Patience Builds Winners
Random thoughts while wondering what ever happened to Bob Locker:
Here's a great story. In 1998, I was fortunate enough to be in Nashville when the Predators came into existence. The national media made a lot of jokes about "hockey in the honkeytonk", but if you were there, you knew these guys would be successful.
The owner, Craig Leipold is a stand-up guy who wanders the concourse between periods talking to the fans (Bill Wirtz or Jerry Reinsdorf would need a flak jacket.) Gerry Helper, VP of communications was an old hand from Buffalo and the NHL office. The team's broadcasters, Pete Weber and Terry Crisp spend countless pre-games hosting seminars for fans on the nuances of hockey (called Predators University) and were always accessible to any media outlet or any fan that wanted to talk hockey.
On the hockey side of the operation, Craig Leipold hired David Poile as his GM. Poile built the Washington Capitals into a winner, they just didn't fully mature until after he was fired. Poile believed in slow growth, good drafts, building from within and then getting a few free agents to top things off.
As his coach, Poile hired an unknown (outside of executive hockey circles) minor league head coach named Barry Trotz who had coached at Washington's top farm club at Maine in the AHL. Hockey people scratched their heads, especially with the availability of some sexier names at the time (I was pushing Ted Nolan.)
The Predators began their first season with a bunch of no names, cast-offs and kids and were okay for an expansion team, but nowhere near the playoffs. Poile had a five year plan and he certainly wasn't going to rush it just to suit popular opinion.
In the Predators fifth season, the Preds guaranteed that they would make the playoffs or refund money to their season ticket holders. The team fell just short and the fans got their money back. David Poile was still the GM, Barry Trotz was still the head coach. In season six they made it, going down four games to two to perennial power Detroit. Last season, after a year layoff, the Preds were second in their division and in the playoffs again. This year, in their eighth season, they are ranked among the top teams in the league.
Every year, the Preds have gotten a little better and inched closer to being a dominant team because they had a plan going in and they knew it would take time. David Poile knew he had a five to seven year window. He has on the bench the same man that started out nine years ago. The two of them, working in concert, have developed a winning culture after wandering in the desert for a few years.
There's no telling where Barry Trotz would be if David Poile had bolted for some other hockey locale. Another GM probably wouldn't have waited the six years that it took the Preds to get to the playoffs and made a rash move that disrupted the progress they were making. More often then not, change for change sake is not always the best course of action. Ask Hawk Harrelson about 1986 some time.
If you are planning on building something (a house, a business) know that it takes time and that long term success and stability is not like popcorn in a microwave. If you are think because you are smart and you have been successful at other ventures in the past you can just will success, guess again. Good things that last take time. Building a foundation for the future takes time. Developing a winning culture takes time.
Craig Leipold gave David Poile the time he needed to build a winner and allowed him to keep the coach who had been there from the beginning. And now the three of them are basking in the glow of a job done right.
Lovable Underdogs Dept.: Guess what kids, it's starting.
Da Coach Needs to get Off Da Fence Dept.: As mentioned yesterday, it's time for Mike Ditka to pick a side. New Orleans loves him about as much as they love Mike Brown anyway, so picking a side shouldn't be a big issue.
Still the Champ Dept.: A happy, if not bittersweet day in sports.
Trading Places, Dept.: Ah, sweet nepotism. By the way, does anyone remember his tenure as Dave Wannstedt's offensive coordinator? Danger, danger Will Robinson.
Avoiding Confrontation Dept.: Mommy, Scott's being mean to me and I don't want to play with him anymore.
David E. Kelly Future File Dept.: This is why the courts are clogged up. Because of senseless lawsuits. I can just hear Alan Shore now.
Ho No Dept.: The hookers in Oakland are chomping at the bit.
Tools of Ignorance Dept.: These guys really know squat!
He Gone Dept.: So long, B.P. Thanks for the laughs. And the insight. And the humility.
Politically Incorrect Dept.: Haven't we evolved enough as a society to not have to mention every time someone who is a minority does something? Outside of Jackie Robinson, who was a pioneer, is it really necessary to raise the question of color? If so, why don't we say Vince Lombardi the first white coach to win a Super Bowl? I look at Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith as football coaches, period. For the love of monkeys, leave this angle be. It's old, it's tired, and it's antiquated.
Rank Has it's Privledge Dept.: It's good to be Tom Brady.
Poor Loser Dept.: Don't buy any Spanish whine. It's made with sour grapes.
Coming Soon Dept.: Saddam, meet your new roommate, Fidel. And, no, you can't adjust the heat.
Village Idiot Dept.: Ohio congressman and make believe Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich wants to bring back the fairness doctrine for broadcasters. The fairness doctrine, in layman's terms, means that if I take a verbal shot at you on somebody's radio or TV show, you get to come on the same radio station (for free) and take a verbal shot at me because we have opposing viewpoints. It is an old, outmoded piece of legislation that was enacted in the 1930's when there was no mass media (TV, Internet, Fair and Balanced TV Networks, etc.) just radio.
A growing number of liberal lawmakers are concerned that their message is getting muted by the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage and others who are continually pounding the left. With the abysmal failure of Air America, it is obvious the liberals think that the best way to get the word out is to legislate it.
The fact is, the fairness doctrine provides only for politicians and authorized political spokespeople to prevent an opposing view if they are attacked. The last time I looked, Rush Limbaugh wasn't on the GOP payroll. Therefore, even if you brought it back, it still doesn't apply to Rush unless you wrote it so it did. If that happens, the role of political commentator would also apply all talk show hosts who would then have to do disclaimers before, during and after every show (the thoughts and comments of Chip Ramsey are not necessarily those of WCJR, it's advertisers and TPI Broadcasting. WCJR will offer air time to qualified individuals having opposing views.)
What it will apply to is the thousands of unsuspecting radio stations which will be monitored by political interns looking for a legitimate (or illegitimate) way to get on the air for free and spread their message claiming that their opponent "got it wrong." At the national level, you cover all the affiliates in one fell swoop, but at the local level, oh my goodness. Mike McGee would be chomping at the bit to go on WISN to refute Mark Belling. And they would have to let him. This provides neither fairness nor balance but simply a nightmare for producers, hosts and program directors. It is of little or no value to an American electorate that out of one side of their mouth wants to get out of Iraq and out of the other side wants "family values" and supports a "draft Oprah" movement.
The liberal groundswell led by Kucinich and echoed by liberal FCC commissioner Michael Copps is a ploy to quiet what they perceive to be conservative dominated airwaves.
If people are dumb enough not to do their own research and just follow Rush like sheep, they'll reap what they sow. Let's just hope they don't elect someone who starts a questionable military action and then can't figure out how to withdraw. Oops, too late.
Here's a great story. In 1998, I was fortunate enough to be in Nashville when the Predators came into existence. The national media made a lot of jokes about "hockey in the honkeytonk", but if you were there, you knew these guys would be successful.
The owner, Craig Leipold is a stand-up guy who wanders the concourse between periods talking to the fans (Bill Wirtz or Jerry Reinsdorf would need a flak jacket.) Gerry Helper, VP of communications was an old hand from Buffalo and the NHL office. The team's broadcasters, Pete Weber and Terry Crisp spend countless pre-games hosting seminars for fans on the nuances of hockey (called Predators University) and were always accessible to any media outlet or any fan that wanted to talk hockey.
On the hockey side of the operation, Craig Leipold hired David Poile as his GM. Poile built the Washington Capitals into a winner, they just didn't fully mature until after he was fired. Poile believed in slow growth, good drafts, building from within and then getting a few free agents to top things off.
As his coach, Poile hired an unknown (outside of executive hockey circles) minor league head coach named Barry Trotz who had coached at Washington's top farm club at Maine in the AHL. Hockey people scratched their heads, especially with the availability of some sexier names at the time (I was pushing Ted Nolan.)
The Predators began their first season with a bunch of no names, cast-offs and kids and were okay for an expansion team, but nowhere near the playoffs. Poile had a five year plan and he certainly wasn't going to rush it just to suit popular opinion.
In the Predators fifth season, the Preds guaranteed that they would make the playoffs or refund money to their season ticket holders. The team fell just short and the fans got their money back. David Poile was still the GM, Barry Trotz was still the head coach. In season six they made it, going down four games to two to perennial power Detroit. Last season, after a year layoff, the Preds were second in their division and in the playoffs again. This year, in their eighth season, they are ranked among the top teams in the league.
Every year, the Preds have gotten a little better and inched closer to being a dominant team because they had a plan going in and they knew it would take time. David Poile knew he had a five to seven year window. He has on the bench the same man that started out nine years ago. The two of them, working in concert, have developed a winning culture after wandering in the desert for a few years.
There's no telling where Barry Trotz would be if David Poile had bolted for some other hockey locale. Another GM probably wouldn't have waited the six years that it took the Preds to get to the playoffs and made a rash move that disrupted the progress they were making. More often then not, change for change sake is not always the best course of action. Ask Hawk Harrelson about 1986 some time.
If you are planning on building something (a house, a business) know that it takes time and that long term success and stability is not like popcorn in a microwave. If you are think because you are smart and you have been successful at other ventures in the past you can just will success, guess again. Good things that last take time. Building a foundation for the future takes time. Developing a winning culture takes time.
Craig Leipold gave David Poile the time he needed to build a winner and allowed him to keep the coach who had been there from the beginning. And now the three of them are basking in the glow of a job done right.
Lovable Underdogs Dept.: Guess what kids, it's starting.
Da Coach Needs to get Off Da Fence Dept.: As mentioned yesterday, it's time for Mike Ditka to pick a side. New Orleans loves him about as much as they love Mike Brown anyway, so picking a side shouldn't be a big issue.
Still the Champ Dept.: A happy, if not bittersweet day in sports.
Trading Places, Dept.: Ah, sweet nepotism. By the way, does anyone remember his tenure as Dave Wannstedt's offensive coordinator? Danger, danger Will Robinson.
Avoiding Confrontation Dept.: Mommy, Scott's being mean to me and I don't want to play with him anymore.
David E. Kelly Future File Dept.: This is why the courts are clogged up. Because of senseless lawsuits. I can just hear Alan Shore now.
Ho No Dept.: The hookers in Oakland are chomping at the bit.
Tools of Ignorance Dept.: These guys really know squat!
He Gone Dept.: So long, B.P. Thanks for the laughs. And the insight. And the humility.
Politically Incorrect Dept.: Haven't we evolved enough as a society to not have to mention every time someone who is a minority does something? Outside of Jackie Robinson, who was a pioneer, is it really necessary to raise the question of color? If so, why don't we say Vince Lombardi the first white coach to win a Super Bowl? I look at Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith as football coaches, period. For the love of monkeys, leave this angle be. It's old, it's tired, and it's antiquated.
Rank Has it's Privledge Dept.: It's good to be Tom Brady.
Poor Loser Dept.: Don't buy any Spanish whine. It's made with sour grapes.
Coming Soon Dept.: Saddam, meet your new roommate, Fidel. And, no, you can't adjust the heat.
Village Idiot Dept.: Ohio congressman and make believe Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich wants to bring back the fairness doctrine for broadcasters. The fairness doctrine, in layman's terms, means that if I take a verbal shot at you on somebody's radio or TV show, you get to come on the same radio station (for free) and take a verbal shot at me because we have opposing viewpoints. It is an old, outmoded piece of legislation that was enacted in the 1930's when there was no mass media (TV, Internet, Fair and Balanced TV Networks, etc.) just radio.
A growing number of liberal lawmakers are concerned that their message is getting muted by the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage and others who are continually pounding the left. With the abysmal failure of Air America, it is obvious the liberals think that the best way to get the word out is to legislate it.
The fact is, the fairness doctrine provides only for politicians and authorized political spokespeople to prevent an opposing view if they are attacked. The last time I looked, Rush Limbaugh wasn't on the GOP payroll. Therefore, even if you brought it back, it still doesn't apply to Rush unless you wrote it so it did. If that happens, the role of political commentator would also apply all talk show hosts who would then have to do disclaimers before, during and after every show (the thoughts and comments of Chip Ramsey are not necessarily those of WCJR, it's advertisers and TPI Broadcasting. WCJR will offer air time to qualified individuals having opposing views.)
What it will apply to is the thousands of unsuspecting radio stations which will be monitored by political interns looking for a legitimate (or illegitimate) way to get on the air for free and spread their message claiming that their opponent "got it wrong." At the national level, you cover all the affiliates in one fell swoop, but at the local level, oh my goodness. Mike McGee would be chomping at the bit to go on WISN to refute Mark Belling. And they would have to let him. This provides neither fairness nor balance but simply a nightmare for producers, hosts and program directors. It is of little or no value to an American electorate that out of one side of their mouth wants to get out of Iraq and out of the other side wants "family values" and supports a "draft Oprah" movement.
The liberal groundswell led by Kucinich and echoed by liberal FCC commissioner Michael Copps is a ploy to quiet what they perceive to be conservative dominated airwaves.
If people are dumb enough not to do their own research and just follow Rush like sheep, they'll reap what they sow. Let's just hope they don't elect someone who starts a questionable military action and then can't figure out how to withdraw. Oops, too late.
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