Insecurity

This is what happens when you haven't won in a while. You start to over-compensate by going out of your way to talk about how a player or coach really wanted to be with your team.

The latest to expose himself was Florida GM-coach-turned-GM (when he's a much better coach), Jacques Martin. Jacques said the following to Panthers beat writer George Richards on the hiring of hotshot junior coach Peter DeBoer:

"He was wanted by several organizations and picked ours,'' Martin said, as reported in George's outstanding Panthers collection of short stories, On Frozen Blog. "He likes our people, likes our roster. I was able to come to final agreement with him around noon. It's great for our franchise. Ottawa, LA and other teams were pursuing him. This speaks highly for us.''

Actually, no. It speaks poorly of your franchise that you even had to bring it up. It is downright horrendous that you brought the Kings and Senators into the discussion, implying Craig Hartsburg (Ottawa) and TBD (LA) are second choices. It is - what's the word? - lame-ass.

When I was with the Islanders, I authored a few press releases like this, quoting Mike-Neil-Garth saying something like, "[Gritty but slowish 5th defenseman] really wanted to be here," or "[hit-or-miss college free agent forward who is really kinda tiny but so is Martin St. Louis)] had plenty of options and chose the NYI."

For the record, these claims were always true. We never fibbed or were so desperate to name-drop the other teams our new players could have signed with.

Still, the practice is pretty weak. Just because the Islanders GM told me we may have out-bid or out-charmed a player for his services doesn't mean I had to include it in the release. Consider me the guilty one. No doubt there were times when even this PR guy was feeling insecure about his team, just as Jacques Martin may be about his Cats.

If he hasn't already, the GM can expect calls from Bryan Murray and Dean Lombardi. My advice to Jacques: il suffit de présenter des excuses et aller de l'avant.

Will the Islanders go to Nik Fil-A?

First things first: Nikita Filatov is not Alexander Ovechkin. Just because Nik’s Russian, wicked-skilled and the top-ranked European in the 2008 NHL Draft, everyone needs to take a breath, give the kid a break and not make that leap.

With that out of the way, there’s still reason for hockey fans to be pumped. At a time when so many supremely skilled young forwards are entering the league, Filatov’s gifts give him the potential to one day be mentioned in the same sentence as every under-23 offensive sensation not named Crosby and Ovechkin.

No, I didn’t forget to include Evgeni Malkin.

I’ve heard enough from scouts across the league that I’ve known for years and respect greatly. To a man, here’s what they say about Filatov:

· With proper development and the expected filling out of his thin-pretzel frame, the Russian can score 35 goals by his third NHL season. And then take off from there.

· While his energy and passion are not at the Ovechkinian level – really, whose are? – the kid’s love for the game comes through in his play.

· Right now, he couldn’t check anyone in the NHL, but his desire to learn will result in Filatov becoming an adequate player in his own end.

· Off the ice, he’s a delightful kid. The NHL teams that met with Nikita and his parents were impressed and felt comfortable that the kid wants to have a long career playing hockey in North America.

Very few teams seem to have question marks about Filatov. Usually by now you could have found some rock-head NHL scout with Western League-lust who would have whispered something awful like “He’s a dog.” Like the guy who told me after the Islanders drafted Ziggy Palffy in the second round, “A little early to be drafting a Czech, don’t ya think”?

(Yes, I know Ziggy is from Slovakia. The scout was stupid and ignorant).

But I haven’t heard of anyone dogging Filatov. He is almost unanimously considered a top-8 selection. My estimate is that at least two-thirds of the league will tell you Filatov is easily the second-best forward available, behind Steven Stamkos.

So now the question is, will Nikita Filatov still be on the board when the New York Islanders draft at No. 5?

There’s a good chance. Tampa Bay will take Stamkos at No. 1. While I’m told LA likes Filatov, I have a hard time picturing GM Dean Lombardi pass on Drew Doughty at No. 2. With the left shot D Thomas Hickey and righty Doughty, the Kings could be set for a while. Everyone drools over the dmen at the top – Doughty, Alex Pietrangelo, Zack Bogosian, Luke Schenn, Tyler Myers – but deep down just about everyone sees Doughty as the surest of the sure things.

Atlanta has the third pick and knows they have yet to develop a stud defenseman since they entered the league. That ends on June 20, when Don Waddell selects the second-best defenseman. My money is on Don’s scouts recommending Bogosian.

By the way, I don’t think you’ll see any trades leading to movement between picks 2 and 5. There’s so much talent available, I’m not sure any of the GMs have the nads to give up their position.

Which leaves only St. Louis standing in the way of the Islanders having the option of taking Filatov. What I think I know about the Blues’ hockey ops staff tells me they would love to have Pietrangelo, Myers or Schenn become the Chris Pronger to Erik Johnson’s Scott Niedermayer. What we know about the Blues' goal to get back on the map makes you wonder: could they really pass on a potential breakout star in Filatov? Could they really pass on this?

For the Islanders and their fans – and most hockey observers on Friday night, June 20 – this is where the drama is.

Which, of course, leads to the final question:

If Filatov is there at No. 5, will the Islanders take him?

I wouldn’t know even if I still worked there, but consider this: DiPietro...Okposo...Filatov.

That’s a franchise building from within that could suddenly get a whole lot more exciting.

Why NHL players - at least Eastern Conference players - can't complain about the schedule

It remains true that, as a whole, hockey players are among the most accommodating in all of sports. I know full well if I should end up in another game, the boys of the NHL will likely have spoiled me.

For years, I've watched on TV as my PR colleagues at some of the other pro teams try to stop their athletes for post-game interviews and get run over, as if they weren't even there. At the Islanders the last few years, I only had that trouble with one kid - and he usually apologized or made up for it some other way.

That said, I'm not sure the gap between the otherworldly likability of NHL players - "hockey guys are by far the coolest, best guys in sports!" - and other pro athletes is as big as it once was.

For anyone in the NHL who has ever mitched and boaned about how the schedule takes away from their personal lives, let's take a look at the recent itinerary of the New York Mets, shall we?

After having the day off on Monday, May 19 - on the heels of playing games 10 straight days (all in New York, at least!) - the Mets had this schedule:

May 20 (day/night doubleheader)-21-22: in Atlanta

May 23-24-25: in Colorado

May 26-27-28: vs. Florida at Shea (note the lack of day off with the flight from Colorado to NY)

May 29-30-31: vs. Los Angeles

Sunday night, June 1: vs. Los Angeles (for ESPN)

Monday, June 2: in San Francisco (yes, you read that correctly - Sunday night game in New York, flight across the USA and game in San Fran less than 24 hours later).

June 3-4: in San Francisco

June 5-6-7: in San Diego

That's 21 games in 20 days, folks, and it gets even better.

Tonight, after flying 6 hours after the Padres game yesterday, would be the one night off before the Mets play another 9 games in 9 days - the last 3 in Los Angeles before a day off and continuation of another road trip. It would be the only night besides June 26 when David Wright and the boys could stay at home.

However, God bless them, it's not.

Here's the press release:

FLUSHING -- The New York Mets today announced that Carlos Beltran, Ryan Church, Carlos Delgado, Aaron Heilman, John Maine, Jose Reyes, Johan Santana, Brian Schneider, Scott Schoeneweis, Billy Wagner, David Wright, and Mets Hall of Famer Tom Seaver have confirmed their participation in the Mets Foundation's "Teammates in the Community" fundraiser Monday night, June 9 at Richards in Greenwich, Conn.

Incredible stuff.

Am I saying anyone should feel sorry for a pro athlete's schedule? Of course not.

For my old colleagues in PR, marketing and community relations, I simply recommend clipping and saving this just in case a hockey player - as one once told me - tells you he doesn't even have time to go to the bank.


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In a related subject, an NHL higher-up told me earlier this season that the difference between the travel schedules of the Eastern (easy) and Western (insane) conferences is "practically scandalous."

Just for a goof, estimate how many miles the Detroit Red Wings had flown this season compared to their rival in the Final, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

When you're done adding it up, you'll realize the Red Wings winning four Stanley Cups in 11 years is an even more remarkable accomplishment.


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Why I'm Still Rooting - Trottier and Bossy

After a long stretch away from the Islanders for their own separate reasons, Bryan Trottier and Mike Bossy returned to the Islanders in recent years for all the right reasons.

Understand this: neither Bossy (corporate development) and Trottier (player development) have mail-it-in, candy-ass jobs. I saw with my own eyes that they work hard and with a ton of pride.

Nothing would be better than to see the Islanders back on top, and Trottier and Bossy there to share in the exhilaration.



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I know. It seems like I haven't talked much pure hockey lately. I promise to down the stretch. It appears I will be working in another sport for the next while, but I look forward to blogging about this great game whenever I can. I'm not a Mets fan, but seeing their game and charity schedule inspired me to understand that you can always make time.

The NYI knew Erin Andrews before she became a singular sensation

What’s a sports blog without an entry about Erin Andrews? Every self-disrespecting sports blog has one. Consider this my sad attempt to bring readers to a blog by linking to pictures and video of Erin.

For those of you without ESPN, Ms. Andrews is a sideline sports reporter who over the last four years has innocently developed a following of Taxi Driveresque proportions.

My Islanders career missed out on the Stanley Cup, but I was witness to plenty. I was there when Al Arbour came back for game 1,500. I walked by Dale Hunter in the locker room hallway after he mugged Pierre Turgeon. I saw Ferraro and Kaspar outplay Lemieux and Jagr in ‘93. I took newly-drafted Todd Bertuzzi and Bryan McCabe to the Empire State Building. I saw Dubie morph into Georges Vezina for a miraculous week.

And I was there for the early days of the Erin Andrews era at ABC/ESPN.

The scene is the first round of the 2004 playoffs, the Islanders against the heavily-favored Tampa Bay Lightning. The Islanders are in Tampa for the first two games. The usual Lightning media are at our practice the day before Game One, with one exception.

A pretty good-lookin’, exceptionally graceful young woman by the name of Erin is asking to speak with the Islanders PR person. Having been deliriously-happily married for more than a decade at this point, 'tis only a tawdry rumor that I paid Eric Cairns and Eric Godard to lock my PR associate in the men’s room.

The mysterious reporter introduces herself. Her name is Erin Andrews and she’s been assigned by ABC/ESPN to do some sideline hits during the Islanders-Lightning series. She explains that she had just done a few years with a regional sports network, but her contract was not renewed. Or she resigned. I don’t remember. I do recall she seemed a bit down in the dumps about it. I also remember thinking that whomever the doof is that let her go at that network, he or she should start thinking about what they want to do in their next career.

It is what it is, and Erin had/has it.

Before, during and after the Islanders practice, I shared with Erin a few storylines for her sideline reports. Before and after Islanders practice, I never had so many Islanders players seem concerned with how I was doing.

“Hey CB, everything OK? Need me for anything? If you do, you know I’m always there for ya”!

“Hey, do you or your friend want a cup of coffee from the locker room”? (Because, after all, veteran NHL defensemen are always offering to make coffee for their PR guys).

“Hey Botts, how are the twins? And YOUR WIFE, how’s SHE doin’”?

I always wondered what it was like to be really attractive and have people stop, stare and make fools of themselves in your presence. By standing close to Erin Andrews, I found out. It reminded me of the “Seinfeld” episode when Jerry is dating the gorgeous blonde and she gets him out of a speeding ticket. In Erin’s presence that day, I could have easily hit up the guys for 10 grand each for the Aidan Botta Scholarship Fund.

Early in my time with the Islanders, I devised with a colleague the “Plus-3” equation of pro sports. What this means is that if a female executive, staffer or reporter is a solid 7 in real life, in the sports industry she is a 10. In this still predominantly male business, there remain countless men – some are my best friends! - who tend to act like they’ve never seen a woman before.

The “Plus-3” is sexist, shameful and embarrassing for me to admit more than 15 years later. It would be even worse if my co-author wasn’t a close woman-friend and colleague in the business who experienced daily the awkwardness of having people stop, stare and make fools of themselves in her presence.

I guess this makes Erin Andrews a 12 or 13, depending on how high you set your bar at perfection.

Erin’s work for ESPN on the Islanders-Tampa Bay series was solid, so naturally she was outta hockey in no time and on to College Football Saturday Night, then college hoops and Major League Baseball. There are times during the football season when I flip between ESPN and ESPN2 and could swear she’s doing games in Gainesville and Knoxville at the same time.

When I met her in 2004, I had no idea Erin would become a phenomenon - “America’s Sexiest Sportscaster” according to the scholars at Playboy. But her success does not surprise me. As a reporter and as a person, Erin Andrews is the real deal.

David J. Neal sets the record straight

Two weeks ago, I told a story about Mike Milbury - against all odds - having trouble seeing an interrogator at a press conference. Read the story here.

I was happy to hear from the writer, David J. Neal, whom I haven't seen in years. David had a few important corrections to my story. Here's his email:


The Milbury story is a funny one except for a few facts:

1. I'm not Rastafarian.

2. The dashiki suit, which was black and glittering gold, was African and pretty darn cumbersome. Getting to the pockets was a bitch so I haven't worn it often since buying it in Dallas during the 2000 Stanley Cup Final.

3. Milbury scanned the room, but I wasn't hidden by the glare of the lights - what also struck everyone was funny was he had mananged to miss the one black guy in a loud African suit who was also sitting in the front row.

But, yes, it was funny. Mr. Mike definitely increased all of our workloads at a few drafts.

DJN

Q: on the Islanders' "unique management structure"

Mike Carey asks: Chris, now that you have some separation, tell us what you REALLY think of the Isles management structure. Meaning, this whole "decision by committee" concept (Wang, Snow, Nolan...whoever else now has an equal voice). Do you think it's working or can work?

My take on the management structure – the “hockey committee” – is that frankly, and respectfully, it is really no big whoop.

I thought this way when it was first announced two summers ago when Neil Smith, Ted, Pat LaFontaine, Bryan Trottier and Co. were hired. And I feel the same way now. The committee is simply an avenue for all of the franchise’s leaders to communicate with one another. Isn’t that how it’s supposed to be anyway?

When Garth replaced Neil, we discussed what his response should be when asked about this supposedly innovative structure. It didn’t take long to formulate his position.

Using our rivals as an example, if the Rangers are thinking about signing a Chris Drury or Scott Gomez, how do you think it’s done?

Of course, the GM has his say – the ultimate say from the hockey staff perspective.

The head coach provides input – after all, if he is not the kind of player the coach likes, the coach is not going to play him and you've wasted a lot of dough.

You rely on other lead voices – pro scouts, perhaps the head amateur scout who might know a lot about the player’s development.

And then finally, the owner – because he’s the one writing the rather sizeable check. If you think $50 million deals are being offered in the NHL without owners demanding deep detail before they give the green light, well…it just ain’t happenin’.

You better believe that’s how the Rangers do it. There are some rare examples – Lou Lamoriello’s autonomy is legendary, although the current Devils owner, Jeffrey Vanderbeek is much more involved than the late John McMullen was – but you can be sure that’s how it’s done by at least 25 of the NHL’s 30 franchises.

So, in my opinion, the Islanders’ management structure is perfectly fine. I suspect that one day it will be heralded to a ridiculous degree. Like the career-term deal to Rick DiPietro, it’s interesting how other NHL teams have followed suit by talking about their “new management structure" - having co-GMs (Dallas), adding senior voices (St. Louis), possibly hiring the head coach before the GM (Toronto).

Perhaps if the Islanders did anything wrong when putting together the “hockey committee,” it was in the announcing of the news itself. I'm a big believer in sometimes just implementing an idea and letting the tale be told over time instead of calling immediate attention to it. I remember Neil Smith getting creamed by “Mike & The Mad Dog” about the structure on the day he was hired, and it seemed to me we made it way too easy for people who didn’t know what they were talking about to poke holes in it, to make fun of it.

It's a fact of life, folks. When you’re coming off a season when you don’t qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it’s often best to keep things low-key. When you’re winning, you can do whatever you want and you’ll look like a genius. Think about the perception of the Boston Celtics under Danny Ainge a year ago. Think about the perception of the New York Giants about eight weeks before they won the Super Bowl.

The Dallas Stars fired the very bright Doug Armstrong during last season, replacing him with co-GMs Brett Hull and Les Jackson. Without making a roster move, the Stars proceeded to go weeks without losing. Man, even before they traded for Brad Richards and made the conference final, that co-GM thing was brilliant!

Two years later, the hockey committee is a strong idea but really no big whoop. When the Islanders surprised the critics by making the playoffs with a miracle run in the last week of '06-07, the new management structure never came up, did it?

Substitute “hockey committee” or “unique management structure” with what it really is:

Just a bunch of your leaders communicating on a regular basis.

Ultimately, the “hockey committees” or “unique management structures” that are popping up in NHL cities near you will succeed or fail based on competence and successful communication.

That, and – oh yeah – on whether your team wins hockey games.

I'm in the media now: column runs in The Hockey News

During the third day of my retirement, I wrote a column about a few things the NHL could do better and I sent it to The Hockey News. Next thing I know, Bruce Bennett is taking a headshot of me when we're in Philly for Game 4 because THN wanted to run the article.

I guess I'm not media-relatin' for now. I'm in the media. Such a proud moment for me.

Seriously, having a full-page column in The Hockey News is a cool thing. It's in the current issue on the Stanley Cup Final. Lidstrom and Crosby are on the cover, which also features a tease for my story. It says, "Not Enough Hate in the NHL."

That refers to one of my suggestions, that the game could use some more bad blood.

I write: "Is there a rule that everyone in this violently beautiful game has to act like gentlemen all the time? Face it: the objective is to win the Stanley Cup and make the most money. There may be revenue sharing, but there doesn’t have to be spit sharing. Players are competitors, not colleagues. If you want to skip the handshake line, or just one hand, go for it. And if you really can’t stomach someone on the other team, please alert the media the day before the game."

Please pick up this issue (at newsstands now!) or through zinio.com and let me know what you think. Also send letters to the editor either praising my work or blasting the heck out of it. Editors like that. Maybe I'll get to do another one and take my wife out for a second dinner.

The photo THN ran with the column is of Sean Avery. Funny how things work out, eh?

The headline the editors wrote is "I Got Voted Off The Island," which is strange because, as I say in the opening paragraph, I resigned.

Oh man, now I don't even sound like a blogger but a traditional sports reporter whining about my editors. This life change has me so screwed up.