2012 - Page 67 of 114 - Last Word On Sports

Announcement: Partnership with Hammer Radio

Posted on July 4, 2012March 20, 2017 by Ben Kerr

We here at Last Word on Sports are happy and proud to announce our partnership with “The Hammer Radio” available in Hamilton every Wednesday on 93.3 CMFU FM, and archived on the internet at http://thehammar.libsyn.com

The 100th episode is archived directly here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/thehammar/The_Hammer_MMA_Radio_-_Episode_100.mp3

The Boys at the Hammer feature weekly coverage of all things MMA. This week is their 100th Episode, and its a good one, but we’ll let the boys describe their own show:

“Not only is this week our 100th episode, but it’s also the biggest MMA event of the year. UFC 148: Silva vs. Sonnen is coming up July 7th, and we dedicate the whole show to previewing the most anticpated rematch in MMA history between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen. We also make our predictions for the rest of the card, including what looks to be Tito Ortiz’ retirement fight.”

The Hammer features lastwordonsports’ own writer Greg Persson, long time internet superstar Steve Jeffrey, and is hosted by Dave Abraham.

The Hammer has had interviews with some of the biggest names in MMA over the years, including BJ Penn, Dan Henderson, Sean Sherk, Mark Coleman, and others. They continue to bring unparallelled, independent coverage of all things MMA to fans of the sport.

We highly recommend that you check them out.

Is Robin van Persie Leaving a Sign of Things to Come?

Posted on July 4, 2012November 5, 2021 by Michael Kovacs, ADMIN

A mere week ago I took a bit of a beating for daring to discuss what life would be like as a Gooner without the mega-talented Robin van Persie. What’s more, I actually took the stance that if he were to leave, it wouldn’t be the end of the world as many are assuming. I don’t want to re-hash everything I already said, so if you feel so inclined, go back and read the article here. With RvP clearly stating he intends NOT to return to the Emirates as a Gunner, I want to briefly discuss what might become a growing trend at Arsenal.

Before moving on, if you haven’t already read his statement here it is, straight from RobinVanPersie.com.

There are several particularly poignant issues I have with this letter from Persie to fans. It is clear that he is either A) really upset with Wenger (and Gazidis) lack of wanting to spend, or B) is using that as a smokescreen for another underlying issue. Let’s deal with “A” first.

It is no secret that Arsene Wenger guards his wallet much like the Tower guards protect the crown jewels or the secret service guards the President. Wenger has been highly criticized by football fans around the world, perhaps most harshly by Arsenal’s own. Being active in the Twitter world along with other social avenues that discuss Arsenal’s matches, I can say there is no shortage of opinions as to where Arsenal should spend its money. Some are unhappy with the Koscielny-Vermaelen-Mertesacker combo, and believe an upgrade of one or two of them are essential. Others believe Kieran Gibbs, while certainly talented, is not of good enough calibre to play top-flight football just yet. Midfield depth and support for RvP were also often cited (which was solved with Podolski and Giroud) as requirements. In any case, one thing that can be agreed upon is that Arsenal need to spend, now.

Let’s assume for a moment that Persie was being truthful, and that he felt Arsenal were not putting itself in a position to make a serious run at the Champions League and Premier League titles – after all, he claims not to care about money, but wants a brighter trophy shelf. Does this make him selfish? Does this make the pill easier to swallow? I think not, but I’m not entirely surprised either.

Sports are riddled with athletes taking care of “Number One” first, leaving fans and clubs in their dust – at least that’s our perception. Can we blame them? I think what makes this situation much more difficult for Arsenal fans is the fact that the sting of Cesc Fabregas leaving the club for Barcelona is still fresh in fans’ minds. Just one year ago Fabregas and Van Persie were the key to Arsenal’s future. Fabregas was our captain, and by far the most important man on the pitch. Our future was bright, very bright indeed. You will undoubtedly remember the saga leading to Cesc’s departure, along with Samir Nasri to Man City. It was a difficult time.

After both players left the club, attention turned to Van Persie, who was named “Captain”. Could he stay healthy? Would he continue his torrent pace without one of the world’s greatest midfielders feeding him the ball? We all know how that turned out. Van Persie has cemented himself as one of the game’s greatest goalscorers.

Signing RvP to a new contract was important for several reasons. Not only does having him on the pitch result in more balls in the net, but also consider the attention he brings to the club. Having him on the cover of magazines, newspapers, cereal boxes and video games, as well on every news channel and on the backs of millions of fans’ shirts,whilst wearing his red and white I might add, only helps build the Arsenal brand – basically, he makes the team money. More than that, he would also attract other talented players – the “Barcelona-effect”. Great players want to be a part of something special. Losing van Persie certainly will have an impact on Arsenal, both on pitch and in their pocketbooks.

It is undeniable that RvP has done so much for Arsenal. But as most would agree the sting of him leaving on the heels of Fabregas is particularly painful. Is Arsenal developing a reputation of building great players only to lose them because their manager refuses to pay them? Are the days of Bergkamp, Adams and Vieria, legends who played and stayed at Arsenal for long periods of time, gone by the wayside?

I hope not, but sometimes I fear the worst. Today is a pessimistic day – sorry ’bout that.

…until tomorrow, lads.

Zach Parise and Ryan Suter take their talents to Minnesota

Posted on July 4, 2012November 5, 2021 by Ben Kerr

Multiple reports are suggesting that the Minnesota Wild have made the biggest coup of NHL free agency signing the top 2 players available. It is a move reminiscent of the 2010 Miami Heat signing Lebron James and Chris Bosh, while retaining Dwayne Wade.

Parise and Suter were clearly the two prize players in this free agent pool, and their signings should immediately catapult Minnesota from Pretender to Contender Status. The Players have both signed 13 year contracts, ensuring that they will be the faces of the Wild franchise for the foreseeable future. One can only assume that Jake Dowell who also signed with the Wild will play the role of Bosh here (just kidding).

With Mikko Koivu already established as a number 1 centre, and wingers like Dany Heatley, Devin Setogucchi, and depth in Kyle Brodziak and Matt Cullen, the Wild played well last year before injuries hit. With stud prospects like Michael Granlund, and Charlie Coyle, along with solid depth prospects like Zack Phillips, Chad Rau, Johan Larsson, and Jason Zucker on the way, the addition of Parise may make the Wild offence into one that is truly feared in the Western Conference for the first time in the team’s history.

Suter gives the Wild an experienced number 1 blueliner, something they clearly lacked last season. They have a decent enough group of depth players on the blue line, but really needed a leader. It would appear that they have that now. The Wild also have Jonas Brodin and Matt Dumba as high ranking defensive prospects.

With Backstrom and Harding as solid a tandem as any in the NHL, and highly touted Matt Hackett knocking on the door, the Wild are also set between the pipes.

We should remember that these are 13 year deals, and that the Wild do not have to win the Stanley Cup this year. They can use Suter and Parise to make them into a playoff team now, and a true cup contender as their prospects emerge.

Its an exciting day for Minnesota hockey fans, and they can now go out and celebrate the 4th of July.

Trent Richardson: Cleveland’s New Chosen One?

Posted on July 4, 2012November 5, 2021 by Anto Dowsett

After playing three years for Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide football team, Trent Richardson decided to fore-go his final year of eligibility at the college level and declared for the 2012 NFL draft. After the two quarterbacks (Robert Griffin III and Andrew Luck) were picked off the board by the Colts and Redskins respectively, the third overall pick, which was held by the Cleveland Browns, was used to select Richardson. Richardson was widely regarded as the best running back available in the 2012 Draft and former Colts vice chairman Bill Polian called him one of the “three sure-thing players” in the draft.

After gaining 4,500+ net yards in his three years at Alabama, Richardson has been called one of the best pro prospect running backs since Adrian Peterson, which is quite the compliment. Although he has received great acknowledgements, Trent has also been subject to criticisms, specifically from former a former Browns great, legendary running back Jim Brown. Brown went on to say that TRich is only “ordinary” and is a “one-dimensional” player.

Instead of firing back comments against Jim Brown, Trent took the high road and is using Jim’s words as motivation. And he fully believes that he is more than a one-dimensional player. Trent even went on to say that he “wants to be the best thing that ever happened to Cleveland”. Now this is where I want to pause. Trent does know who LeBron James is right? NBA’s Chosen One; the all-star athlete who, as most would agree, single-handedly took the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals, although he did not eventually bring home the crown at that time. The same athlete who won two MVP’s while he was on contract with Cleveland. To understand how truly great LeBron was in Cleveland, look what happened to the Cavs in the year after his flight to South Beach. Trent truly believes that he can be Cleveland’s next chosen one and went on to say, “I want to be that type of all-time guy when it comes down to it.”

A quick glance at Cleveland’s roster is enough to show you that they’re going to go into the season with a lineup that at least on paper appears to be pretty weak overall. One could even make the argument that Trent Richardson is already their best offensive player, despite not having played a single down professionally. But if Richardson believes he can be the next big thing in Cleveland, then its time for him to prove it. For Cleveland to succeed, TRich is going to have to be more than a one-dimensional back. He needs to show that he can not only run, but can also contribute catching the football and providing blocking protection. If he can be that all around player, after it’s all said and done, maybe, just maybe, he will walk on water in Cleveland as King James once did.

Feel free to leave comments below and follow me on twitter @lastwordAnto.

…And that is the last word.

Will a New "Over the Hill Gang" succeed in Dallas?

Posted on July 4, 2012November 5, 2021 by Ben Kerr

In 1967 Punch Imlach was widely criticized for keeping an aging Maple Leafs team together. They were known around the NHL as the over the hill gang, and many thought it was extremely unlikely that they could go into the playoffs and re-live the past glories they had in the early 60s. The critics turned out to be wrong, and the “Over the Hill Gang” won the Stanley Cup, the last before expansion, and the last for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Fast forward to today. The game has changed, the market has changed, 30 teams, free agency, mega salaries, and a salary cap. New strategies like the Neutral Zone Trap, the left wing lock, and other systems have also changed the game. The hockey world is far different from what it was 45 years ago. In this environment we see a new team assembling an over the hill gang. The Dallas Stars have signed a pair of 40 year olds in Ray Whitney and Jaromir Jagr in free agency. Whitney gets $9 million over two years, and Jagr will get 4.5 million for one year.

Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk has stated that the plan is to have both of these players play in the team’s top 6. Will it work? Can an over the hill gang have success in 2012? Lets take a look.

Jagr is expected to play on a line with Jamie Benn and Loui Eriksson. Jagr had a lot of success this past season scoring 54 points in 72 games on a line with Scott Hartnell and Claude Giroux. I think he will also be able to have success with his new stars teammates. Eriksson is a talented offensive force who regularly puts up between 25-30 goals, and 70-75 points. Many thought that the Swedish winger would see his numbers suffer without Brad Richards this season, however they did not, as he put up over 70 points for the third straight year. The 26 year old is just reaching the prime of his career and is a capable two way player. The line should be centered by Jamie Benn. The talented 22 year old was a 5th round steal in the 2007 NHL Draft. Benn has played three NHL seasons and has gotten better each year going from 45 points, to 56 points, to 63 points over those three years. Fantasy owners take note, I predict that Benn is on the verge of a real breakout season, and will soon be a regular 75+ point centre in the NHL. Benn’s defensive game is also underrated.

Playing with these two talented players I believe Jagr will have another 50+ point season (he’s never scored less than that in his career). He’s still supremely skilled with the puck on his stick, and has outstanding hockey sense. He may have lost a step, but Jagr is still more than capable of putting points on the board. I also believe the smart two way play of Benn and Eriksson will help to cover up for the defensive mistakes Jagr can now make with his reduced foot speed.

Ray Whitney is expected to play with newly acquired centre Derek Roy, and 35 goal scorer Michael Ryder. I see another effective partnership on this line. Whitney’s puck control and passing skills will be a great benefit to Ryder, who is a natural sniper. In addition, Derek Roy should be able to adequately replace the production of Mike Ribeiro on the unit. Last season Whitney put up 77 points, and while it may be unrealistic to expect him to sustain that level of production given he scored 58 points in 2009-10, and 57 points in 2010-11, I still think he can be an effective scorer. Whitney is a solid threat to score 55-60 points. On Roy, I think the Stars fleeced the Sabres on that trade, acquiring the skilled pivot for a third line agitator (though a good one) in Steve Ott, and bottom pairing dman Adam Pardy. I think that is a very cheap price for a centre capable of playing top 6 minutes.

With Brenden Morrow, the long time Stars Captain anchoring a line that could see an influx of talented prospects, such as Scott Glennie or Cody Eakin, Dallas should also be able to put together a third line that will provide the team with extra punch.

On Defence players like Alex Goligoski and Trevor Daley who are coming into their own add to the offence from the back end, and veteran Stephane Robidas leads the unit. I do however believe the Stars could add another defensive defenceman for depth (what team can’t?) but this is a minor complaint.

Kari Lehtonen has never lived up to the expectations created by his high draft position with Atlanta, but he is still an effective starting goalie, and the Stars can rely on him to win games this year. He’s had a career resurgance since being traded to the Stars, and has even stayed relatively healthy (by his standards). He provides the Stars with above average goaltending.

Now while I don’t expect Dallas to win the Stanley Cup next year, these additions should make them into a competitor for a playoff spot, even in the highly competitive Western Conference. These two forwards on short term deals also provide the Stars with time to develop their young prospects like Radek Faksa.

I must say, many are criticizing these moves, and the salaries paid to Jagr and Whitney, but they were among the best FA forwards available. These are short term deals where the risk is minimized as the only risk is short term money and cap space. In a weak UFA pool, and for a team that really couldn’t lure Zach Parise to town, taking a flyer on these guys isn’t so bad. I mean what is the alternative, saving cap space for a rainy day? Cap space is great and all, but it doesn’t help you win games, you have to use it sometime to acquire a player.

For these reasons, as well as their fantastic draft, I give the Stars two thumbs up this offseason. Good work Joe Nieuwendyk.

Feel free to leave your comments below and follow me on twitter @lastwordBKerr.

NHL Free Agent Frenzy: Grades for the first two days

Posted on July 3, 2012November 5, 2021 by Ben Kerr

*Editor’s Note: Maksim Vasilyev is back. We have decided to bring him on as a regular writer. Maksim will be helping with our NHL coverage*

The money game is going to be a big issue during the talks in NY – by talks I mean 5-year olds trying to share cookies. By 5-year olds, of course I am referring to NHLPA and NHL execs.

This is the type of stuff most sport fans ignore or just don’t care about. We want a hot dog and a beer to watch 200-pound men kill each other for that sweet nectar of glory that comes with a win. A win to rub into your best bud’s face as your team crushes his playoff hopes for a cup run…furthermore seeing his sweet, sweet tears of sad realization that another year of his precious King Henrik prime years was wasted. I mean you know, the GOOD stuff. We want the double stuff cream inside the Oreo, and we’ll let the dog have the cookie.

So the CAP stuff is boring but important, and it has been set so the teams know what they have to work with. You top out at $70 with 6 zeros and some change. The bottom floor, I like to call it the Long Island Line or LIL, of the salary CAP is set to be $54 million USD. All of this is lots of money – LOTS OF MONEY. You cannot even comprehend how many skittles you can buy with just the Long Island Line, let alone the NY Rangers bank account. So the crying game for most NHL clubs about not being able to afford to sign the creme de la creme of rookies is over. My humble opinion is that it really all comes down to your scouts and your GM hockey knowledge…with a sprinkle of luck.

The reason I bring up this CAP space hoopla is large in part to the UFA hunting season. The few big signings in my eyes so far follow:

Calgary Flames sign Jiri Hudler (4 years, $4 million AAV)

There has to be said something about the Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland and that is if he is not interested in paying a player the asking price it is because the player is not worth it. I do not remember any player that has left Detroit due to lack of money and become a good pick for another team (correct me if you dare). So that should be a red flag for anyone looking at Hudler. You know who has not been paying attention at all? Jay Feaster, that is who. This maybe the result of the market, maybe Jiri has a really good agent that predicted the UFA recession of 2012, but Jiri Hudler signed a 4 year deal worth $16 million. Johan Franzen makes less than Hudler…look it up. With this paycheck Jay Feaster made Calgary the 2nd highest paid team in the league, leaving about $4 million to lock up 3 or 4 more players.

Grade C +

Tampa Bay Lightning sign Sami Salo (2 years, $3.75 million AAV)

Sami Salo is on the very cold north side of 30 and has a huge track record of being injured. He has not played more than 70 games in his career. What Yzerman probably sees though is a solid mentor for Victor Hedman’s game (he does not need any tips on his scary face). Salo has good offensive game and is solid defensively. The price is considered to be very high by most critics, especially if he is sitting on your IR half the season, but I think this is a smart move to provide some mature game on a struggling back-end of a team that gave up the most goals in NHL.

Grade B +

Vancouver Canucks sign Jason Garrison (6 years, $4.6 million AAV)

On another hand, I wish I could get Jason Garrison pay % increase. He went from having a $700K CAP hit to a 4.6 million CAP hit. Not bad, eh? I won’t make you work for this, but here is why he makes as much as Kronwall. Worth it? Let’s talk about it after next year’s playoffs when he scores a few big goals on the PP for Vancouver and helps us avoid another city burning.

Grade B+

Detroit Red Wings sign Jordan Tootoo (3 years, $1.9 million AAV), and Mikael Samuelsson (2 years, $3 million AAV)

Jordin Tootoo and Mikael Samuelsson signing have sealed my opinion on the fact that Red Wings will not be bringing Minnesota holy child, Parise. I know there is still a chance, but I highly doubt it, call it a “guy who watches and reads too much about hockey” hunch. Both players are nice additions. One thing stands true is that Samuelsson is an upgrade over Hudler and Tootoo is a decent 4th liner to hand out some punishment. Nasty is something Detroit has been missing and Abdelkader just looks like a sweetie pie (compared to Tootoo). Tootoo reminds me of Darren McCarty, and even has a similar history of drinking problems that he has overcome.

Grade A –

Colorado Avalanche sign P.A. Parenteau, (4 years at $4 million AAV)

P.A. Parenteau went for another $4 million dollar deal. This is the favorite number for the GM’s this year. This man had one 60 point season and is 29 years old. How about them apples, eh? Garth Snow would have loved to keep the bro-romance that he had going between P.A. Parenteau and Tavares, but since he rides the LIL I mentioned above, he had no luck. Long Island dumpers, and I can say that because I live here, can’t overspend. A tight budget and only 16 skaters signed left Snow’s hands tied. While Greg Sherman is hoping for Parenteau possibly getting Matt Duchene to Tavares level of success, since they were the same Draft class (went 1st and 3rd overall respectively). Meanwhile, Colorado fans are holding their breath.

Grade A –

Dallas Stars sign Ray Whitney, (2 years at $4.5 million AAV)

Ray Whitney is a top tier-winger in NHL and I would understand a team paying top dollar for a player who crushed it with 77 points last year. What I do not understand is why a man would sign with a team that is rebuilding at a tender age of 40? Oh right, money. Ray was involved in a Bear Mountain golf course investment fiasco, that probably had a huge impact on his decision to take more money instead of signing with a cup contender like the Penguins (Penguins thought Steve Sullivan could be their Whitney last year). What does Dallas get? Well they get another winger that can put up numbers at $4.5 million per year for two years. This is a good contract to have for a solid player , while the teams waits for its young guns to mature. Dallas missed the playoffs last year by only a few points, and with some moves Joe Nieuwendyk thinks they can make the jump next year (he has a tight budget to deal with, unfortunately). He made cap space by trading Mike Ribeiro to the Capitals and picked up Derek Roy from Buffalo to get his #2 center issue filled. I mean on paper Dallas has Eriksson, Benn, Ryder, Roy, and Whitney, all of whom can put up over 65 points next year and this is good, damn good.

Grade A

…and that is the Last Word.

Feel free to post comments below.

Logjam: What happens after Parise and Suter sign?

Posted on July 3, 2012November 5, 2021 by Ben Kerr

NHL Free Agency has begun, and we still have yet to see the frenzy that we normally see at this time of year. Sure there have been a lot of “depth” signings, but many of the big names are still floating around the hockey universe.

The reason for this is simple; GMs and agents alike are awaiting the decisions of the two biggest free agents on the market. When Zach Parise and Ryan Suter maker their decisions it will open the floodgates and we will see many of the remaining free agents sign and a number of trades go down.

I don’t want this piece to come across as a criticism of Zach Parise or Ryan Suter and the fact that they are taking their time in deciding their futures. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for both of these players. The numbers on the rumored contracts are staggering; 10-12 year contracts in the neighbourhood of $100 million. If these are numbers are even close to accurate, it is doubtful that either player will ever get a chance at Free Agency again. They each need to make wise decisions and if that takes a few days, it is completely understandable.

Obviously these guys are the big prizes, and with so many teams in on Parise and Suter, the question must be asked; what is plan B for the losers on these sweepstakes? With clubs like Pittsburgh, Detroit, Philadelphia, Chicago, Minnesota, New Jersey, Nashville and others rumored to be attempting to be making offers to one or even both of these players, there will be teams scrambling for other options once they sign.

The Remaining Top UFAs

Many of the other top free agent forwards such as Alex Semin, Shane Doan, and Jaromir Jagr remain unsigned. I believe that these players are waiting for Parise’s decision before they make their own. Doan is also apparently waiting for the Phoenix ownership issue to be sorted out. What we may see is that once Parise’s contract is signed a desperate GM may up their offer for one of these wingers in an attempt to fill a hole in their top-6.

There are also plan C options in Andrei Kostitsyn, Peter Mueller, and Wojtek Wolski still on the market. These three players should come considerably cheaper and all have an upside still, but carry with them much bigger risks. They could turn out to be cheap filler for their new teams top 6, or they could turn out to be complete busts. The risk here is the reason these guys are still on the market.

On Defence there are really only two big fish remaining. They are Suter and Matt Carle. While Suter is the prize name, the interest in Carle should rise significantly once Suter signs. Lesser options include Michael Roszival, Bryce Salvador, Scott Hannan and Pavel Kubina.

The Trade Market

With such a weak crop of Free Agents available after the big two, I think that this will actually be the area where we see the most movement once Parise and Suter sign.

At forward there are two very big names who are rumored to be available. Rick Nash and Bobby Ryan are already garnering big interest, however at this point no team has been able to meet Columbus or Anaheim’s demands for these star wingers. On defence, there is less definitive information, but rumors abound that Keith Yandle and Jay Bouwmeester could also be had in trades. Again, just rumours.

I believe that watching Parise or Suter sign with another club could be just the motivation necessary for a GM to decide to up his offer for one of these players.

Either way the most interesting days of the NHL offseason are still ahead of us.

Where do you think these players will go? Feel free to leave your comments below and follow me on twitter @LastWordBKerr

Have some Pride: In Defence of Brian Burke

Posted on July 2, 2012November 5, 2021 by Ben Kerr

Lets get one thing straight before we start; for those who either follow me on twitter or read my articles on our site, you know I am no fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs. You also know that I’ve been highly critical of the work Brian Burke has done in Toronto.

To me, the man makes a lot of statements in the media and doesn’t follow through on them. He’s a blowhard with a huge ego, and he’s not as good of a GM as most of the Toronto media paint him out to be. That said, I’m going to do an about-face and defend Brian Burke today.

As every hockey fan knows, July 1st is the opening of the NHL’s free agent frenzy. It is a day to add pieces to a franchise, to fill holes, and to plan for next season. Now at first glance it appears that the Toronto Maple Leafs have been rather inactive on July 1st. Granted, they have re-signed a couple of their own minor league players, but to date their major acquisition is Jay McClement, an underrated 3rd line centre from Colorado.

Toronto fans hoping for a bigger haul are probably upset about this. And in this criticism I agree, Burke needs to do more to improve his team. But let’s be clear, its only July 1st and there is plenty of summer left for Burke’s plan to come together.

However there is a ton of outrage I am seeing from Leaf fans on twitter, Facebook, and on Internet message boards right now that disgusts me. You see, in addition to July 1st being Canada Day, it also marks the date of this year’s Gay Pride Parade in Toronto. And Brian Burke took a couple of hours out of his day to march in that parade, as a tribute to his son Brendan, who passed away a few years ago. This is obviously a cause that is near and dear to Burke’s heart, to his family, and to his personal life. I don’t think anyone should have a problem with it. This is a man who is honouring the memory of his lost son.

Not ever having to endure losing a son myself I can only imagine the pain associated with losing a child. I do believe it is every parent’s worst nightmare and I don’t even want to begin to imagine the emotions that have haunted Brian Burke since that fateful day when Brendan passed away in a car accident on a snowy highway thousands of miles away. Burke has every right to take a couple hours away from the office to take care of this bit of personal business.

But what about the complaints that Burke is putting his personal life ahead of the team? Isn’t this the selfish act of a General Manager who asks his players to give it all for the Maple Leafs Sweater? Isn’t he needed in the offices of the ACC, wooing Free Agents? In a word, NO! For shame.

Burke and the Leafs staff have been preparing for free agency for weeks. At 12:00 noon the team made offers to the players that they wanted. If further negotiations are necessary during the short time he is out of the office, he has a capable staff including Dave Nonis (former canucks GM), Dave Poulin (a long time NHL executive), Claude Loiselle (another long time executive and someone described as a contract and salary cap expert), Cliff Fletcher (an advisor and longtime NHL GM), and Randy Carlyle (an experienced head coach). I’m sure these men are capable of holding the fort at the office and negotiating with agents for a couple of hours during the day.

Besides all that, come on, its 2012. Brian Burke did not abandon his team. I’m sure the man has a cell phone while he is out at the parade. If a major situation develops and he is needed, he can be on the phone and handling business at a drop of a hat. It’s not like this is 1960 and he is completely unreachable outside the office except by way of carrier pigeon. Its 2012, the age of smartphones, data plans, tablet computing, laptops and rocket sticks.

In 2009 Brian Burke was in Sweden in an attempt to lure the Sedins to Toronto. When that attempt failed, and the Canucks re-signed the twins, Burke was still able to ink Mike Komisarek and Colton Orr to deals from half way across the world. Now while Komisarek may not have worked out as hoped, in July 2009 he was a highly sought after free agent. Burke could even have landed Mike Cammalleri that day as the winger was sitting with Dave Nonis at the Air Canada Centre. When Montreal made a 6 million dollar per year offer to the winger, Burke was contacted to see if he would match. If he had Cammalleri would be a Leaf today, but Burke declined.

In 2011 Brian Burke was widely criticized for a lack of July 1st moves as he was in Afghanistan on a mission with the Canadian troops. However on July 2nd, while still in Afghanistan, Burke was able to sign Tim Connolly, and on July 3rd he was able to complete a trade with Nashville acquiring Cody Franson and Matt Lombardi for Brett Lebda and Robert Slaney.

While the ultimate success of those moves is debatable, but what isn’t debatable is that the Leafs were able to carry on the business of July free agency while Brian Burke wasn’t physically sitting at his desk in Toronto. He was able to make decisions and sign players to contracts through the use of various media in the electronic age. The moves were made while Burke was on the other side of the world, and their success or failure was not dependent on Burke’s physical location at the time they were made.

Let’s be real here Leaf fans, it’s past time to stop criticizing Burke over the Pride Parade issue. Lets stop with the silliness, and the disgusting homophobic tweets and facebook posts. The reason the Maple Leafs were inactive on July 1st had nothing to do with Burke marching in the Gay Pride Parade, and everything to do with the contracts they offered, the Toronto market and media, and the fact the team will need to overpay free agents due to missing the playoffs for seven straight seasons. Burke did not abandon his duty and is not putting himself ahead of his team.

Besides all that, it’s July 1st, not October 6th. Burke may not be done getting his team ready for next year, and many of the top UFAs are waiting for the Parise and/or Suter dominoes to fall before they sign with teams. Seven of our top 10 UFA forwards are still available. There are also trades that will still be made. The off-season has just begun, and there is plenty of time for Burke to change the look of his roster.

… and that is the Last Word.

Feel free to leave comments below and follow me on twitter @LastWordBKerr.

An RvP Transfer Not THAT Bad for the Gunners?

Posted on July 1, 2012November 5, 2021 by Michael Kovacs, ADMIN

I feel like taking a long shower, followed by running through a car wash buck naked just to cleanse the stink for daring to utter the possibility no Gooner wants to consider – “Is RvP leaving North London really THAT bad?”

Well, yes, it is. However, not as bad as one might think. Stay with me on this one, chaps…

First, as any serious follower of the Prem already knows, Robin is injury-prone – or used to be. Up until last season he went through more ups and downs than any roller coaster, spending more time in Arsenal’s rehabilitation center than on the pitch. Since arriving at Arsenal he showed glimpses of an expertise that would eventually be realized in last year’s campaign, but frequent injuries certainly brought out many, many critics. I remember our own Frank Giuliano telling me a couple of years back that;

“Van Persie is phenomenal, but he gets hurt way too much. You can’t have your best player always watching from the stands.”

True, right? I didn’t want to believe it, and thankfully he showed that he isn’t as brittle as was once believed – thank the Lord. But here is the question you have to ask yourself – “If RvP were to go down, what would happen to the team?”

Certainly Spurs, and not the Gunners, would be the North London team represented in the Champions League. Without Robin van Persie, Arsenal likely would have finished mid-table, and I think I’m fairly safe in suggesting that positioning. So then why might it be a good time to sell him?

First, his value will never be higher. Rivaling the likes of Ronaldo and Messi for the Golden Boot (I’m not arguing in favour of him, just that he is mentioned) automatically gives any team a legitimate scoring threat. Therefore, there will be a bidding war for his services – in fact, it has likely already begun. We already know about the deep pockets in Manchester.

Also, consider my argument about where the team would be without Van Persie. You may think that is an argument for keeping him, well, what if he were to go down to injury this year, what then? You can’t build a team only on one support beam – you need many interconnected pieces. Is Giroud and Podolski enough to make up for losing the Dutchman? Maybe – none of us really know. But think how many extra pieces Arsene can get (if he dusts his wallet and continues to spend, that is) for what will be a massive transfer fee. Can someone say “Centre Back”? And some of that money could be used to re-sign some other players like Theo Walcott.

Finally, and maybe this is a cop-out, but I always wonder how these constant rumours of transfers effects a team. If Arsenal does not transfer him, and can not sign him to a new contract, the 2012-2013 season will be littered with so much speculation, I think it would be a horrendous sideshow. The football world saw this with the Cesc-to-Barcelona saga of a year ago. Perhaps if a deal can’t be worked out a transfer would at least ease some pressure on the players and allow them to move forward? Maybe I am just trying to psych myself up for what is inevitable.

To be clear, I don’t want RvP to leave the Emirates. I am just saying that if he did, and Arsenal got royally-compensated, it would not be the worst thing in the world.