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Mission Accomplished, Now Get Off Our Back |
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This blog may come across as defensive. I assure you it is not. It comes from a mode of celebration. Relief. Hope. Bewilderment. Unprecedentedness. You know what? We deserve it. All of it. I don't feel guilty, nor should anyone involved within or in support of the Florida Panther organization. You know why? Because Dale Tallon has decided to stop doing what Jacques Martin, Mike Keenan, and others considered the norm: perpetuate insanity.
When you tell the fans the same thing every year and offseason about your team turning the corner, and then put the same lame product on the ice, that is the definition of insanity. I find it hard to believe those individuals actually believed themselves. If so, shame on them. We have been stuck under their thumb. Until now.
It is interesting that most reports and articles in the U.S. were positive regarding Florida's historical day. Canadians, who have a neverending resentment regarding hockey even existing in Florida and other such southern regions (trust me, it is true, as I hear it all the time), have widely bashed the Panthers for their spending spree that was just as much about improving the team as well as following the cap floor rules that were agreed on by the ENTIRE LEAGUE.
Why all the hate? Is it because we legally acquired/overpaid some players you may have wanted, or that Dale Tallon refuses to be the Montreal Expos and L.A. Clippers of hockey no longer? Would two good teams in Florida make the hockey traditionalist's head explode? So be it. We are coming out of our black hole of criticism and experiencing the light of not caring what anyone thinks for a change.
Unless you are a diehard Panther fan, a former Panther player, current player with tenure (Weiss and Booth), or an NHL masochist, you cannot possibly understand the pain that is this organization over the last decade. Wasting Pavel Bure's production, the Luongo trade, horrific drafting, the Bouwmeester debacle, Zednik's throat, Booth's concussions, Horton deciding to play when he wants, Keenan's idiocy, Martin's stubbornness, Olesz's inexplicable contract, Cohen's lack of hockey sense, ownership uncertainty, etc. It has never ended for those of us left. Until now.
Panther fans are not delusional, and just as intelligent as any other fan base when it comes to their team and the game itself. That might be a newsflash to many, and now is no longer.
We surely know there is much work to do and new coach Kevin Dineen has his hands full on how to get all of these new and random parts working together effectively. We also know that each player will be highly scrutinized in the future for their production based on their "for now" exorbitant salaries. Naturally some will end up being good and bad deals. That is the nature of the business and every team has them.
However, despite these logical and rational realizations in Pantherland, there are still those that want to begrudge the Panthers' massive transformation. Why? Because Tallon has guts? Because he's sticking to his promise of turning this sinking ship around and loading up for now AND the future? He was seemingly the only GM on a mission at this year's trade deadline and the last two drafts. Wheeling and dealing. Getting rid of emotional and financial shackles in order to add those like-minded, dedicated, quality individuals that are devoted to changing the culture in South Florida.
TSN analyst Craig Button insulted not only the Panthers, but the entire league with his preposterous comments that Florida was no better after these additions than the team they had last year. Apparently none of the players acquired are any good, never won a Cup, etc. Anyone, and I mean anyone, with a brain understands the astounding stupidity of such notions. I can only assume he knows nothing of the Florida Panthers. He certainly is joined by millions in that lack of education. Additionally, I imagine the thoughts in his head before his comments were something like "Where are my players? Where are all the players coming to Canada? Bwahahahahahaha! (like Mortimer Duke when he realizes he's just been swindled by Louis Winthorp and Billy Ray Valentine at the NYSE).
Tallon admitted it was a painful process to get to the point where they could add the pieces they did Friday. No one that is part of any organization wants to wallow in such an abyss even for a second. You take it to heart. Peers/fans roll their eyes at the lack of success. It hurts when you know you're the punchline to the joke, and worse when you know you deserve it. The Panthers have been...for a decade. Until now.
2011 Free Agent Acquisitions (for now)
F Kris Versteeg
F Scottie Upshall
F Tomas Kopecky
F Tomas Fleischmann
F Sean Bergenheim
F Marcel Goc
F Matt Bradley
D Ed Jovanovski
D Brian Campbell
G Jose Theodore
Many of us thought that once Versteeg was acquired the day might be over. When playoff-star Bergenheim and Fleischmann were later added it was flat out stunning. Fans imagining what the lines might be for opening night saw what they haven't seen in over ten years, NHL-caliber talent everywhere. That is not up for debate, and there is no ambiguity. The Panthers are loaded with quality NHL talent. No more AHL stop-gaps or experiments. In fact, thanks to Tallon, the Panthers now have ORGANIZATIONAL DEPTH. I can't say I've ever typed that (felt a chill).
Injuries will be able to be absorbed easier, and a bridge has indeed been built between the youth beneath to the veterans above. Promising/blossoming players like Jacob Markstrom, Erik Gubranson, Jonathan Huberdeau, Rocco Grimaldi, Quinton Howden, Nick Bjugstad, A.J. Jenks, Drew Shore, Garrett Wilson, Alex Petrovic, and Colby Ropak can work on their craft and come up when they're ready. The older guys got this for now, and only a few are legitimately "old."
July 1st, 2011, is the day that will be remembered in South Florida as the day Tallon helped slam our collective feet down and said "enough." I will remember it for not being able to remember everyone that was added without looking at a list because it was so dizzying. So mind-blowing. The Christmas that just kept giving (Saturday seemed so lame after such a shock to the system).
Anyone who has negative things to say about this rebirth is unquestionably eating sour grapes. Get over yourselves. I can assure you they are nowhere close to the bitterness of the vineyards in South Florida. Until now.
Scott Burnside's excellent article about the changes in Florida contained a sentence that I think sums the price and the process perfectly: "In the end, sometimes it's about more than the money, it's about credibility, and sometimes credibility costs more when you don't have any."
The myopic nature of hockey fans, especially north of the border, makes it difficult to see the benefit of such events in Florida. Is it not easy to see that more teams being relevant and popular, regardless of location, is good for the NHL? The popularity of the game is now finally on the rise post-lockout. Does not a resurgence in South Florida help the league as whole, especially when the NFL and NBA are locked out (yes the NHL may have their own labor problems again soon, but I'm confident they will be resolved)? The NHL looks good right now, and the Panthers are part of that, in one of the biggest markets in the U.S. Rejoice!
Regarding Ed Jovanovski, yes, this is his last big contract, and a big one at that. Kudos need to go out to the savvy Tallon again for realizing that the bookends of Jovo Cop's career will be followed by those that have loved him all along, but forgot they did. It is a business after all, and Tallon knows Jovo will deliver people to the Bank Atlantic Center. He should also be tops on the list for team Captain.
Despite what most people would believe, there are many red, old school Jovo jerseys being dusted off in preparation for next season. The Twitter shockwaves running through Panther nation after that signing said it all. It wasn't the cost, but rather one of our long lost sons was coming home as the representative of a time when the Panthers took South Florida by storm. That, my friends, is worth every penny.
From that point forward, the Panthers were trending on Twitter in Miami for the first time ever. That cannot be overstated. For the first time since the mid to late 90's, South Florida has a team it can be proud of. If only a young Scott Mellanby could return to put the icing on the cake. Get your rats ready...
Dan Spiegel...
Florida Panthers Writer
Twitter @DanSpiegel
Florida Panthers Blogger • 
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