No Need for Torts to Disrespect Sam
Update, 3:20 p.m.:
Tortorella apologized to Sam Rosen for his antics the other night following the game vs Buffalo
— Daren Millard (@darenmillard) March 14, 2013
...while it doesn't excuse Torts for the way he treated Sam, I am very happy to see this.
Original Post:
I was 100% on board with the Rangers hiring of John Tortorella. He was a Stanley Cup winning coach who was known for an up-temp, pressure offense as well as being a great motivator.
And oh those candid post game press conferences, I couldn't wait.
And while Torts has inexplicably gone from preaching "safe is death" to death to those who aren't safe, his press conferences have not disappointed.
That was until Tuesday night, when he decided to take his frustration out on the beloved Sam Rosen after the Rangers tough loss in Buffalo...
Here's Bob Raissman at the Daily News on Tortorella's embarrassing attack on Sam...
"This is what he gets in return for his loyalty? A load of crap from a coach who has done as much whining as winning. Rosen is the voice of the Rangers. For many fans, he’s a beloved figure. This is the guy Tortorella decides to treat like a used sweat sock?"
...if Torts wants to go after Larry Brooks or any of the other beat writers, I'm ok with it and I think they are as well. But to go after Sam, who I have to question what he's even doing interviewing Torts postgame anyway, is crossing the line in my opinion. He completely disrespected an icon in the realm of New York sports.
...Torts has always talked about respecting the history of the Rangers franchise and he basically just dumped on someone who has played a significant part of it for many Rangers fans. Talk about a hypocrite.
...i've contended that even if the Rangers failed to make the playoffs this season Torts would survive the summer and be allowed to right the ship next fall. But I've got to be honest, with the team starting to spiral out of control a bit here along with this latest stunt I may have to re-consider my stance. One problem with a disciplinarian behind the bench is if the team isn't winning the act becomes tired real quick.
...and if Torts doesn't figure this out soon, he's legacy with the Rangers will not last a lifetime.
Here's a great video of Torts' greatest hits...
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No... Tortorella has just shown to the world what a classless gavone he is. If he (and his "quiet captain Callahan") had any guts at all they would be apolgizing to the media and the fans for their inability to manage a bowl movement and be inside the locker room giving that rash of disrespect to a bunch of lazy un-motivated thieves who are (for the most part) STEALING their NHL Salaries... Sam Rosen has been a standup guy for a lot of years who has maintained grace and professionalism under extremely difficult circumstances... Tortorella is not fit to carry his microphone case.
@SonLewis It is "cafone" and is a slur against Italians. I am Italian and I do not appreciate it.
@SonLewis Son..thank you for the reply. I just thought it was a non Italian making another negative comment, when it clearly was not. My apologies to you and all the best.
I have been Italian for nearly 62 years and the mis-spelling was quite intentional. I sincerely apologize for any offense as none was meant to anyone except coach Tortorella. A "cafone", by the way, is ANY low-class person and NOT specific to Italians... or at least that's how my Sicilian and Neopolitan family members used it for generations.
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if coach torts was winning 90% of the games you people wouldn't care what he said to anybody, so just get of his case and find something positive to do !!!!
What's make this guy so tough. F. Him. Learn how to play your stars and bench players who suck.
Torts is going to pull this stuff with the wrong guy one day and someone is going to take a swing at him.
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Just wanted to respond to some of the comments. Did I blow this out of proportion a bit? Probably. But for some reason it bothered me from Torts' condescending reaction to Sam's initial question to the "I'm sure YOU have a question Sam." I hadn't seen that Torts had apologized. If he did that's great.
Similar to Bob Murphy with the Mets, Sam is the voice I grew up with as a Rangers fan, so definitely upset to see him treated that way. He deserved better.
@KevinDeLury You made a good point. This isn't a terrible attack, but it's contrary to what Tort's preaches about respect for the franchise. When things start to strain, it's easy for players to see the coach as the problem, and looking like a hypocrite doesn't help you keep control of the room. It's a bad play by Torts, not so much as a man (though it's pretty petty on his part), but as a coach.
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Great post Kevin, that bully have no rite disrispecting Sam who is I.M.O. a Ranger icon.
I think Sam is doing the interviewing because Torts. Does not want to deal with Giannone who tend to ask the stupidest questons known to men. Did you ever really listen to his enterviews? It makes the fillings fall out of your teeth. I can not stand to listen to him , I turn the sound off when he is on.
@scrangersfan giannone is awful. i am so glad someone else agrees. he asks yes or no leading questions that imply he already has an answer.
@TheNYRBlog Torts has worn out his welcome here and to be quite honest,I think he has lost some of the team.
When I heard the word "inconsistency" come out of Sam's mouth, I said to myself "Oh shit. Sam just dug his own grave." What other kind of answer did Sam expect to get from Torts there?
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@nyrfan747 he has a job to do and shouldnt be afraid to throw out a SOFTBALL question. fuck. no one today believes in questioning authority.
@TheNYRBlog later apologized. Kicking a dead horse because we're losing? Never knew you to be so fair weathered Kev! Ur better than that!
@Trif14 It's great that he apologized, but it bothered me that he disrespected Sam like that. Aren't I always fair weathered? ;)
@TheNYRBlog agree what he did was wrong. Sam knows Torts level of frustration after a bad loss. I don't think Sam took it too personal.
I just feel bad for Sam getting sent down there to deal with that asshole. They should just let Brooks and Zipay and the other beat writers ask the questions, there's no need for Sam to be there.
@IcyCup @cb1 they do it for the post game. They want to have one of their own asking questions. That's why he always gets the first 2 questions....heard yesterday that torts apologized to Sam. That's good to hear, thought he might be too stubborn to do that
I don't think he disrespected Sam. He just sounded frustrated at the game but certainly not disrespectful towards Sam.
This is the media blowing a nothing story way out of proportion. Whatever guy asked the first question was going to get that response, They all knew it was coming. Also, I took it as more of a response to everyone and not just directed at Sam.
@TheNYRBlog I have never been a fan of how Torts has acted toward the media. No need for it and can only lead to more bad blood. Never works
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Oh come on, this is definitely being made into something MUCH bigger than it actually is. First of all, while all Ranger fans love Sam, he's not some God-like Ranger icon. He's not Yogi Berra. If he doesn't want to be treated that way, he and the rest of the reporters need to ask better questions. I swear, it's almost like they're trying to get a rise out of Torts by asking the stupidest, most obvious questions imaginable for the sake of a great quote. Well, they got one alright. Also, Torts wears his heart on his sleeve day in and day out. If you're genuinely surprised by this frustrated outburst, you haven't been watching this team'c coach the past few years. It was one unfortunate moment, they're both professionals, and I really doubt any of them are even thinking about this at all. Sam's a grown up, I don't think he needs us to defend him.
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@tookish190 You want to hear stupid questions? listen to Giannone he is a master at it.
Ummm, Yogi Berra isnt a God-like Ranger icon...you might have chosen Rod Gilbert or Eddie G. But I have to ask you, what questions can be asked that wouldn't considered obvious and stupid?? Is he supposed to ask whether or not Del Zotto was out of position on the Vanek goal? I've heard those questions asked before and the answer is always the same. "I have to review the tape to see". Again, it had nothing to do with the questions Rosen was asking. It was his saying "you must have a question Sam".
@giammarcor ...Wait, Yogi didn't play for the Rangers? No shit. I'm more of a Yankee fan so I picked a universally appreciated icon like Yogi Berra. Does substituting Gilbert or Giacomin for Berra really make that much of a difference? Anyway, it comes back to why the heck Sam is even in the press conferences to begin with. Asking whether the opposition has been the 'hungrier team' in losses has been asked ad nauseum this season. By now, he should know how Torts is gonna respond to that, just like how we know how he'd say his typical "review the tape" to certain questions. Smarter questions = smarter answers. And who's to say Torts didn't say that remark in response to Sam's dumb questions? Bottom line, this isn't an issue whatsoever. Both of these guys are professionals. Sam's not a child, I really don't think he needs us to rush to his defense when someone is rude to him.
Ah....I think this is getting a little blown out of proportion.
I wouldnt exactly call that an "attack" on Sam Rosen.
You have a ornery type of person in Torts....being asked questions after a bad loss.
Sam was just in the wrong place at the wrong time...lol
Not the end of the world
"...and if Torts doesn't figure this out soon, he's legacy with the Rangers will not last a lifetime."
lol
i saw what you did there. smart and great analysis kevin. i really think that this is the best rangers blog ive come across.
i was leaning towards torts side on how he handled himself in this "media scrum". but you brought it into context and i have to agree with you on this one.
hey. let's face it. sam, to a fault, has toed the company line. for him to come out and ask a softball question like he did (and we could all [including sam] think of a couple true hardball questions) and get lambasted by tortorella?
people skills.
who (was forced to) take the high road?
who looked like an asshole?
im disappointed in this team from the coach on down (with a few obvious exceptions).
%s dunno… would you respect him more if he played favorites? He’s a dick to all and sundry… when they lose. %s, et cetera.
I understand he was very pissed, frustrated. Same to me when we lost to Buffalo very pissed. But there is no excuse to disrespect the voice of the Rangers.
Can anyone post an article where Tort's apologized to Sam ? I read some of the comments said he apologized, and I'm sure he would !
@JoeNYR Never saw an article about it but a couple of people said on twitter they heard he had. (Can't remember if it was ESPN or TSN guys.)
I enjoy the pens comment on the top 10. And No need for torts to say anything to sam, but he was caught in emotion. When Im pissed I say things to people Im close with i dont mean, obviously torts is under the spot light more so he shouldnt say it but you can understand he probably has nothing against sam.
@TheNYRBlog I know that if i was him i would have been in a really pissed off mood also but still not an excuse to be a dick to Sam
Torts has been way off this season, from the terrible game mgmt (leaving his top line PK out in a blowout loss in MTL). His bottom lines have done nothing this year. Anyone can get goals out of top lines but hes just showing how ineffective his coaching is bec. his bottom lines have done nothing. Halpern, Boyle,Powe, those guys really deserve more playing time than Kreider?!?
Will Girardi, and Mcdonagh be around in 5 years, Torts abuses them with ice time.
@TheNYRBlog I'm super team Torts always but even I was appalled by that... although I think we can just say it was heat of the moment
I'll never forget on Mark Messier day, Mess looked up at the press box and gave props to Sam for all the years of dedication. That's how iconic Sam Rosen is. People say he asked a dumb question? It had nothing to do with Rosen's question. Torts looked right at him and said "I'm sure you have another question Sam". That was the greatest show of disrespect, treating him like a nuisance.
let's not put rosen on a pedestal. he's a homer and pretty much like the rest of the media, asks dumb f**king questions. if rosen has been doing ranger games for that long of a time he should be a lot better than he is !!!! ask torts a stupid question and i'm sure he'll oblige you with his type of answer. if you really listen to rosen you'll really find out how bad he is. so let's not bash torts on this. as far as i'm concerned THE WORST time to interview a coach is after a loss. other words, you ask and you shall receive!!!!
What does being a " homer " have to do with anything? He's intervieing the coach of the team he is the " homer " for! The " WORST " time to interview is after a loss????? What are you supposed to do wait a week then interview him! Your from update wory about the Sabres and not he Rangers!
@upstate tom dumb question or softball question i dont think it was ok to unload on the seemingly, most gracious of media people there. i also heard him be snippy with andrew gross (deep voice, i believe) who asked him the next question.
@Scott_from_Jersey @upstate tom the media asks "dumb f*cking questions?" sorry but that's based on opinion and just because Torts thinks the questions are dumb doesn't make him (or you) right
