Friday, September 24, 2010

Does Dudley Meddle?

This is a topic Big Shooter and I have discussed before. Does Rick Dudley have his nose in his coach's business too much?

Consider the Byfuglien to defense issue. For weeks, Dudley spoke to the press about the possibility of moving Big Buff back to the blueline and we didn't hear a peep from Craig Ramsay. Finally, right before camp, we get word from Rammer that indeed the big guy would "come to camp as a defenseman."

Ramsay was hired by Dudley who had just spent weeks talking up Byfuglien's potential as a blueliner, so what choice did he have? The fact that he worded it with the qualifier of "come to camp as" sounded like he wasn't totally sold on the move.

Then, reading Chris Vivlamore's blog post on Chris Thorburn playing center, we get this gem from Rammer: “I have a pretty good hockey guy around me in Dudley, who informed me he thinks [Thorbs] could [play center]. If he says so, I believe him. So we are tying to give him a bit of a look.”

Is this a coach listening to what he feels to be sage advice and trying something out, or is this a coach getting leaned on by a micromanaging General Manager?

We know Dudley didn't get along with folks in Tampa and was fired. We know that he didn't get along with his head coach Mike Keenan (who does?) in Florida and Keenan eventually replaced him as GM.

I admit I don't have a mountain of evidence to which I can point, but is it something we as Thrasher fans should be concerned about?

7 comments:

Mortimer Peacock said...

It's actually pretty obvious that Dudley has practiced a "my way or no way" philosophy throughout his whole career. It's not like this guy doesn't have a track record (as you mention); what amazes me is that a lot of people don't seem to think it matters.

On the other hand, I'm fine with Thorburn playing center as that's what he used to play way back when. Can't imagine it would make things worse...

Rawhide said...

Does Dudley Meddle?

Does Charlie Daniels play a mean fiddle???

Razor Catch Prey said...

Actually I have always found Charlie Daniel's fiddle to be very polite. Why does everyone say it is mean?

I think Thorbs can play C but we don't need him there. To fill in on the fourth or even third line in case of injury ok.

Big Shooter said...

Am I wrong or did I read Chris Thorburn say he had only played 7 games at center before? Like, anywhere. Gotta run so I can't look it up but I believe it was in a C-Viv article recently. Would almost have to be...

j_barty_party said...

Lest we not forget that Dudley is a robot from space and has a proclivity for saying strange things that would even make Geoff Peterson shake his head, uh skull.

Big Shooter said...

In your PANTS!!! Don't know how to link in the comment section but this is what I was thinking of, from Viv-spot:

"Thorburn estimates he played about seven games as a center for AHL Rochester. That’s the extent of his experience. “As far as the pro ranks go, it’s not very much,” Thorburn said."

Mortimer Peacock said...

As Geoff would say, "Check please!"