Quote:
Originally Posted by Hackey
High picks are not a guarantee. Wow. I don't even understand how that is somehow an argument for some of you. Obviously high picks bust. Picks 1-210 bust. What we do know is that high picks bust far less than later picks.
As for team culture let's look at our own Flames for a perfect example of how fast that can be changed. As soon as we traded a couple vets, brought in Hartley and a new organizational philosophy we saw a dramatic change in team culture. Elite talent is far more difficult to change than team culture.
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The problem is the integrity of the practice. Look at Renny's comments about Edmonton and how he was basically fired for coaching with a conscience. This is a competition. Everyone is in competition to be the best. And if you're bad and end up with a good player or two because of it, fine, but it should not be the strategy for fixing your team. It might look enticing from a management/business perspective. But their are major issues:
- Where/when do you stop? The thread title is a perfect example. The goalies are hurting our chances? Maybe we don't need a chance at McDavid, maybe we have turned it around with Monahan and Bennett and Gaudreau and Brodie. At a certain point, winning has to become good again. No one will ever know when that is. EDM is the prime example (and we use them because they were really the first to, as publically as possible without being reprimanded, claim that this was the way to do things. But where does it stop? They are caught continually trying to reboot with new young players because they think they will save them, completely skipping any type of development process.
- The idea of "tanking" involves including the people who are actually on the ice/bench. These are the people that have competitiveness flowing in their viens, thats how they got to where they are. And when you ask someone like that not to as well as possible it can create some big problems, namely: (A)Complacency, especially among young players who end up earning something for nothing. It's really hard to weed out complacency and, as Flames fans know, can really only change by booting the complacent characters. But of those complacent characters are the ones you are relying on to turn it around, you have a problem. (B) You alienate the people who are actually competitive, ala Renny. People who have too much integrity to purposefully do any less than their best. Now, when Renny tells all his (good) coaching buddies about the way things are being run in an organization like that, you won't draw quality people to come work with you. No matter how much you try to show them that you aren't tanking anymore. The reputation is immediately ruined.