Buccigross Jumps The Shark

So what happened yesterday? Many of us are still trying to figure that out. Allow me to list my own version of events as they unfolded, in an effort to figure out how Twitter managed to pwn us all.

Yesterday, around 4:15, I got a text stating that John Buccigross was saying that Heatly was a Shark today (yesterday) or tomorrow (today). My immediate response was "eff no!" because I don't buy the Heatley for Marleau and the Shark Zamboni rumors. There's just been way too many of them this summer for me to take seriously. But, curious, I look and see that Buccigross (or someone claiming to be him) has indeed tweeted about said trade. Not only that but Kukla's has it. I trust Kukla's as a reliable information source, and they obvious trust Buccigross. ESPN also has an article up about it.

Well holy eff, it's TRUE!

At this point I get a call from one Mr. Plank asking if people are just trying to mess with him by saying Patty was traded. I tell him all signs point to no and we both share a moment of vulgarity induced confusion.

I start to go back to investigating. The story is everywhere now. It spread like wildfire. Nothing totally confirmed, but everything is sounding like the deal was for real and it's about to go down.

I fanshot links to various articles and the conversation "asplodes" (as we say on teh interwebs). Still wishing for the rumor to be false, (more because I dislike how Marleau's been being treated by management and fans alike of late), I abandon my post and go to watch some TV and doodle. My mistake is that I chose to sit on a comfy surface and I quickly fall asleep. (I did somehow manage to finish the ACEO I had been working on before deciding to abandon consciousness in favor of sleepytime)

I awake a bit later, wander back to the computer and see that OH SHIT, the trade is confirmed. I repeated THE TRADE IS CONFIRMED. My mind blows. It's all over. I find some Kings fans discussing it elsewhere. I see tweets about it from all over. sjdhalsflsaf;sf'asf

From here on, it gets weird.

Shortly after seeing the trade is confirmed, the internets are flooded with reports that state quite the contrary. LA says no, they aren't involved in any trade. the Sharks say no. The Sens say no. Then we find out the Sharks and Sens haven't even spoken recently. Wait, WAT?

Conflicting reports pile up as I head out to find dinner. By the time I return, the hockey world has been righted and Patrick Marleau is still a Shark. Not a King, but a Shark.

The trade itself seemed overly complex, and moving Patty to LA seemed ridiculous. but given how things have been here in Sharksland this summer, it didn't seem preposterous. In fact, I'd say the crazy surrounding Marleau this off season only lending to the creditability of the statements.

Ignoring all other issues, this trade would have annoyed me because it feels like we've been jerking Marleau around for the past two summers, and he doesn't deserve the thrown under the bus treatment. Yes, he was the Captain during a spectacular playoff failure, but the team was sputtering well before April, and that ignores how he was Captain for all the good things that happened last year. It obviously wasn't just ONE GUY that caused the problems, it was systematic.

All I have been looking for all summer from Doug Wilson is a definitive answer on Marleau. Does the team stand by him, or no? And by "team" I mean ownership. It's been made clear over the years that the players stand by Marleau. While I don't doubt there weren't questions about his methods last post season in the locker room, I just don't feel like management leaving him out to dry is a good thing. We know Joe Thornton is safe, despite that fact that you could easily make similar claims about his lack of leadership. So why not Patty?

This whole situation reeks of something that should have been thrown out weeks ago, and yet has been left to fester in the back of the fridge. It was only a matter of time before it exploded.

To Be a Fly on Doug Wilson's Wall

There's been such a dearth of information this summer, I find myself wondering what it would be like to be in the room as the deadline for the Sharks to be cap compliant nears. What sort of conversations would I overhear on the phone? Who will get the bad news that they're being traded or sent down, and how will it be delivered. Does Doug Wilson ever yell? I mean like really get angry and crazy and yell? Will he have conversations with players that call for that sort of temporary loss of sanity? Do we want him to get mad? Well, yes, I think we do. He obviously was at the end of the season, but he's reverted to his normal, calmer, well tanned self.

Many fans that I have talked to are starting to lose faith in their GM. All talk, no walk, if you will. So much talk at the end of the season about changes, and yet, it's been so quiet. Yes, some players have left us, and I know DW isn't the big man on the free agency market. He never has been. And as he has said himself, the team won't be finished until the trade deadline. Which makes me wonder what he's planning. Visions of mass trading cascade loudly through my head, but I hope he doesn't do anything rash.

Marleau's name keeps popping up in rumors. I'd like to hear him say "Patty is safe." but he doesn't seemed inclined to say it. Oh sure, we know he didn't ask him to wavie his no trade clause, but saying that and saying he's safe are two different things.

Thornton and Boyle, we know, are safe. Everyone else seems to still be fodder for the rumor mill. Will he call these players and give them the boot just before the season starts? Or will those days pass quietly, with little fanfare and only a few notes of worthy of mention?

If only we could send in a little fly with a camera, we'd know.

huhwat?

We don't get it either.
David Pollak clears up a few things for the confused among us here.