[News] Oilers fire Chiarelli. Nicholson: "There is something in the water here in Edmonton."

[Split98]

I love how they took a survey to find out what fans think they should do better

What tier fans got to chime in?

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Split98

I love how they took a survey to find out what fans think they should do better

What tier fans got to chime in?

The blood, sweatpant and tiers fans

[nik-]

Originally Posted by Ruttiger

What would you like to hear? What is there to say that hasn't already been said? I had brief hopes when they hired Chiarelli and McLellan that they had finally figured it out, but we all know how that ended

I've been saying it for as long as I've been a member of this board - this franchise goes nowhere until they take away Lowe's keys to the building. Lump MacTavish and Howson in there too. As long as they have a voice - regardless how big or small - nothing is changing with this sad sack of a franchise.

Damn Ruttiger, you know all the right words to say to get a guy excited.

[Street Pharmacist]

What's been lost in the freaking out in Oiler country, is that this is the 4th best season to this point in the last 13 years.


I mean... things look bleak, but this is the 4th best season in the last 13 years which is enough that it's most of the average fan's memory of the team.

This is their 4th bets season in memory and they fired their coach

[Locke]

Originally Posted by getbak

You know it will be one of them...




If it was Chong, at least we'd know the answer to "What was he smoking?" when he made a ridiculous trade.

I'd pay good money to watch a team managed by Jay Onrait.

Either him or get Gritty.

If you're going to be a clownshow at least have the goddamned common decency not to half-ass it.

[tvp2003]

*** BREAKING NEWS ***

They've done it! After an exhausting 48 hours of research and testing, scientists in northern Alberta have determined what exactly is "in the water" in Edmonton:



This new element is a complex and unique alloy that is only found in the Greater Edmonton Area. When trace properties are mixed with water, it creates a yellowish, almost urine like substance. Dr. David McConnor, a senior researcher at the University of Alberta, downplayed the discovery noting that the new element had little commercial value and that exposure could lead to delusions, fatigue, and bowel irritation.

[Ruttiger]

Originally Posted by Coach

I guess I’m curious when you guys legitimately decided it was going off the rails. There seemed to be a lot of hope among you for a couple years, when did it turn to dread?

Also curious on your thoughts going forward. They are in a pretty tight spot without a lot of movable assets and the ones that are most people would probably rather keep as they are still good young players. What do you think can/should be done?

I think you cling to hope with your team for as long as possible. I've been a fan since the day they entered the league in '79. I can't pinpoint the moment that reality overtook hope. Somewhere in the MacT/Eakins years I suspect. There was a brief glimmer of hope two years ago and then you hope maybe last year was a blip after getting too comfortable from the season before. I won't fully believe they've turned the corner in their thinking until the 3 aforementioned guys are expunged, along with Wayne I suppose. These guys should be ambassadors and hand-shakers - nothing more. Even that is stretching it - they should be punted and invisible for a few years.

As for going forward - establishing their own version of Robidas Island might be a good start. Eat the cash it takes to bury guys in the minors to get as much bad money off the books as quickly as possible. Katz has the resources but does he have the will? I suppose Yzerman would be my dream candidate for GM but knowing he won't be coming, it has to be someone with a mix of practical experience and forward thinking. I'm not sure you want a rookie GM in this job at this time. There's too much riding on it.

[cKy]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

*** BREAKING NEWS ***

They've done it! After an exhausting 48 hours of research and testing, scientists in northern Alberta have determined what exactly is "in the water" in Edmonton:



This new element is a complex and unique alloy that is only found in the Greater Edmonton Area. When trace properties are mixed with water, it creates a yellowish, almost urine like substance. Dr. David McConnor, a senior researcher at the University of Alberta, downplayed the discovery noting that the new element had little commercial value and that exposure could lead to delusions, fatigue, and bowel irritation.

This sounds like how a villian for Spider-Man was created.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Ruttiger

I think you cling to hope with your team for as long as possible. I've been a fan since the day they entered the league in '79. I can't pinpoint the moment that reality overtook hope. Somewhere in the MacT/Eakins years I suspect. There was a brief glimmer of hope two years ago and then you hope maybe last year was a blip after getting too comfortable from the season before. I won't fully believe they've turned the corner in their thinking until the 3 aforementioned guys are expunged, along with Wayne I suppose. These guys should be ambassadors and hand-shakers - nothing more. Even that is stretching it - they should be punted and invisible for a few years.

As for going forward - establishing their own version of Robidas Island might be a good start. Eat the cash it takes to bury guys in the minors to get as much bad money of the books as quickly as possible. Katz has the resources but does he have the will? I suppose Yzerman would be my dream candidate for GM but knowing he won't be coming, it has to be someone with a mix of practical experience and forward thinking. I'm not sure you want a rookie GM in this job at this time. There's too much riding on it.

Ruttiger, are you still drinking the water?

[Ruttiger]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Ruttiger, are you still drinking the water?

Whatever it takes to flush the failure out...

[dash_pinched]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

*** BREAKING NEWS ***

They've done it! After an exhausting 48 hours of research and testing, scientists in northern Alberta have determined what exactly is "in the water" in Edmonton:

Ng is perfect and I assume it would be in the same column of the periodic chart as neon and argon (other inert or Noble gases).

[VladtheImpaler]

This is "low-hanging fruit" kind of stuff, but you listen/watch Nicholson talk, and you can just tell he is an idiot. Ditto for Lowe, MacT, etc. These guys get jobs because they are buddies with whoever (I guess the first idiot of the bunch to get a job, so Lowe in this case), and then people (well, not us, but Edmonton people) are surprised by the incompetence... All (or almost all) of these dimwits hung around at Hockey Canada, but it's tough to f*** up there, given the huge advantage you have, so even if you screw up a couple choices, you always have Gretzky/Lemieux/Crosby/Bourque/Doughty to paper over the cracks.

[Erick Estrada]

There's not a lot of evidence Nicholson would translate to the NHL but I'm surprised how poor of a speaker he is. Not sure if he had issues getting the right words out but some of the stuff he said was dumb like the water comment, throwing Talbot under the bus, the comments that they are fine losing games 3-2 as long as they put forth a strong effort. Not quite as bad as some of the MacT and Lowe pressers but definitely no good.

[chummer]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

There's not a lot of evidence Nicholson would translate to the NHL but I'm surprised how poor of a speaker he is. Not sure if he had issues getting the right words out but some of the stuff he said was dumb like the water comment, throwing Talbot under the bus, the comments that they are fine losing games 3-2 as long as they put forth a strong effort. Not quite as bad as some of the MacT and Lowe pressers but definitely no good.

Yeah he should have stuck with hockey Canada, the NHL is a different beast and he's in over his head. Those "something in the water comments" will be his legacy just like Lowe's ridiculous 2 tier fans comment.

Looks like nothing is changing in the Chuck, it's all good if you're a Flames fan.

[Toonage]

Its just another example of how poorly run that organization is.

Why not have a prepared statement? With the amount of pressers they hold you'd think they'd have the hang of this.

"Well, we canned the GM, and allowed him to make a string of bad trades. Need to explain ourselves. Let's wing it."

[Geeoff]

I wonder why no one ever tries the Team Switzerland or Team Latvia guys in the NHL? Building those teams is a much more difficult job than Team Canada and they are always a tough out.

Seems like they would have more skills transferrable to the NHL, assuming they speak English

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Toonage

Its just another example of how poorly run that organization is.

Why not have a prepared statement? With the amount of pressers they hold you'd think they'd have the hang of this.

"Well, we canned the GM, and allowed him to make a string of bad trades. Need to explain ourselves. Let's wing it."

No kidding. And considering that most of these guys have nothing else to do and that the media are under threat to do nothing but lob them softballs that their press releases would at least be standard and professional.

How they cant even get through without it being a complete fiasco takes actual talent.

[Cowboy89]

At what point does the stench and longevity of ineptitude start to fade the pride and memories of the 80s dynasty teams for their own fans? We're at the point where a good portion of even adult Oilers fans only have witnessed failure in the highest order and minimal success, playoff or regular season.

For example in my 30+ years on this Earth I've only known Leafs fans to view their team as hard luck lovable losers (Down Goes Brown style self-depreciation), despite having the second most Stanley Cups of any franchise. "13 cups" is never a comeback said by any Leafs fan in any chirping contest with opposing fans, because it's been forever since they last won and they have generally been a garbage team since (Sound familiar?). Therefore why is Edmonton's '5 cups' all they talk about, even the young ones?

I think the organization gets its tone somewhat from its fans. Quite frankly as long as watching 'Boys on the Bus' highlights from the 80s is still good enough and still provides a sense of pride in the logo among their fans, then they will continue drinking the kool-aid served to them from their 80s heroes with a side of pre-game ceremony or banner raise tribute to the days gone by.

[dirk diggler]

with all the management the Oilers have, Lowe, MacT, Howson, Bill Scott etc. what can they possibly do on a day to day basis? I'm guessing a lot of them are working on the "Penske file" or planning slumber parties at Katz's house?

[activeStick]

Originally Posted by transplant99

https://www.tsn.ca/nicholson-koskine...tion-1.1246091

That's it? I definitely expected much worse after reading here how he embarrassed Talbot. I don't see any of that from that quote.