So Don/Cam are so embarrassed that they have to fire Claude for their failures that they schedule things in the most cowardly way possible.
I've lost basic respect for them for this.
I've lost basic respect for them for this.
Bruins fire Claude Julien
- Thread starter Rico Guapo
- Start date
They really screwed this up. There are defensible reasons for making a change that at least some percentage of fans and media could go along with (or at least go along with enough to keep the torches and pitchforks holstered). But this timing is going to get 105% skewered by everyone paying attention. (I can't even imagine Jack Edwards zipping it completely), and will completely overshadow whatever valid reasons may exist. And considering that hiring a new coach mid-season usually signals that management is trying to set things right, doing it this way sabotages that minimum amount of goodwill as well. It's truly mystifying. The timing can't possibly be the decision of more than 1 person. Two people could not agree to be so tone-deaf.
The timing honestly stinks of Cam. I don't get the sense that he's the most....measured guy when making decisions.
It's a lack of basic respect that they did this now. Claude deserves a helluva lot better. He won't say anything about it publicly, because he's classy and knows how the system works, but I wouldn't blame him one bit for being chapped.
It's a lack of basic respect that they did this now. Claude deserves a helluva lot better. He won't say anything about it publicly, because he's classy and knows how the system works, but I wouldn't blame him one bit for being chapped.
Clearly I'm just piling on at this point, but during the parade? Beyond gutless.
I've loathed ownership for so long its hard to remember a time when I didn't, so I always put this crap on them, but if Sweeney/Neely had any grit and balls they would have let the Pats have their day and not slunk off into a dark corner for the announcement. Just gross.
On the plus side there are some good young players in the org, so thats a nice change.
I'm not going to make a joke about dumping their upcoming goal scorers for a used zamboni because I don't want to further sully Duck Boat Day.
I've loathed ownership for so long its hard to remember a time when I didn't, so I always put this crap on them, but if Sweeney/Neely had any grit and balls they would have let the Pats have their day and not slunk off into a dark corner for the announcement. Just gross.
On the plus side there are some good young players in the org, so thats a nice change.
I'm not going to make a joke about dumping their upcoming goal scorers for a used zamboni because I don't want to further sully Duck Boat Day.
I bet Claude has already gotten a handful of calls from other teams. A coach of his caliber does not come available very often.
A part of me hopes the Bruins go down the tubes now so that management gets canned. Burn the house down.
A part of me hopes the Bruins go down the tubes now so that management gets canned. Burn the house down.
Man, it wasn't two long ago that the team had gone Stanley Cup Win, 1st round exit, Stanley Cup Final Appearance, and then President's Trophy winner. Since then it's been a sheer cliff drop and the guy responsible for building the success (Chiarelli and Claude) are gone.
Doesn't say much for Cam and Donnie's hockey acumen.
Doesn't say much for Cam and Donnie's hockey acumen.
The front office shys away from the media. Cam canceled the weekly F&M spots this year, probably because he was unhappy with the criticism he received in the year-end spot he didn last season. I'm not a fan of F&M but they asked tough questions and he didn't like it.
Someone I follow on twitter (Dan Cagen, former beat writer) has been keeping track and this season they have gone 119 days between the general manager or president holding a press conference or talking to the media. Their last interview or press conference was in training camp. Sweeney dropped a few quotes to Fluto a month or so ago, but that is it. Talk about accountability. Julien just twisted in the wind for a month with nary a peep.
Someone I follow on twitter (Dan Cagen, former beat writer) has been keeping track and this season they have gone 119 days between the general manager or president holding a press conference or talking to the media. Their last interview or press conference was in training camp. Sweeney dropped a few quotes to Fluto a month or so ago, but that is it. Talk about accountability. Julien just twisted in the wind for a month with nary a peep.
To be fair, the NHL is cyclical. That success wasn't going to last forever and they had to sacrifice some big salary cap hits to maintain that success as long as they did.
They needed to reset eventually. I didn't expect it to be either this soon or done in this manner. There is no clear plan, which is the bigger problem.
This is what is most scary about all of this. We can only assume Cam and Don are still working on the misguided premise that this has to be a playoff team. What short sighted moves will be made next if they still are working in those parameters?
I too am worried about the direction of the team. I believe when he was hired I posted the thoughts of some former NHL guys and junior coaches I had spoken to about CJ.
They all said he commanded respect and got efforts out of guys. I believe "new sheriff in town" was the line. Those guys felt it gets harder and harder to get players to respect the coach, and buy in to a system, but Claude never has problems in that respect. Nothing has happened since to make me question their judgment.
This reminds me of Francona being the scapegoat for the roster
They all said he commanded respect and got efforts out of guys. I believe "new sheriff in town" was the line. Those guys felt it gets harder and harder to get players to respect the coach, and buy in to a system, but Claude never has problems in that respect. Nothing has happened since to make me question their judgment.
This reminds me of Francona being the scapegoat for the roster
The 2014 playoffs hurt so bad in hindsight. That team was a WAGON and the best Bruins team since 1990 (yes even better than 2011). The difference is that they lost in 7 to the Habs instead of winning. Still hurts.
I completely agree. On top of it, Claude has been nothing but a stand up, accountable guy with the media. He faces all the questions and answers them well, every day. The difference between the two is stark, especially considering this announcement.
If there WAS a Bruins beat media, I wish they'd take the org to task for this.
This is a good point, and brings to mind what a lot of people say about this year's team. Despite its flaws, they sure as shit compete out there. This team works hard, night in and night out. They just don't always win. That's a credit to Claude.
Completely agree on the Francona analogy. That's very apt.
I freaked out after the Wings loss, but the usual arguments reasserted themselves in that thread and convinced me I was being a baby.
Maybe we should have sent that thread to Neely and Donny?
Maybe we should have sent that thread to Neely and Donny?
It'll be interesting to see how the players react to this. From all accounts, the players loved playing for Claude and Cassidy isn't enough of an outside presence to make it feel like a fresh start.
If Neely was the Neely of old it'd be him behind the bench now. Perhaps I'm being harsh on him as it's entirely possible this came from the very highest up, but it is rotten to the core whomever made this decision.
Would not be surprised if coach was gainfully employed by end of the day. If he wants to be, I am sure he could be.
Would not be surprised if coach was gainfully employed by end of the day. If he wants to be, I am sure he could be.
This is correct, which is why in a vacuum I have no problem with moving on from Julien... Moves were going to have to happen eventually (I've been on board the retool bandwagon since the first DNQ, because mediocrity in this league is the worst place to be and they were clearly trending down). However, the timing of this screams that they have no idea what they are actually doing and are making changes simply to make them with no clear result in mind.
In fairness, Chiarelli's disastrous roster management paved the way for the subsequent drop off. He bet the future on 2014 and lost.
I think this is probably the start of a clear out that probably needs to happen. A couple of shrewd moves in the past few off seasons might have put things on life support. But Beleskey and Backes ended up being the guys they always were (not a criticism, they just didn't make a jump) while guys like Krejci cratered. As a result, they're not as up against it cap wise as they were a few years back but they're not in a position to become elite again either.
In that sense, to me, this is fine because I don't think Claude was going to survive a full clear out anyway. Let him go coach somewhere that's closer to winning. The shame is that the Bruins seem to have hit on a few young guys on cheap contracts which you need to build a high end roster in the NHL today but still have such a cluttered cap that there's no quick turnaround option here. It's hard to see Cam and Sweeney surviving what will need to be done, either.
In that sense, to me, this is fine because I don't think Claude was going to survive a full clear out anyway. Let him go coach somewhere that's closer to winning. The shame is that the Bruins seem to have hit on a few young guys on cheap contracts which you need to build a high end roster in the NHL today but still have such a cluttered cap that there's no quick turnaround option here. It's hard to see Cam and Sweeney surviving what will need to be done, either.
Was wondering the same thing. Listening to a victory parade is strangely unexciting. Bertrand just said they will carry the press conference.
Yo Cam it's 2017, you can't bury news like this.
When we're a bottom feeder for the rest of this decade and Bergy is wasting the last of his prime... sad days
When we're a bottom feeder for the rest of this decade and Bergy is wasting the last of his prime... sad days
Sweeney opens it up to questions - and then continues to ramble on about the responsibilities of the remaining coaching staff
Just blamed the PR staff for the timing. LOL. This franchise is a farce as of this point in time.
I thought the Tito firing was the most shameful thing in Boston Sports history. Leave it to the old miser to one up everyone. Fuck this organization seriously. Call me when they sell the team.
This reminds in a sense of the awful day and night in 1983 I believe when the Red Sox were going to honor the 67 team and mid afternoon Buddy LaRoux attempted his "coup" of ownership and Heywood Sullivan. I thought nothing could top that in terms of PR disasters but this ranks right up there.