I have basically come to the conclusion that the whole Islander organization, besides Mike of course, is one big intellectual Hindenburg! Bryan Smolinski was recently quoted as saying that when Mike was coach, everyone walked around with eggs in their pockets, or some weird little analogy like that, because they were afraid of what Mike would do to them if they did something wrong. And so they SHOULD HAVE been! Apparently, the players took it personally when Mike would get up all in their faces and tell them that they sucked when they actually did. Now, Mike's not a dumb guy. Emotional, yes, but certainly not dumb. Hell, he has a degree in urban sociology! Embedded in his brain is the notion that when someone tells you to your face that you suck, you don't go off in a corner and whine - you get your ass back on the ice and prove that person WRONG! That was Mike's motivational tactic, folks. It was probably the same tactic he used with his Bruins, and it worked there because he was dealing with some hard-driven men. Mike thought his tactic may work on the Island too, but he had no idea what kind of babies he'd have to deal with. By the time he realized this, it was too late. Fortunately, these players now have a guy like Bill Stewart to feed their tender egos.
The conclusion here is simple: On Long Island, if the coach tells you you suck, you crumple and whimper. If the coach tells you you're great, you get all puffed up and start scoring again. Eventually, the latter will lead to arrogance and slacking off. At least people like Trevor Linden and Scott Lachance know this - them being the only two players who understood what Mike was trying to get at.
