Ron Wilson Is A Bad Man
"Put your mike on so you can play this tomorrow."
There will likely be a lot of ink spilled about Ron Wilson's epic punk-out of Working Class Howard tonight, but this is the money quote. It shows that his was no garden variety 'coach blowing a headpipe' moment. Unlike those linked examples, at no point does Wilson lose control. His goading of Berger goes beyond mere heat of the moment banter, and devastatingly KOs Berger by noting that as embarrassed as Berger should be by the exchange, WCH will nonetheless spin this into interminable radio spots and columns in the days to come. He has to.Such is the central fact of a career built more on sensationalism and invective than reporting and insight. Wilson displays a trained eye for identifying an opponent's weakness and exploitng it for public humiliation. Basically, he told Howard to go home and get his fucking shine box.
The whole segment is a fascinating insight into a man who, by the evidence of this season, is proud, shrewd, and not a little cruel. It's certainly been easy to enjoy Wilson verbally clunking the mittenstringers heads together like Moe. The two questions included in this brief excerpt ("So, did you get annoyed at all those penalties?" and "Did you notice there were a lot of empty seats tonight?") are depressingly typical of the standard level of discourse at these things, so lord knows it's pretty fun to see Ronnie kick out the jams.
However, you wonder if in the long term the Leafs wouldn't be better served by a coach who simply didn't give a fuck about this type of nonsense. Wilson's willingness to engage with the standard operating trolling of WCH and Co could easily be something that hangs him down the road, when his status as head coach isn't as assured. But those are concerns for a later date. In the meantime, this is a lot more interesting than watching Paul Maurice play pattycake, isn't it?
There will likely be a lot of ink spilled about Ron Wilson's epic punk-out of Working Class Howard tonight, but this is the money quote. It shows that his was no garden variety 'coach blowing a headpipe' moment. Unlike those linked examples, at no point does Wilson lose control. His goading of Berger goes beyond mere heat of the moment banter, and devastatingly KOs Berger by noting that as embarrassed as Berger should be by the exchange, WCH will nonetheless spin this into interminable radio spots and columns in the days to come. He has to.Such is the central fact of a career built more on sensationalism and invective than reporting and insight. Wilson displays a trained eye for identifying an opponent's weakness and exploitng it for public humiliation. Basically, he told Howard to go home and get his fucking shine box.
The whole segment is a fascinating insight into a man who, by the evidence of this season, is proud, shrewd, and not a little cruel. It's certainly been easy to enjoy Wilson verbally clunking the mittenstringers heads together like Moe. The two questions included in this brief excerpt ("So, did you get annoyed at all those penalties?" and "Did you notice there were a lot of empty seats tonight?") are depressingly typical of the standard level of discourse at these things, so lord knows it's pretty fun to see Ronnie kick out the jams.
However, you wonder if in the long term the Leafs wouldn't be better served by a coach who simply didn't give a fuck about this type of nonsense. Wilson's willingness to engage with the standard operating trolling of WCH and Co could easily be something that hangs him down the road, when his status as head coach isn't as assured. But those are concerns for a later date. In the meantime, this is a lot more interesting than watching Paul Maurice play pattycake, isn't it?
"You get annoyed. Just like I'm annoyed with you."
OWNED.
That was beautiful. And a long time coming.
Maurice who?
That was beautiful to watch. Wilson is like a trained media assassin, Howie didn’t stand a chance.
I have no concerns that his willingness to engage the media like that will eventually become his undoing. Once this rebuilding ‘grace’ period is over, he will be judged primarily by the team’s success. I can’t see him ever letting any sort of media ‘feud’ affect the on-ice product.
I don't believe that Ronnie is the long term solution for coach with the Leafs, and that once the team turns the corner and has learned defensive responsibility, and he has shaped our young players, he'll probably be done here and move along.
But in a painful year where the Leafs are bad, but not quite bad enough, we didn't have enough assets to sell off to really get anything in return, if all we get in this hard time is some more accountability for the so-called sports journalists in this town, I'll be ever so thankful. For all the ink the leafs get, there is ever so little that is worth reading. There've been outcries from us fans for so long without results, I'm just hopeful someone will perk up at Wilson's taunts of Berger and realize that we need some real columnists!
The best line was: "Put your mike on so you can play this tomorrow." It states two things. first its meant as in insult as in do your job right and make sure your smart enough to record this and second, play it back as to see exactly what you are saying and see why you suck.
I think his battles with the media is part of the change they want to bring to the organization. It has to be part of their mandate to have a respectable organization and all that is tied to it including the media covering it. I wonder if they will block or restrict writers that are crap from pressers. I know I would.
The danger I do see with restricting access to media members, even if they're douchebags or morons (or Berger), is the assertion that criticism equates into poor journalism. While Toronto sports journalism is notorious for its pessimism, illicit negativity, and extreme arrogance, I don't think it gives the right for MLSE or any corporation to control media and give them that sort of responsibility to pick and choose media members they like or can muzzle. I don't think that's what people are insinuating per se, and rather it's a request for better accountability in journalism (we can boil this down to better reporting period), but barring members of the media outright doesn't automatically lead to more responsible journalism. I do think added benefits, such as exclusives with members of the Leafs for example, for fair and objective media members can be one solution.
Well Manny, media figures do that all the time - it's called playing favourites. I certainly don't want to see MLSE in charge of the coverage either.
The sad fact of the matter is, the media is increasingly just irrelevant. Aside from these rare outbursts, quotes are boring 99% of the time. If I want analysis, I'll go to blogs. There are areas where the decline of traditional print journalism leaves a big hole - the investigative reporting of a Seymour Hersh, which requires contacts built over decades and a lot of money, is a notable example. But sportswriting? I don't see it.
I had way too much time on my hands the past three days and I ended up reading the Globe, Star, Ottawa Citizen and Kingston Whig Standard.
Four papers a day for three days yielded one good column and one intersting news piece. Over the same period, the Barilkosphere has put up three or four must read pieces, Mirtle continues to put up the goods and Twitter keeps me informed, up to the minute, on the things that really interest me and the Leafs daily email gives me unfiltered comments from the pre and post-game as well as all the box score details.
Berger and Wilson can skirmish all they want (and I do hope there's more) but the big battle is pretty much over: when it comes to gathering and disseminating day to day information, the media have lost.
Any word from WCH on how he chose to spin this? Was it the fault of the fans that he continues to ask questions that have 1967 as the apex for why this franchise has been in a holding patter of futility for over 40 years?
It'll be interesting to see what?how WCH responds to publicly eviscerated by a person that in large degrees fuels his living. Will WCH retreat to his lair, waiting for the correct opportunity to pounce? Will he amplify his invective, beginning a one-man crusade, that is if he isn't already on one, against the Leafs?
Fascinating times - I applaud Wilson for tearing WCH a new one.
@Rill
Clearly you missed WCH embarking on a media tour that made the broad that had the 8 kids look like a recluse. I heard he even went on the air in Vancouver for chrissakes... guess he wanted Wellfed to know the bullet of accountability he dodged.
I'm in agreement with Karina. I don't believe Ronnie will be around when and if the Leafs eventually pull the U-turn and start becoming a top team. But for now, I think he's the perfect coach.
He won't take anyone's shit, whether they're a player or otherwise, and he's clearly making semi-chicken soup out of chicken shit with the team he's got. Tampa Bay and Ottawa, being behind the Leafs with more talent, emphasize this claim.
I love that he is willing to call out morons like Berger - guys that base their living solely on try to piss people off and recording a sound bite of it.
Maybe Ron shouldn't be lowering himself to their level, but I sure as shit respect him for taking these kinds of idiots head on and making their job a little harder. We know that Howard and Co. have seen to it that it's been the other way around for god knows how many years.