, will continue to do so — that I felt no need to join the queue.

And if anyone took this column as a blanket endorsement of Waddell as GM … well, I fail to see how. The most I offered was that he’s a nice guy who loves this franchise. Which he is, and does.

By Bob from Winder

April 17, 2008 9:24 AM | Link to this

give it a break bradley!!! you , schultz, and moore are worthless!!! this is your weekly fire the gm of the hawks/thrashers article. we know the spirit group stinks and so does woodson, the hawks will lose in the playoffs etc. can you be more creative or positive sometimes? I guess sunday one of you assclowns are due to write a MV or d. hall article?

By Hip Czech

April 17, 2008 9:40 AM | Link to this

good points Brendan…

Could it be that DW just needs a job?

It is a striking comparison in that Vancouver dumps their GM (and Dallas dumps it’s GM mid-season) and apparently the Thrashers are sticking with Waddell. Amazing.

Waddell should have been canned at the beginning of the year. Coming off a playoff year should have generated the momentum to solidify this team.

Instead we get Todd White as our big FA signing and fail to sign Hossa.

Any one else notice how many ex-Thrasher defensemen are in the playoffs - DeVries, Vishnevsky, Hnidy, Coburn, and Modry. Now, I too trashed most of these guys when they were here, but could the problem not be with the personnel but with the coaching and system (or lack of)?

By A$G

April 17, 2008 10:15 AM | Link to this

THE BOTTOM LINE IS THE BOTTOM LINE

WE WILL NOT SPEND MONEY ON THIS TEAM

YOU ALL BEHAVE LIKE GOOD SHEEP AND KEEP BUYING OUR CRAP

AND AS MANY POINT OUT YOU MUST BUY OUR CRAP OR WE WILL MOVE IT TO ANOTHER CITY AND YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO BUY OUR CRAP ANYMORE

NOW TAKE YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY AND HAND IT TO US RICH FOLKS NOW!

By A$G

April 17, 2008 10:24 AM | Link to this

YOUR AN IDIOT IF YOU BUY TICKETS!

THE A$G BELIEVES YOU ARE ALL FOOLS

WHEN YOU BUY THE TICKETS YOU PROVE TO THEM YOU ARE THEIR FOOLS!!!!!!!!

YOUR REASON FOR BUYING THE TICKET IS IRRELAVENT. THEY LAUGH AT YOU WHEN YOU HAND THEM YOUR MONEY.

By BCS Slave

April 17, 2008 10:38 AM | Link to this

Yawn. More of the same old answers from the ASG and Don Waddell. Looks like we’re stuck with DW for another 10 years. I won’t be attending Thrasher’s games until DW proves he can make the Thrasher’s a contending team over the LONG HAUL. I’m sick of this “one year on, one year off” crap we get from them.

By Crazy Diamond

April 17, 2008 10:55 AM | Link to this

Stop taking quotes out of context.

The full quote must have been “We’re two players, a GM and a Coach away from being a top tier team.”

By NASCAR Dave

April 17, 2008 11:04 AM | Link to this

Mark Bradley, the quotes from Don FRAUDell in your article are classic… They show what a cocky, pompous a$$ he is… WHY oh WHY Mark Bradley does Don FRAUDell continue to refuse to accept responsibility fro his failures at his job???

Why didn’t you QUESTION him Mark??? Make him give you valid reasons on WHY he should stay… Oh, that’s right, I forgot — THERE ARE NONE!!! Sure, he may be a nice guy, but he has NO BUSINESS in the NHL!!!

NO Top Players in the league want to come here! The ones we do have all want to leave (Hossa, Kovalchuk)!!! Who’s fault is that, Mark Bradley??? Who is the puppetmaster of disaster that keeps our team mired in mediocrity???

Who is the guy that let his players quit on themselves halfway thru the season???

Well, you should know Mark Bradley… YOU just talked to him… and YOU let him sucker you just like he suckers the ASG…

All of you fools need to wake up and look at reality here… We are in Year 10, and we are NO BETTER than we were in Year 2!!!

ASG needs to get the GUTS to make Don FRAUDell become DONE Waddell!!!

NUFF SAID.

By NASCAR Dave

April 17, 2008 11:35 AM | Link to this

Hey Mark, does Schultz’s article come out tomorrow too??? That’s typically how you guys work… Good cop, Bad Cop. One day apart…

However in this case, Schultz will be both the good cop and the bad cop, and you will just be a naive sheep…

Schultz has the GUTS to call out this FRAUD Don FRAUDell for what he is… How come YOU won’t do that Mark???

Did Donnie give you a “Legends of Blueland” Poster??? Did you get some Blueland Thundersticks from Donnie???

Tell us Mark Bradley, how come a journalist like you CANNOT SEE the light???

What a crappy article by yet another Enabler…

By Boulton's Bruisers

April 17, 2008 12:01 PM | Link to this

MB — 50% of respondents to your AJC poll feel we need a new GM.

What does that mean?

Plenty of empty seats next year I would imagine.

By Rawhide

April 17, 2008 12:19 PM | Link to this

Don Waddell has been given 9 season and 10 years to get this ship righted.

This is more time than we give U.S. Presidents, for God’s sake!

Vancouver just fired their GM for ONLY making the playoffs 1 time in 3 years, (and that came WITH at least one series win). And all 3 of those seasons the Canucks had winning records.

Waddell? - 9 seasons….one playoff appearance…no playoff wins….7 losing seasons in 9…being on the wrong side of goals for/goals against 7 seasons out of nine…the firing of a coach that the team improved every year he was here…proving the team he put on the ice could NOT be coached to a winning record this season…not being able to convince Hossa the team was heading in the right direction….the team finished last in shots for, shots against, goals against and times outshooting the oposition…and we are sitting here this summer needing the SAME things we did last year, (defenders and a #1 center)….

But he gets another stab at it…???

Un-Good!

By GaVaHokie

April 17, 2008 12:32 PM | Link to this

Rawhide… Vancouver and Atlanta as hockey markets are hardly comparable. There really was no excuse for Vancouver (as well as Toronto) to miss the playoffs having the best goaltender in the league in Luongo… it actually IS a city that players want to play for, the GM assembled the wrong group of guys.

Waddell puts together a team of WHAT HE CAN with WHAT IS AVAILABLE among players who are WILLING TO PLAY HERE.

That’s the difference.

There are ways to combat this (ie. trading for the rights to RFA’s) and that’s what I’m waiting to see if Waddell can do.

If he goes out and signs Craig Conroy, I’m right there with you guys, 100%.

By Thorburn's Thugs

April 17, 2008 12:37 PM | Link to this

Mark Bradley are you KIDDING me? This comment angers me as a Thrasher fan. I don’t really think this is a time for Donnie to kidding around about this PITIFUL Season He and HIS roster just completed. As the 3rd worst team.

RIGHT ON, dude! I agree 100%!

By LAC

April 17, 2008 12:41 PM | Link to this

Glad to see Mr.Bradley reads his response. What I want to see is one of you media types quit sugar coating waddell and ask him point blank if he is aware of all the fans who think he is a Failure and should be FIRED or resign…Either or is fine by me.

I just want you guys to quit being nice to a constant loser and waddell is a terminal LOSER with no hope for the Thrashers.

As long as don waddell is the GM we will never be a playoff team and just point fodder for the Real teams that want to win.

I want to see Mr.Bradley with waddell opening night this fall, as we open defense of our 28th place title !

By NASCAR Dave

April 17, 2008 12:50 PM | Link to this

Waddell puts together a team of WHAT HE CAN with WHAT IS AVAILABLE among players who are WILLING TO PLAY HERE.

HOKIE - Don’t you see yet??? THAT is the problem! NOBODY wants to come here because of Don FRAUDell!!!

Donnie has to OVERPAY these players to come here, and most would rather take a Pay Cut to play somewhere else… Like for a team that is “Moving in the Right Direction”!!!

This is how we continually end up with players like Ken Klee, Chris Tamer, Tremblay, Tjarnquist, Slegr, Reardon, Safronaov, Modry, etc.!!!

Enough is ENOUGH! This is the NHL, NOT the AHL!!!

Waddell CANNOT draft, he CANNOT trade, he CANNOT sign “top” Free Agents, the list goes on and on…

I’ve said it a million times before, and I will keep right on saying it because it is 100% fact… Every single problem with this team is DIRECTLY related to choices made by Don Waddell!!!

This guy reeks with incompetence! He is the laughing stock of the league! We are NOW EMBARRASSED to be Thrasher fans! How did this happen???

What is the ASG’s motive for disenfanchising their fans??? With declining Ticket Sales and Massive Season Ticket Holder NON-RENEWALS, this is simply BAD BUSINESS to keep affecting your bottom line.

The ASG needs to wake up and see why they are about to lose an A*******LOAD of money next season. They want to retain Don FRAUDell. The fans have spoken and we have had enough of blustering Donnie’s 5 Year Plans, His 10 Year Builds and Rebuilds, His Playoff Guarantees, His Continual Lack to ACCEPT RESPONSIBLITY for FAILING at his job, Excuse after excuse… etc.!!!

Don Waddell is a FRAUD! Don FRAUDell.

By Rawhide

April 17, 2008 12:57 PM | Link to this

Waddell puts together a team of WHAT HE CAN with WHAT IS AVAILABLE among players who are WILLING TO PLAY HERE.

Right you are Hokie…but isn’t that one of the most damning indictments against Don Waddell…the fact that it seems players don’t WANT to play here???

And WHY do they not WANT to play here??

The city? Nope.

The Money? Ours is as good as anyone elses…so, again, nope.

The fans base? Nope…some of the best around!

The fact that after 9 seasons the team still looks like it’s in the 3rd season of existance and that the one person who has been here since day ONE in a position to make the decisions that shape this team is being given another “chance”?????

ding-ding-ding-ding-ding

We have a WINNER!

By ThrashFan

April 17, 2008 1:09 PM | Link to this

Likable, yes, competent, no….this is the guy who has NEVER managed to build even a barely decent D-Line, dealt picks to make a longshot playoff run….I have ONE question for Waddell - - - just how drunk were you when you traded Coburn to Philly for Alexei Freaking Zhitnik?

By Barry

April 17, 2008 1:23 PM | Link to this

Give Bradley a break. He’s offering a different perspective. Craig Custance offers the in depth detailed information. Shultz comes at people with torches and pitchforks. I’m giving Don this off season to right this ship. If major improvements aren’t made and this team isn’t made competitive for next season then he definately needs to go and the ownership needs to grow some and get serious about spending some money to sign some real top 2 line hockey players on this team. A better team, draws more fans, gets team in playoffs, makes more money. It’s common sense. So ASG needs to quit being a*******hats and if they have a problem with that…then they need to “deal with it”.

By Oh the humanity

April 17, 2008 1:32 PM | Link to this

Can you believe we’re still blogging about DW after all of the failure? I wish I could be the Thrashers GM - I could bottom feed for 10 years for half of what they pay him. I wonder what he makes? This is all like some bad dream isn’t it? How can you be so bad- not just bad but incompetent and remain employed? Vancouver just sh*t canned their GM after 3 years and he took them to the playoffs his second year. Its making me crazy - not the fact that he remains so much as why? What possible reason could there be?

By Thrasher Ryan

April 17, 2008 1:33 PM | Link to this

Don’t worry Thrasher fans. Nashville is only 3 hours away. They’ve made the playoffs the last 4 years in a row. I think they might be Moving In The Right Direction.

Sometimes I just wish we could do that here, too.

Waddell’s gotta go… Plain and simple.

By GaVaHokie

April 17, 2008 1:49 PM | Link to this

Nascar… why would the “laughing stock of the NHL” be the ONLY general manager on the competition committee?

And who have we “overpaid” to play here besides Holik? Isn’t that one of the “damning” qualities of Don Waddell? That he doesn’t pay enough to keep guys here? Audette, Brunette, Savard?

By Tom

April 17, 2008 1:59 PM | Link to this

“I happened to stumble upon the golf channel. And lo and behold, there they were, the Thrashers!”

Glad to see Don is so proud of the job he is doing. Ilya must be burning up the phone lines with his agent looking for his next team.

By NASCAR Dave

April 17, 2008 2:22 PM | Link to this

Isn’t that one of the “damning” qualities of Don Waddell? That he doesn’t pay enough to keep guys here? Audette, Brunette, Savard?

No, son. That is a “damning indictment” of his INABILITY to spot talent. He lets the talent walk out the door, and OVERPAYS for the Non-Talent (Klee, Todd White, Slater, Zhitnik - I know he didn’t sign Zhitty to that deal, but he WAS dumb enough to dump Coburn and his cheap contract and take on Zhitty’s inflated contract) - All in an effort to make the playoffs and save his own skin… Quite a selfish act if you ask me…

Nascar Dave wishes we could have a “Real” GM who will put the teams interests first, not his own selfish agenda.

On his latest “Positive Puff” interview on 680 AM, bumbling Donnie is now blaming the Veterans on the roster for this debacle of a season…

Guess what Donnie??? You signed these LOSERS, so I think YOU are the one to blame you friggin IDIOT!!!

NUFF SAID.

By Bob

April 17, 2008 2:24 PM | Link to this

I’m going to re-post Rawhide’s comments for accuracy, they are 100% spot on:

isn’t that one of the most damning indictments against Don Waddell…the fact that it seems players don’t *WANT to play here???

And WHY do they not WANT to play here??

The city? Nope.

The Money? Ours is as good as anyone elses…so, again, nope.

The fans base? Nope…some of the best around!

The fact that after 9 seasons the team still looks like it’s in the 3rd season of existance and that the one person who has been here since day ONE in a position to make the decisions that shape this team is being given another “chance”?????

ding-ding-ding-ding-ding

We have a WINNER!

You are 100% right, Rawhide. Don’t both trying to talk to that extremely paranoid and delusional goof, he’s got a definite inferiority complex and everyone is out to get him and our team apparently, in his clouded mind.

There is nothing wrong with Atlanta as a city to live in, players would love to play here, great golf town, all hockey players love golf. Great place to raise their families. The owners pay the same money as other clubs. There is one thing blocking good players from wanting to stay here and to sign here. And that’s Teflon Don

This is not a serious hockey club as long as that keep this incompetent guy is left in charge and this ownership group has lost any last shred of credibility they had when they retained this guy in the face of all the facts. Nice guy? Sure. Build a hockey club? Yeah right.

By GaVaHokie

April 17, 2008 3:38 PM | Link to this

The Veterans WERE the reason the team was bad this year. They didn’t play up to par. Is that even debatable? haha

Kozlov, Holik, Zhitnik and Hossa were all off their averages… you might be fine if just one or two of those guys are off, but all 4 of them?

You can say guys like Thorburn, Perrin, Larsen, Boulton, Slater suck, but they’re just role players… every team has guys like that… and most of you actually like Perrin and Thorburn and even miss Dupuis! And most of those were signed as upgrades to Vigier, Metro and Kappanen.

“Waddell was the one who signed these idiots”… yes, Waddell signed them all… you’ll remember that both Detroit and Dallas were after Kozlov and offering more money… Zhitnik averages 29 points a season… AVERAGE!! That’s the kind of consistency you look for, and it is certainly worth $3.5 million a year… he had 14 points this year, we didn’t get that consistency. That’s why Waddell himself shoved him in the press box at the end of the year. Don’t get mad at Waddell… get mad at Zhitnik.

Todd White was a depth move… not the answer at Center. Waddell tried to get Robert Lang and Michael Nylander… when we couldn’t land them, it became “oh my gosh, all we got was Todd White? He’s supposed to be our top center?” No, he was just all we got.

You guys have to stop being so reactionary and realize there are things going on that you can’t see.

By NASCAR Dave

April 17, 2008 4:29 PM | Link to this

You guys have to stop being so reactionary and realize there are things going on that you can’t see.

No GaVa, we CAN see them. We CAN SEE that Waddell has FAILED at his job! It’s excuses like these that constantly gets shoved down our throats! We no longer believe anything Don FRAUDell says. We no longer Believe in Blueland. We are fed up. We have had enough with this clown. It’s time to move on, before the damn team moves out of town!

No More Excuses!!!

Enough is Enough!!!

Waddell may be a nice guy, but he HAS HAD his chance. We see results, and we expect better. It’s time to give someone else a chance.

I’m sorry you are the LAST person to realize this GaVa… but someday, I really hope you can “See The Light”… for your own good…

By Bob

April 17, 2008 4:34 PM | Link to this

Todd White was a depth move… not the answer at Center. Waddell tried to get Robert Lang and Michael Nylander… when we couldn’t land them, it became “oh my gosh, all we got was Todd White?

Hokie, I’m taking you off of my ignore list here again since you are just too damn moronic and now you’re just plain spreading revisionist history and flat out lies.

The facts of what happened are this: Kovy went to Waddell at the end of 2006 after we got swept by the Blue Skirts. He asked Waddell to get him a center to play with. What was The Wad’s answer?

Free agency opened up at noon on July the 1st 2007. Waddell didn’t try to go after Lang and Nylander first, you nitwit. He made the very first overall signing of any UFA on the market and you know who that was, Hokie? why don’t you click here look at the progression of events and put the bong down dude you’re not only wildly paranoid but your memory is gone as well

Nylander wasn’t signed until 5pm that day, by our division rivals no less, who gee whiz, made the freaking playoffs this year with him, and Lang was then signed later at 5:30pm that day by the ‘Hawks. Yeah, two incredible towns to compete with Atlanta, eh? Both franchises that had been floundering for years, but Chicago’s got that great beach to visit in February, right?

White was not only the first center signed in the entire NHL free agency period by your hero, the Teflon Don, but he was also the first overall player signed by anyone, by the bumbling Wad and was the answer to Kovy’s request for a center.

This is why Hoss left, this is why Kovy will be right behind him, and why the rest of us rats are headed for dry land while we can.

You’re so twisted up in your mind, you can’t even keep the plain facts straight that Waddell thought Todd White was the answer for us at top line center. Remember who told you that very day that Todd White was a joke of a signing as the answer for Kovy’s center? Probably not…give it up Hokie, you’re embarrassing yourself.

By A$G

April 17, 2008 4:41 PM | Link to this

GaVaHokie……….you are totally clueless. How did Zhitnik get here? Waddell!

Waddell has run this show since day one.

Can you let us in on the “things going on that we can’t see”!!

I hope you don’t own any guns.

By Darren

April 17, 2008 4:44 PM | Link to this

There are rumors going around that lehtonen may be getting traded for either Mike Cammeleri of Los Angeles or Jason Spezza of Ottawa. If i were the owners i’d pay attention for once and see the Dave Nonis just got fired after 3 winning seaspns. If they had half of a brain, they’d fire don and hire dave

By Darren

April 17, 2008 4:45 PM | Link to this

There are rumors going around that lehtonen may be getting traded for either Mike Cammeleri of Los Angeles or Jason Spezza of Ottawa. If i were the owners i’d pay attention for once and see the Dave Nonis just got fired after 3 winning seaspns. If they had half of a brain, they’d fire don and hire dave

By Elvis

April 17, 2008 4:46 PM | Link to this

Watch what you say Hokie. Folks might figure out that I’m the one running the Thrashers.

E

By A$G

April 17, 2008 4:55 PM | Link to this

I agree with the 2 player comment from Waddell. All we need is Gretzy and Orr.

By GaVaHokie

April 17, 2008 4:58 PM | Link to this

Bob… hey dimwit… do you think the first time Waddell contacted anybody was on the first day of free agency?

These discussions go on for months before the qualifing offers go out.

By Rawhide

April 17, 2008 5:13 PM | Link to this

The past year…and the failures of the veteran players..is not the problem.

It is a PART of the NINE SEASON/TEN YEAR LONG problem.

If DW had a track record of managing this organ-I-zation to great things, one could look past this past season and go “eh…one of those things…”

But the one CONSTANT in that time has been DW, and what do we have to show for it?

Lets count it down, shall we…

10 - years DW has been the GM

9 - season of play in the NHL

8 - seasons failing to make the playoffs

7 - years with losing records

5 & 6 - as in ‘05-‘06, the only season we have a goal differential greater than +1

4 - The +/- rating that lead the team this past season, (Haydar & Armstrong tied for +4)

3 - Coaches, (we will be hiring our third head coach)

2 - times we have had winning records

1 - playoff appearence

ZERO - playoff wins

And we are to believe that same person who has lead us to this level of “success” is the man to bring us the needed help on defense and the #1 center we need?

I might have been born at night…but it wasn’t LAST night!

By NASCAR Dave

April 17, 2008 5:19 PM | Link to this

Don Waddell Logic:

“Well, Savard was an undersized Center who worked well with Kovy… Let’s see… this Todd White fella is about the same size. I think that will work!”

It is stupid decisions like this that BACKFIRE on us… Waddell is just out his league here in the NHL.

He needs to go to the AHL… or better yet, he needs to go back to Detroit and sell Porta-Potties — That’s where his true “talent” lies…

NUFF SAID.

By NASCAR Dave

April 17, 2008 5:25 PM | Link to this

RAWHIDE!!! the 5:13 post is the best ALL YEAR!!!

Absolutely HILARIOUS and absolutely TRUE!!!

Come on ASG, let me spend my hard earned money on Season Tickets next year… make Don FRAUDell become DONE Waddell!!!

Some of us actually enjoy watching “competitive” hockey!!!

If I wanna watch this Minor League crap I’ll go to Gwinnett!!!

By LAC

April 17, 2008 5:36 PM | Link to this

So many Correct comments about waddell, he is a TOTAL failure for the team.

Sorry don, but the LOVE ain’t there for you fellow, you are THE reason The Atlanta Thrashers $UCK !

Like everyone from Rawhide to Sage to Brenden to Bob to NASCARDAVE have said you havehad long enough to produce, you have NOT and it is time for you to GO !!!!

I sure hope those IDIOT owners can read all this, because it is CORRECT. they better be calling Dave Noris NOW if they want to save a sinking ship !!!!!!!!

If Kari is gone, hopefully package the deal so we get pick #2 too !!!!

Isn’t it funny how WINNING Hockey is just 240 miles away in Nashville, but they have a REAL GM in David Poile a man trained by The Great Cliff Fletcher right here in Atlanta… I’m tired of waddell his crap his lies and these owners who act worse and look more STUPID everyday, Who are they Kidding ???

By TRON

April 17, 2008 5:42 PM | Link to this

HEY BRUCE…….. SEND LETEMIN TO LA KINGS………. SEND CHARMIN WHITE TOO………. GET #2 PICK AND CAMMELERI……….. THAT MIGHT BE “MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION”, HUH BRUCE????………

By kracker

April 17, 2008 5:53 PM | Link to this

I get it, Mark. You pointed out that it is unfathomable that Waddell is retained as GM after his reign of failure without railing at the guy…ok, choosing that tone of critiquing is your choice to make. But apparently your understated criticism of Waddell was lost on some of the readers. My take on DW, short version…

To be fair, DW is but one of the problems of operating a hockey franchise in Atlanta. The fractured ownership is perhaps the biggest and most of the problems stem from the ownership of these underfunded owners and their shallow committment to developing a winner. However, these owners have decided to keep Waddell as GM of the franchise. Bad move. He just can’t get it done and has had 9 years to do so.

One example out of many of Waddell’s foolishness: In the 2005 entry draft, Waddell traded down twice from the #8 pick. In doing so he insanely passed on the obvious choice of the chisled center Anze Kopitar, now an All-Star, with that 8th pick to end up taking the underperforming Alex Bourret at the 16 spot. Bourret was traded to the Rangers for the now-traded Pascal Dupuis and I assume Bourret is playing in the AHL but I have heard nothing of him. He has bad work habits and was a total bust for a first-rounder that Waddell touted highly. Waddell did pick up the talented prospect goaltender Ondrej Pavelec with one of the picks he acquired in moving down, so he does get credit for that.

On balance, though, Waddell should have simply taken the obvious player available with at #8 pick, Kopitar. One can easily make the case that having a developing 1st line center on the team the last couple of years could have made the difference in not having to trade for Keith Thachuk and Alex Zhitnik to make the playoffs in 06-07 and losing draft picks and Braydon Coburn in the process.

Now, I shudder to think what havoc Waddell can wreak in this year’s draft with the #3 overall pick to play with.

By JB

April 17, 2008 5:58 PM | Link to this

It never ceases to amaze me, we could win the Cup next year and you guys would still hate DW. I understand you don’t like the guy, but do you really need to go into the vicious attacks against the man?

As for the Lehtonen rumors; there may be some credibility to these. On 680 Tuesday DW really kinda tried to side-step the Kari issue; but not because he didn’t want to talk about it, it seemed as if there he was planning or discussing that he couldn’t talk about. DW also said that he learned was interesting facts about some of our current players that had not previously come to light(not sure how or why they hadn’t but they did in the post-season interviews); now this could be the usual suspects like Bobby Holik, Alexei Zhitnik or Brad Larsen or it could be that Kari possibly demanded to be traded or gave an ultimatum and said that he would sign an extension with us but wanted to be traded to a team of his choice.

NOTE that this is all speculation on my part but interesting none-the-less.

Ottawa is seriously looking to regroup after a bad year with their goalie situation and just a bad rebound year in general after going to the Finals. You can almost be assured that Emery is gone this offseason and now the Sens would be stuck with Gerber only; who by rights is NOT a number one goalie but a 1A/Backup goalie, similar to Moose.

I was honestly just thinking of a deal between the Thrashers and Sens last night while watching game 4 of the Pens/Sens series. Some people may think that it would be easier to get Alfredsson, but he is theri captain and they most likely won’t trade him; but if they do it would do damage to their fan support(that has already taken a hit). It just isn’t logical for Ottawa to trade away Daniel Alfredsson.

It would be more logical for them to trade away someone like Spezza. We need a center; Ottawa wants to re-build a sinking ship and fast. They need a full time goalie and we have 2 NHL ready right now. We need to make up our minds who we want to go with and have faith in that decision; if its Kari fine, if its Pavs I’m alright with that too. But make up our minds as playing revolving goalies isn’t helping our situation and it certainly isn’t helping either one of Kari or Pavs. Besides, both are future/current number 1’s and they both aren’t gonna want to set by as the other gets the majority of the playing time. Keep one, and retain Moose for another year. Worry about the back-up role after that.

My Trade:

To Ottawa: G - Kari Lehtonen LW - Brett Sterling or C - Todd White Pittsburgh’s 2008 1st Rounder

To Atlanta: C - Jason Spezza Ottawa’s 2008 2nd Rounder

That makes both sides happy, we get our bone-afide number 1 center, Ottawa gets their #1 goalie and everyone moves on.

LA’s interest doesn’t make sense to me as they have a large amount of depth at the goalie position; although Cammalleri would be nice.

By Sage of Bluesland

April 17, 2008 6:09 PM | Link to this

Rawhide, Nascar, and LAC (and others excluding the sheep) are hitting on all cylinders with this.

Our money is indeed just as good as others’…I’ll stop right there with the pitiful and pathetic excuses.

Excuses for nonperformance. That’s what the sheep are left with.

How sad.

It’s past time to wake up, Atlanta, and make a difference. Stop subsidizing the incompetence. That is the ONLY way to change the current miserable state of affairs in the figurative joke otherwise known as “Blueland”.

By TRON

April 17, 2008 6:16 PM | Link to this

RATHER TRADE WITH LA, JB………. CAMMELLERRI/ #2 PICK FOR LETEMIN/WHITE OR LETEMIN/SLATER/STERLING…………

By Slim Pickens III

April 17, 2008 6:40 PM | Link to this

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/replacewaddell/

By LAC

April 17, 2008 7:31 PM | Link to this

Alfordsson is 37 I believe, just what we DO NOT NEED !

With waddell still waddling around who knows what player disaster lies ahead that will futher dismantle this franchise.

Will Bradley be there opening night sitting with ole don when defense of our Highest Goals Against title begins ???

Call Dave Noris PLEASE SOMEBODY !!!!

By Bob

April 17, 2008 8:48 PM | Link to this

Bob… hey dimwit… do you think the first time Waddell contacted anybody was on the first day of free agency?

Yes, those are the rules. Did you start watching hockey when the Thrashers came in 1999? Dude, why do you think we traded Tkachuk’s rights back to St. Louis after we got swept out of the playoffs? Uh, it ain’t because anyone could contact him up until July 1st, Sparky. That gave St. Louis exclusive negotiating rights up until July 1.

These discussions go on for months before the qualifing offers go out

Wrong once again on two counts in one short sentence (big suprise there). First, qualifying offers are only for RFAs, not UFAs. Second, if you even mention the name of a guy you’re targeting, much less contact the player or his agent ahead of July 1st, the league office will slap you with a fine and take away a future draft pick slot in a heartbeat.

By Sage of Bluesland

April 17, 2008 9:06 PM | Link to this

GaVaGelding has been exposed!!!

Go back to waving your wittle fwag with Mark and Donny…

How pathetic.

Now the pitiful sell-out Mark Bradley has resorted to the ultimate emotional argument that Donny “loves” the franchise…Well, isn’t that rich?!

That and a dollar get you a cup of coffee.

Emotion versus production/results. You know the difference.

I can’t tell you how RELIEVED I am that our lispy bumbling GM sleeps well at night! Nice attempt at pulling at the heartstrings, Sell-out Bradley, but it doesn’t hold with common sense.

The mindless sheep buy it (speaking of which, Sell-out Bradley, what happened to your mid-1980s ‘fro?; you look a bit ‘shorn’ here lately), but I’m not…

By LAC

April 17, 2008 10:35 PM | Link to this

Right AS ALWAYS Sage & Bob, This gavahokie thing is a misguided as waddell himself.

Bet $1000 he would like to raise the 28th place banner opening night, Oh I forgot…28th place is for LOSERS and any NHL team as bad as we are, would cut waddell loose.

Watchout gavawhatever, the key is don’t hang yourself !!!

By 12345

April 18, 2008 4:10 AM | Link to this

This from TSN Thrasher off season moves artical.

“Yeah, we have to,” Kovalchuk told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, about the Thrashers making the playoffs for next season. “It’s going to be my seventh year; four games in the playoffs is not enough. Hopefully we’ll make the right moves and be a great competitive team next year.”

Given Marian Hossa’s apparent dissatisfaction with the organization before he was traded, it’s going to be tough for the Thrashers to resist making moves to keep Kovalchuk happy.

However, with the roster they have heading into this off-season, it will be a major accomplishment if the Thrashers turn into a playoff team by next season.

With so many deadbeats returning how will we even expect to compete ?

I believe it is time for the GM of the Thrashers to announce he is resigning, he is just not a major league GM and doubt he could run a neighborhood street hockey team any better than the Thrashers.

With this ALL said… By so many bloggers and fans, who have pointed mistake after mistake after mistake Waddell has made year after year, Why can these owners not see it too?

I do not get it, they must be on their own little cloud and when you are on top it never rains, but we the fans are getting dumped on every season by these guys and the worst GM in the entire world of professional sports, one Don Waddell.

Come on Don, time to admit defeat and move on, you simply cannot continue as GM, you stink !

By tshumphreys

April 18, 2008 8:15 AM | Link to this

I don’t really need to read ALL of this blog. I just don’t need to buy season tickets next year. That’s how I’m going to “blog”. I hadn’t even thought of missing my first opening night (08-09) NHL season. That makes me sad and mad for sure :(

By GaVaHokie

April 18, 2008 9:08 AM | Link to this

Bob… Waddell knows who’s going to be available on Day 1 of free agency. New SPC’s are open 48 hours after the Stanley Cup is given out. There is almost a two week period of time for “feeling out” who’s going to be available.

I’ve talked to Waddell personally on this subject before… I remember asking him about Lubomir Visnovsky a year ago (before the July 1st deadline)… he was certain the Kings were going to “keep the player”, probably in the $5 million range.

The offer sheets were probably all faxed out at noon… I don’t care about the timelines… all I know is we made offers to Lang and Nylander… they were probably $3 million offers, which is why they’re not here.

I’ll admit I mispoke on contract offers.

By A$G

April 18, 2008 9:35 AM | Link to this

Hokie mon……..can you just give us a hint at “the things going on we can’t see”. Are these things we will have to wait until DW’s 3rd 5yr plan to see?

Is Elvis really running the show?

Do you here voices?

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE ESPN ARTICLE ON WADDELL? WHAT THE OTHER GM’S SAID ABOUT HIS PERFORMANCE?

By Flyers FAN

April 18, 2008 9:46 AM | Link to this

All the Flyers fans would like to thank Atlanta for sending us Braydon Coburn. Once again he played half of the game and was great. We are just fortunate that Don Waddell was not in need of a great young defensemen. He will be in round two with our Flyers soon! Maybe some day he can tell all of you what it’s like to be in round two. Ha ha ha ha ha ha

By Bob

April 18, 2008 9:56 AM | Link to this

all I know is we made offers to Lang and Nylander

No he didn’t. The League office approved the deal and released it to the public all within 1 1/2 hours after the UFA season opened. It was the very first overall UFA signing of the season If you think he tendered offers to Nylander and Lang and negotiated with their agents and after going back and forth with them, then tendered an offer to White and negotiated with his agent, worked out that deal, and then got the contract faxed to the league office, had the league office attorney’s read and approve it and released it to the press all within 1 1/2 hours, then I just need to tell you again put the bong down, dude

Todd White was the first offer sheet he sent, he was the target for Waddell, not Lang, not Nylander.

The only thing Waddell knows ahead of time are who the UFAs are, and what they are asking as their agents go out and say “we’re asking in the $5m per year range”.

Just like with all the mistakes Waddell makes over the years letting all of our good players go because “they’re not worth that much money” (anyone watch Brunette score AGAIN last night winning the game for the Avs?, gee Waddell thought he wasn’t worth the money either and IIRC Bruno only wanted $1.5m!!!) he didn’t go after Lang or Nylander because he thought they weren’t “worth the money”.

This has been the underlying problem with Waddell from Day 1. He always tries to go cheap, and we’ve seen the results. Then when we does commit the dollars to his hand picked guys, it always blows up in his face, going all the way back to Damian Rhodes, and ending finally today with Bobby Holik.

This is the reality. No fantasies that you doll up your mind. Plain stark reality. It’s why no Tier 1 UFAs are coming anywhere near Atlanta as long as Waddell is here. He’s a laughingstock amongst his fellow GMs, amongst his season ticket holders, and amongst the players. Hoss walking on him was the last straw for many. Anyone have any doubt Kovy is the next one walking out of here?

By GaVaHokie

April 18, 2008 10:34 AM | Link to this

I’m taking this stance on it from here on out, because I really don’t care as much as you think I do. I’ve talked with Rawhide in person and told him as such. I really don’t care if Waddell gets fired or not, I just don’t think he’s the “end all” problem like you all think he is. How many championships have the Falcons won since Arthur Blank took over… since Rich McKay was GM… since firing Dan Reeves, Jim Mora… how much changing do you guys want to go through?

By Brendan

April 18, 2008 10:37 AM | Link to this

Well, this Mark Bradley article should open some eyes about the way the ASG runs its business. No? And business is the operative word. Don Waddell is going to make the ASG very rich when the Thrashers are sold. Let’s see … he’s a nice guy. He adheres to budgets. His teams can still be mathematically alive at the February trade deadline. Which, of course, invites more bluster and obfuscation about how “close” we are to the playoffs, after such a disastrous season, etc., etc., etc. Ad nauseum.

People are beginning to see through it. What I’d like to see now … during this offseason … are articles about free agents who declined to come to Atlanta. That’s your job, AJC. You are in the sports-journalism business. That means, you need to investigate. I want to know who turned this franchise down FLAT when presented with an offer. Can the AJC deliver this kind of hard-hitting, fact-finding mission? I guess we’ll see.

Specifically, I want to hear what Brian Campbell’s agent said when Don calls him this Summer. This means, you don’t ask Don. You ask Campbell’s agent. If you ask Don … Waddell will say … “oh well, I didn’t reach out to Campbell’s agent because I’d heard though the grapevine that he’d committed to another franchise.

Pfft. Not good enough, Don. Waddell must make inquiry, even IFFF Campbell has decided to go elsewhere. Find out what the offer on the table is … and ask to surpass it. At least this way, Waddell can say, “I tried. I really, really did. I found out the offer. I presented it to Levenson, Seydel and Gearon, who allegedly never DENY me anything, and they said “no.” Or, Campbell’s camp said “no.” For whatever reason. Commitment to go ELSEWHERE, or that he’d never want to play in Atlanta, etc.”

By Sage of Bluesland

April 18, 2008 10:42 AM | Link to this

Bob’s points about Brunette—with Waddell getting cheap, yet paying through the nose for even worse players—is not be overlooked.

Don Waddell has bungled so many personnel moves—beginning on day one (Rhodes) to the present (Holik).

This is prima facia evidence that the man simply cannot make consistently good personnel decisions. Period.

Can’t draft beyond the overwhelming consensus of the top three picks (and that’s even debatable; Lehtonen versus Nash/Bouwmeester); Consistently poor decisions concerning free agents (both internal and external); Can’t admit mistakes; Continues to bluster about “moving in the right direction”; Assures us all he’s sleeping well at night…

It all adds up to one thing, folks. Don’t EVER wonder why this organization is precisely where it’s at. Don Waddell has EARNED every bit of our reputation and our record.

When will they finally see?!

By GaVaHokie

April 18, 2008 11:26 AM | Link to this

My only major objection to Waddell is why he hasn’t fired or replaced Dan Marr yet?

By Brendan

April 18, 2008 12:32 PM | Link to this

Hokie, you’re on to something there. Stick with it. I was asked, just the other day, “Brendan, how does an organization know if they’ve got good scouts in hockey?” I replied, “Well, I’d look at 3-years worth of drafting, with a heavy emphasis on picks made after #15 overall, and see what has materialized. If, after 3-years, the cupboards look something close to empty, you know it’s time for change.”

Like most of you, I watched the Draft Lottery. Our representative was Frank Mahavolich. And when it became apparent that Atlanta would not be picking either 1st or 2nd overall, he had this, “There went Kovalchuk” look on his face. Well, irrespective of Kovalchuk’s future in Atlanta, it’s up to folks like Mahavolich and Dan Marr to go make those later round picks count for players who can feed Kovalchuk.

This blog likes to talk about Mike Camalleri in Los Angeles. I’m not entirely sure, but I think he was selected somewhere between 41st and 49th overall in his draft year. Well … I’m very confident that Cammalleri and Kovalchuk would not fail, if paired together. Look, I’m not ADVOCATING a trade here! All I’m saying is … that’s a center that can be found in the 40’s, in terms of the overall trade position, that can be effective. It’s up to scouting, in concert with the GM, to land those players. Moreover, it shouldn’t be at the EXPENSE of a 1st round pick. (Think moving down to get Bourret at #16, from an original draft position of 8th overall, in 2005.)

Sage, I think it was you, 3-4 years ago, who advanced the notion of “zero sum” economics, in the early, developmental years of the club. Basically, what you were saying was that Waddell didn’t ADD any players. He’d just try to replace the players he’d lost. Like Brunette, Staios, Audette, etc. It wasn’t until 2005-06, after the lockout, that Waddell really started to stockpile talent on the roster. I think this is a source of many of the fans’ discontent. Had player retention been more of a priority, the team could have prospered a bit more, even before the lockout.

By GaVaHokie

April 18, 2008 1:05 PM | Link to this

Bob… to clarify, i think getting Todd White was separate from trying to get Nylander and Lang. Waddell was going to get White regardless.

I’m not trying to say we got White BECAUSE we didn’t get Lang and Nylander… you really don’t think I realized Todd White was the first FA pick up in the whole NHL last year? You’re talking to obsessive hockey-boy over here.

By GaVaHokie

April 18, 2008 1:14 PM | Link to this

Brendan… I was looking over Dan Marr’s drafting record for his 12 years in Toronto… there’s nothing much to speak of in there. I didn’t go over it with a fine-tooth comb, but Fredrik Modin is the only late pick that jumps out at me. That’s 12 years of drafting! Even in the “can’t miss” draft of 1993 he still missed out on Todd Bertuzzi and Saku Koivu.

By GaVaHokie

April 18, 2008 1:20 PM | Link to this

I also wanted to point out the Leafs had TWO first round picks in 1993 and still missed Bertuzzi and Koivu.

How about Toronto losing their first and second round pick in the 1991 draft… what a heartbreak not to draft in this one!! Look at the names!

The Leafs didn’t pick until Round 3… Yanic Perrault.

By NASCAR Dave

April 18, 2008 2:23 PM | Link to this

I really don’t care if Waddell gets fired or not, I just don’t think he’s the “end all” problem like you all think he is.

how much changing do you guys want to go through?

GaVa, see this is where you are missing the point…

You are making it seem as if we’ve already made changes, when in fact, it’s quite the opposite… we have made NO changes.

Donnie is the only GM we have had… we have seen his results after a decade, and they are not acceptable enough to the fans…

It’s time to give somebody else a chance… The team needs a change of direction…

We cannot truly know how good/bad Waddell really is until we have someone to compare him too…

However, most of us here (other than you) already know the answer to that question…

As a child you must have been the last kid in school to find out about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny too, huh???

One day, GaVA, you might finally start to “See The Light” — And I’m not talking about that Red Light that appears when Letemin gives up those rebounds either…

By ranallo10

April 18, 2008 2:27 PM | Link to this

I’m just curious if it’s alright to be a Thrashers fan, or if it’s still en vogue to be a Waddell Hater.

Apparently you can’t be both, or a portion of both, you have to choose either…

Let me know though, I’d love to continue being a Thrashers fan, if that’s allowed of course.

Hokie — I understand your logic on the White situation, it’s one of those things that bites the GM in the a* AND feeds his detractors more fodder. I have a hard time imagining that Waddell would sit back after signing White and say “Ahhhhh, my work is done here! When’s tee time?”. Washington wasn’t the first team to talk to Nylander (remember the shady contract situation he had to get out of with Edmonton?), so it’s not unbelievable that Nylander’s camp was approached, and was quickly priced out.

At age 35, and coming off two good seasons alongside Jaromir F’n Jagr, I too would’ve balked at paying as much as he commanded from Washinton/Edmonton. Oh yeah, he only played 40 games, and had no impact upon the Washington streak to the playoffs…even had to be replaced by an aging Sergei Federov. 40 GP, 37 points, $4.875M…Federov cost them $1.333M and Ted Ruth (NCAA D prospect), for 18GP and 13PTs (he is a -3 with 1A in the 4 playoff games thus far). All that money to put themselves down 1-3 against the last place team from 2006/2007 season…how many people think the GM in Washington should be fired??

It’s blatantly stubborn to think there’s NO possibility of contingency acquisitions in UFA periods, and rather stubborn to imagine that on July 1st it’s like an Easter egg hunt when talking about signing Free Agents. “Ready…Set…SIGN SIGN SIGN!” Of course there are overtures made to the team, or comments made in passing about wanting to acquire a scoring center…and in those overtures and passing comments an Agent MIGHT JUST SAY “that type of player would cost you AT LEAST $5M per season, I doubt your team could afford it (cough cough He doesn’t want to play in Atlanta cough).”

But it’s cool, if disagreeing with a mob makes you a sheep…so be it. You’re entitled to your opinion, and despite what others around here are saying, you’re not WRONG for having a differing opinion. At least you have the balls to back up your opinion, rather than just recite the same thing over and over and over…

By Tim

April 18, 2008 2:37 PM | Link to this

Discussing about DW future with the Thrashers next season is pretty much useless at this time. We all know he will be back. Now I can just hope that he can improve this team during the off season. Yes, the veteran didn’t perform to the consistency we know they could. Should they have, maybe we could have made the playoff. But at this point, it’s also pointless to say what if and what not. fact it’s we have regress from the previous season. Not just DW but everyone is at fault.

The offence have been bad this season, especially on the power play.

The defence is the worst of the NHL, especially on PK.

Goaltending is inconsistance with the rest of the team. They play great when the team is not and play bad when the rest of the team clicked. Of couse, a coach should resolve that situation.

Now, I do condone the fact that DW didn’t hire any coach this past season. I would have done the same thing. When hiring a coach, I would like him to be at the helm for the nest 2-3 season at least for some consistency. And hiring a coach in the middle of the season is just limiting our option. As DW said, there is a lot of candidate he would like to interview that are currently involve in the playoff. I don;t see Beast as a solution. He may be a godd guy and a good source of motivation for the player but what this team need is a solid system.

A few year ago, BH bring a system to this Thrashers team and we’ve been improving every season. Eventually the system stop working as we can see this last season and we need to implement a new system. And I don’t think anyone within the Organization of the Thrashers can provide that, maybe except Anderson from the Chicago Wolves. But getting a coach sign by Free Agency period is our number one priority so that DW can sit with the Coach and listen to what he need and address it.

Also keep in mind that defence is played by all 6 players on the ice. Not just the 2 defencemen, and certainly not just the goalie as we tend to do this past season. We need a solid team defence next season and hopefully this is something the new coach and implement in our play.

Then come draft day. We know for sure that Stamkos is out of question. However, having a new coach by that date will help us determine who we should going after. Defence need to be adress and there is a few franchise tag defencemen listed in this draft. However keep in mind that defencemen take longer to developped with some exception. And then, there is a young russian phenom named Filatov. He is no defenceman but hey, we losing scoring depth with the departure of Hossa and Filatov have that potential to replace that production. Filatov is russian and a lot of team are reluctant to draft player from Russia because of the lact of agreement between NHL and Russia Federation. However Filatov do not have a contract next season with any russian team and said it’s ready to come play in America. His english is probably better then mine also. I think it’s a risk that worth to take. And hey, adding a countryman to this team can only make Kovy happy right? Anything that make Kovy happy, I am all for it. But I wont mind drafting those defenceman right under Stamkos. Beside if there is a season that is nice to tank, it would be the next one as the teh Next Next Great One will be available to be drafted. But I sure hope we don’t have to walk through this and instead winning the division in a very solid way. Is that possible? sure. Look at the Celtic and the Flyers this season. It’s that probable? The answer is in DW and ASG hands.

By Rawhide

April 18, 2008 2:45 PM | Link to this

ranallo & GaVaHokie - yes, we can disagree without being disagreeable.

(Holy God, did I just quote Obama)????

Anyway, I will vouch for Hokie saying he has indeed chatted with me about it and I understand his point(s). He and I differ in opinion on the situation and we simply agree to disagree on it. So, please…cut the man some slack, he’s a good dude and, most importantly, a brother Thrashers fan!

OK??? Good, then.

Now, you guys play nice…I’m off now to settle this whole “Middle east” problem, Social Security solvency, the battle between the sexes and the gasoline crunch.

By GaVaHokie

April 18, 2008 2:51 PM | Link to this

Nascar… actually, I was the first to debunk Santa and the Easter Bunny with my mad super-deduction skillz!

Your points on Waddell are fair enough, and understood… can we leave it alone already?

By Bob

April 18, 2008 3:29 PM | Link to this

My only major objection to Waddell is why he hasn’t fired or replaced Dan Marr yet?

There you go, that’s the smartest thing I’ve seen you write and that is on the right track. As GM, Waddell has lots of responsibilities such as hiring the right coach, and hiring the right scouts. It’s pretty obvious to all that both our pro and amateur scouting is broke (who wrote the scouting report on Zhitnik?!?!).

As a manager, Waddell has to be able to identify and put in place the right scouts, and if it’s broken, he has to fix it. But he hasn’t. Reason #298 showing how incompetent he is in his job.

I’m telling you, if you love this club and want the best for it, the one underlying problem must be fixed, then the rest can be.

Nothing meaningful will change here until meaningful changes are made a real GM is brought in to turn this thing around

By T-Bone

April 18, 2008 4:25 PM | Link to this

I’ve always believed ASG is not dumb. They know DW is incompetent, but he’s pliable to their pennypinching ways and will not rock the boat publicly. And after a few years they can sell the franchise for a nice profit thru the simple passage of time not thru any excellence on the ice. I for one wish that day would come sooner rather than later. I don’t expect a sale to mean the Thrashers leave town. Far from it. But the faster a real owner with an agenda aligned to the diehard hockey fan (i.e., winning the Cup)is in place, the faster this ship gets turned around. As long as ASG is in control and DW is at the helm, nothing of consequence will change. Why don’t you write about that Bradley?

By ranallo10

April 18, 2008 4:45 PM | Link to this

T-Bone — It’s a good point, one which I would love to see an expose about in any media outlet, not JUST the AJC. I’d like to see it regarding ALL NHL Franchises, because some owners are simply involved to “make a profit”.

There’s one quote from above that immediately jumped out to me as being indicative of why Waddell is still employed:

“There are financial responsibilities, and I’ve always been able to meet them.”

That can be translated in so many ways, but the way I read it is:

“The ASG has a very tight budget required to maintain a positive profit margin. I can craft and manage a seemingly competitive team while adhering to that restrictive budget, and this franchise can still make a profit.”

The owners know this, seem to appreciate this, and seem content with that sort of guidance from their General Manager. I see that as the downside of having a group of self-made businessmen running a sports franchise in which they have no personal/emotional attachment to said sport. The ASG has a single “hockey guy” in a group of businessmen. That single “hockey guy” seems to focus on the hockey business, in order to ensure a profit is made. He doesn’t seem to be interested in being competitive, just profitable.

To me, that’s the underlying issue for this franchise. It doesn’t matter who the GM is, if they can bring a profit to this team the owners will be content. Until that business model (profit first) changes, this team will stay relatively uncompetitive (they may make the playoffs again, but a deep playoff run will be completely due to luck).

But that’s my opinion of the current situation…I don’t place the sole blame on Waddell, I place it on the collective management of the franchise, which INCLUDES the ownership group. I also place the blame of seasons past on the players and coaches.

As Tim said, “everyone is at fault”.

By NASCAR Dave

April 18, 2008 5:42 PM | Link to this

Nascar… Your points on Waddell are fair enough, and understood… can we leave it alone already?

Sure, GaVa, but don’t forget… It’s not just Me/Bob/Sage/LAC etc…

It’s also the 57% of respondents to the AJC poll that feel we need a New GM.

Plenty of Empty Seats next year…

By B. Thenet

April 19, 2008 4:51 PM | Link to this

With that kind of job security, who wouldnt be upbeat.

What does it take to get fired from this GM job, does he have to attack Levenson with a meat cleaver or something

By Boulton's Bruisers

April 19, 2008 10:25 PM | Link to this

What does it take to get fired from this GM job, does he have to attack Levenson with a meat cleaver or something

B. Thenet Apparently you have to be WORSE than Billy Knight. That’s not too hard, but at least Billy can make the right draft pick (usually).

How the ASG continues to retain Waddell, Knight, and Woodson is extremely puzzling.

All signs point to being cheap as hell at all costs, in order to save money for the legal battle.

What did we as Atlanta Sports fans do to deserve this crap?

This sucks.

By GaVaHokie

April 22, 2008 12:52 PM | Link to this

It’s also the 57% of respondents to the AJC poll that feel we need a New GM.

I believe the Salem Witch Trials had a majority vote as well. :) Doesn’t make it right.

By 12345

May 2, 2008 4:51 AM | Link to this

gava you are a LOSER…Just like waddell !!!!!!!!!!