Babcock fired as Blue Jackets coach

[Zamboni]

1 hour ago, Flashsabre said:

Or just go for the Godfather: Mike Keenan

Or dust off a dinosaur like Rick Dudley. Yea … That’s the ticket! 😂

[nfreeman]

What a debacle.  

[Pimlach]

He wanted to see pictures from their phones?  Is that creepy or what?  Boundaries?  

[PASabreFan]

26 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

He wanted to see pictures from their phones?  Is that creepy or what?  Boundaries?  

Why think the worst? Several players have defended the coach by saying it was merely an attempt to get to know the player. Here's a pic of my dog, my grams etc.

9 hours ago, DarthEbriate said:

Hitchcock, Tortorella, Babcock. You want an older-school defensive-minded coach who might not get along with kids these days? I hear Darryl Sutter is available.

New school offensive minded players coaches are the way to go.

[inkman]

4 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

Why think the worst? Several players have defended the coach by saying it was merely an attempt to get to know the player. Here's a pic of my dog, my grams etc.

I mean that was the company line but some of the deets are a little concerning

“According to multiple sources, one of the most serious concerns was a meeting that occurred away from team facilities that included “several minutes” of looking through a phone. That was beyond the scope of what was initially understood to have occurred.” #CBJ

https://x.com/puckreportnhl/status/1703503594761158903?s=46&t=MlZqQ72jOicGxFUY54ofpA

[Pimlach]

29 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

Why think the worst? Several players have defended the coach by saying it was merely an attempt to get to know the player. Here's a pic of my dog, my grams etc.

Why think the worst?  Because they fired him for it.  From the limited info in the news article apparently more people did not like it. 
 

I coached sports for many years, managed people for many decades - never felt I needed pictures of their friends and family to get to know them.  Talking to them in an open and honest manner - yes.  Setting rules and standards - yes.  Looking at pictures of their spouse and kids is not a need, and it comes well after the relationship is established.   
 

Then again, I keep learning how are different things are today.  

Edited September 18, 2023 by Pimlach

[Sabres Fan in NS]

What in the blazes was he thinking?  Really !!

[That Aud Smell]

1 hour ago, PASabreFan said:

Why think the worst? Several players have defended the coach by saying it was merely an attempt to get to know the player. Here's a pic of my dog, my grams etc.

Because it's Babcock, first and foremost. The guy is an incurable a-hole. The players who came out and defended him appeared to have been towing a company line. Or perhaps they were personally okay with whatever it was that the HC did with their phones. There are apparently unnamed players who were not okay with what Babcock did -- taking their phones and perusing the camera roll (and DM inboxes?) for several minutes.

[MattPie]

16 hours ago, SABRES 0311 said:

According to what I read, Babcock asked players to share photos off their phone to get to know them better. Absolutely weird. 

Meh, on first read "share a picture from your phone" seems like a pretty normal team-building thing. I wouldn't blink if it was a corporate setting.

3 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

Why think the worst? Several players have defended the coach by saying it was merely an attempt to get to know the player. Here's a pic of my dog, my grams etc.

New school offensive minded players coaches are the way to go.

Yeah, so far this seems reasonable. It's common in my corporate setting to share things (if you want) to build a relationship. It can go overboard if "forced", but I've yet to see that. On our "team" page at work, we were asked to put a sentence about your hobby or whatnot after your name for the people interacting with us. You'd be surprised how many Buffalo ex-pats turn up that way, lol. There's also a trend in management that when you start with a new team you have a slide with a collage of your "outside work" stuff. It's kinda manufactured but mostly harmless.

2 hours ago, Pimlach said:

Why think the worst?  Because they fired him for it.  From the limited info in the news article apparently more people did not like it. 
 

I coached sports for many years, managed people for many decades - never felt I needed pictures of their friends and family to get to know them.  Talking to them in an open and honest manner - yes.  Setting rules and standards - yes.  Looking at pictures of their spouse and kids is not a need, and it comes well after the relationship is established.   
 

Then again, I keep learning how are different things are today.  

It's not really different than having a picture of your family at your desk or in your wallet.

Now all that said, taking someones phone and rifling through it? And the person is in a subordinate position where you hold their career in their hands? Creep.

[GASabresIUFAN]

4 minutes ago, MattPie said:

Now all that said, taking someones phone and rifling through it? And the person is in a subordinate position where you hold their career in their hands?

Ultimately, that's the real issue here.   

[SABRES 0311]

3 hours ago, MattPie said:

Meh, on first read "share a picture from your phone" seems like a pretty normal team-building thing. I wouldn't blink if it was a corporate setting.

Yeah, so far this seems reasonable. It's common in my corporate setting to share things (if you want) to build a relationship. It can go overboard if "forced", but I've yet to see that. On our "team" page at work, we were asked to put a sentence about your hobby or whatnot after your name for the people interacting with us. You'd be surprised how many Buffalo ex-pats turn up that way, lol. There's also a trend in management that when you start with a new team you have a slide with a collage of your "outside work" stuff. It's kinda manufactured but mostly harmless.

It's not really different than having a picture of your family at your desk or in your wallet.

Now all that said, taking someones phone and rifling through it? And the person is in a subordinate position where you hold their career in their hands? Creep.

If a boss wants to get to know a more personal side of an employee they can arrange events that promote it or learn over time as the relationship develops. In all my years of being in different leadership and subordinate roles I have never encountered this and never heard it be promoted as a leadership tool.

There’s a difference between a picture on a desk that is already physically accessible in the workplace and asking to gain access while holding a position of authority. The perceived position of authority to gain access to something one does not possess is a form of social engineering.

[Doohickie]

7 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

Why think the worst?

Because it was apparently bad enough for him to step down/get fired.

[Doohickie]

3 hours ago, MattPie said:

when you start with a new team you have a slide with a collage of your "outside work" stuff. It's kinda manufactured but mostly harmless.

But in that case, the employee is choosing what to share with coworkers.  Wholly different that handing your phone over to someone to search through.

[shrader]

25 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

Because it was apparently bad enough for him to step down/get fired.

Or he saw a certain number of players revolt against him this early and realized that it wasn't going to work.  That's how this one looks to me.  One or more players didn't like what he did and complained to Bissonnette instead keeping it internal.  The trust is gone forever at that point, both ways.

[matter2003]

He didn't even coach a game??

"How the hell did you get fired on your day off Craig?"

 

 

Edited September 18, 2023 by matter2003

[steveoath]

55 minutes ago, shrader said:

Or he saw a certain number of players revolt against him this early and realized that it wasn't going to work.  That's how this one looks to me.  One or more players didn't like what he did and complained to Bissonnette instead keeping it internal.  The trust is gone forever at that point, both ways.

Maybe they did go to someone else in house and were not listened to. It’s not like there is a lack of precedent for that in the NHL. 
 

trust was broken the moment Babcock decided he was the NSA and started wiretapping everyone’s phone. (Exaggeration for comedic effect). 
 

ETA: Babcock was ultimately left no option after the PA got involved after speaking to player(s) from what I gather - I think it was on the most recent 32 thoughts. No one should be making any excuses for this poor human. 

Edited September 18, 2023 by steveoath

[Taro T]

1 hour ago, steveoath said:

Maybe they did go to someone else in house and were not listened to. It’s not like there is a lack of precedent for that in the NHL. 
 

trust was broken the moment Babcock decided he was the NSA and started wiretapping everyone’s phone. (Exaggeration for comedic effect). 
 

ETA: Babcock was ultimately left no option after the PA got involved after speaking to player(s) from what I gather - I think it was on the most recent 32 thoughts. No one should be making any excuses for this poor human. 

What is it about people in positions of authority in the NHL or the NHLPA that leads them to be paranoid #####?  

Different situation, but this calls to mind the Ted Saskin saga.

[BillsShredder83]

2 hours ago, SABRES 0311 said:

If a boss wants to get to know a more personal side of an employee they can arrange events that promote it or learn over time as the relationship develops. In all my years of being in different leadership and subordinate roles I have never encountered this and never heard it be promoted as a leadership tool.

There’s a difference between a picture on a desk that is already physically accessible in the workplace and asking to gain access while holding a position of authority. The perceived position of authority to gain access to something one does not possess is a form of social engineering.

You never used your job authority to check out naked pics of your subordinates significant others?

Seriously WTF was this guy thinking. If this was all on the up and up, itd be pretty easy to ask players to each send you 1 or 2 pics that make you proud of your family, put them in a slide, and have each guy stand up during theirs and share about 'why and who they do what they do, for', share their major beliefs/motivations.  Team building meetings like this are common, and absolutely something I could see McD doing....... but 'enter your passcode, give me your phone, and ill be back in an hour' is psychopathic behavior.

Not like this coach was someone as the victim of players with an axe to grind against him. They havent played a single game yet and should still be in the honeymoon phase lol unreallllll

[SABRES 0311]

23 minutes ago, BillsShredder83 said:

You never used your job authority to check out naked pics of your subordinates significant others?

Seriously WTF was this guy thinking. If this was all on the up and up, itd be pretty easy to ask players to each send you 1 or 2 pics that make you proud of your family, put them in a slide, and have each guy stand up during theirs and share about 'why and who they do what they do, for', share their major beliefs/motivations.  Team building meetings like this are common, and absolutely something I could see McD doing....... but 'enter your passcode, give me your phone, and ill be back in an hour' is psychopathic behavior.

Not like this coach was someone as the victim of players with an axe to grind against him. They havent played a single game yet and should still be in the honeymoon phase lol unreallllll

This event and Babcock making Marner call out teammates when he was in a junior role is not coincidence to me. It seems Babcock tries to get people to do less than normal things. Either he is detached from reality or it's his way of imposing authority. Sort of a "no matter what, you will do as I say." Then again, I am not in the room, and I do not know the guy.

[aristocrat]

After what happened in Chicago you’d think people would learn. Players are afraid for their jobs and sometimes don’t know who to go to if there is a problem. 
 

this guy is a known pos and good riddance getting him out of the game. 

[inkman]

16 minutes ago, SABRES 0311 said:

This event and Babcock making Marner call out teammates when he was in a junior role is not coincidence to me. It seems Babcock tries to get people to do less than normal things. Either he is detached from reality or it's his way of imposing authority. Sort of a "no matter what, you will do as I say." Then again, I am not in the room, and I do not know the guy.

It’s sociopathic behavior.  He’s preying on people to make them do things they under no circumstances would do otherwise. He’s literally abusing his power for what seems like his own weird satisfactions.  This dude is giving off massive creep vibes.  

[bunomatic]

This is strange behaviour from a head coach. If my boss asked to see my camera roll he would see much more than family photo’s. He would see screenshots of memes of my political leanings, my belief/lack of spirituality,
I have a ***** ton of memes of bad labour practices, worker treatment etc that have little to no connection to my particular situation but how would it be percieved ? Babdick blew it again.

[Marvin]

4 hours ago, BillsShredder83 said:

You never used your job authority to check out naked pics of your subordinates significant others?

Seriously WTF was this guy thinking. If this was all on the up and up, itd be pretty easy to ask players to each send you 1 or 2 pics that make you proud of your family, put them in a slide, and have each guy stand up during theirs and share about 'why and who they do what they do, for', share their major beliefs/motivations.  Team building meetings like this are common, and absolutely something I could see McD doing....... but 'enter your passcode, give me your phone, and ill be back in an hour' is psychopathic behavior.

Not like this coach was someone as the victim of players with an axe to grind against him. They havent played a single game yet and should still be in the honeymoon phase lol unreallllll

Welcome to the board!

[Claude Balls]

Weirdo pervert to say the least. Mike Comrie has always had some outspoken things to say, but he has been dead on about Babs for a long time. Gotta respect him for calling him out. 

[That Aud Smell]

14 hours ago, BillsShredder83 said:

but 'enter your passcode, give me your phone, and ill be back in an hour' is psychopathic behavior.

Hear, hear.

What an incurable POS this guy is.