James you obviously have some insight that I don't have and if you're 
looking to say "I told ya so" then congratulations you told me so.

I have not and do not disagree that replacing Deschamps and to a 
certain extent Ramsey for Mush has had a profound impact and was 
necessary for the success of this team.  I felt strongly that Mush was 
not performing to the level that we needed him at, but again I prefer 
to let the coach make those decisions rather than publishing them on a 
discussion list for anyone to read.  Not meant as a criticism it's just 
the way I operate.

You obviously have a decent source or fabulous intuition, having 
observed Maine Hockey for 25 years I am more laid back and willing to 
wait and see how coaches react than telling them how to react.  I know 
quite a bit about the game of hockey having played it, broadcast it and 
observed it, but I don't know a thing when it comes to what is 
happening with the kids and inside that locker room, that's what Tim, 
Grant, Campbell and the players know and I have the confidence to let 
them deal with any issues on their own timetable.

I also remember over the years people questioning the choice of Prestin 
or Brendan Walsh as Captains, again I defer to the coaches and kids (I 
have no memory of who the questioners were) but never engaged in that 
as I believe in the integrity of the coaches and kids to elect the 
captains that best represent Maine Hockey.

This team is where I expected them to be at the beginning of the 
season, whether it's #1 or #12 is not material, they are in the Hockey 
East tournament and NCAA tournament and anything can happen!

Looking forward to a great weekend at the Garden and hopefully a better 
April!

Bob Fitta '83
On Mar 16, 2005, at 10:05 AM, james acheson wrote:

> I noticed that you used the word ludicrous...
>  
> I might be mistaken, but I think you used that word before in 
> reference to the idea of CUTTING a captain.  My idea was ludicrous.  
> What are your thoughts on that issue now?
>  
> I think that Tim's biggest coaching mistake was using "a captain" this 
> season, and he compounded the mistake by continuing to use him and use 
> him short handed.
>  
> Tim's best move all season, which seems to have coincided with the 
> turn around after Christmas is "cutting" the captain... he is not a 
> healthy scratch, he is GONE.
>  
> so while I agree that Tim cannot be coach of the year for the early 
> season woes, he might be coach of the second half for doing something 
> that was very hard to do, something which turned this team right 
> around.
>  
> I am confident that this team would not be in the NCAA tournament 
> picture had the "cut" not been done, and I am also confident that, 
> inspite of Jimmy's early season ups and downs, this team would not be 
> so close to the bubble had the "cutting" been done a lot sooner.
>
> Bob Fitta <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> I have to laugh a bit at some of the folks now piling on to the
> bandwagon and claiming Tim all of a sudden is a genius.
>
> I have been called an apologist on this board for Coach Whitehead and
> in many cases I am. I am someone who instead of panicking when things
> were going bad thought let's see how things sort themselves out before
> we make a judgment about this years team. I happen to agree with many
> of the comments Dan touched on, the biggest loss for this team was
> Prestin Ryan from last year, plain and simple. Players like Todd,
> Colin, and even Dustin are tough to replace, but you are faced with
> that every year, and at the beginning of this season Maine was ranked
> #2 in the country.
>
> To say that this team lacks a certain degree of talent is ludicrous!
> Maine has a tremendous amount of talent and recruits the best players
> for the sys! tem that they use. I laughed when I recently read some
> so-called expert write that Lowell had a better team on paper, but
> thought Maine would win the series because of home ice. Better goal
> scorers don't beat depth and a willingness to work. This team is
> performing better now because they are willing to work!
>
> People who saw Maine play a number of games before the Christmas break,
> for me best exemplified by the Harvard game, saw a team not get to the
> front of the opposing teams net, and a defense that did not move people
> from in front of their own net. Maine is doing that now, and that is
> not as much about coaching, as it is about working and wanting to win.
>
> I think there is something to be said for getting to a National
> Championship and then coming back and expecting to win rather than
> working to win. This team seems to be working to win, and if anyone is
> surprised they are in the Hockey East Semi-finals you're crazy. Based
> on their ! talent level they absolutely should be their!
>
> I think the coach has done a great job this year dealing with the team
> and finally getting them to understand what it will take to win. But
> if we lose Friday and then lose our one tourney game I will admit that
> the team will have underachieved this year, not the coach, but the
> team! I like this years Maine team and I still believe that they can
> win the National Championship, but I'm also not foolish enough to
> believe that they could lose their next two games! The truth of the
> matter is, it is all up to them.
>
> Tim is doing a wonderful job at Maine and I have and will continue to
> support him 100% and will continue to be called a Maine apologist by
> some.
>
> But Coach of the year in Hockey East, not this year. To be honest I'd
> have Blaise, Jackie, Bruce and even Umile ahead in terms of
> expectations going into the season. Maine did not have many question
> marks this year and were picked to! finish 2nd in the league, 4th is 
> not
> coach of the year and I have a feeling Coach Whitehead would agree with
> that!
>
> Bob Fitta '83
> On Mar 15, 2005, at 9:03 PM, steve hayes wrote:
>
> > doucette, i'm sure you're right parker or mcdonald wil most likely
> > receive
> > HE coach of the year......i don't have enough information to argue 
> that
> > point......What i do kow is in early January Maine was
> > staggering....now
> > here they are playing in the HE semifinals........this is most
> > certainly NOT
> > a team "by and large populated by the players who suited up to take
> > the team
> > all the way to the National Championship" (doucette's words in 
> quotes)
> > Gone
> > from the team are the top two offensive players in White and Jackson
> > and an
> > all american defenseman in Ryan..... i guess you don't remember them
> > Doucette? whitehead has somehow not only juggled the lines to produce
> > a few!
>  > goals but has also taught this team how to play team defense 
> something
> > that
> > was missing most of the season.
> > Check out the teams goals against average in their last 15 games! and
> > it's
> > not becuase Howard is playing any better......and Doucette i couldn't
> > disagree with you more on the talent level of this 
> team..........there
> > is no
> > big time defenseman that logs 35 minutes and clears out opposing
> > players
> > from the front of the net....there is no big time offensive 
> defenseman
> > to
> > play the point on the power play.......there are no big time goal
> > scorers........what we do have are many very good players but the 
> only
> > player even approaching "talented" is Levellie. He is a magician with
> > the
> > puck but he needs some scorers.........i will modify my stance on HE
> > coach
> > of the year. Maine needs to win the HE tourney (slim and none). Win
> > the> NCAA toruney and Whitehead's coach of the year.
> >
> Bob Fitta
> Director of Advertising
> Harvard Magazine
> 617-496-6631
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Bob Fitta
Director of Advertising
Harvard Magazine
617-496-6631