My McCabe Bet

> The idea that Bryan would waive goes against the grain of every bit of
> business savvy he's shown during his career.  He's looking at guys
> that didn't play as well as he did getting bought out, and there's a
> market that still has money in it.  GS, what makes you think he'll
> waive that clause?


It appears to be a game of which side will break first...however if
the Leafs hold their position (which I agree with in that buying him
out makes no sense in terms of the cap) any person with an ounce of
dignity would waive their no trade clause...How can he show up knowing
no one wants him there???
 >> Stay informed about: My McCabe Bet 

On Jul 6, 9:10 am, Marc-NS <marcmelan... DeleteThis @hotmail.com> wrote:

> It appears to be a game of which side will break first...however if
> the Leafs hold their position (which I agree with in that buying him
> out makes no sense in terms of the cap) any person with an ounce of
> dignity would waive their no trade clause...How can he show up knowing
> no one wants him there???

The Leafs lost their dignity a long time ago so I guess it's McCabe's
turn to lose his.
It's business, nothing more or less.
Millions of dollars at stake, we can't lose sight of that and I am
sure McCabe is all over it.

Poorboy
 >> Stay informed about: My McCabe Bet 

On Jul 6, 9:10 am, Marc-NS <marcmelan....RemoveThis@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > The idea that Bryan would waive goes against the grain of every bit of
> > business savvy he's shown during his career.  He's looking at guys
> > that didn't play as well as he did getting bought out, and there's a
> > market that still has money in it.  GS, what makes you think he'll
> > waive that clause?
>
> It appears to be a game of which side will break first...however if
> the Leafs hold their position (which I agree with in that buying him
> out makes no sense in terms of the cap) any person with an ounce of
> dignity would waive their no trade clause...How can he show up knowing
> no one wants him there???

The Leafs leveraged the 'no one wants him here' emotion into a full-
fledged contract-bashing campaign - in full public view. Your views
about Bryan's dignity and waiving isn't uncommon - you want Bryan to
be your trade-meat. 'You' don't like the guy so or the cap-cost, so
he should do what 'you' want.

If you need one degree of separation that smell, how does that
contract offer to Sundin look now ... "Sure, we'll put a no-move
clause in it."
 >> Stay informed about: My McCabe Bet 

On Jul 6, 9:20 am, Poorboy <TorontoFoo... DeleteThis @gmail.com> wrote:
> On Jul 6, 9:10 am, Marc-NS <marcmelan... DeleteThis @hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> > It appears to be a game of which side will break first...however if
> > the Leafs hold their position (which I agree with in that buying him
> > out makes no sense in terms of the cap) any person with an ounce of
> > dignity would waive their no trade clause...How can he show up knowing
> > no one wants him there???
>
> The Leafs lost their dignity a long time ago so I guess it's McCabe's
> turn to lose his.

How do you figure McCabe lost his dignity? He hasn't said a bad word
about the Org, lashed out, or started his own counter-campaign. The
slime is coming out of the Org. It's a rerun of trying to weasel out
of a deal they don't like (Owen Nolan), and a public spectacle pushing
players around (the Frozen Five).

> It's business, nothing more or less.
> Millions of dollars at stake, we can't lose sight of that and I am
> sure McCabe is all over it.

Projecting emotional states or motivations is pretty subjective. I'd
submit to you that the Leafs have fueled anti-McCabe sentiment and
displayed nepotism as their business guideline (coddling Blake,
isolating McCabe).

Marc's post said it made no sense to buy McCabe out. It made no sense
to buy Tucker or Raycroft out ... but they did.


>
> Poorboy
 >> Stay informed about: My McCabe Bet 

"owl" <churchsl DeleteThis @hotmail.com> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:ae88aebf-762e-4591-abb3-863a79a8f24f@l64g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
On Jul 5, 10:43 pm, "GS" <goldstand... DeleteThis @gmail.com> wrote:
> After reading Ron Wilson's comments on McCabe not fitting in with the
> team,
> I am convinced that it's going to happen before training camp. When he
> does
> waive the no-trade, he will be an Ottawa Senator. They are desperate for
> d-men, they have the cap room, and there is little left on the market.
> They
> also desperately need someone on the backend to run the other PP point
> (Alfie manning the other one of course). Murray SHOULD be worried about
> his
> team slip-slip-sliding into oblivion and I think he'll have to make a
> splash. If not for the no-trade/move/frowny faces contract, I could see
> this having already happened.

Wilson is tap-dancing on the same ledge as Fletcher. It's getting
close to publicly baiting the guy. There's already comments floating
around that they're okay with browbeating him and his contract because
they don't like him and/or his play.

Leafs have already crossed way over the line and got smeared for it -
they had to pay out Owen Nolan in full. If they keep pushing this
campaign to make the situation impossible for McCabe, it'll be the
next step up. My bet is on this Org hitting the next branch on the
Stupidity Tree - full payout out on McCabe's contract ($16mil); he
gets a full release (no trade); and the Leafs get whacked with his
full remaining Cap ($16mil).

The idea that Bryan would waive goes against the grain of every bit of
business savvy he's shown during his career. He's looking at guys
that didn't play as well as he did getting bought out, and there's a
market that still has money in it. GS, what makes you think he'll
waive that clause?


=============================

I don't doubt McCabe's business savvy for one second. When the Leafs
idiotically let it be known to the world that they want to end the McCabe
era, the game of poker started.

Leafs say they don't want him and start the public bashing. McCabe through
his agent says he is more than happy staying, but golly, would accept a
buyout. Healy and the NHLPA weigh in on Bryan's side and give him a few
more chips at the table. What we have here is the Leafs, as you correctly
pointed out, holding none of the cards, and as is the MO for the org under
Peddie, the Leafs look like a bunch of used car salesmen. I guarantee you
that none of this would be happening under Dryden. Healy's rant on the
topic is dead-on as far as the optics go to the rest of the players in the
league on this one.

However, with all that said, I just don't see how the org can back-down now
that they've ratcheted up the BS and dirt so high. I truly think Bryan has
played his last game as a Leaf. I never liked his contract, and hell when I
make it back east I'm one of the guys yelling at him from the cheap seats
(what happened to the hitting, the mean streak Bryan?), but my takeaway
isn't "I hope he's gone" or anything personal.

Look at the reception he got on a game by game basis last season at the
ACC... now multiply that by 100%. McCabe made no fans in TO with his
comments during the lockout, and rightly or wrongly is regarded as a hugely
overpaid bum among the vast majority of Leafdom. He'll be crucified in the
press daily, and every mistake (and lord knows he makes em) is going to be
maginified and examined. In short, it would make the Larry Murphy days look
tame. THIS is why I think he has no choice. Why stick through that? Why
not go down the highway, play for a better team/org, and when he does come
in here and get booed, why not do it manning the PP point for the Sens and
try to stick it to both the Leafs org and the fans? He still gets paid, and
he actually comes out of this whole debacle as the good guy.

McCabe and the Leafs will part ways in September AFTER they pay him his 2
million dollar bonus. They'll send him to the Sens with a pick (hey Fletch
loves trading those) for a roster player (Foligno?) and a lower pick. Leafs
can sell it as 'getting younger', Sens fill a HUGE hole on the backend,
improve draft position, save 2 million, and the whole Battle of ONtario gets
a new chapter to sell more seats with (in Bytown).
 >> Stay informed about: My McCabe Bet 

On Jul 6, 1:13 pm, "GS" <goldstand....TakeThisOut@gmail.com> wrote:

> I don't doubt McCabe's business savvy for one second.  When the Leafs
> idiotically let it be known to the world that they want to end the McCabe
> era, the game of poker started.

They look bad on that score. McCabe was the one guy in the Frozen
Five that said he'd take the weekend to think about it instead of
nyetting it immediately.

> Leafs say they don't want him and start the public bashing.  McCabe through
> his agent says he is more than happy staying, but golly, would accept a
> buyout.

There's no acceptance involved. They have that right. His agent said
that's the route.

>  Healy and the NHLPA weigh in on Bryan's side and give him a few
> more chips at the table.  What we have here is the Leafs, as you correctly
> pointed out, holding none of the cards, and as is the MO for the org under
> Peddie, the Leafs look like a bunch of used car salesmen.

That's an insult to used car salesmen everywhere ...

>  I guarantee you
> that none of this would be happening under Dryden.  Healy's rant on the
> topic is dead-on as far as the optics go to the rest of the players in the
> league on this one.

Healy's rant? Where's that. Is this it?
http://www.rotowire.com/roto_to_gnews.htm?ID=132019&sport=nhl
"They do not have the right to destroy Bryan McCabe's career," said
Healy.

> However, with all that said, I just don't see how the org can back-down now
> that they've ratcheted up the BS and dirt so high.  I truly think Bryan has
> played his last game as a Leaf.

Sure agree there. They've made it impossible for him to play.
Mission accomplished. Casualty of fiendly fire.

>  I never liked his contract, and hell when I
> make it back east I'm one of the guys yelling at him from the cheap seats
> (what happened to the hitting, the mean streak Bryan?), but my takeaway
> isn't "I hope he's gone" or anything personal.

The 'mean streak' was coached out of his game by PMaurice. That's
another factor that doesn't look good. 'Stop the in-yer-face that
caused 'can-opener' penalties; stop the board crunching cause you're
out of position; play the left side cause Woz/White/Stralman can't; my
gawd where has your Norris game gone ... huh?

> Look at the reception he got on a game by game basis last season at the
> ACC...  now multiply that by 100%.  McCabe made no fans in TO with his
> comments during the lockout, and rightly or wrongly is regarded as a hugely
> overpaid bum among the vast majority of Leafdom.

Agreed. And that goes back to ownership fanning those sentiments. If
they'd treated Blake to the same criticism, he'd be gone, wouldn't he?

>  He'll be crucified in the
> press daily, and every mistake (and lord knows he makes em) is going to be
> maginified and examined.

We already agreed he's played his last game in TO. He'll go to
another team, go back to being Bryan McCabe on the Right Side, and
everyone will wave a fist at him saying "Why couldn't you play that
way for the Leafs!?"

>  In short, it would make the Larry Murphy days look
> tame.  THIS is why I think he has no choice.  Why stick through that?  Why
> not go down the highway, play for a better team/org, and when he does come
> in here and get booed, why not do it manning the PP point for the Sens and
> try to stick it to both the Leafs org and the fans?  He still gets paid, and
> he actually comes out of this whole debacle as the good guy.

So, he's going to waive it because ... of the public pressure? The
public pressure the Org fueled? The public pressure that came his way
instead of Blake or Kubina with supporting statements from the Org?

But if you think Bryan is going to say the headache is not worth it,
and stick with his dollar-deal contract in the market with another
team he didn't give the deal to ... can't see it here.

Okay, one more time. He's going to get paid no matter what. The Org,
as you stated, has put themselves in a very very exposed position. If
the PA is making statements, I'll throw in a sidebet that Bettman's on
the phone. He's already whacked the Leafs for grandfathering clauses,
Owen Nolan, and Mark Bell. If you think he's going to rock the
already-leaking boat to help them force Bryan into a trade, I guess
that's a guess ...

> McCabe and the Leafs will part ways in September AFTER they pay him his 2
> million dollar bonus.  

So why did he leave $14mil on the table?

> They'll send him to the Sens with a pick (hey Fletch
> loves trading those) for a roster player (Foligno?) and a lower pick.  Leafs
> can sell it as 'getting younger', Sens fill a HUGE hole on the backend,
> improve draft position, save 2 million, and the whole Battle of ONtario gets
> a new chapter to sell more seats with (in Bytown).

Try it all you want. McCabe is going to get his money and his
freedom. The only leverage the Leafs might have is the money not
counting against the cap ... but I can think of 28 or 29 competing
franchises that might say "No, they at least have to absorb the cap-
rated buyout portion". And Bettman is going side with the PS and
McCabe. I don't think he has a choice, and the track record suggests
to me he could get serious tough with this total public mess.

McCabe made his position clear from the get-go. Same as Sundin last
winter. The Org doesn't listen. The guys at the top aren't hockey
men. Flinch is a errand-boy who's too old to be GM, and will be until
further notice.

What really needs to be done is someone should go to Park Lawn
Cemetary and make sure that it's really Dirty Harry down there.
Because the franchise is looking more Ballardian by the day.
 >> Stay informed about: My McCabe Bet 

"owl" <churchsl.RemoveThis@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:2a2d35b7-113c-4b20-a301-015d901a7c41@34g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
On Jul 6, 9:10 am, Marc-NS <marcmelan....RemoveThis@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > The idea that Bryan would waive goes against the grain of every bit of
> > business savvy he's shown during his career. He's looking at guys
> > that didn't play as well as he did getting bought out, and there's a
> > market that still has money in it. GS, what makes you think he'll
> > waive that clause?
>
> It appears to be a game of which side will break first...however if
> the Leafs hold their position (which I agree with in that buying him
> out makes no sense in terms of the cap) any person with an ounce of
> dignity would waive their no trade clause...How can he show up knowing
> no one wants him there???

The Leafs leveraged the 'no one wants him here' emotion into a full-
fledged contract-bashing campaign - in full public view. Your views
about Bryan's dignity and waiving isn't uncommon - you want Bryan to
be your trade-meat. 'You' don't like the guy so or the cap-cost, so
he should do what 'you' want.

If you need one degree of separation that smell, how does that
contract offer to Sundin look now ... "Sure, we'll put a no-move
clause in it."


How many other players recently have been asked to waive their NTC clauses
and have. After signing a lucrative 6 year pact in February, Dan Boyle was
very upset with how his tenure in Tampa ended but he still waived his NTC.
Brad Richards waived his no trade, there have been others also. This is
100% about money, not about Bryan the good or bad hockey player, or the
horrible Leafs roster. How can McCabe show up for camp in September knowing
the team would dump him in a heartbeat if they could. Its now a bad
marriage.

McCabe is not waiving because he is obviously hoping the Leafs buy him out
so he can go sign somewhere else for another large chunk of money. This is
totally driven by his agent, the Leafs are retards for handing 5 players no
trade clauses on long term deals to begin with. Blame JFJ if you like, but
as everyone on the planet knows by now, the MLSE board must approve
everything.

You keep bringing up the Nolan contract. This was an entirely different
situation. Nolan claimed he was hurt throughout the lockout from a shoulder
injury he suffered earler the previous season. The NHL negated a clause in
Nolan's contract which he signed with the Sharks before the Leaf trade that
if there were to be a work stoppage he would still be paid his full NHL
salary. This pissed Nolan off, so he evidently decided to act like his
shoulder injury was far worse then it really was and got his money anyway
after an arbitration case. The Leafs got stung pretty bad during the
lockout. Nolan, Mogilny and Belfour were paid all or a portion of their
contracts that season.

Nolan duped the system, simple as that. The Leafs who are total morons when
it comes to handling any type of hockey related monetary situations were
very easy targets.

I am seriously betting that NTC's will be targeted by the league and owners
to be axed in the next set of CBA negotiations. Especially with players
demanding 7 - 10 year contracts now.

Tunnel.
 >> Stay informed about: My McCabe Bet 

"owl" <churchsl.TakeThisOut@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:60ad315e-6e43-4b74-bac1-2d0fd54387c6@z66g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...
On Jul 6, 1:13 pm, "GS" <goldstand....TakeThisOut@gmail.com> wrote:

> I don't doubt McCabe's business savvy for one second. When the Leafs
> idiotically let it be known to the world that they want to end the McCabe
> era, the game of poker started.

They look bad on that score. McCabe was the one guy in the Frozen
Five that said he'd take the weekend to think about it instead of
nyetting it immediately.

> Leafs say they don't want him and start the public bashing. McCabe through
> his agent says he is more than happy staying, but golly, would accept a
> buyout.

There's no acceptance involved. They have that right. His agent said
that's the route.

> Healy and the NHLPA weigh in on Bryan's side and give him a few
> more chips at the table. What we have here is the Leafs, as you correctly
> pointed out, holding none of the cards, and as is the MO for the org under
> Peddie, the Leafs look like a bunch of used car salesmen.

That's an insult to used car salesmen everywhere ...

> I guarantee you
> that none of this would be happening under Dryden. Healy's rant on the
> topic is dead-on as far as the optics go to the rest of the players in the
> league on this one.

Healy's rant? Where's that. Is this it?
http://www.rotowire.com/roto_to_gnews.htm?ID=132019&sport=nhl
"They do not have the right to destroy Bryan McCabe's career," said
Healy.

> However, with all that said, I just don't see how the org can back-down
> now
> that they've ratcheted up the BS and dirt so high. I truly think Bryan has
> played his last game as a Leaf.

Sure agree there. They've made it impossible for him to play.
Mission accomplished. Casualty of fiendly fire.

> I never liked his contract, and hell when I
> make it back east I'm one of the guys yelling at him from the cheap seats
> (what happened to the hitting, the mean streak Bryan?), but my takeaway
> isn't "I hope he's gone" or anything personal.

The 'mean streak' was coached out of his game by PMaurice. That's
another factor that doesn't look good. 'Stop the in-yer-face that
caused 'can-opener' penalties; stop the board crunching cause you're
out of position; play the left side cause Woz/White/Stralman can't; my
gawd where has your Norris game gone ... huh?

> Look at the reception he got on a game by game basis last season at the
> ACC... now multiply that by 100%. McCabe made no fans in TO with his
> comments during the lockout, and rightly or wrongly is regarded as a
> hugely
> overpaid bum among the vast majority of Leafdom.

Agreed. And that goes back to ownership fanning those sentiments. If
they'd treated Blake to the same criticism, he'd be gone, wouldn't he?

> He'll be crucified in the
> press daily, and every mistake (and lord knows he makes em) is going to be
> maginified and examined.

We already agreed he's played his last game in TO. He'll go to
another team, go back to being Bryan McCabe on the Right Side, and
everyone will wave a fist at him saying "Why couldn't you play that
way for the Leafs!?"

> In short, it would make the Larry Murphy days look
> tame. THIS is why I think he has no choice. Why stick through that? Why
> not go down the highway, play for a better team/org, and when he does come
> in here and get booed, why not do it manning the PP point for the Sens and
> try to stick it to both the Leafs org and the fans? He still gets paid,
> and
> he actually comes out of this whole debacle as the good guy.

So, he's going to waive it because ... of the public pressure? The
public pressure the Org fueled? The public pressure that came his way
instead of Blake or Kubina with supporting statements from the Org?

But if you think Bryan is going to say the headache is not worth it,
and stick with his dollar-deal contract in the market with another
team he didn't give the deal to ... can't see it here.

Okay, one more time. He's going to get paid no matter what. The Org,
as you stated, has put themselves in a very very exposed position. If
the PA is making statements, I'll throw in a sidebet that Bettman's on
the phone. He's already whacked the Leafs for grandfathering clauses,
Owen Nolan, and Mark Bell. If you think he's going to rock the
already-leaking boat to help them force Bryan into a trade, I guess
that's a guess ...

> McCabe and the Leafs will part ways in September AFTER they pay him his 2
> million dollar bonus.

So why did he leave $14mil on the table?

> They'll send him to the Sens with a pick (hey Fletch
> loves trading those) for a roster player (Foligno?) and a lower pick.
> Leafs
> can sell it as 'getting younger', Sens fill a HUGE hole on the backend,
> improve draft position, save 2 million, and the whole Battle of ONtario
> gets
> a new chapter to sell more seats with (in Bytown).

Try it all you want. McCabe is going to get his money and his
freedom. The only leverage the Leafs might have is the money not
counting against the cap ... but I can think of 28 or 29 competing
franchises that might say "No, they at least have to absorb the cap-
rated buyout portion". And Bettman is going side with the PS and
McCabe. I don't think he has a choice, and the track record suggests
to me he could get serious tough with this total public mess.

McCabe made his position clear from the get-go. Same as Sundin last
winter. The Org doesn't listen. The guys at the top aren't hockey
men. Flinch is a errand-boy who's too old to be GM, and will be until
further notice.

What really needs to be done is someone should go to Park Lawn
Cemetary and make sure that it's really Dirty Harry down there.
Because the franchise is looking more Ballardian by the day.

_____________________________________________________

If I could add to some of the decent debate on this topic....

This argument about McCabe's dignity, and all that bullroar... If anyone
honestly thinks that McCabe is losing dignity for being unwanted, well,
think again. It's the suits that don't want him there. I dare anyone to
find a negative quote by any one of his teammates. When he gets into that
room, he's becoming more a martyr than The Problem.
 >> Stay informed about: My McCabe Bet 

"GS" <goldstandard RemoveThis @gmail.com> wrote in message
news:HiWbk.605$cn7.521@flpi145.ffdc.sbc.com...
> After reading Ron Wilson's comments on McCabe not fitting in with the
> team, I am convinced that it's going to happen before training camp. When
> he does waive the no-trade, he will be an Ottawa Senator. They are
> desperate for d-men, they have the cap room, and there is little left on
> the market. They also desperately need someone on the backend to run the
> other PP point (Alfie manning the other one of course). Murray SHOULD be
> worried about his team slip-slip-sliding into oblivion and I think he'll
> have to make a splash. If not for the no-trade/move/frowny faces
> contract, I could see this having already happened.

I don't know about the Senators, but the Avalanche sure could use another
Leafs castoff. I'm not sure how reasonable the Leafs are willing to be in a
trade, but I wouldn't doubt one of the Avs prospect or developing forwards
would be enticing.
 >> Stay informed about: My McCabe Bet