lindy ruff was on wgr yesterday...
http://audio.wgr550.com/hosting/media/wgr550/1268190/1019-lindy-ruff-on-the-howard-simon-show.mp3
listening to the interview with howard simon and jeremy white, i decided to cut through the diplomacy and "coach-speak" and delve deep into the responses to find out what he really was thinking...
my interpretation of what ruff's answers really meant:
--is the team as bad as it looks during the slow start?
"no it isn't. obviously we've had a little chemistry issue on lines...we got to dig our heels in and prove we're a better team."
--what he really meant--man howard, these guys have really sucked lately and they are as bad as they've looked...we put the lines together, but they don't seem to trust one another in any combination...until our top players get their heads out of their arses, we'll continue to suck
--why is the effort so inconsistent?
"we haven't worked together as a five man unit on the ice. we've talked about it at length...we haven't been good blueline to blue line...especially at home...most of it has been turnovers...i think the second part of it we were a split second slow with decisions in the offensive zone...we hung on to the puck too long, it allowed the other team to gain the coverage it wanted..."
--what he really meant: jesus, mary and joseph, i thought we got rid of that individual, dipsy-doodle, turnover crap when max left...this team gets too damn cute, especially at home and i hate cute, and cute is what many of our "skilled" players aim for...ya know, ya gotta look good, when you score, eh...that is IF you score...gotta be highlight reel, too...oh, and can't let anything happen to the face either, gotta look cute for the camera...
--how much do you and the coaches shoulder the blame for the poor start?
"i'll take full responsibility because it's my responsibility for the way the team plays"
--what he really said--yeah, forget the fact that are #1 scorer listens about a third of the time to the coaching staff, oddly enough, that's when he scores...go figure...a couple more in the top-six are weak, inconsistent sissies who won't hit, won't skate hard and can't score, yet have the audacity to think they know it all...they don't friggen' listen...and don't even get me started with the lack of top-six additions or the fact that "the core" is untouchable...urrrrgggghhhh!!!
--you've been here a long time, do you ever worry that you're not getting through to the players anymore--
"no, sometimes i think that's all a lot of crap. to be honest with you...we've had a lot of changes we had four or five players last year, four or five players this year...were diggin' in, this adversity should just make us tougher, if not, then we're not the group we think we are"
--what he really meant--horsesh!t!!!...it's laying the foundation to get me fired, that's what it is...i've got five or six, thick-headed numb skulls who play the system when they want to...unfortunately, these floaters really don't want to put forth the effort...you think another coach could get them to do it?...yeah, for a few games, until they reverted to the thick-headed, numb skull floaters that these players really are...i've done my best to get them to play the way they can, to teach them that what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger...and what did i get?...have i mentioned that they look cute for the camera?
--do you ever worry about your job security, especially in a slow start:
"you know, the one thing i'm not gonna do is panic and worry about..i worry about the way the team plays..."
--what he really meant--you're kidding me, right?...cripes howard, i've been here a long time and i can get the most out of what's given me...can i get fired?...sure...will i get fired?...yeah, i've thought about it...do i care?...yeah, i care...care enough to take the heat for this group of soft-but-skilled players who don't listen, perform inconsistently and who cry when the going gets tough...care enough to take the heat off of my boss...the s.o.b. who put this roster together...so...fire me...i want to stay in buffalo, but if i get canned, those are the breaks
--tim connolly, what have you seen outta his game and how does he fix it?
"it falls under the general category...we have to put away the individual play...that are turning into turnovers...one in ten...will make tsn's top-ten...and if you're not scoring with that play, and it's going the other way, your linemates get frustrated...tim connolly's not the only one"
--what he really said--tim connolly's driving me nuts, just like max used to and like derek roy still does more often than not...why darcy ever re-signed connolly, i'll never know...he's acting like a bone-head on the ice and not only are his linemates pissed, but so is everyone else...top-20 center in this league?...yeah, maybe five years ago for a short time, but too many boinks to the coconut have really messed him up...meh, only got one more year with him...i friggen hope
--when do you go to the gm and say, this team's not the team we thought it would be?
"...(chuckles) darcy and i talk on a daily basis...we're always talking about what we see in the team...we've gone through some changes and with morrisson out and pomminville out we've had some players in bigger roles...it takes some time."
--what he really said--f#ck, howard, way to put me on the spot...can't stand the team that i've been given...darcy and i have gone at it for the past three seasons concerning personell...he throws me some bones on the bottom-six and lower-pairing d-men, but i can't get anything up-top...there his little friggen babys...this is the team as i thought it would be--great when it's easy, fetal position when it's tough...makes me wanna throw up...but in darcy-world, they're a "cup-contender"...cripes, give me one leader in the top-six...give me one player who combines grit and finish...give me one or two players with those attributes and i'll get to the finals once again...no, i wanna slap him silly sometimes...he's driving me nuts with this core sh!t...i'd better stop...(looks around for something to kick)
--do you still believe in your roster?
"we'll find ways to win"
--what he really said--ummmm right, howard...we'll win once miller gets in his groove and once myers gets out of his funk...until then, this group seems hell-bent on finding ways to look cute in a losing cause
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