P̶O̶T̶V̶I̶N̶ DOLAN SUCKS!!

With apologies to Disney

It's time to alter the "Potvin sucks!" chant, Ranger fans. After not meddling with the New York Rangers like he's done with the Knicks, you are now officially in the ruinous hands of that dreaded disease known as James Dolan.

[Cue "Chiller" Theme]

 

The Madison Square Garden CEO's firing of John Davidson and Jeff Gorton is possibly the worst sports management decision in New York since June 15, 1977 when Mets' board chairman and renowned cheapskate M. Donald Grant traded Tom Seaver and Dave Kingman in exchange for a cache of trinkets and leftovers.

Dolan mumbled something about the Rangers lacking the "overall spirit and culture that goes with being a team." On that basis, he should've fired the coach. Or, better still, he should've just stayed the hell out of the way and let management decide. But no, Dolan had to stick his whatsis in and sack a championship caliber management team and possibly short-circuit something special for the Rangers.

 

Dolan is also said to want to bring in Rangers legend Mark Messier as an executive but that would be nothing more than the old name recognition strategy because Messier, by his own admission, has no experience in this field. It would be identical to when the Knicks signed Phil Jackson as team president (2014) and Dave DeBusschere as executive vice president and director of basketball operations (1982). Neither of them had any prior experience to speak of and their awful results bear that out. They were brought in only as figureheads. Name recognition of popular legends of the past. "The fans'll buy that," the owners foolishly thought, all while they were the ones making the decisions.

While Dolan is arguably the most reviled owner in New York now that the Wilpons are out of the Mets' picture, Jeff Gorton is among the brightest GMs in the league and John Davidson is one of the most respected hockey minds in every level of the sport and has a successful track record and a Stanley Cup to back it up with. But for some other-worldly reasoning, Dolan thinks he's smarter than they are. The fact is, he's too dumb to know that he had a good thing going and booted them after only two years. There's no good reason anywhere that Dolan can give to defend his actions. But who knows? Was he drunk? (Likely) Hung over? (Just as likely) Talking in his sleep? Getting advice from his buddy Jeff Wilpon? Taking polls from his band's club audiences? The awful truth is that it was Dolan being Dolan and by doing this he's indirectly putting pressure on the Knicks because they're building a young team like the Rangers are, and considering what he's done to them over the years, if they fall short of the post-season next year they could be next (again).

By now it's obvious that the NHL and the NBA will never gather the courage and common sense needed to figure out a way to rid themselves of Dolan for the sake of the leagues' respective credibilities. The NBA did that to former LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling. Although it was the sexual harassment case that got the league's attention, Sterling was forced to sell the Clippers after 25 years of incompetence and it's no coincidence that the team's been a solid contender ever since. Like every sports team's owner, Sterling may own the team, but he doesn't own the the NBA. The commissioners of both leagues need to see that and take notice once and for all that Dolan's departure will mean competitive sports at the Garden, which would be great for the leagues' coffers.

There is some hope for the Rangers because Chris Drury, who's eminently qualified after being an assistant to Gorton, has been named the new team president and general manager and he'll have Glen Sather to advise him. But whether or not Dolan has now become a permanent meddler is a genuine concern. As for now, Ranger and Knick fans alike are resorted to praying more than ever for league intervention or for somebody not named Wilpon to make an offer for at least a controlling interest in MSG that even Dolan can't resist. Most likely, we'll have to wait until Dolan kicks the bucket.