Babcock Resignation/Photos

[finnys_fanatsy]

we've all heard the story by now...but not anything on here about it.

i personally cannot think for a minute that Bab would do something so stupid knowing hes being watched. it just doesn't make sense, to have your players share their pics as a way to check up on them, get something over on them or whatever Biz thinks the intent was.

If it was done as Bab and Boone says, as a way to get to know the players then ya thats fine, i think anyway.., and that's that, story over. im not gonna go to the mats for Bab, but i hope that's all it was. Society gets all wild over anything that doesn't fit their own narrative of what's normal so there has to be something nefarious about ESPECIALLY if you've been accused of nefarious stuff in the past.

here's what i think happened, please share your own opinion if you care, but i think Biz made a comment, knowing his audience and took it too far and couldn't walk it back. The pics were, as was backed by Boone, simply a way to get to know them. Why would they back a coach who's only been there 2 months if it was anything else? it makes no sense...they could have easily run him under the bus and 'cancelled' him right there...

[metaldude26]

Seems like it's much ado about nothing, but maybe there's a difference between how the vets felt about these interactions and some of the younger players who don't have a public voice. The PA is there conducting interviews so if there's something here, we'll know. More than anything, though, it just shows that Babcock has made enough enemies over the years that he's not going to get any rope.

I just wish these re-treads would go quietly into the night. Because Babcock's response about how it's offensive how this situation was characterized lacks humility about his past mistakes. Like, hey man, maybe the fact that you did poorly by enough of your former players there's reason why people could mischaracterize something you did or take it out of context. It's just the circle of shame. If you're coming back, come back humble with full awareness that you have no rope or don't come back at all.

[Belexus75]

I bet you this got way less coverage in Columbus than it did at n Toronto….Toronto media just looking for reasons to write negative stuff about Babs.

I personally think he is a jerk but this is just stupid witch hunt imo.

[Feenom]

Babs seems to have controversy follow him wherever he goes. Seems like Biz didn’t make it up but who knows. Whether it is true or not, could be some level of mistrust now between coaching staff and the players. Not a good way to start the season.

[ross10019]

I think Babs needs to stop doing shit like this - even if it’s harmless, if there’s even a hint of pressuring the young kids, just avoid it. Younger players may be really antsy showing private pics to a coach who’s known to use mental tactics bordering on (if not constituting) abuse.

That said, this screams of doofus moron Commodore getting texted by a current player, and he then embellishes it for Biz, who just blurts it out. Biz doesn’t really have a filter, and he’s not a huge fan of Babcock himself.

either way, last thing the Bjs needed.

[Axeman33]

Did anyone listen to 32 Thoughts pod today when they interviewed Johnny Gaudreau and asked him about it? Blown WAY out of proportion but that's what the media does. People seem to think Babs just walked in and said something like "give me your phone" or "show me your pictures". That is not the case at all. Apparently, in an attempt to get to know his players better, he asked what they did over the summer and to see any photos they may have taken. Gaudreau thought it was awesome that he cared that much that he wanted to see pictures of his family. Maybe some weren't as thrilled, I don't know, but this is way out of hand for what it actually is.

If you haven't heard the podcast, go listen to it and you will undoubtedly come away with a different opinion than you probably have right now about this, if you think he did something wrong. I know I did.

[tweetdrivr]

Doesn’t change the fact that he’s an arrogant prick.

[Axeman33]

Doesn’t change the fact that he’s an arrogant prick.

That's not the discussion here though. That's a different thread. Personally, I've never met the man so I hold my judgement on opinions like that and like to form my own. Maybe those around him see him differently than what the media portrays. I don't know. If you ever get to hang around him, maybe you'd hold a different opinion too, maybe not, because you are going in to that with your mind already closed instead of open to the fact you could be way off.

[CAN-AM Commish]

NHL/ NHLPA meeting tomorrow to " discuss" this situation.

[metaldude26]

Did anyone listen to 32 Thoughts pod today when they interviewed Johnny Gaudreau and asked him about it? Blown WAY out of proportion but that's what the media does. People seem to think Babs just walked in and said something like "give me your phone" or "show me your pictures". That is not the case at all. Apparently, in an attempt to get to know his players better, he asked what they did over the summer and to see any photos they may have taken. Gaudreau thought it was awesome that he cared that much that he wanted to see pictures of his family. Maybe some weren't as thrilled, I don't know, but this is way out of hand for what it actually is.

If you haven't heard the podcast, go listen to it and you will undoubtedly come away with a different opinion than you probably have right now about this, if you think he did something wrong. I know I did.

I've listened to what Gaudreau had to say on the pod, what Jenner had to say, and Babcock as well. Like I said above, seems like much ado about nothing but we haven't heard everyone's perspective and another player may have a different opinion or may have been approached differently. So we don't really know one way or the other until we've heard from everyone.

But it's clear to me that Babcock's history is costing him the benefit of the doubt.

[metaldude26]

Elliotte Friedman's latest reporting indicates that not all the Blue Jackets players were comfortable with what occurred: https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article...gation-friday/

[pmorrow]

Getting a "We will see how this progresses over the next 24 hours" from Friedman is ominous

[chuckcouples]

Babcock is once again showing "his" players that he's the boss. This is what he does and has always done. It may have been done with the best of intentions but that doesn't matter. He's in charge so when he "asks" to see some pictures, his players can't really say no. Whether they feel it's in good taste or not doesn't matter at that time, they don't really have an option to say no so it's an abuse of Babcock's power. What do you expect stars like Jenner and Gaudreau to say when they are asked by the media? Are they really going to throw their new coach under the proverbial bus before the season even begins? I didn't think so either.

Babcock should not be back in the NHL just like Bill Peters should not be anywhere near a WHL team. It's amazing how bad that GMs are at hiring coaches.

[Axeman33]

Babcock is once again showing "his" players that he's the boss. This is what he does and has always done. It may have been done with the best of intentions but that doesn't matter. He's in charge so when he "asks" to see some pictures, his players can't really say no. Whether they feel it's in good taste or not doesn't matter at that time, they don't really have an option to say no so it's an abuse of Babcock's power. What do you expect stars like Jenner and Gaudreau to say when they are asked by the media? Are they really going to throw their new coach under the proverbial bus before the season even begins? I didn't think so either.

Babcock should not be back in the NHL just like Bill Peters should not be anywhere near a WHL team. It's amazing how bad that GMs are at hiring coaches.

You clearly didn't listen to Gaudreau in the interview and his demeanor. Seriously, go listen to it. I had the same train of thought until I listened to it. Or if you just want to be closed minded about this and blind to the chance you could be wrong, don't. No skin off my bag.

And you're right MD26, his history is causing the discomfort more than anything. If this story had come out and it was Jay Woodcroft and not Babcock, this isn't a story at all.

[2014olympicgold]

Asking a 30yr old who's established in the league to show pictures of his family to connect with them is one thing. Asking a rookie to see his photos who knows what you did to Marner his rookie year is something a player could not be ok with.

Maybe Babcock didn't even ask a rookie for photos, but I assumed it was a young player reaching out to Biz about it and understood the situation wrong.

I think it's blown out of proportion, but it doesn't change the fact that anything Babcock does this yr will be looked at under a microscope. 0 games played, 0 full practices, 1 statement issued. This is what CBJ signed up for, and the PR team should have anticipated this.

The good thing about it is that it happened way before the season, and it's blown out of proportion. So maybe everyone involved will fix the issue before it spills over to meaningful days.