Melrose out in Tampa
Sabres-Blue Jackets coming up at 7:35 but some bizarre breaking news first: The Lightning has fired Barry Melrose as coach after just 16 games! Yep, the ESPN mullet is gone less than two months into the season after returning to his old gig following a 15-year TV run.
Is there a more messed-up franchise in this league right now than the Bolts? Since winning the Stanley Cup in 2004, they ran themselves into salary cap jail and haven't been heard from since. It's bound to come out soon what went on with Melrose, as a run that short certainly points to severe internal strife. But Tampa's new owners and GM Brian Lawton clearly seem to be on the we-have-no-clue path. Rick Tocchet has been named to replace Melrose. Wanna bet on his credibility? (Sorry, couldn't resist).
St. Pete Times columnist Gary Shelton sensed in his column today that the organization seemed to have an oddly low supply of patience, almost foreshadowing something big was about to happen. Wonder if that impatience was caused in part by the Bay Area's market's sudden infatuation with the Rays, which pushed the Lightning further down the food chain.
Wonder what the folks at ESPN think too. Matthew Barnaby has Melrose's old job.
---Mike Harrington
Firing a coach 16 games after you picked him just makes no sense at all, nothing else to even say about it.
But Im suprised ESPN even bothered to replace melrose with barnaby. With the way they treat hockey, I figured they would just stop covering it all together.
And no offense to barnaby, but he wasnt even the best commentator on the enforcers, so how did he get the espn gig? Every time they cut to him for hockey analysis, the announcer paired with him wont give him a chance to speak anyway so whats the point.
Posted by: Mark | November 18, 2008 at 02:22 PM
They were compete idiots for dumping Tortorella, so they've got what they deserve. With the talent on that team, there isn't any reason they shouldn't have a winning record. Sorry Melrose, but you suck. It's ok, Craig Hartsburg is likely right behind you.
Posted by: Dave | November 15, 2008 at 12:07 AM
Do they have even one? I haven't spotted Barnaby since he was introduced in my limited ESPN watching.
Posted by: TheTick | November 14, 2008 at 06:37 PM
Maybe ESPN could actually have more than ONE hockey analyst.
Posted by: Kevin | November 14, 2008 at 06:30 PM