SPORTS: Cox is Right ... as Usual

Damien Cox, both in his regular Toronto Star column, and at his blog, has correctly identified the smokescreen around the search for a new leader of the Toronto Maple Leafs as, once again, a Richard Peddie production to maintain his control over the sport he shows such complete ignorance about.

Before the Doug Armstrong signing with St. Louis, I thought it possible the Leafs were serious about assembling a team, as farcical as that has historically turned out in T.O., to guide the revamping of the hockey department of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. I figured Armstrong to be the best choice possible to head that revamping,. modeling the group after Detroit's multi-headed hydra. If he could get Dave Nonis or Neil Smith to partner up as the Jim Nill surrogate, even the better. Then, giving Dave Gilmour and possibly Joe Nieuwendyk roles not dissimilar from Steve Yzerman's role would be the third plank in the new platform. Cliff Fletcher would then take on the Scott Bowman role. A raft of scouts would then be plundered from other teams with the lure of big MLSE bucks and the new leaf would be turned over.

But I was wrong. Peddie and his new cohort, Fletcher, stubbornly and vainly hold onto power. The NEW story will be one of awaiting the arrival of Brian Burke about 13 months and two days from now. I suggest to you, that will come a-cropper for some reason too.

Peddie is a brilliant business man, a one-man profit centre that any right-minding company would want involved in their money-making schemes. His price for making others' money? A play toy called the Toronto Maple Leafs. And nobody, not Doug Armstrong, not Damien Cox and the Toronto media and not you or me, is going to take that away. Ever.

As disgraceful as the Ballard death watch was, it will pale in comparison with that of Peddie if 13 months and three days from now, Burke has not arrived. Until then, he can throw up the smokescreen of waiting for that that he promised, a Stanley Cup-winning GM who's the best in the business. That it would be a lie, even if the hunt for Burke is successful doesn't matter a whit. It's all just smoke blowing up your ...