Jeff Schultz

By polskidawg

June 20, 2008 7:08 PM | Link to this

He hasn’t been to the film room yet - and when he does, he’ll understand what most of us do – this team is far, far away from competing at a high level.

It needs an experienced front-line center (it won’t get one; DW will throw Little to the NHL wolves), two top 4 defensemen, and a couple of shutdown forwards.

Mr. Anderson, I wish you well!

By shadaway

June 20, 2008 7:55 PM | Link to this

When I lived in Chicago, I got used to sports writers going negative no matter what the team did or did not do. I thought I was going to get away from such negative cheer leading. But I guess negativity and chronic second guessing is what goes on when selling papers is more important than supporting the local team.

By truehockeyfan

June 20, 2008 8:02 PM | Link to this

Again another negative story by shultz. I am sick and tired of his negativity and constant bashing of all the atlanta teams. for this reason, I will cancel my paper. Jeff, get a life. NO wonder Atlanta if regarded as a terrible sports town. Writers like you that constantly bash our teams.Jeff I wish you would get fired.

By Hide the truth!

June 20, 2008 8:14 PM | Link to this

Everyone knows that Schultz hates all things Atlanta. But he knows nothing about hockey. Tortorella was run out of town in Tampa but this idiot has open arms for him and all the other retreads he mentioned. What is even further evidence of his lack of hockey knowledge is how he described Anderson as a “career minor league coach, with nary an offer to be even an NHL assistant.” Hey Jeff, read this link and see what happened to a roster full of unproven role players, a career minor league coach and a Russian superstar

By travis

June 20, 2008 8:18 PM | Link to this

truehockeyfan what do you expect jeff to say?…”hey, the thrashers made a great hire by skipping over current, proven NHL assistants for a lifer minor league.” he is telling the truth, so what if it is negative. tell the thrashers ownership to get their $hit together and then maybe jeff would wright something positive.

By John

June 20, 2008 8:31 PM | Link to this

One question: Why did it take this long to hire Anderson? Waddell could have hired him at any time last year!!!

By Hillbilly Deluxe

June 20, 2008 9:11 PM | Link to this

Are Furman and Terrance Moore ever going to write another column?

By Bob

June 20, 2008 9:16 PM | Link to this

Nobody knows how many people will pay to watch this product next season. Or worse, we do know

Yes, yes we do. FUBAS is crapping their collective pants and how empty the seats will be next year.

and most believe the team started 11-4 after Hartley’s firing because they expected McCrimmon to take over). But Waddell stayed behind the bench. The team nosedived

I didn’t suspect that, but it makes perfect sense and I’m finally glad to hear why McCrimmon turned down the offer that finally came, far too late.

Captain Rat’s comments all make sense now.

Hossa’s support, makes sense now.

It all makes perfect sense. The players see what we do, Waddell is the problem. Has been all along.

By Mark

June 20, 2008 9:40 PM | Link to this

Jeff,

This is why I can’t stand to read or watch the media - always having to be negative, negative, negative.

Why don’t you support what people are doing and create a more positive atmosphere???

You are an idiot.

By lovethrashers18

June 20, 2008 9:42 PM | Link to this

What did I expect Jeff to say? He said what we’ve come to expect from him. What could he have said? He could have compared this move to that of the Washington Capitals and Bruce Boudreau, not to Curt Fraser. We all know how the story ended for the Capitals. But I guess the coach of the last place team in the NHL is better than a more than proven winner in the minors, right? How dare you suggest Tortorella to be a candidate for this job. He really would have great chemistry with Exelby and Perrin, right? He could have mentioned how Anderson has coached most of the youngsters on the thrashers roster and therefore is more familiar with the organization than Pat Quinn or Marc Crawford. Tortorella? You’re a moron, Schultz. I’ve finally had enough of reading your crap.

By jason

June 20, 2008 9:52 PM | Link to this

Do us all a favor… FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO WRITE ABOUT or find another way to make a living… we are TIRED OF READING YOUR CRAP!!!!!!

By Khao$

June 20, 2008 9:57 PM | Link to this

Why kill the messanger? Schultz is only telling the truth. The Spirit group went cheap. They are running the Hawks on the cheap. Any negativity this ownership group receives is well deserved. Anderson is here for the same reason Rick Sund and Mike Woodson are with the Hawks; the Spirit won’t pay up.

In two years, Kovy will leave this joke of a team and go on to a winner. The ASG is a disaster.

By ture blue

June 20, 2008 10:54 PM | Link to this

Wow. If you are a fan of the atlanta thrashers, quit being so negative about a team you say you cheer for. If not, then quit commenting on a team you don’t care anything about.

This WAS a good hire because this man knows how to win. No two people are the same so you cannot compare this man to fraser. Get a life.

Do you know all the successful minor league coaches converted to the nhl?

By Toxostoma Rufum

June 20, 2008 11:04 PM | Link to this

Schultz is wrong about so much, as usual:

1.)Anderson may be cheap, but he’s the best AHL coach. Boudreau from the AHL has done wonders with Washington since becoming coach. Schultz is elitist and wrong to think that an NHL assistant is automatically better than and AHL coach.

2.)Since winning the Cup four whole years ago, Tortorella lost control of Tampa. He has anger management issues. Schultz gets this point wrong.

3.) Sullivan was a terrible head coach in Boston, and his efforts as a video coach in Tampa didn’t exactly lead them to glory. Schultz is wrong.

4.) Of course Wilson and McLellan wanted to coach better teams. Schultz is wrong to bring this up - he is wallowing in Waddell’s past mistakes to make a tenuous point. Poor journalism.

5.) Quinn? Too old, doesn’t play younger players. Schultz is wrong.

6.) Crawford? Plenty of red flags to raise about his last two head coaching stints. Schultz is wrong.

7.) Quenneville? He would have been a good choice. Perhaps he was interviewed? Does Schultz know this? Did he use his journalistic prowess to find out? He just says “not bad”. That’s not good enough, Schultz.

8.) Schultz is correct in describing how McCrimmon was mistreated and lowballed by the Thrashers. But he only brings it up to reinforce his argument that Anderson was only hired because he was the cheapest, which is completely false. Does Schultz put forth any reasons why McCrimmon would be better than Anderson? No.

9.) Schultz mocks Anderson for being desperate for the job, lauding Waddell, and crying with joy for landing the gig. Schultz fails to bring up the point that Anderson has gone on record repeatedly that he believed that he deserved the job. Also, Schultz fails to quote the dozens of American and Canadian hockey journalists who believe Anderson was the correct choice. But for Schultz, it’s easier to be wrong if it gives him the opportunity to maliciously and sadistically portray anybody as a pathetic clown.

10.) Schultz fails to mention that Atlanta has always had poor coaching, including that of Hartley. He also doesn’t mention that nobody has offered Hartley a job.

11.) Atlanta Spirit doesn’t have a lot of money because of their own foolishness, and partly because the media refuses to get behind them. Should they really spend more money on another Hartley, when there’s a perfectly capable good guy widely respected by NHL people who has already coached half of the 2008-2009 Thrashers’ roster in Anderson? Schultz blames Atlanta for blowing money, and then he blames them for being cheap.

How does Schultz sleep?

By pond scum

June 20, 2008 11:44 PM | Link to this

Very,very good points Toxo.

Just like every other journalist that writes for this paper,nothing but negativity.

I could maybe understand if we was about 20-30 games into the 08-09 season and was in the cellar by a long shot. But the man hasn’t even coached a single game yet.

And so what if he cried,that’s actually a good thing.

It means he’ll actually take some pride in his job,not just show up for a paycheck like many others,including this journalist do.

Regular “hockey” media buffs say it was a good move,i’ll take them more on their words than this wanna-be 3 toed sloth.

By TOX is a douche

June 20, 2008 11:46 PM | Link to this

TOX, WTF is your deal, I see all your negativity on this the message boards and I see you leaving comments talking down on people every time they state their opinions. Just because someone writes WHAT YOU DONT AGREE WITH does not mean you have the right to talk down on them as if they know nothing about the game. Sure this article maybe just as negative as you are about everything. But I am so sick of seeing you write comments as if you are this all knowing hockey god. If Schultz is so wrong about everything and you are so right. How about you just become the fckn general manager and turn this franchise around. Oh wait, your not because you wouldnt know the first thing about how to turn this franchise around. And before you come at me, I wouldnt know how to either, and thats the reason why I am just being a fan and supporting my team instead of trolling around talking down on people acting like I know everything about the game. Have a great day Tox, I expect to see you behind the bench next season if your gonna leave that long of a comment about how wrong he is.

By AdducciD

June 21, 2008 12:07 AM | Link to this

I got to know John in the Quad Cities when our kids played on the same midget team and he was the coach of the Mallards. He is a class act and Atlanta is lucky to have a coach like John. Ask some true Toronto Maple Leaf fans abobut John — a great player, very knowledgeable, and a true gentleman. The Trashers are lucky to to get a coach wit his talents.

By AdducciD

June 21, 2008 12:07 AM | Link to this

I got to know John in the Quad Cities when our kids played on the same midget team and he was the coach of the Mallards. He is a class act and Atlanta is lucky to have a coach like John. Ask some true Toronto Maple Leaf fans abobut John — a great player, very knowledgeable, and a true gentleman. The Trashers are lucky to to get a coach wit his talents.

By fyrman

June 21, 2008 12:17 AM | Link to this

SHULTZ IS AN IDIOT. THANK YOU.

By fyrman

June 21, 2008 12:18 AM | Link to this

SHULTZ IS AN IDIOT. THANK YOU.

By Brendan

June 21, 2008 1:09 AM | Link to this

C’mon now people, settle down. We can allow ourselves to have at least a few moments of optimism before we start bashing Waddell and bashing Schultz, and bashing the ownership.

May I remind you that in New York, Chicago, Boston, Detroit, Philly or L.A., the local media would have eaten Waddell for lunch and held a parade with what was left of his entrails, about 5 years ago? Schultz is the closest thing you’ll come to that sort of media scrutiny. Waddell-backers simply need thicker skin and a healthy appreciation for the fact that Waddell hasn’t been run out of town on a pike.

Personally, my perspective was enlightened by this column, pretty much exactly the way (poster) Bob just pointed out. I know. I know. You’ll now point to Scott Mellanby as a “disgruntled, former player” and that “Of course he warned us that McCrimmon would likely get passed over” on Hockey Night in Canada’s “Hot Stove” segment many months ago. Mellanby told us, months ago, about how and why Hossa wouldn’t re-sign here. And Mellanby told us all how Johan Hedberg is the most liked guy on the team, who truly puts the team first.

Well, what has Mellanby lied about, exactly? Everything he said was ostensibly true. He said that McCrimmon was very popular with the players. He said Hossa wouldn’t re-sign, because Waddell didn’t go after Drury, Briere and Gomez on the Free Agent Market in the Summer of 2007, opting instead for Centers Todd White and Eric Perrin, and that the Hossa contract wouldn’t falter over the money, but rather, the direction of the team. And that everyone in the Thrashers lockerroom roots for Hedberg’s success, and that he’s truly a team guy. Hedberg TOSSED US A BONE!!! He could have signed ANYWHERE, and for more money, maybe even a “no trade clause.” Don Waddell has “options” in net because of Hedberg’s re-signing here.

Well, let’s tally up. Right, right, right and right. If Mellanby is disgruntled, he’s at least accurately disgruntled.

But, right now, I don’t want to do ANY bashing. We all know Waddell’s track record. There’s no reason to getting P.E.T.A. involved by whipping that old horse. On the coaching front, sure Ron Wilson was the best candidate that became available in the offseason market. He wasn’t going to come here, no matter what. Marc Crawford, Tortorella, and McLellan have Cup rings. Approaching them would largely serve to be as “symbolic” as any overture to Ron Wilson would have been. We can toss out names like Pat Quinn and Barry Melrose, but again, those guys aren’t coming into this situation. They’re too smart for that. Going after them would have sent a nice message to the players that the organization is trying to get serious about winning again. But really, we’re in rebuilding mode, something for which our 3rd overall pick is strongly indicative.

Segue, Don Waddell did a good job with the #3 overall pick. Whah?? Yes, he did. Beee honest. Waddell said he fielded offers for a slew of picks. Well, without knowing what those picks were, I’m still willing to venture that none of them were going to be as valuable and productive to the future of the Thrashers as Zach Bogosian. That’s my opinion. I reserve the right to be wrong about that. I wanted Drew Doughty. But he was taken by Los Angeles. Bygones. Nothing we could really do about it. We don’t need to cry about Bogosian; he’s very good!!

Okay, you’re probably scratching your head over Leveille, at #29. Hey, we won’t really know what happens there for another four years. You might well argue, why not trade for an RFA?, like Jeff Carter, or RJ Umberger, if he hadn’t been traded to Columbus. Bygones.

I hear you. Kovalchuk is going to leave if we don’t get bodies here who can help right away. Newsflash. He’s playing out a contract. Nothing more. He cannot be retained, at this point, even if Waddell were fired. Think about it. Think HARDER. The Thrashers have to keep building for the future. And the use of the #29 overall pick for a Center who is 4 years away is a strong indicator of the intentions and direction of the team.

But I digress. The topic is actually John Anderson. What ELSE could they really do? Big names weren’t coming here. Why would they? The team is rebuilding, in need of a Curt Fraser type guy to ensure a shot at John Tavares, next year. Well, I think John Anderson is better than Curt Fraser ever was. And maybe ever will be. I think it’s NOTHING BUT POSITIVE that he’s already coached so many of the current and future Thrashers. I don’t see how it could be construed as a “negative.” So, I like this hire! I truly do. Well, all things considered, anyways.

If anyone could structure an argument that says a big name Coach would be willing to come to Atlanta, and that the Atlanta Spirit Group was willing to finance it, I’m all ears. This Anderson hiring was the right choice. Furthermore, it’s a nice gesture to reach out to the farm club’s Coach to give him a shot.

Do you remember the ending of the movie, “Say Anything,” with John Cusack and Ione Skye? Ione Skye (Diane) says, “Nobody really thinks this will work, do they?” And Cusack (Lloyd Dobler) replies, “You just described every great success story.”

This is the kind of optimism I seek, even if for one day. I’d take it, at this point. But it wouldn’t change the fact that Waddell has had his shot, that he has failed, that his failure has, and will continue to have, lasting consequences. And that accountability isn’t something exclusively reserved for failed GM’s, but is also for failing ownership.

By Blueland Warrior

June 21, 2008 2:12 AM | Link to this

Schultz… do me a favor and NEVER write about my Thrashers again! Don’t show your face at a practice…nobody cares what you have to say. It’s easy to criticize. You make me sick.

By Michael Guillemette

June 21, 2008 2:48 AM | Link to this

Schultz forgot to mention Bruce Boudreau’s success in Washington and the fact that Frasher had an expansion team the few years he was here. Look, I think Waddell should have been fired years ago but for the first time I actually think Schultz is being too negative.

By Bryan

June 21, 2008 2:49 AM | Link to this

Jeff,

It seems like you have the only job in town with lower expectations than the Atlanta Thrashers GM.

By NASCAR Dave

June 21, 2008 4:26 AM | Link to this

Folks, only 2 people here are right on target… BOB and BRENDAN.

What in the world HAPPENED??? We HAD it going in the right direction, grabbing BOGOSIAN… I was SO HAPPY we grabbed him… I thought Donnie might have one of his better nights in his illustrious career in Blueland… But then what happens??? WE WASTE a 1st Round Pick on a “Project” Player??? GREAT! We NEED players who can step in NOW!!! That was a WASTED 1st Round Pick!!! No doubt about it! I am extremely upset we did not grab STAAL… We have NO 2nd Round Pick and STAAL will go very early in the 2nd. We lost out on him for a guy that’s going to College. Great. We also coulda had DESCHAMPS, or one of the D-Men still there…

We needed IMPACT players in this Draft, and we got one with our first pick, but SCREWED UP with our 2nd 1st Round Pick!!! The worst part about it is we lost HOSSA for a 1st Rounder, and we probably won’t see this kid for 4 years! All I can say is ESPOSITO better step it up BIG TIME or Donnie FRAUDell is going to have to explain how this pick was worth it… Because I think a lot of people are going to view this as a Bad Pick. Because it is.

NUFF SAID.

By Old School Al

June 21, 2008 7:15 AM | Link to this

My dog could have picked Bogosian. Waddell’s downfall - if indeed it ever happens with this clueless ownership - is plain to see with his selection of Leveille at #29. Another horeshit personnel decision in the first round. Patrik Stefan, anyone? By the way, who were all those guys sitting at the Trashers table last night?

By FIRE SCHULTZ

June 21, 2008 7:16 AM | Link to this

I agree on most of the points Schultz harps on, but I also feel that his articles are of the same stagnant..going nowhere variety. What irony..as he feels that DW still floats after all his botched plans..and that’s likewise for your articles Schultz. I have no idea why DW remains..likewise for you. It lowers the credibility of a good newspaper and on DW’s part - franchise ..if you look at the entire spectrum.

Hopefully one day we’ll have a real GM..and someone like Custance to cover our team once again, because I can barely skim over anything Schultz scribbles. As much as he hates DW for his failures..I hate your articles. As if having a crappy team is bad enough..we can’t even get a decent article from a real writer. Come back Custance.

By Old School Al

June 21, 2008 7:17 AM | Link to this

My dog could have picked Bogosian. Waddell’s downfall - if indeed it ever happens with this clueless ownership - is plain to see with his selection of Leveille at #29. Another horeshit personnel decision in the first round. Patrik Stefan, anyone? By the way, who were all those guys sitting at the Trashers table last night?

By Sara

June 21, 2008 7:32 AM | Link to this

Jeff man come on. Now listen, granted a good bit of what you said was true, I also think it’s unfair to nitpick this decision at this juncture. It’s like you’re dooming Anderson to failure already.

I think everyone agrees there are some major issues at various levels of this franchise. But we’ve just drafted a phenomenal player and we’ve hired a coach who:

1)knows how to win - that’s crucial, irrespective of what level he’s won at.

2)knows some of our players AND prospects better than anyone else on the planet - that’s a HUGE advantage, since he doesn’t have to “waste time” familiarizing himself with the club.

3)wants to be here - the man was so happy to get here, he cried. While I’m sure he would love to have the opportunity, I’m not sure even Beast wants it as much as Anderson.

4)is possibly the one person best equipped to finally get the big club and the affiliate on the same page for the first time in franchise history. The issues of our relationship with the Wolves have been well-documented, this season in particular. At last there is a chance to rectify that breach.

The club is getting a semi-fresh start. Don has finally woken up to the concept of building from the blueline out, we’ve gotten a solid choice for a coach who might not actually belittle our players in the lockerroom, and we’ve now corrected for the Coburn gaffe (sort of). Does this mean we all gather ‘round the campfire and sing Marley’s “Everthing is Gonna Be Alright”? No. There’s still much work to be done. But at least it’s gotten started.

I can’t go through the entire off-season being pessimistic about my team. It doesn’t mean I’ve suddenly donned a pair of rose-colored glasses. But I love hockey, I love this team, and I usually prefer things I love to bring me joy, not depress me even further. While I can’t control what the team does, at this point I’d like to at least try and find some of that joy of being a hockey fan and a Thrasher fan again.

By JustMe

June 21, 2008 8:22 AM | Link to this

You’re blaming the media for the lack of success by the Thrashers! Now I’ve heard everything!

By Icebyrd

June 21, 2008 8:33 AM | Link to this

I miss Custance more than ever. Leave the hockey writing to Knobler (doing a fair job so far). Schultz, how many hockey games have you ever actually been to? You have no credibility with me so stay away from hockey. Several top NHL teams are currently being coached by guys who recently moved up from the minor leagues (Boudreau being the most often cited). Since the announcement of the hiring, almost everyone that I’ve talked to that’s a hockey fan really likes the choice and is excited about the coming season at least from the coaching standpoint.

By Tony C.

June 21, 2008 8:49 AM | Link to this

If you AS, LLC eployees were really on top of your counter-arguments, you would’ve pointed out that Babcok, coach of Stanley cup Champion Detroit Redwings….was not-so-long ago an AHL coach. You could also point to several other guys behind NHL benches. Maybe if you’d bother to do some fact-checking you’d even refer to them by name.

By Jeremy

June 21, 2008 9:13 AM | Link to this

Shultz took the family to the beach in early June. He came back complaining, “The sun was too hot. The water was too salty. I stayed inside and watched the Wings win the Stacky Cup. It”s really old. The league should think of replacing it.”

Pessimism: 1) an inclination to emphasize adverse aspects, conditions, and possibilities or to expect the worst possible outcome. 2) established mindset of AJC sports writer, John Shultz, who has mastered the technique of the complimentary insult.

“Every silver lining has its touch of gray.” -Robert Hunter

By Sage of Bluesland

June 21, 2008 9:31 AM | Link to this

Hey-Ho, another ten-year “Five-Year Plan” we go…

(As sung by “Tox and the Sheep”)

Get your pitiful excuses ready, lambchops!

By Sam

June 21, 2008 9:41 AM | Link to this

Schultz may be right this time but let’s give the new guy a chance. Anderson doesn’t have a lot to work with and every hockey fan knows that rookie defensemen take MUCH longer to develop than forwards in most instances. This draft pick is fine but is for ‘down the road’, not an impact player to change the team’s direction immediately. Many roster moves must be made or Atlanta is not headed to the playoffs once again. The division is getting too tough. The Caps will be even stronger. The Canes will be back again, and Tampa Bay now has Stamkos and for the first time in several years, a real NHL goalie in Mike Smith. They will not be a last place club this year so Atlanta has a lot to work on, and it better start soon or we are in for another LONG season.

By T-Bone

June 21, 2008 9:55 AM | Link to this

Another sign of the coming apocalypse: while most GM’s at the podium made mention of the “thousands” of fans back at their respective cities viewing the proceedings from their draft day parties, we had how many at Philips? A couple hundred is my guess.

By T-Bone

June 21, 2008 10:03 AM | Link to this

I agree with Nascar Dave the pick to be very critical of here was the 29th. It shows the complete tone-deaf nature of DW to go with a developmental pick that is YEARS away from even sniffing an NHL jockstrap. Memo to DW: you don’t have that long! Even Pierre Maguire and the others on Versus were taken aback by the pick but then quickly turned the discussion to the Red Wings picking 30th who do know something about finding impact players with late picks.

By Stan Ketcik

June 21, 2008 10:05 AM | Link to this

Hey…Do you even know hockey? I live in Chicago and have watched John Anderson for years. The Thrashers got the BEST MAN for the job. He’s earned a right to coach in the NHL. This is America…where hard work and persistence pays off. Do you know ANYTHING about how he’s motivated his teams….I didn’t think so. Why not give the guy a chance. Each time you cash your paycheck you should look at the sky and say “Thank you God…I’ve fooled them again.” It must be hard to promote hockey in Atlanta with someone like you writing the articles. If the Thrashers have a bad season…It wont be because of the coach.

By What the?

June 21, 2008 10:46 AM | Link to this

Who’s the idiot Old School Al who on one hand says his dog could’ve picked Bogosian, then immediately after makes a reference to Patrick Stefan, another player that everyone’s dog made the first overall pick in that draft. So first you say the GM is bad because he made a pick that anyone else would’ve made, then you say the GM is bad because he did make a pick that everyone else would’ve made. Patrick Stefan was the Stamkos of his draft year. No one challenged him as the #1 overall pick. Aren’t there enough facts to talk about on where this team has been without getting into the rhetoric?

By Hacked off

June 21, 2008 11:13 AM | Link to this

Waddell is slime ball who is looking out for himself, not this franchise. He hired a “yes” man. Someone who he could intimidate. His ego is going to cost this City big time. A few more loosing seasons and the Thrasher’s are GONE. McCrimmon got screwed, the players loved him and he was the best choice. But Waddell knew he could not push the Beast around and that was the end of it. Wake up Spirit, coaching is not the problem, the egomaniac GM who put this team together is the problem. He is costing you money. I thought you were smarter business people than you have demonstrated. I am done, I won’t be spending another nickel to support this team.

By MortimerPeacock

June 21, 2008 12:02 PM | Link to this

You’re so right, Schultz. I mean, I’ve been thinking similar things about the Washington Capitals’ moronic decision to hire Bruce Boudreau last year. I mean, the guy was in the minors for more than 20 years and no one EVER offered him even a measley ASSISTANT coaching gig. Then the stupid Caps actually HIRED this loser!

What idiots! God, what idiots!

P.S. Do you actually follow hockey, Mr. Schultz?

By Brent

June 21, 2008 12:28 PM | Link to this

Hiring John Anderson is the only move that made sense at this point in the historic mismanagement of this franchise by the two-headed monster that is Don Waddell and Atlanta Spirit.

We get a coach who has proven himself capable of winning championships, in some cases with the players he can expect to be coaching on the NHL level as those players are called up to the big club. This means that a number of players already in Atlanta will be familiar with the man and his methods.

We get a coach that we can afford, thus freeing up revenue that could (hopefully) be re-directed toward on-ice personnel, an important factor to consider since this team is already spending well below the league-mandated salary cap.

And most importantly, we get a coach who legitimately wants to coach NHL hockey in Atlanta. This team’s ownership group hasn’t exactly made it an attractive destination for the kind of “proven” coach that a lot of people would like to see here.

Schultz can slam Atlanta Spirit and Don Waddell all he wants; they’ve earned it. But I’d like to think that Thrashers fans who have languished through the general futility that has defined this franchise for the last nine seasons and have followed the developmental franchises that have known nothing but success in that time have reason to be optimistic over Coach Anderson’s hiring. It would be perhaps better-received if Schultz were to trumpet the successes of Coach Anderson’s career rather than the failings of the Atlanta Spirit’s and Don Waddell’s.

Just a thought.

By Michael Guillemette

June 21, 2008 12:42 PM | Link to this

I don’t think some of you understand the NHL draft. It is generally not a path for the “quick-fix” option, unless the pick is in the top 5. I actually like our 2nd 1st round pick and 3rd round pick. It shows that Don isn’t looking for a quick-fix to sell-out the franchise long-term (in order to save his job). For immediate impact players see July 1 (or a trade).

By Todd

June 21, 2008 1:10 PM | Link to this

Jeff,

I missed you so much last night. I am SO looking forward to tonight. Hopefully even harder than you did last time, I can’t wait for you to cornhole me like an ethanol fuel nozzle.

See you tonight, Sweetie.

Kisses,

Todd

(404) 872-3025

By Claude

June 21, 2008 1:13 PM | Link to this

Anderson is a good hire. I’d rather have him than a retread like Torterella, who managed to win a Cup under the old rules but has done nothing since.

That being said, there are a lot of problems with the franchise, starting with a ownership group that can’t spend much on players because they’re spending so much on lawyers. How come the AJC can give us solid numbers about how far under (or over) the salary cap an NBA or NFL team is, but we never hear exactly where the Thrashers stand?

By david

June 21, 2008 2:14 PM | Link to this

Ma waddell sure has alot freinds writing in for him.

8 Bad seasons, 1 same key piece!!! They even fire minimum wage earners for being this incompetent. ASG FIRE WADDELL

By david

June 21, 2008 2:15 PM | Link to this

Ma waddell sure has alot freinds writing in for him.

8 Bad seasons, 1 same key piece!!! They even fire minimum wage earners for being this incompetent. ASG FIRE WADDELL

By Julius

June 21, 2008 3:37 PM | Link to this

yes it’s pretty sad and pathetic when people get sent in here to post comments bashing Schultz and defending Waddell. how come DW dislikes you so much Schultz? is it because they don’t like it when you point out FACTS?

By Julius

June 21, 2008 3:40 PM | Link to this

oh yeah and Fire Waddell!

By getyourmindright

June 21, 2008 3:51 PM | Link to this

This hire is fine and well deserved. the coach has paid his dues. thrashers are going to rebuild and the best man for the job is coach that can help build these players through the minors. Take a look at the caps with bruce boudreau (spelling). as for the other coaches no body wanted them anyway. nhl coaches and college and pro football coaches get receycled more times then a coke can. Don Wadell should be fired! I think bary melrose would make an excellent gm due to his years of analysis on espn and name recognition.

By getyourmindright

June 21, 2008 3:53 PM | Link to this

This hire is fine and well deserved. the coach has paid his dues. thrashers are going to rebuild and the best man for the job is coach that can help build these players through the minors. Take a look at the caps with bruce boudreau (spelling). as for the other coaches no body wanted them anyway. nhl coaches and college and pro football coaches get receycled more times then a coke can. Don Wadell should be fired! I think bary melrose would make an excellent gm due to his years of analysis on espn and name recognition.

By B. Thenet

June 21, 2008 5:50 PM | Link to this

After Schultz’s endorsement of Brad McCrimmon in his last column, didn’t anyone else see this coming?

It is funny how in Jeff Schultz’s World everything good that happened last year happened to be because of McCrimmon , but everything bad just happened to be Don Waddells? Funny how it worked out like that.

You know the sad thing is if McCrimmon had taken the head coach position and been able to come into the end of the season on a somewhat positive note….he is probably the head coach. Instead he was more worried about what would happen if he failed in his short try out.

Moving forward I hope Beast shows more faith in his own abilities. He will be a head coach in the NHL down the line, he appears to have blown his first chance offered to him by Don Waddell.

I am a bit hesitant about Anderson getting the nod, but I know he wins. And he has won consistently against some of the better coaches in the NHL, when they were his adversaries in the AHL. Not a bad start.

By Jim

June 21, 2008 8:08 PM | Link to this

Anderson has won at the lower level and played over 10 years in the NHL. He is not a newbie to the Big Show. Another total downer from Jeff. Do you ever see a positive in anything or is the glass always half emply? Stay away from hockey, your lack of knowledge about this sports shows through time and again.

By Ted Striker

June 21, 2008 11:12 PM | Link to this

Everyone who’s heard of “agreeing to disagree” raise your hand.

Everyone who’s “always right” keep on bashing the journalist.

Yeah, yeah, this is cyberspace — nobody can see your hand. But it’s pretty easy to spot the difference.

By hacked off

June 22, 2008 12:03 AM | Link to this

Folks. DW offered the job to McCrimmon. Brad is not a political idiot. He knew he was dooomed from the word go. DW runs the team, listens to no one and does not know squat about building a team. McCrimmon was determined not to be the scpape goat. Good luck to Brand where ever he lands. Waddell will look back on this self severing event and regret letting him go. The Beast stood up to DW and paid the price. Now it is our turn to to pay. This franchise is going to be out of here in two years. Guaranteed. And by the way, McCrimmon will have his name on the cup again where ever he lands. Don, you suck and and I hope you get what you deserve. The Player’s don’t respect you and they will NOT respond to your lap dog. All season ticket holders, don’t renew your seats. Lets hit the spirit in the pocket. Maybe then the rich spoiled punks will pay attention.

By Sean Grace

June 22, 2008 12:09 AM | Link to this

Jeff,

Your negativity is exhausting and stale. We know the Thrashers organization has problems. Yes, most have not been fixed. And yes, we have a long way to go. Yesterday was a good start. Anderson wants to win and knows how. Bogosian is a stud, plain and simple. The Thrashers got better this weekend, you did not.

I hear Arizona is nice this time of year. Why don’t you apply for a job in Tempe and go smother Diamondback fans with your wet blanket. Go away Jeff, go far, far away from my team. And take your sour, uneducated, broken record with you.

If you do insist on fouling our reading area and diminishing our fan base with your Thrasher bashing, please learn the rules of hockey before attempting to write about the sport. Have you figured out what a “Blueliner” is yet?

Love, Sean

By Tom

June 22, 2008 8:52 AM | Link to this

Toxostoma Rufum

All I can say is excellent comment! You know your hockey, unlike a certain former beat writer turned columnist.

By hockeyfan2

June 22, 2008 1:12 PM | Link to this

Anderson is a good choice. He knows what he has since he recently coached so many of them. Most of the players know his system and excel in it. Chicago’s system will work for the Thrashers and Kari will be much better for it. Will he make the playoffs…I for one believe they have a better chance now than the start of last season, only if they change their current system and use Anderson’s. Pittsburgh proved that youth does work and we have that with alot of talent.

By horacio

June 22, 2008 2:29 PM | Link to this

this coach will be fine man. now we just need to fire DW, and move on.

By Sage of Bluesland

June 22, 2008 3:39 PM | Link to this

My, how the pitiful sheep come out in support of our bumbling GM and the figurative joke otherwise known as ‘Bwuewand’!…

The ownership and the GM deserve the scorn they are receiving—from the only journalist in town who even gives a rip about the silly Thrashers…who have become irrelevant in Atlanta…

Wake up—Grow up—Start using your minds—-Stop subsidizing the incompetence so that REAL CHANGES can take place, as opposed to mere window-dressing to placate the lambchops…

Silly little enabling sheep!

By Toxostoma Rufum

June 22, 2008 8:02 PM | Link to this

John Anderson is ten times the coach that Bob Hartley (dump & chase, no line cohesion, no changing tactics on the fly) will ever be.

You’ve never had answers for this team, only complaints, Sage. It’s like you get off on being negative on the Thrashers for the sake of it despite their obvious mistakes and flaws. The team has a good coach, is drafting well, has a good core of young players from their previous good drafts (can you say Pavelec, Little, or Enstrom?), and yes finally there is cap room to fix so many of the genuine mistakes Waddell has made. White and Zhitnik are still on the books. Oh well, boo-hoo. There are plenty of teams with cap deadweight on their rosters too. (Matvichuk in NJ, Marleau in SJ anyone?) but Sage acts like Atlanta is the only one.

This is not the time to be negative. Things have to turn around some time, and now is Waddell’s last opportunity. I’ve been one of Waddell’s more vocal online critics, so I’m certainly no sheep when I say that things are trending in the right direction.

Blueland is calling, Sage. They want their dead horse back once you stop beating it with Mike Milbury’s shoe.

By Sage of Bluesland

June 22, 2008 8:55 PM | Link to this

“…You’ve never had answers for this team, only complaints, Sage….”

It proves you make much noise, but listen—and read—very little…I have provided many solutions guaranteed to fix the Thrashers.

One, fire Don Waddell and remove him entirely from the organization. This alone will truly begin the process of ‘trending’ in the right direction.

The rest is blind squirrels (sheep) finding nuts…Gee, with that list of our ‘stocked’ minor leagues, we certainly must be the envy of the rest of the league…

Only a mindless you-know-what would believe that…But, hey, far be it from me to stop you (all) from drinking the Bwuewand Kool-Aid and getting in a tizzy after selecting a no-brainer with the 3rd pick in the draft…Obvious Donny strikes again—He really IS brilliant, isn’t he?!

I have provided other time-honed and proven techniques to get the message to ownership.

Yet, your minds are so muddled that nothing makes it into your warped senses of reality…Said more simply for the less intelligent: You (all) must STOP letting EMOTION make your decisions.

(But, I’m sure this will fall on deaf ears, as well…Oh well, will you at least stand up three years from now and admit you were wrong? We’ll see on that score)

By Toxostoma Rufum

June 22, 2008 11:25 PM | Link to this

Sage, your post boils down to “Fire Waddell. Everybody that follows the Thrashers is brain dead.” That’s all you’ve got. Didn’t prove to me that you have solutions. Who do you play Valabik with? Does Little have enough chemistry with Kozlov? Can Lavallee make the third line? Could Thorburn continue the great chemistry he had with Ilya? No need for the great Sage to even address these points..all is swept aside with the mantra “Fire DW, Y’all are dumb sheep for following this team.” You’ve got nothing.

No comments on the picks DW made this year, just that picking Bogosian was moronically simple. Any comments on STL taking Pietrangelo instead of Schenn, NYI trading down, or CBJ taking Filatov? No…because you have tunnel-vision.

BTW, don’t think for a minute that a fan protest/boycott will change anything. It will only mean less money for the team which will mean DW keeps his job because they won’t be able to hire anyone else. Atlanta Spirit is basket-ball focused and Philips is one of the best ticket-selling venues of its size in the world (top ten, actually). If there’s a Thrashers’ Fan Revolt like the one you dream about Atlanta Spirit will eventually sell the team. Enjoy moving to Kansas City to watch them.

By Brian

June 22, 2008 11:44 PM | Link to this

Jeff,

Long time reader, first time commenter on your blog.

Setting aside the backhanded insults, the unintelligent explanations, and whatnot, I have to put something [relatively] simple, to-the-point, and completely honest:

I’M GETTING REALLY DAMN SICK OF YOUR NEGATIVE, WHINY POSTS.

You find every good thing that happens to the team, and you somehow, in some convoluted way, find a reason behind it to fire Don Waddell.

Yes, I know selective reading and whatnot. I like to read about my Thrashers, because there’s not much out there. They’re my team, I’ll take a bullet for them. But I’ve been pretty pessimistic up until the hiring of John Anderson and the draft of Zach Bogosian. And you somehow find a way to crash down on that.

What the HELL are you trying to accomplish, bud?

While I don’t want to read somebody who is constantly positive about the team when things, in fact, are not positive, it’s another thing to read blog entries that are consistently negative and provide no outlook of the good to come.

Can we just enjoy our damn new coach without you spouting off that AS and/or Waddell did it for the wrong reasons? Can we just enjoy the results, and not the past decisions leading to results?

Jesusmarianhossa, man. Can us fans enjoy anything anymore?

With little due respect, Brian

By Sage of Bluesland

June 23, 2008 4:40 AM | Link to this

Let me let you in on a secret, Tox—I’ll type slowly just for you—I’m NOT the GM of the Thrashers…IF I were, I can assure you, I would address every single position/player…Yep, that’s right—every single one!

But, genius, guess what—I’m NOT the GM of the Thrashers!

Do you actually think ANYTHING gets resolved on a silly wittle message board for FANS???

But, here’s the best part, even if I were the GM of the Thrashers, I could not have possibly won less playoff games in a near-decade’s time!

(Now do your wittle research and ‘prove’ me wrong, for what that’s worth—which is nothing…)

By Todd

June 23, 2008 6:37 AM | Link to this

Don’t Worry, Everyone!

I took care of a great deal of Jeff’s stress and tension over the weekend, so his blogs this weekend should be a little less venomous this week.

He sure took care of my tension, too! That Boy’s a GIVER, I tell you! I am still putting on Vaseline this morning.

The whole world should know just what a big piece of MAN CANDY Jeff Schultz is.

I Love You, Jeff, Sweetie!

Kisses Always,

Todd

(404) 872-3025

By Toxostoma Rufum

June 23, 2008 10:00 AM | Link to this

Sage, You’re still saying nothing but “I’m awesome, and the fans and Atlanta Spirit are stupid.”

Have any ideas you’d like to share, or are you still going to just talk about how smart you think you are?

Did you hear Anderson on the radio today? He’s absolutely the right guy for the job. He’ll know most of the players, and he’s able to work many different systems.

Hey Sage, you never mentioned who you’d rather have than Anderson while wasting time with all your bluster. Outside of Anderson, I’d consider Quenneville (First Round Wonder) from the realistic alternatives, but Anderson is still a better choice.

By zack

June 23, 2008 10:20 AM | Link to this

amazing…the guy has not even coached one game and he is already being s** all over by schultz

By Chris

June 23, 2008 12:17 PM | Link to this

You’re a joke, Shultz. You are uninformed, unoriginal, and lazy. Or maybe you’re brilliant. Maybe you are actually trying to start your own newspaper here in Atlanta by driving away as many subscribers as you can from the AJC.

By Chris

June 23, 2008 12:19 PM | Link to this

You’re a joke, Shultz. You are uninformed, unoriginal, and lazy. Or maybe you’re brilliant. Maybe you are actually trying to start your own newspaper here in Atlanta by driving away as many subscribers as you can from the AJC.

By Matt

June 23, 2008 2:09 PM | Link to this

You know, more Thrashers fans should be agreeing with what Shultz is saying than attacking him for making an observation. Trust me, ASG are giving you what you ask for. This team is garbage, has no direction and could easily be moved out of town if it continues. You guys would rather attack Shultz for wanting the team to be better than the people that are making it worse every year.

By Marcus

June 23, 2008 4:03 PM | Link to this

Hey Schultz you balding loser! Your carreer isn’t going anywhere, you’re covering hockey in a city that could care less about it! What a failure of a person! Stop acting like your so superior to everyone by unleashing your constant negativity on the Thrahsers so that you discourage any prospective fans out there. We know you’re bitter because you’re not going anywhere in life and you’re bald and you hate your job, so let us make our own assesments instead of imposing your misery on everyone else. I’ve can’t remember reading any constructive critisism you’ve made in your articles, and if yoy have it was BS and you were talking directly out of your a*. Can’t wait to read your draft review. “Bogosian, obvious choise, I could have done that. Leveille, will never play in the NHL, I’m not going to tell you what I would have done because that would take away jobs from the Thrashers union..” Grow a pair and stop b***.

By Brian

June 23, 2008 4:23 PM | Link to this

Another “career minor leaguer” who had “nary an offer to be even an NHL assistant” - Bruce Boudreau. If Don Waddell’s giant head wouldn’t have gotten in the way, he would have done the right thing and given Anderson this job last fall.

By Toxostoma Rufum

June 23, 2008 5:41 PM | Link to this

Matt, “this team is garbage, has no direction.”

But they just got a new head coach, which also means that McCrimmon and Weeks who were a huge reason why the Thrashers stunk are gone! A new head coach who will play guys like Popovic (although he probably won’t resign) and Little and NOT play guys like Larsen and McCarthy who were huge reasons why we stunk!

No direction? With Ilya, Enstrom, Kari, Pavelec, Bogosian, Valabik, Lavallee, Holzapfel, Little, Machachek, Armstrong, Christensen etc. we’re finally going in the right direction. The days of Waddell and Hartley making the team tentative and needlessly old are over.

BTW, Waddell will also bring in a guy like Hainsey, Finger, Liles, or even Campbell. Ownership has clearly given him the green light, and he’s going to spend $4-7m on one really good defenseman.

The old model failed-experiment for the Thrashers of trying to be like the Rangers is over. The team is finally where it should have been about five years ago (and I’m very mad about that) but it’s finally getting fixed.

By Paul

June 23, 2008 7:14 PM | Link to this

Schultz that’s quite an indictment you’ve laid against the Thrash. While I won’t go as far as some who’ve reacted to your comments, I do think you’ve gone too far.

Sure, the ASG hasn’t managed things very well. And yes, Don Waddell has made mistakes. But I think its a bit early to make the conclusions you’ve made.

John Anderson may not have been the guy with the most NHL experience, but who ever said this was what was needed? I think one of the biggest problems with this team is developing young talent. Who better to do this than the guy who knows them best, who coached them and lead them to win after win.

Hartley was the guy with the NHL name and knowledge, but in the end he didn’t connect with the guys.

It sounds to me like you were voting for The Beast. I wasn’t so sure about him. The fact that he ran practice and never fixed issues that followed the team all year gives me some doubt.

I’m hopeful, it doesn’t sound like you are.

By Surly T

June 24, 2008 3:46 PM | Link to this

It’s like being a Cubs-fan in January - no need to be negative, a new season awaits! Haha!! Don’t worry, I won’t stand in the way of positivity.

But Dear Mr. Know-it-all Tox, please tell us which “one really good defenseman” is going to sign with the Thrashers for $4-7large?

By Toxostoma Rufum

June 24, 2008 4:23 PM | Link to this

Off the top of my head, there’s Hainsey, Campbell, Liles, Orpik Finger, Commodore, Rozsival, and then guys like Meszaros or one of Toronto’s big three defencemen who might get moved.

Is that enough for now?

Why does it make me a know it all to say Waddell’s going to get a defenseman? I thought it was common knowledge that he’s going to get somebody decent in here, after all, he said so himself. He never said he’s get a #1 centerman, and sure enough, he’s lived up to that disappointment.

By joyaman

June 25, 2008 9:59 AM | Link to this

LEMMINGS FINALLY FIND TRUE REASON FOR TEAM’S SLIGHT UNDERACHIEVEMENT

Who would have thought it? A sports columnist, who is not even the beat writer covering our city’s sad excuse for an NHL team (the Atlanta Solar Bears), is the real reason the club keeps coming up short.

Get a freaking clue TOX. Schultz never claimed to be a hockey expert, but one doesn’t have to be a hockey maven or even an armchair fantasy GM (sound familiar?) on the blogs to call a spade a spade. The fact is that as sports columnists Schultz, Bradley, Bisher and Moore have to be generalists by design. Speaking as someone who worked in the NHL for over a decade after being an NHL beat writer for three years, Jeff is more than qualified to critique dysfunctional ownership and shoddy club management. There are plenty of valid parallel examples in MLB, the NFL and the NBA.

This is America, where we all have a right to voice our opinions and patronize businesses of our choice. The laws of supply and demand will ultimately sort things out. Go ahead and cancel your AJC subscription and by all means, please get off their blog (really hoping for the latter). I choose to stop my annual welfare payments to a business with clueless owners and management.

That being said, I truly support, and have actually lobbied for (at multiple NHL meetings during its 17-year hiatus), the NHL’s presence in Atlanta.

I’d do just about anything to ensure that we don’t ever lose another NHL franchise. I’ll root for the players and the deserving new coach, but no longer as a STH. I’ll buy scalped tickets to the games I want to see, but will no longer write blank checks to subsidize a poorly-run business.

BTW- Please DO stop reading Jeff’s columns. Asshats like you obviously don’t appreciate the only writer in town that’s actually both funny and sarcastic.

-joyaman

By Toxostoma Rufum

June 25, 2008 1:45 PM | Link to this

joyaman, I’m just voicing my opinion as an American. I brought up eleven points where I thought Schultz was just plain wrong and several people have insulted me without addressing any of the points. You call me names, but do you think Sullivan actually did a good job in Boston? You’d rather have Tortorella or McCrimmon?

I asked how does Schultz sleep, and I characterized Schultz’s description of Anderson crying as “sadistic” but I don’t call Schultz names, and I don’t fly off the handle about Schultz like so many others here did. I just wanted to address the substance of the article, and all I get in return is called names. I’d much rather discuss why what I wrote was wrong. I said part of the reason why the Thrashers do poorly in attendance is because the media isn’t behind them. You then twist that around and say that I’m claiming it to be the “real reason”, and it clearly isn’t. It’s Atlanta Spirit’s fault why this is the case…but reading many other “generalists” they generally love their teams (as you do) while holding them responsible for their shortcomings.

Schultz said Anderson’s hiring was the “Right Choice for wrong reasons”. Go back and see where Schultz makes any mention of why Anderson is the right choice. He doesn’t…he just wants to put forth the negative, and I think there’s at least eleven points on which he’s wrong about that. It would have been a great column if it said why Anderson was the right choice, and then rip into Atlanta Spirit for doing it for the wrong reasons. That would have been 100% okay by me, and I probably would have agreed with most of it if it was done in that manner…but Schultz didn’t do that.

Anyhow, I can respect what Schultz wrote in the last three paragraphs, but I don’t really agree. I think coaching has been a huge problem, and I also think many of DW’s FA failures have been caused by him trying to find guys that Hartley liked. Hartley made a lot of critical errors in the series vs. NYR (sitting Kari, dump n’ chase, too much Mellanby, letting the guys get rattled) and the team looked very similar under McCrimmon: tentative forwards thinking d first instead of puck possession, no forecheck, dump n’ chase, leaving tired guys out on the ice.

In the end, Schultz kinda ruins his own theory by ending off saying that the team’s problems go way beyond coaching. Then all this doesn’t matter anyhow, does it?

By joyaman

June 25, 2008 4:47 PM | Link to this

Tox:

Sorry for the name calling. It was a bit over the top. I had (apparently incorrectly) lumped you in with the others on this blog who base their criticism of Schultz on the fact that he’s not a hockey guru.

You did, in fact, raise some valid points regarding the premis of some of his arguments. Please also understand that writers frequently don’t write the headings that appear above their columns, and frequently get several inches of copy cut from what they submit - based on the space available as subsidized by that day’s advertising.

As far as the choice of coach goes, I’d change the headline to “Right Coach - Wrong GM.” I’ve been on record for some time now that Kevin Cheveldayoff would make a much better GM than Waddell. So count me in on bringing in the entire Wolves braintrust as long as the Thrashers continue to (a) attempt to run an NHL team on a minor-league budget and (b) command so little respect around the NHL that no qualified, experienced NHL exec or coach would want to deplane at Hartsfied-Jackson.

As I do support the Anderson choice, I don’t argue that the other three names Schultz mentioned would have been better options. It’s just that this team needs a direction, a discernable character that has to be driven from the top. Like them or not, you can articulate these attributes for clubs like New Jersey, Detroit, Anaheim, etc…It permeates their front office, their scouting staffs and their coaching staffs and is embodied in their players. We’ve never had that here under Waddell. If DW had such a plan and direction in mind (a) we’d be able to define it and (b) we wouldn’t have