For better or for worse, social media is a major presence in the way in which we filter our sports info and experiences. For myself, the payoff with the various mediums under this umbrella comes with the running commentary it provides in moments of breaking news. It gives me that buzz that comes with seeing things evolve in real-time while also allowing for the chance to see it in an "All roads lead FROM Rome" manner, digesting the same premise as interpreted through a number of differing perspectives, limited only by the number of messages I want to leaf through.
Didn't today just give me a show like this in spades when shortly after nine this morning the news broke that Randy Carlyle had been let go. I suppose one could say "finally" let go, given that the eventuality of this day was very much a foregone conclusion. Nevertheless, even the predictable events of Leafs Nation lead to similarly predictable booms of reactions, and sure enough, Twitter blew up.
Without further ado, here is a running evolution of tweets between the initial announcement from the Leafs and midway through the noon hour today. As is expected, they run the gamut from factual to flippant, remembering the past and telling the future. Yet they all, in their own unique way and angle, play a role in capturing a piece of the mood, process and hypothesizing that comes with the soap opera that is MLSE.
Hope you enjoy the journey.
9:20am
@MapleLeafs: Randy Carlyle relieved of his duties by #Leafs.
@FAN590: Leafs GM Dave Nonis announced head coach Randy Carlyle has been relieved of his duties. Assistant coaches Horachek & Spott will take over.
@MattBarnaby3636: Boom goes the Dynamite. Randy Carlyle out! Leafs have real tough stretch coming as well.
@mckennaconor: Wonder what Mike Babcock is thinking right now.
@Tudor_CT: I knew he didn’t have a Drs appt yesterday. He got fired then but they didn’t want to over shadow the world juniors game.
@MrButterChicken I’ve been pelvic-thrusting the air for about two straight minutes!
@MrButterChicken: 21 Toaster Salute for Randy Carlyle’s Departure.
@jsaquella: Leafs fans should get a parade today
@Steve_Dangle: “Can we have the spotlight for five minutes???” - Team Canada
@MurphysLaw74: Over/Under on Mike Babcock to Leafs tweets today?
@D_LEED: Dallas Eakins? RT @ToddCordell: Wonder if Pete DeBoer finds his way behind Toronto’s bench.
@sarah_connors: man, between the WJC final and Carlyle getting fired, this might be the most parade-worthy day in Toronto in a damn long time
@MattBarnaby3636: Can u imagine Torts asking 81 to block shots? Ummm that’s not part of the deal big boy... That will cost extra.
@DownGoesBrown: Randy Carlyle doesn’t make it through the season. Nobody could have seen this coming except literally everyone.
@longleysunsport: Nonis on Carlyle firing: “Our team was not trending in the right direction and we felt an immediate change was necessary.”
@koshtorontosun: Give a new coach a chance and all that, but #Leafs leadership core needs a change or two. Should be next on Shanahan/Nonis’ list.
@ryantologist You know that feeling when you've been trying to push out a really stubborn BM for what seems like years, and it finally makes it?
@DamoSpin: Leafs have about a month to decide whether to go for the post-season or dump out and go for a high pick. This will be fascinating.
@simmonssteve: It’s the wrong time to appoint a full time head coach unless you truly believe in Peter DeBoer or Dan Bylsma. I’d wait to end of season.
@GinoRedaTSN: ..And for those asking. Mike Babcock still doesn’t have a new deal in Detroit. He’s available at the end of the season.
@ian_mendes: Anyone else hoping the Red Wings announce Mike Babcock extension today?
@DamoSpin: Coaching change only makes sense if its followed up by changing Kessel-Phaneuf core. Otherwise spinning your wheels.
@drosennhl: Things that happen when you are feeding your baby: 1) He spits up on you; 2) the Maple Leafs fire Randy Carlyle. Neither is a surprise.
@YakovMironov: A lot of people will say you shouldn’t celebrate Carlyle getting fired, but a lot of people don’t get sweet discounts on cake and balloons
@AlsoNamedPhil: I encourage all Leafs fans to just go outside right now and start high fiving everyone you meet. Don’t explain, just do it.
@DarrenDreger: Shanahan and Nonis share in decision to fire Carlyle. All players now potential trade targets.
@TSNBobMcKenzie: TOR hierarchy to review all coaching options over next couple of days but most likely scenario: Peter Horachek becoming interim head coach.
@KatsHockey: How fitting is this to happen on Orthodox Christmas today.
@TSNBobMcKenzie: For now, all options remain open. IMO, No. 1 reason Carlyle not fired in off-season was because TOR didn’t see another guy worth 5 yrs/$2M+.
@noahlove: Just once instead of players saying “This happened cuz we didn’t perform” I hope they say, “Yeah, not sure why this didn’t happen sooner.”
@bruce_arthur: If Dave Nonis survives what has got to be the coming storm for the Leafs, then his political skills are Grade A.
@DamoSpin: it’ll almost certainly be Horachek with Spott at his side for the rest of the season, sources say.
@andystrickland: It’s no secret Mike Babcock wants to be the highest paid coach in the #NHL. Using Olympic success in negotiations. #redwings #leafs
@Proteautype: In less than 24 hours, Toronto has seen a hockey championship and the firing of Randy Carlyle. If traffic is good, we’re being Inceptioned.
@iancmclaren: Carlyle got fired? Of CORSI did.
@DownGoesBrown: Dion Phaneuf bursts into Carlyle’s empty office. “Coach, great news, we all *finally* figured out how to play your system! Uh... coach?”
@andystrickland: Told #redwings GM Ken Holland won’t pay Babcock more based on success coaching All-Star teams in the Olympics. Doesn’t apply to NHL
@AndiPetrillo: Me thinks the second most disappointed person today...other than Randy Carlyle...is Ken Holland.
@Sid_Seixeiro: Can’t wait to see who the next guy is the players won’t listen to.
@mlse: RANDY: “I’LL SEE YOU GUYS TOMORROW” PHIL: “GOOD ONE RANDY, GOOD ONE”
@EricEngels: Favorite Randy Carlyle moment? I’m split between “helmets being too tight is cause of concussions” and “how do you work this toaster?”
@DamoSpin: Firing of Carlyle and decision not to bring in a big name immediately puts the onus on Leaf players now, especially Kessel and Phaneuf.
@bruce_arthur: You know how you can tell the Leafs are smarter now? They just fired their coach while sitting eighth in the East. And they were right.
@mlse: THE COACH LITERALLY COULDN’T MAKE TOAST. THINK ABOUT THAT. TOAST. EVEN THE SITUATION COULD MAKE SAUSAGES AND PEPPERS.
@Sportsnet: Nonis: “We needed to see some level of consistency. We had some good stretches, but we haven’t been consistent.”
@Real_ESPNLeBrun: Nonis: ``I’ve said before, players are move-able.’’ Hint, hint.
@AndiPetrillo: Nonis on Carlyle: “He’s a good man and a good coach. And he’ll be back in this game quickly.” Fingers pointing at players with that comment
@drosennhl: All indications are Carlyle bought into analytics and knew Leafs had to change the way they play. Problem is he couldn’t get them to change.
@TheFourthPeriod: Leafs ultimately wanted to see what Carlyle would do with a deeper team (stronger bottom-six, added vets to blueline). But same issues arose
@jonasTSN1050: Brendan Shanahan standing in a perch above the ice surface at Leafs practice. Entire group of brass here at MCC today.
@mirtle: I had heard since before Christmas that the Leafs were “not on the same page.” I understood that to mean Carlyle wasn’t listening, frankly.
@ItsDeanBlundell: Dave Nonis did that whole press conference w a chunk in his shorts.
@simmonssteve: Why you wait until the end of the season. Coaches who might be available: Babcock, Hitchcock, McLellan, Boudreau.
@Proteautype: From now until late April, I think I’m going to refer to Dave Nonis as “the other shoe to drop”.
@Beezersun: Phil Kessel said the #Leafs problems aren’t Randy Carlyle’s fault and that “he’s a great coach”
@mirtle: Franson: “We’re as at fault as anybody else... We know we have to be a stronger group.”
@reporterchris: Cody Franson: “It’s a wakeup call. ... The next step is players, there’s no way around that.”
@mirtle: Horachek is fired up today. “There were some very direct comments made” to the players, he says.
@ChrisWasselTHW: Horachek must have said “Play time is over”!
@TravisHeHateMe: Leafs recognized that their team is (again) mostly terrible despite what standings currently say. Lot of teams would sip that PDO koolaid.
@mckennaconor: Why would Mike Babcock come to Toronto? Because if you’re the guy who breaks the jinx, you achieve immortality. Hero status. Huge challenge.
@mlse: Why would Babcock come to Toronto? More money, more term, more exposure, massively compliant media, former player as President, more power.
@TheGameSheet It’s worth noting here that Shanahan’s exit from Detroit was largely attributed to a conflict with Babcock. So there’s that.
@bruce_arthur: Ron Wilson: “Some core players have failed under two or three coaches ... You’d have to surmise that some of them are uncoachable now.”
@mirtle: Wilson says you can’t rely on Phil Kessel.
@50_MissionCap: Bad fired coach Ron Wilson thinks worse fired coach Randy Carlyle failed because the players are uncoachable. Not shocking.
@bruce_arthur: More Ron Wilson: “Phil’s problem is ... he’s two weeks on, and two weeks off ... you can’t rely on Phil.” He’s throwing bombs,
@Five4Howling: Ron Wilson: *forgets he wasn’t the one fired today* “And let me tell you another thing...”
@Hope_Smoke: Wilson “you can’t rely on Phil. It’s just the way he is. Comes & goes & he gets emotional. It effects his game & relationship with players”
@Tony_Ambrogio: Ron Wilson on #TSN1050 on #Leafs lunch on coaching in Toronto : “Trust me, I thought I could make a difference. I saw that I couldn’t.”
@Proteautype: And after he hung up the phone, Ron Wilson stood back proudly and admired the biggest fire The North has ever seen.
@KJORielly: Bernier on Carlyle firing: He was a good President, South Africa owes him a lot, a great humanitarian. Sorry to see him go like that.
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Shawn Gates
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Facebook: Shawn Gates
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