So Babcock is currently smart, but if he leaves the Wings he's no longer smart? Really Wolfie? :lol:
p.s. Babcock WILL be the next Leafs coach. And i can't see Bylsma in Detroit. He would be a nobody had he not coached the likes of Crosby, Malkin and Letang in his first NHL coaching stint.
I like Babs. But I do think it's overblown what an incredible coach is. He's been in good situations. Relative to football (especially) and basketball, I believe, and my opinion only, that hockey coaches have much less impact on results. They're managers, more than coaches. (I actually don't know what the hell a baseball manager does, but I also have zero interest in baseball, so...)
A football coach can make a genuine point difference that comes across in close games, and not-so-close games. Basketball coaches, like Thibodeau and Popovich, can install great systems and draw up good plays at the end of games. Hockey is too unpredictable, which is what makes the game so exciting. You get a hot goalie, or some lucky bounces, and you're on your way. You can't coach that. As long as you have a steady personality, you can relate to other personalities, and you can manage expectations up and down the organization, you're fine. And you need good players that fit your system, that a good GM supplies. There's little genius to a hockey coach. Scotty Bowman - was he a genius? Left wing lock? Come on. And what's so unique about Babcock? He's good, very good, but let's not get carried away that he's a genius.
My point was not the guy suddenly becomes dumber if he went to the Leafs. Dude, seriously?? My point was, it would be an error in judgment if Babcock believes he is that special on his own that he alone can turn around a mess the magnitude of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He has a lot of things going for him in Detroit.
We should do a side bet on Babcock leaving for the Leafs. I'm serious. It'd be fun. If Babs goes to the Leafs, I'll pay for an hour of Goodgirls. And if he doesn't (he can leave for somewhere else, too), you pay for me. I trust James to be escrow, when it comes time to settle. Put your money where your mouth is.