Should Cam Neely be the next to go?
Debate the answer with Chad Finn and Boston sports fans at The Sports Q.
COMMENTARYWelcome to Boston.com’s Sports Q, our daily conversation, initiated by you and moderated by Chad Finn, about a compelling topic in Boston sports. Here’s how it works: You submit questions to Chad though Twitter, Facebook, email, his Friday chat, and any other outlet you prefer. He’ll pick one each day (except for Saturday) to answer, then we’ll take the discussion to the comments, where the mission is to have a sports conversation with occasional controversy, but without condescension or contrarianism. Chad will stop by the comments section several times per day to navigate. But you drive the conversation.When does Cam Neely get held accountable for this [mess]? #notclaudesfault – Kevin G.
By accountable, I presume you mean: When does Jeremy Jacobs poke his head into Neely’s office — presuming he ever leaves his Buffalo lair to come to Causeway — and say, “I have been informed we are missing the playoffs for the third straight year, Cameron. You and I know I don’t really care about winning that gauche silver trophy the masses covet — once every 39 years is a fine rate — but I dearly care about playoff ticket and concession sales. This is going to be the third straight season where we won’t have a playoff game, which means we will not sell a single hot dog, sausage sandwich, slice of pizza, healthy wrap, jumbo home-cooked meatball, peanut, popcorn, or fountain beverage. Clean out your office, Cameron. Here’s a voucher for a small home-cooked meatball as a parting gift. Do not ask for two.”
That’s my longwinded way of saying he’s a goner if they don’t make the playoffs. And they probably will not make the playoffs. Claude Julien was an asset in an organization that doesn’t have as many as it thinks. I suspect in tagging Bruce Cassidy as the interim coach that they are going for the hockey equivalent of Joe Morgan to Butch Hobson.
One other thought: I can’t think of a Boston athlete who has burned through such a deep reservoir of goodwill as quickly as Neely has over the past three years.
I often used the word beloved to describe an enduring and popular athlete. I probably overuse it. But it is the perfect description of Neely, who was probably the most universally popular — beloved — ‘80s Boston athlete after Larry Bird. He was the ideal Bruin in performance, toughness, charity, everything.
Four years ago, he was regarded as a savvy executive, with the Bruins winning one Cup and making it to the Finals again two seasons later. But player regression and a series of bad trades have undermined those best-laid plans, and he hasn’t often been accountable as the team president, instead leaving GM Don Sweeney to speak for the disorganized organization.
The Bruins are caught in between what they’re pretending to be (a playoff contender) and what they truly are (a team with mismatched pieces that should emphasize a rebuild). Claude Julien didn’t put them in this quandary, you know?
What do you say? Should Cam Neely keep his job? Or is he the next to go? Talk to me in the comments.
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