COMMENTARY : HOW MUCH MORE HISTORY CAN A TEAM LIKE PANTHERS WRITE?Byline: Dan Le Batard Dan Le Batard is an American newspaper sportswriter, radio host, and television reporter. Le Batard graduated from the University of Miami in 1990 with a bachelor of arts degree in journalism and politics. Knight-Ridder Newspapers It's a couple of hours before a Tuesday game, and Doug MacLean Doug MacLean is a Canadian ice hockey coach and general manager. He was born in Summerside, Prince Edward Island on April 12, 1954. He is the former president/general manager and head coach of the National Hockey League's Columbus Blue Jackets and was also the head coach of , South Florida's hottest coach, is on the phone. He's talking from New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of about how often he'll stare down his bench at the exhausted faces and shake his head in wonder, still stunned at how much his players give. It's as if someone placed a bookmark A stored location for quick retrieval at a later date. Web browsers provide bookmarks that contain the addresses (URLs) of favorite sites. Most electronic references, large text databases and help systems provide bookmarks that mark a location users want to revisit in the future. in the fairy tale fairy tale Simple narrative typically of folk origin dealing with supernatural beings. Fairy tales may be written or told for the amusement of children or may have a more sophisticated narrative containing supernatural or obviously improbable events, scenes, and personages a few months ago and just now resumed reading. It would have been easy for the Florida Panthers For the animal species by this name, see . The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida suburb of Sunrise. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). to get fat. They accomplished so much last season, going to the Stanley Cup Stanley Cup: see hockey, ice. Stanley Cup Trophy awarded annually to the winning team of the National Hockey League championship. Named for its donor, the Canadian governor-general Frederick Arthur Stanley, Lord Stanley of Preston Finals, and their reward was a shorter vacation than all but one team. Still, at the season's start, MacLean couldn't believe it when the strength coach handed over the results of the team's conditioning tests. ``We're in a lot better shape, significantly stronger,'' says MacLean. ``That shows you the kind of people we have, the kind of dedication. I'm amazed some nights at how hard we work, really amazed, because this is the world's most physical sport, in terms of constant battering every night. ``Football players only play 16 times and, yes, basketball is physical, but those guys aren't diving into walls.'' So much of sports today Sports Today is a long-running radio show on Melbourne, Australia radio station 3AW. It currently airs on Monday to Thursday between 6pm-8pm and is hosted by Gerard Healy and Dwayne Russell. Previously, it was hosted by the late David Hookes and Gerard Healy. is about being let down, but the Panthers keep picking up. Very few teams in hockey history have gotten off to a better start - the 1984-85 Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). set the standard by going 15 games without a loss - which is all the more remarkable when you consider this is a fourth-year team playing seven of its first 11 games on the road. The 7-0-4 start would sparkle even more if three late leads hadn't been coughed up. ``But now there is even more pressure to avoid losing,'' MacLean says. ``I told my wife Jill that the other day. She said, `No, pressure is losing five in a row, dummy.' I've got plenty of people to put me in my place at home. The kids do it, too. Thank God the dog can't talk.'' This start isn't a mirage, even though the Panthers don't have a scorer in the league's top 25. MacLean, ever humble, admits his defense is ``as good as there is in the league'' and jokes that goalie John Vanbiesbrouck John Vanbiesbrouck (born September 4, 1963 in Detroit, Michigan) is a retired American professional ice hockey goaltender. He played for the New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders, and New Jersey Devils. is playing so well he should get the coach's hotel suite - the only plush room the team gets. The contract that the Florida Marlins baseball team will soon offer Albert Belle? It'll be worth about three times as much as the entire Panthers payroll. ``The thing that's so encouraging is that these players are improving,'' MacLean says. ``The people in the league know, too. The difference between last year and this year - and it's a major difference - is that hockey people are saying that we're good, not that we're overachieving. You look for respect from your peers, and we have that.'' Not that you'll ever hear him boasting. Dallas Coach Barry Switzer said of the Miami Dolphins, ``There's not a player on their football team, Dan Marino included, who could start for us.'' MacLean laughs at this. ``Barry doesn't have to play the Dolphins again, does he?'' MacLean asks. ``We play teams here six times. I tell the guys all the time: Don't say anything that can get you in trouble.'' And with that MacLean was off to tackle the next task. It's simple enough. And it's impossible. All he has to do is improve on something that was perfect. And, much like Vanbiesbrouck when he's right, you can't put it past him. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: With a 7-0-4 start, the Florida Panthers seem dedicated to repeating their trip to the Stanley Cup finals. Associated Press |
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