Tuesday, November 13, 2007

 

So, Why IS Jim Gregory in the Hall of Fame?

by Jes

David Pratt, in his Big Fat Rant, fumed about the fact that Jim Gregory was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the Builder category.

Excuse me, but on Monday night did Jim Gregory, the chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame's Selection Committee, actually induct himself?

Gregory spent one year as head coach of a pro hockey team.

The Toronto Maple Leafs were so impressed the next season they hired Gregory as an assistant coach and, after missing the playoffs, made him their general manager.

For the next decade, under his leadership, the Leafs never finished higher than third in their division and never went to a Stanley Cup final.

Gregory was rewarded for his failures.

Now, reading Pratt's Rant, you'd probably be thinking, "Hmm, just how the hell did a mediocre GM make the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder?" The Hockey Hall has made many questionable picks under his tenure, such as Clark Gillies and Dick Duff.

Then, you could go here, or here , or even here, and realize that David Pratt's one-sided argument ignores many facts, and presents all of the facts as well a Michael Moore documentary.

Jim Gregory was not elected to the HHOF for his tenure as a coach or GM, but for his tireless work behind the scenes in the NHL. Responsible for setting up the Central Scouting Service, among other endeavors, Gregory is one of those glue guys that does a lot of work behind the scenes, but rarely gets credit for the stuff he does.

Admittedly, I know little about Jim Gregory, but if you are going to make a case against his (self)-induction, you could present a more convincing argument.

PS: Glen Anderson as a Hall of Famer? No.
PPS: Paul Henderson? This horse has been beaten to dust. One great goal doth not a career make.
PPPS: Mark Messier still is, and will always remain, a giant dick.

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Comments:
Not to nitpick but it was 3 goals. He scored the GWG in games 6, 7, and 8.

Plus he was a Leaf so he must have been amazing.
 
If I were David Pratt reading this post, this is what I would say:

Touche!!
 
I actually know Jim Gregory well and he is as humble of a man as you can meet. He was embarrassed by the announcement because he does not like to be in the spotlight. And behind the scene he has been a tireless worker to support the great game of hockey. I think he was a great selection. But builders are never as well known as the players which is the way its supposed to be.
 
Didn't think I'd live long enough to agree with Fat Ass, but I'm with him on this one.
Google "Maple Leaf Gardens Sex Scandal."
And the GM of this hyper-dysfunctional debacle of a joke of a franchise that refused to allow the Soviets to play in the Gardens and stood opposed to the NHL-WHA merger is IN the HOF, but the man who not only had a decent NHL-WHA career but played out of his @zz in the most significant international hockey matchup this country had been involved in for decades before or after, is NOT. And don't get me started on the guy with, what 499 career goals and about another 100 playoff tallies for the modern-era's most dominant franchise?
That Gregory is on the committee that votes on membership makes his election the more ridiculous.
If they were to start the Hall from scratch and strike a committee with even the faintest semblance of impartiality, Gregory would have to buy TWO tickets to get in when the Hall finally opened to the public.
 
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