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DEL.ICIO.USThe Tuesday Countdown
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeff Schultz
(On a train somewhere between Washington D.C. and New York, which is not to be confused with being on the shuttle between Neptune and Pluto, which I assume is where Mike Dunham was last night.)
10: Trains rock. But we just left Union Station in D.C. and I just realized my seat is facing backward. So if I suddenly start to feel queasy, there’s a chance The Tuesday Countdown might not make it to No. 1.
9: OK, Panic Button Pushers. If Leo Mazzone is such a miracle worker and his departure from the Braves is the primary reason Atlanta’s starters imploded to start the season, why do the Baltimore Orioles have a staff ERA of 4.82? Plug in, will ya?
8: Anybody for the over-under on the first NHL or NBA playoff game in Philips Arena? I don’t mean the year. I just mean: Before or after the Messiah?
7: The Thrashers buried themselves with a slow start this season and then a seven-game losing streak, mandating a miracle finish for a playoff run. That said, the elimination game Monday night falls on Mike Dunham.
6: We’re talking major mush head here. I mean, on the Damian Rhodes’ scale of major mush heads. It’s one thing for a goalie to have a bad night, as Dunham obviously did in the 6-4 loss to Washington. But to basically not accept any blame after the game or say something to the effect of, “I need to make a big save” or “I let my team down,” was inexcusable. Instead, Dunham — who was pulled after two weak goals, then re-inserted only because Michael Garnett strained his groin — blamed “funny bounces” He added: “It was just one of those nights. The puck kept finding a way to go in.”
5: The puck kept finding a way to go in? Wait, isn’t that where the goalie comes in?
4: Everybody always wants somebody fired. (Forget Dunham. He was on a one-year contract and won’t be back.) The usual candidates are the general manager or the coach. GM Don Waddell has never made the playoffs in six seasons. That alone should create heat. But a case could made that Waddell did his job before this season: 1) He acquired Marian Hossa after Dany Heatley blindsided the organization with a trade request; 2) He signed Bobby Holik, who was the team’s best player down the stretch after returning from an injury; 3) He picked up Niclas Havelid, who was the team’s best defenseman; 4) When goalie Pasi Nurminen suffered a career-ending knee injury just before training camp, Waddell signed a fairly solid former starter to back up Kari Lehtonen. Oh wait, that was Dunham. Never mind.
3: Coach Bob Hartley kept the Thrashers from falling apart during a blur of goalie injuries. But this was an erratic team all season and that’s a reflection of the coach. So who should get the most blame? Kari Lehtonen. Had he reported to camp in better condition, he might not have suffered a groin injury that led to him missing 35 starts. Yes, Lehtonen got the Thrashers back into the race. But he took them out of it to begin with.
2: There is indecision and then there is absurdity. Brett Favre has crossed the line. It has been four months since Favre has played a game. Are we really to believe he needs another week or month because he just can’t make up his mind about retirement?
1: More likely: Favre wants out of Green Bay to play one final season with a potential Super Bowl contender. He wants to force the Packers’ hand because he doesn’t want to look like the bad guy to fans. I never thought I would cite Mark Chumura as a source, but he probably was right when he called Favre “selfish.”
Permalink | Comments (18) | Categories: Jeff Schultz, Quick Hit
Comments
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By Bryan G.
April 18, 2006 11:05 AM | Link to this
I think Favre and the Packers are just waiting on each other. Favre wants to see the Packers make some offseason moves to improve the team, and the team wants to know what Brett will do before it moves on. Basically, they’re just playing chicken.
By Thrashers Fan
April 18, 2006 11:14 AM | Link to this
Great points about Dunham. His indecisiveness on Saturday was negated by great team play, but the rebound goal he allowed in the 3rd last night made him look truly inept.
Still, I don’t know why any one person has to be assigned blame for not making the playoffs. The Thrashers had their best season ever, showing the fruits of Waddell’s moves. If we have to really blame anyone we can blame Montreal for turning it sooner down the stretch and Tampa for forcing games into overtime (and for crashing the net on Kari last week).
‘Can’t wait until next season….
By Ken
April 18, 2006 01:14 PM | Link to this
I guess the 1st Playoff game in Phillips will be AFTER the messiah Jeff. Jesus was here.
By Jacob
April 18, 2006 01:27 PM | Link to this
Every year the braves start off bad,get hot,coast to a billionth division title,then get violated like a north carolina stripper in the playoffs.Why is this season any diffrent.
By Scooter11
April 18, 2006 01:37 PM | Link to this
Ken: I believe Jeff is Jewish. He might be talking about a different Messiah. Just a thought.
By Rod
April 18, 2006 01:45 PM | Link to this
Favre has lost all concept of a team player. The Pack needs to know if he’ll be back or not. Not only to address the long term quarterback decision (draft - do they pick one now or next year) but also in getting a decent starter if Favre doesn’t return this season. The major free agent moves are done - their pickings for another quarterback are slim. A true team player would have stated a definative answer months ago so the team could properly address their needs.
By fivefifteen
April 18, 2006 02:16 PM | Link to this
Blindsided?
please.
By LD
April 18, 2006 02:30 PM | Link to this
Although Dunham did play poorly last night, I believe some of the blame for our goalie woes rests with Hartley. I believe a few of the losses after the Olympic break were attributable to goalie fatigue(more mental than physical). Hartley should have spot started Dunham to better prepare him for what utlimately panned out at season’s end.
By Elmo Jones
April 18, 2006 02:34 PM | Link to this
I think Favre has “earned” the right to do what he pleases with the Packers. It’s his business - not mine or Jeff to make. Respect the Man and his privacy of an decision that will change his life. He earned that for one fan.
By JR
April 18, 2006 02:46 PM | Link to this
I believe you guys are completely wrong to say the Favre is being selfish about this. Last year he came out and said he was playing and what did GB do. Did they sign in major free agents. NO, instead they let two top OL guys walk. Did they draft anyone who would be a help to Favre on the field last year? NO, instead they draft Favre’s replacement. (Rod—Why does GB need to draft a QB? They spent their 1st rounder on Aaron Brooks last year) Favre wants GB to show some kind of commitment to him and to winning. Instead they use his indecision to avoid having to make any big free agent signing again this year. In fact would someone please tell me the last major free agent that GB signed. Ever since they won the SB they have let that team get worse and worse and just expected Favre to carry them. Now you call him selfish because he doesn’t want to do it anymore. The truth is he gave them a definative yes last year and GB didn’t do a thing to improve the team either.
By Pepe
April 18, 2006 02:46 PM | Link to this
Real class Jacob…is this Jacob Lewis?
By conspiracynut
April 18, 2006 02:55 PM | Link to this
Brett Favre already knows what he’s going to do and so do the Packers. It’s all a smokescreen to keep teams guessing what the Packers will do on draft day. It might not work, of course, but the Packers – 4-12 last year – don’t have a lot to lose at this point.
By BirdDawg
April 18, 2006 03:19 PM | Link to this
Hey Jeff,
What about Waddell’s idiotic and moronic decision to send Garnett back to the minors in favor of Dunham, after Garnett played awesomely, had a bunch of shut-outs, and held this team together?
I believe, Jeff, that Dunham coming back and replacing Garnett is what CAUSED the 7 game losing streak.
It’s not a coincidence. In hockey, you ALWAYS, ALWAYS go with the hot hand.
Don Waddell pulled a Bobby Cox and pulled his hot hand, and we lost anywhere from 7 to 14 points because of it.
Don Waddell is an idiot. He ruined USA Hockey, and he personally, with that one decision, ruined this team’s season.
FIRE DON WADDELL!!!
By Thrashers keep improving
April 18, 2006 03:55 PM | Link to this
BirdDawg - It’s the coach that chooses which goalie, or hot hand, to play. The GM took the one that was sitting and sent him to the minors so he could keep playing as we don’t need multiple goalies on the bench.
By Gobbieman
April 18, 2006 03:58 PM | Link to this
Coach Hartley is one of the top coaches in the NHL. He had to work with what he had - five different goalies, so i think the Thrashers is the best team that’s not going to the playoffs. I bet Kari comes in to training camp in much better condition than the last one. WE WILL MAKE THE PLAYOFFS NEXT YEAR - I GAR-UN-TEE IT!!!!
By luckydog
April 18, 2006 06:12 PM | Link to this
I agree it’s hard to blame Waddell or the owners. They fielded a competitive team, fun to watch most nights. Yeah, we were star-crossed in goal. (Was there an unusual number of goalie injuries this year? Wonder if the wider-open game made for more desperation stretches, etc.)
But injuries notwithstanding, a team with this many vets and skill players getting swept by Toronto was a disgrace, and in the end cost us the playoffs.
I think Waddell and Hartley both did good enough jobs to earn another shot, but if they don’t deliver in 06/07 Blueland willl really be restless.
Go Thrashers.
By geechee
April 18, 2006 06:53 PM | Link to this
Also, if our pitching was all Leo Mazzone; why are Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine still in the top five in ERA. The last I looked, neither of them were pitching in Baltimore. It is not Leo Mazzone it was letting our two best pitchers leave for other teams when both were quite happy where they were. It was their leaving that also hastened the departure of Leo.
By Brendan
April 19, 2006 02:26 AM | Link to this
I suspect Garnett will be the backup next year. The question is … will Lehtonen actually play 55-60 games? If so, the Thrashers will be allright in net. They need to fix their blueline. And they need to dump some salary and some of the age on the this team. Youth and speed are at a premium in the new NHL.
Let’s see what Don comes up with on Draft Day and during free agency this summer. Hopefully, there won’t be anymore 30-something Free Agent signings.
Don’s proven he can’t draft beyond the top three overall picks in a given draft with any kind of consistency, so why not trade picks for players? The picks never develop into anyone in the starting lineup anyway.