Maybe the firings should have gone a little further up the ladder. A coach can only work with the talent he is given by the GM.

The owner dosen't own a mirrior. If he had one he could look into it and see the problem.

precisely......

Can't fire family...
Or do you think Brodsky would actually get rid of Thompson?

Every year there is a player singled out as a problem and sent packing (lucky for him). I guess this year they decided to pin all the problems on the coach.
If you haven't read Hartley Miller's Slap Shots Nov. 28 column, give it a read.

"The owner dosen't own a mirrior. If he had one he could look into it and see the problem"

Exactly. All you have to do is take a look at the past to see what the one constant has been with the PG Cougars through all those BRUTAL years of mediocrity and poor performance. At some point in time one has to look at that constant and understand where the true problem lies. Most people with an ounce of pride would step back, eat some crow and do something constructive about it. THAT would be supported. What they are likely to do will not be.

The cougars organization may have fired the wrong man.
The General Manager should have been the one to go first.

I will waite for the firing of the General Manager before I buy any cougar tickets

I have been say for a long time, and severely chastised for it on numerous occaisons...it is the upper echelon that needs to go. Maybe then the team will start winning instead of just playing dirty hockey.
really hard to get overly excited with an owner who, in his own words, HATES HOCKEY AND CAN NOT STAND TO WATCH IT.

I don't know Dallas Thomson or the Brodskys but Dallas and his"friendship"with the coaches,seems to be the only common denominator. maybe his nose is to big for the dressing room.
Also seems to be alot more players wanting to leave this team compared to other teams.

Dallas Thompson has been given more than enough chances, he needs to go. Firing the coach was the wrong move (again).

How many more coaches do we have to go through before Mr. Brodsky gets it?

"really hard to get overly excited with an owner who, in his own words, HATES HOCKEY AND CAN NOT STAND TO WATCH IT."

Where did you read this? Unless this quote was taken out of context, I find this hard to believe.

Posted this before, and I'll post it again.

I think one reason the Cougars have failed in their recent years, is the ability to put new fans on the fan escalator. Once fans reach the end of that escalator, whether or out of lack of interest or disgust at the management/ownership, they drop off all together. No new fans on the escalator, means no new fans period, hence the empty seats. A lot of fans got on that escalator in 94-95, but many have dropped off. Where the management team of this franchise failed was to keep the current fans on the escalator happy, and to try and draw new fans in.

Other WHL franchises (Such as Moosejaw and Saskatoon) have won diddly in the same time, but they somehow manage to move fans on that escalator. Winning does not always equate with full seats either, as proven by the many empty seats at the Joe Louis arena. To simply say winning draws in crowds is myopic and places the blame on the players and the coach. While the coach is glad to have a job, many of these kids have no choice but to come here and make the best of it.

My Solutions?

A) What Mr. Brodsky needs to do is quit treating the people of this city with such contempt. There are some incredibly knowledgeable hockey people in this city, many of whom have deep pockets. To think that you could treat them with such disrespect and not have it come back to bite you in the ass is crazy.

B) Hire the right people. Family run businesses are great, if your family are ideal employees. However, Brandi Brodsky is the worst business manager I've ever seen. I wonder if she knows what a public is, or even how to market to specific publics. Dallas Thompson is the worst GM in junior hockey, and a laughingstock among GM's. Just think, you're Brent Sutter. Like any Sutter you learned the value of hard work on the family farm with the values of getting the job done from sun up to sun down. Those values took you through a great NHL. Now you are the owner/GM/Head Coach of a great WHL franchise. YOu have earned your way and paid your dues in full. Do you honestly respect a guy whose only qualifications are that he sleeps with the owners daughter? I would also conclude that the head scout for this organization's qualifications are that he was the owner's drinking buddy from way back when.

C) Try to build a philosophy for your team that includes the pursuit of excellence and live by it. Know why players don't want to play here? Because it is a franchise that shows no commitment to excellence from the top.

D) Be an owner. Yes, you are a wealthy man and that wealth came from hard work and calculated risks. Just understand that it doesn't translate into everything. Lee Iaccoca was a genius for building car companies, but that doesn't mean he should try to pretend he knows how to run a hockey team. Hire the right people and let them do their job.

This club and its management are the laughing stock of the league. Until the team is sold to quality people, (of whom there are many) this team is doomed to failure. IMO the people running the team do not have the ability to pull it out. Mr. Brodsky sell the team or move it. We are tired of a low budget second rate orginization. The young players and the fans deserve better. We have no faith in your ability to run a classy first rate club.

They need to root a little deeper in the apple barrel, they are not getting rid of the rot. Their organization reminds me of the way government runs a business
(not well) Their attempt at customer relations makes me laugh out loud, heres an example; the other day someone from the Cougars dis-organization called us, in 5 seconds flat they said thanks for being a season ticket holder, and merry christmas, "bye" click.
Oh how underwhelming.
And to think that I have purchased seasons tickets every season since they came to town. I wish they had not even called at all, their effort justs confirms yet again that they are doing all the wrong things. Oh, and for the record, I think that Rick Brodsky knows what he is doing, business wise. The Cougars are just one of the playing pieces on his personal board game of life.
If he really wanted to change the Cougars performance, he would bring have brought in new management years ago.
metalman.