Here's what I could scribble down from some audio on News Talk 650 in Saskatoon this afternoon. I'm just writing what was said both ways... certainly not taking sides, as I know both Coaches very well, dealt with them both in person as recently as these playoffs, and both have been good to me.
Marlin Murray
"We're not healthy whatsoever. We had a skate this morning and 15 guys took part. 7 guys were too sick to practice."
"We were shocked at their lack of common sense. We weren't asking for the world, we were asking for it to be pushed back, and they had 2 excuses, one was they had a team fundraiser on Friday night back in La Ronge, and the other was they planned on flying back on Thursday night and couldn't get that changed. We offered to bus them back and pay all their expenses, and they came back offering to play Games 3 and 4 Wednesday and Thursday in Dauphin, then Games 5, 6, and 7 up there, which is just ridiculous. We were looking for some courtesy, but were obviously knocking on the wrong door."
"Hockey gods and karma are a funny thing. They've gotta spend the better part of a week in our community (for RBC), and our fans know what's going on and a lot of them have a bad taste in their mouths."
Bob Beatty
"I'm sorry, a later date doesn't work for us. We're not going to change our world because Marlin Murray stomps his feet. He might get away with that in the Manitoba Junior League but not with us."
"We have concrete travel plans, and a major fundraiser on Friday which we have to be there for."
5 comments:
It sure takes guts to poison your opposition.Come on Craig whats you take you don't have too much loyalty.
i'm 100% sure Bob Beatty didn't POISON the opposition. Infact I had a La Ronge parent email me and say they were also sick.
The issue here isn't WHO poisoned the Kings. No one in their right mind would do that. It'd food poisoning, it happens, and maybe wouldn't have happened if the game ended at 10 and not 1am.
The issue IS changing/not changing dates. I think both sides have valid points. The fact that it's a WHOLE TEAM is different than a handful of guys feeling sick. But, it's tough postponing games anytime of year, let alone right now, with the National Championship just around the corner.
Again, I won't take sides, but see both teams' frustrations.
Call me old-fashioned, but it comes down to the golden rule. Put the shoe on the other foot. Would La Ronge want it extended if an illness wiped out their full team for a couple days? And, would Dauphin accomodate them, when their fans already had seats paid for, for certain days?
Tough calls... glad I don't have to make them!
The fact that their both going to the RBC already doesn't make this as bad as it could be. With LaRonge having to spend a whole week there you would think they would be a little more understanding.
Its unfortunate that this all happened. But I can't believe a host RBC coach would say things like, "You have to spend a week in our city, and fans have a bad taste in their mouths." So what? Your team got sick, tough deal. Poisoning your opposition? You got to be kidding me! No one in their right mind would ever do anything like that!
Quit crying Murray, one day isn't going to make much difference. La Ronge isn't going to drop all of their plans for one extra day of rest which probably won't make much difference.
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