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About Mike Boone
Full Name
Mike Boone
Web site
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/columnists/mike_boone.html
About
I grew up in Park Extension, within walking distance of Dickie Moore's Dairy Queen on Jean Talon. Moore had a place on L'Acadie Blvd., and we used to see him driving around in his convertible with a Samoyed and a very dishy wife.
While "studying" at McGill University during the 1960s, I used to attend games at the old Montreal Forum. My fellow undergraduate reprobates and I would scramble up the stairs to get centre-ice spots in the top standing room section, where aged ushers didn't know or care what we were smoking.
I stood out in the cold for six hours to get tickets to the 1975 New Year's Eve game between the Canadiens and Central Red Army. With the exception of the birth of my daughter, the 3-3 tie was the greatest event I've ever seen in my life.
The Canada-U.S. Gold medal game comes close .... but I wasn't there.
I've been a professional journalist since 1974, when I joined the Montreal Star sports department. I've covered the 1976 Olympic Games, the 1979 Expos, pop music and MSO tours of Europe and Asia (classical musicians are WAY more fun to drink with than athletes). I wrote a TV & Radio column for 20 years and, since 2000, have written a City column for The Gazette.
The best part of being a Habs Inside/Out contributor is attending games at the Bell Centre. I think it's a great building: noisy, raucous and packed to the rafters with Montrealers and visitors who live for hockey.
And I still get goosebumps every time Michel Lacroix booms out "Accueillons nos Canadiens ..."
Having seen the Boston Red Sox win two World Series and the Pittsburgh Steelers add a couple Super Bowl titles, I suppose I can die happy ... but not before another Stanley Cup parade. And I'd really like my daughter to see a historic New Year's Eve game.
I like all the players. Covering baseball gives me a profound appreciation of pro athletes who aren't jerks.
My weltanschauung was summarized by the late great Bill Hicks when he said "all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration, we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively, there is no such thing as death, life is only a dream and we are the imagination of ourselves."
Have a nice day.
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Finally some logic! Gagnon has these ridiculously dumb fans down to a T. Never ever insult Koivu. This man was not the problem at all. Hell, during the playoffs last season, he was the only one who threw himself at Chara. Where's the character for the rest of the team?
Can I get a translation anywhere to that? I have to confess that my languages are: finnish (native), swedish (wife), english and a little german... Only word I can in french: "Merde!"... :)
Nobody has answered me in another thread. Id like to know if Koivu was so well liked and admired inside the lockerroom, why did Carbo make Kovalev captain when he got hurt. I mean no coach or organization ever does that.
Key word: Carbo
One thing's for sure: the 168 people who responded to Francois' article had plenty of others to blame!
No kidding... Don't worry guys... we will find someone else to blame.
The question is... Was Koivu part of the solution or part of the problem?
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We have a new team!
Mike Komisarek: 0-0-0
Its amazing to me how the anglo media likes Gagnon and most of the Francophone media call him a "vendu" (sell out). I find that he does fine work and, as Boone said, he's very fair and analytical.
He's on the "Antichambre" show on RDS quite often and he brings a lot of credibility to that show. Not like that goon Morissette...ugh...listening to him talk for an hour is hard! Him and Bergeron on the same show is just a bad idea...
Anyhow, yep, it was a nice piece on Koivu..for sure.
Good article...balanced...points out the good and bad...and as for Gagnon's rep in the business, it is probably a lot like other things in life: "If you are not with us 100%, then you are against us 100%..." I mean, Heaven forbid that Gagnon be good at what he does...
Gaston Therrien wrote an ok article as well....the good and bad and praised Koivu for his heart but devoted a good chunk of the article on RDS for his not speaking French publicly/often enough...that urban legend will never die down...when EVEN Morissette gets tired of that one and exclaims that he does speak French and that that topic needs to be put to rest, what more do you want?
Also, I find nothing wrong with Morissette I equate his role as the "everyman", not the media insider or old coach/player...
"Even Roy can be run out of town after 2 Stanley Cups."
Gagnon always been a Koivu cheerleader. He admits it himselft frequently.
Nice piece though...
I mean i'm sorry... I never been a fan of Koivu... why does that makes me so evil?
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We have a new team!
Mike Komisarek: 0-0-0
I think the problem that people had with your stance was not the fact you were not a fan of Koivu, but the fact that you believed that he brought ZERO to the team on and off the ice, that's all.
"Even Roy can be run out of town after 2 Stanley Cups."
because saku stood for all the light in the world DUH (tongue-in-cheek)
- thanks for everything, saku koivu.
Everybody has a right to oppinion, I just dont see how anybody could not like Koivu. The guy always played 100% and played with pride. No complaints, no drama just hard work and play.
2009-2010 Return of the Habs
Yes, i guess... Played 100% and with pride, but thats a requirement for hockey players... All of them. I have never been impressed by his play style and mostly found myself being frustrated because he was down on the ice or taking one of his famous penalty behind the play. Sure, he had the occasional highlight reel goal once in a while.
It's not his fault... is it the club's fault? Probably... It's the club's fault for putting him in the spotligth... and that is what fans will see. A guy that failed to bring a championship home.
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We have a new team!
Mike Komisarek: 0-0-0
Dude, you got to stop with that bringing a championship home BS.
Replace him with any elite centre over the past 13 years on the exact same team Koivu had and he'd produce the same result as Koivu. Never mind that Koivu's best winger was briefly Mark Recchi, aside from Theo's one amazing season we never had a goalie that could steal a game or two in the palyoffs during his entire time with the habs. Koivu can't do it all.
It would not be possible to have the exact same team if you switch Koivu. We would have got much more free agents to sign for us. I mean... "Hey Free Agent X... here's with who you are going to play: Saku Koivu".
For sure, Koivu can't do it all... He's not that kind of players. Now... i don't want to compare, but let's just say we had... hmm Crosby instead of Koivu (with the exact same team). I'm sure we would have went further in the playoffs and had better chances at winning something. Just saying.
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We have a new team!
Mike Komisarek: 0-0-0
What kind of a message does it send when a player needs to be defended? I am not criticizing Saku here, just making a comment about perception.
I've been a Koivu supporter for the longest time, but I came to a conclusion a while back that the Habs needed to turn the page on the Koivu era. IMO the Habs' demise was a management issue. George Gillette, along with Bob Gainey, righted the franchise.
I certainly empathize with those fans who were amongst the die-hard Koivu fans. I know for a fact that should the Anaheim Ducks play the Habs next year at the Bell Centre (and Koivu isn't on the IR, which face it, is a possibility) he'll get a massive standing ovation. I really hope Saku plays at least 70 games this year and should the Ducks make it to the post-season that he enters the playoffs healthy.
i can't believe people actually celebrates koivu's departure...those people have NO CLASS.
- thanks for everything, saku koivu.
Well written article. I like Gagnon's tongue in cheek commentary...and the fact that he seems really plugged in to the hockey goings-on...not the rumors like most of the rest of the media in Montreal.
McGuire's head is getting a little too big for his hat...he rode Gainey all season on the Team990 for having 10 UFAs come July 1...obviously BG saw something that he didn't like in the room to let these guys go. Maybe, as often happens, Koivu's role was taken far too much for granted, and the 'cliques' that were in the room a few years ago were back and too much to handle. What's really scary is that none of these guys seem too put out when they've moved on except Higgins. I fear he might be the guy that really lights it up this year...
Aah summer...when we REALLY start debating hockey...
"Music is the best." - Frank Zappa
I think François Gagnon does a pretty good job.
When I hear him on Team990, read his blog or see him on some other shows like L'antichambre... I always respect what he brings.
I think that is a well written piece by Mr Gagnon on Koivu.
- Yves http://yvesonhabs.blogspot.com
Good on Francois who is an excellent hockey analyst (ahead of MacGuire in my mind and far more humble)...This is the 2nd such article written by sports writers of "La Pressee" since July 1st...it would have been nice had more of these types of articles been written during Saku's time here. At least it would have balanced the scale a little with all the crap being written about him.
I wish I could read French...
In essence, Francois is wondering and asking the Saku bashers who they will blame now for the habs lack of success. He makes it obvious that he felt that Saku was unjustifiably the scapegoat and that he deserved better.
He's lumping all the fans together a bit, and he forgets to mention that certain media personalities were public champions of the stupid anti-Saku sentiment*, but his piece is an excellent rebuttal to those fans who've bought into the 110% rhetoric and think of Saku as the cause of what ails the Canadiens...
*: Okay, I'm being too nice. Mike Boone's term of "jackal" is much more apt.
Excellent read. It's funny. I used to hate the Ducks with an unbridled passion. Now I want them to win the cup [behind the Habs, obviously].
It's easy to cheer for the Ducks now: hate Burke, hate Pronger, love Koivu. Go Ducks.
TO NEXT YEAR...
Wierd. Love Burke. LOVE Pronger and LOOOOVE Koivu. I was a big fan of the Ducks before and just as much now. Love smash mouth hockey.
I like Teemu, Siedermayer, Getzlaf and Ryan too ..... I'll definitely be pulling for the Ducks in the West....I like the Hawks too (I really like their game rigth now). The Wings tok some big hits this offseason......samuelsson, hudler and Hossa ...they have some kids coming in but those are three contributors and the balance of power may have just shifted in the west. I would be surprised to see the Wings win the West this year.....they still have their core but they lost basically a whole line. Their depth is what made them so scary...lose lidstrom, zetterberg or datsyuk...they never missed a beat.....now with their depth challenged.....could be a little different story...then again they are the Wings.....I still don't think they come out of the west next year.
"Siedermayer"
Is that what you get when u morph Dennis Seidenberg & Scott Neidermeyer? :)
"I went to see a fight the other night...And A hockey game broke out!" ~Rodney Dangerfield~