Dear Larry Tanenbaum (MLSE Chairman),Thank you for accepting some of the responsibility for the Maple Leaf's lackluster performance this year.
Great PR move. Finally, it seems as though someone in Toronto Maple Leafs management actually cares about the fans! The full page insert in the Globe and Mail (imagine if it were in the Sun?!) is a classy move and certainly boosts your reputation.
The words Tanenbaum used were simple and concise, especially for a Cornell grad, which spread a message that he is disappointed with the entire organization. The letter speaks about the team having an unacceptable end to the season as well as highlighting MLSE's (as a brand) key messages of: passion, hard work and accountability. I think this letter hit the nail on the head. Apologizing, moving forward and reassuring the fans are ways that will always work on the public to increase your declining image.
Although your intentions were good, it doesn't account for the consistent failure in the entirety of MLSE history.
The Raptors and Canucks have also done this.
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I don't think I would be so gracious. He's covering his ass here. This is the man that turned down Scotty Bowman who offered his considerable reputation and resume of constructing championship teams and would have loved the idea of turning things around in Toronto. What kind of idiot who even knows the slightest thing about hockey has the balls to turn him down? "Sorry Scotty, we're not sure you have what it takes to construct a Stanley Cup winner"...really? Must have been about the dollars and sense because that's all the bean counters in MLSE understand or care about. But they must know that sooner or later their days are numbered as fans become more and more disgruntled. I am a die hard fan, but I live only an 8 hour drive from Winnipeg vs the 14 hour drive to Toronto and considering completely dropping this team and supporting an organization that at least has an incentive to work hard and fill the stands. This letter is complete fluff, political crap that is an attempt to humanize this otherwise borg like money making machine. I would have rather read that he admitted that the buck stops here, I messed up, I thought I knew what I was doing and clearly I do not. It's called intellectual honesty mr. Tannenbaum. Your responsibility to your paying customers is to bring the best hockey minds money can buy for the flagship (financially) hockey team in the league. By this token, the Maple Leafs should be a dominant force in the league but they are a sad reminder to us all that higher pursuits of excellence play second fiddle to profitability.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment. I agree and disagree with your response:
ReplyDeleteFirstly, he's not covering his ass. He doesn't have to put a full page apology in the paper. Also, he is being honest. Fans are pissed and he recognizes this and SAYS that their failure unacceptable and they'll try harder.
Scotty Bowman would have been a great asset and I'm not defending that but I doubt Tanenbaum ever said anything like that - also considering Brian Burke is certainly equally expensive in a financial sense. It's not 100% his fault, although his letter would have you believe otherwise, it's everyone in the organization's fault. He's the chairman; he doesn't hire the stick boy.
I definitely agree that its his responsibility but it also lies on the shoulders of many others to put a good team together.