2320 – Sunday Digest: The Week in Review

As a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, I have been watching the drama at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) unfold. Kyle Dubas the General Manager is out it what appears to be an ill-advised and poorly executed grab at power gone awry.

If you believe the story as masterfully woven by team President and former player Brendan Shanahan it might have been the worst play, much like the team’s feeble on-ice powerplay during the playoffs. With a newly negotiated contract all but done, except for the signatures, Dubas held his year-end press conference against Shanny’s better advice. During that presser, Dubas whose contract was set to expire July 1st revealed that he might not be interested in returning to Toronto (or anywhere else) for family reasons. It was a real tear-jerker where he outlined how it had been a difficult year and the pressures of the Leaf’s GM job were weighing heavily on his family’s shoulders. That would turn out to be his first mistake, publicly sowing the seed of doubt as to his commitment to the job and organization. It certainly had Shanny raising a Spockian eyebrow from his perch in the President’s office.

Strike two came after two days of radio silence when Dubas’ agent delivered a new proposal that significantly altered the all-but-finalized deal Shanny and the Leaf brass believed was in place. More power, more money, or both – nothing has been fully confirmed but there is no doubt it was some combination of the two that clearly made the Monday press conference look like a powerplay where Dubas used his family as pawns in his high-stakes plan. Shanny and the MLSE board of directors would certainly have some decisions to make.

In the mids of that process, Dubas once again reached out to the Leafs, presumably realizing the gaff he and his agent had made and sent Shanahan an email saying he was ready to sign the original deal and get back to work as the Leafs GM. Later that morning Shanny drove out to Dubas’ office at the Leafs training center in Etobicoke and informed Dubas the MLSE had decided to move in a different direction.

And just like that the Dubas era was over in Toronto. Shanahan feeling as though the unknown guy from the Soo Greyhounds he took a flyer on nine years earlier had knifed him in the back. The fans who wanted blood were partially appeased after an embarrassing second-round exit from the quest for Lord Stanley’s Cup. Still, the structural problem Dubas leaves behind because of the dollars being spent on the “Core 4” (Matthews, Marner, Tavares and Nylander) will be an albatross for anyone new stepping into the position.

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My week has been spent in training at work. It has left me sore and aching all over. This out-of-shape guy is getting too old for that kind of physical stuff. I did certify for another three years so that part is good. And I did get a couple of new posts up as well. Woohoo!

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This week wasn’t a music week. I spent most of my listening credits catching up on my favourite podcasts including Ologies, Startalk, The Bob McCown Podcast, The Gibby Show and Hidden Brain. As for music, I heard Louis and Ella singing Dream A Little Dream at Starbucks the other day. What a dynamic duo they made.

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The week in review…

A Mother’s Fortune
A touching story of the joy our children bring us by Susan at Sillyfrog’s Blog.

Simply
A poem of reflection written by ve poem written by Rebecca at Is It Real or Fantasy.

Took Us Long Enough
A continued exploration of love in Rockstar Girl’s Love Part 2 series posted at Where Stories Can Spark Their Magic.

He’s My Brother
The family you are stuck with as demonstrated by Fandango at This, That and the Other

Buzzkill
The silence of missing bees creates quite a buzz in Paula at Light Motifs II story.

Unveiling the Power of Simplicity
A reminder of how effective simplicity can be in our lives by Pankaj Kumar at The Inkwell.

Good News
Sadje at Keep It Alive captures the anxiety of an old techie looking for work in a young person’s game.

William the Ant
A bad day for William and his fellow colonists written by Echoes of the Soul at My Tales Within.

The Big Swim
Paula at Light Motifs reminds us of what it was like to swim across the pool on our own for the very first time.

They Ignored the Warnings
Fandango gives us a dose of reality if we don’t act to stop or even reverse the warming trend we’ve brought upon our world.

More highlights from Greg’s Blog…

Contextus Indignus | Written for Girlie On the Edge’s Six Sentence Stories and Fandango’s One Word Challenge.

Bowdlerizing-Is-Censorship | Written for Fandango’s Provocative Question.

Around the Blogosphere…

Ummm…

Next week…

Five Word Weekly, Four Line Fiction and T-Shirt Wisdom are on tap plus hopefully some new original content.

In other news, I am considering launching a new monthly challenge in June or July. Something to allow the writer freedom to explore and develop longer stories. Stay tuned.

Have a great week everyone,

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