The Assassination of JFJ

What's going on with John Ferguson Jr. these days in Toronto is disgusting.

Distasteful. Embarrassing.

Oh yeah, it's because hockey means more in Toronto. C'mon folks - yeah, you, Ken Campbell, you too, Mr. Strachan - get over yourselves.

Everyone sitting around analyzing every loss. The countdown to his possible dismissal. The team President saying publicly he may have made a mistake hiring a first-year GM - because it's TORONTO! A current GM gathering the press around to tell them he wasn't interested in the Leafs job. I'm sorry: had the Leafs asked?

Reports of THIS game being a must-win or he'll be fired (oh no, what happens if the Leafs fight hard to tie it late in the third and only lose in a shootout? uh, we'll have to get back to you on that one).

In a departure, I'm not just going to blame the media. Everyone, and I mean everyone, has blood on their hands for this one.

It was just five years ago that John Ferguson Jr. was a highly-respected hockey executive with the St. Louis Blues. He was considered one of the brightest minds in the game and has always been one of the kindest people. Soft spot full disclosure: a lot of people don't know he spent part of his childhood on Long Island when his dad worked for the Rangers.

Now he's 40 and is regularly disrespected, thrown under the bus and over-analyzed to death. I don't know how Ferguson deals with taking it from people with only a fraction of his knowledge, work ethic and dedication.

How he's managing to put on the suit and tie and show up for work every morning determined to get it right for the Leafs and their fans, I have no idea.

Only one thing is for sure. John Ferguson is a better man than all of them.