Offside: The Harold Ballard Story

[The Oracle]

For sure but my point was one of their best players who happens to be small for nothing more than a dud only because he's big and the best fighter. I'm glad you feel that way since there are some people who thinks Marner sucks.

Love Marner and I'm a Sens fan. He's tough to defend against night in and night out. I have nothing but respect for their big guns. Since barring a miracle the Sens will be out of the playoffs, I will be rooting for your team. I worry about their goaltending though.

Courtnall was electric. Had to be one of the fastest guys in the league in those days. Right from the jump people were wondering how that was going to work out. I think Gord Stellick was looking for a Chris Neil type. But Kordic wasn't great skater and was never going to play a regular shift.

 

[Darts]

was looking for a Chris Neil type.

Did you mean Chris Nilan?

 

[shack]

You're the one with the short memory shack.

My answer was bang on.

DD specifically asked if the Leafs had even made it to the semis since after Ballard died. He died in '90. They made it to the semis in '93 against the Kings and lost in 7.

In 2001they didn't get past the quarters. So my example disproved his point via his parameters. Yours does not.

Apology accepted.

 

[superstar_88]

Love Marner and I'm a Sens fan. He's tough to defend against night in and night out. I have nothing but respect for their big guns. Since barring a miracle the Sens will be out of the playoffs, I will be rooting for your team. I worry about their goaltending though.

Courtnall was electric. Had to be one of the fastest guys in the league in those days. Right from the jump people were wondering how that was going to work out. I think Gord Stellick was looking for a Chris Neil type. But Kordic wasn't great skater and was never going to play a regular shift.

Ottawa loaded up with some good players this year. What happened? Chris Neil was glorified in Ottawa. I see Chris Neil as a player like Tie Domi. For whatever reason someone wanted to change your Chris Neil to a former Montreal player when you were clearly talking about Ottawa. Btw, that's a fair assessment on the goaltending.

 

[Insidious Von]

My answer was bang on. Apology accepted.

The Leafs looked good in 2001 but Domi lost his mind. They did make the SF in 2002 but lost 1-4 to the Hurricanes.

 

[The Oracle]

Ottawa loaded up with some good players this year. What happened? Chris Neil was glorified in Ottawa. For whatever reason someone wanted to change your Chris Neil to a former Montreal player when you were clearly talking about Ottawa. Btw, that's a fair assessment on the goaltending.

The sens are ''D'' weak . After Zub and Chabot there's.....Not much. Well Jacob Bernard Docker shows promise.

Their goaltending is second tier as well. That combined with their defensive woes is recipe for failure.

Nilan was really good for MTL until he hurt his knee. After that he never was the same. I remember watching that game. He could flat out skate before the injury though.

Neil had a more consistent career. Smart player. Never saw him lose a fight lopsided. Good checker and a team first guy. Great in the community and did a lot for local charities. He would fit in just nicely on most teams in that era. He's head and shoulders better than Austin Watson trying to play that role now. We miss Chris. He's probably the most popular Senator behind Alfredsson.

As I finish this the Sens just got beat by the Pens...Typical Ottawa game. They shots were 48 a piece but they lose 4-1.

 

[bemeup]

Love Marner and I'm a Sens fan. He's tough to defend against night in and night out. I have nothing but respect for their big guns. Since barring a miracle the Sens will be out of the playoffs, I will be rooting for your team. I worry about their goaltending though.

Courtnall was electric. Had to be one of the fastest guys in the league in those days. Right from the jump people were wondering how that was going to work out. I think Gord Stellick was looking for a Chris Neil type. But Kordic wasn't great skater and was never going to play a regular shift.

Russ Courtnall probably had the most famous mother-in-law of any NHL player. He is married to Paris Vaughn, daughter of the late, great jazz singer, Sarah Vaughn.

 

[shack]

The Leafs looked good in 2001 but Domi lost his mind. They did make the SF in 2002 but lost 1-4 to the Hurricanes.

Regardless, Don asked if any Leaf team made it to the final four post Ballard's death.

 

[Insidious Von]

To quote Louis CK.

The ghost of Harold Ballard and the abuses of his protege Richard Peddie sit like a giant pile of feces on the heart of the Maple Leafs. The culture of losing is embedded deep with the psyche of the club.

Stay away from the Blue Jays you evil fuck!

 

[Don Draper]

Regardless, Don asked if any Leaf team made it to the final four post Ballard's death.

So, does this mean (with Von's info) that the TML have gone to the NHL Semi finals twice in 33 years, correct?

No NHL championship in 56 (yikes!) years, also correct?

In TML world, is this defined as "contending"?

 

[shack]

So, does this mean (with Von's info) that the TML have gone to the NHL Semi finals twice in 33 years, correct?

No NHL championship in 56 (yikes!) years, also correct?

Is this a revelation to you? You were unaware?

In TML world, is this defined as "contending"?

You were the one that asked the question and set the parameters.

 

[Don Draper]

Is this a revelation to you? You were unaware?

Indeed, I was very unaware. I do not follow this team. I spend a lot of time in Toronto and not a lot I know follow Hockey.
The main thing I do know is that they haven won't a Championship 56 years.

Your admirable zeal brings the words of the great Lord Moutamin to mind:

"What a noble subject, if only he had a noble King"​

 

[shack]

Indeed, I was very unaware. I do not follow this team. I spend a lot of time in Toronto and not a lot I know follow Hockey.
The main thing I do know is that they haven won't a Championship 56 years.

Your admirable zeal brings the words of the great Lord Moutamin to mind:

"What a noble subject, if only he had a noble King"​

Some history to show that you are being disingenuous about the "innocence" of today's query. It was a clear dig. For someone who doesn't follow, instead of saying "a long" time you know it's exactly 56 years.

It (gogling the word loser) took me to a site with Orange Man but then rebooted itself and ended up at the Toronto Maple Leafs webpage.

Rightfully so.

A clear dig

Leafs????

I know Toronto has a baseball team, basketball, cricket and rugby teams.

These "Leafs" would be what...?

It's always been the M.O. of the Toronto Maple Leafs to string their fan base along with:

~ Rhetoric and Polemic on a whole new level of mendacity
~ reminders of a long faded past memories
~ excellent and very calculated public relations activities (visits to children's hospitals, practices in public squares, riding the subway) to gain public favour and distract from reality
~ self proclamation as "one of the teams with the greatest of traditions" (No MVP's, Point Leaders or Championships for 52 years)
~ a pathological fear of having another NHL team in the GTA, even as close as Hamilton
Everyone sees it except the die-hard TML fans who blindly hope there will be a miracle within "the next five years". I've been hearing this phrase for 40 years.
Coffee always smells good but only when you wake up.

Yes, you know next to nothing about the Leafs. You are bullshitting (again).

The point is that the Leafs will never get to the final. They're not that kind of organization. There is no commitment to winning like the great teams have and the Raptors have shown.

It's a business to the Board of Directors. Since the fan base pays top $$$ for a very sub-standard product (a marketing dream!) there is no reason to invest further in order to achieve a profit. Already achieved.
Pay lip service to the fan base, make promises that don't have to be kept, do some community charity work, toot your horn and keep up the facade of a real organization. It's an excellent business plan.
It's worked for them for decades and the gullible ticket buyers eat it up.

All of a sudden you paint yourself as being very knowledgeable, but today you profess to knowing nothing. More lying bullshit from you, Draper.

Very , very glad to hear that Catherine!
(Except for the Leafs part)

That was in response to her saying Go Leafs Go. You are a die hard Leaf hater, pretending to be an intellectual.

There are many names for the people who watch the Toronto Hockey franchise known as the Maple Leafs (which should be 'Leaves').

The word 'Fan' is not applicable to this group of people much like the word 'Spectator' is not applicable to someone trapped in a burning building.

More digs and insults. Not very classy from such a "cultured" guy.

When it comes to the disgraceful franchise known as the Toronto Maple Leafs, it takes no effort, no effort whatsoever, to point out the truth about them.

And there's another two and a half pages of insulting posts from you.

So, you feigning innocence is a total lie.

Do you have a classic literature quote for us where they references trolls and trolling. Because that is exactly what you are.

For Whom the Bell Doth Troll.

BTW, you clearly give off the air (or is that odour) of someone who thinks he's better than the rest of us. Maybe ask your friends from the Orient, which is the base of the word Oriental which is more geographically accurate than saying Asian.

 

[Insidious Von]

The passing of my teenage hero Borje Salming, sent me into an SAD funk.

From October 13 1971, when Stafford Smythe passed away to April 11 2014, I consider The Ballard Era. He passed away in 1990, his gross incompetence lived on. It can most accurately be described like this.

Turn up the volume!

 

[bob4430]

Leafs under Ballard once drafted 3 players in the first round from the same team Belleville Bulls.
The only time in NHL history that has ever happened.
Ballard didn't want to spend money on scouts.

And the Belleville Bulls were a losing team that year. You can’t make this stuff up.

 

[tml]

So, does this mean (with Von's info) that the TML have gone to the NHL Semi finals twice in 33 years, correct?

No NHL championship in 56 (yikes!) years, also correct?

In TML world, is this defined as "contending"?

Just for the record, the Leafs have made the Semi-Finals 5 times since 1967:
1978 vs. Mont.
1993 vs. L.A.
1994 vs. Van.
1999 vs Buff.
2002 vs. Car.

 

[tml]

The passing of my teenage hero Borje Salming, sent me into an SAD funk.

From October 13 1971, when Stafford Smythe passed away to April 11 2014, I consider The Ballard Era. He passed away in 1990, his gross incompetence lived on. It can most accurately be described like this.

Turn up the volume!

I'm just curious, why do you believe Ballard's era ended April 11, 2014? Thanks.

 

[Insidious Von]

I'm just curious, why do you believe Ballard's era ended April 11, 2014? Thanks.

Brendan Shanahan wanted to do things differently when he was hired as CEO of hockey operations. He's had mixed results, yet Michael Bunting and Calle Jarnkrok are turning their careers around as Leafs, both were low draft picks by other clubs. Now lets take a look back to 2003, the Leafs needed a defenseman but Bill Waters kept harping on about a budget. Not long after that Richard Peddie threw both Ken Dryden and Pat Quinn into the wood chipper. He was very successful, The Ontario Teacher's Pension Fund prospered while they glomed off of MLSE. Richard Peddie was their front man with the Raptors and Leafs reaching levels of futility worse than the 80's.

With Peddie at the helm, The Teacher's gained ownership of all of the late Steve Stavro's properties, the Teachers own Real Sports Bar. . When Jim Devellano took over hockey operations of the Detroit Red Wings, the first decision he made was to fire Richard Peddie - end result Red Wings 4 Stanley Cups, Leafs caca.

Jim Devellano turned 80 four days ago, he's Toronto born.

 

[bazokajoe]

Is this TV show only focusing on the Leafs, or does it touch at all on his time as the Ti-cats owner as well?

 

[silentkisser]

What do you mean: "didn't really contend until after his death?"

When have the TML contended? When was the last time (after Ballard's death) that they were in the final or even semi finals? Final four.

This is what being a contender is, not just making the playoffs.

As @shack pointed out, they made it to the semi-finals in 93 AND 94, where they lost to the Canucks (who lost to the Rangers in the finals). Now, as a Leafs fan who's seen horrible teams and terrible management, I feel that Dubas is on the right track. When was the last time the Leafs had two generational talents (Marner & Matthews) on their roster that they drafted? Who know. Maybe they never did. But the reality is they have two super stars, Tavares is still playing great, and Nylander has found a higher gear. So, I think it is silly to think they aren't contending today. If they get decent goaltending come April we can see a deep Leaf playoff run.