The New Jersey Devils have learned nothing.
Lindy Ruff?
In a move that can only be seen as questionable, the Devils recycled a head coach that did not have success in his last gig with Dallas.
What are they thinking?
They have a young, exciting team that has a real chance to be special, and they can't take the time to research one of the dozens of young, qualified, innovative and current hockey coaches currently working in junior hockey or the AHL?
They instead hire a guy who hasn't been a head coach in three years, who is over 60 years old, and who is not on the cutting edge of innovation. There are also quite a few people out there showing evidence that Ruff was one of the worst parts of the New York Rangers last year.
Oh well, it's the NHL, so you expect this kind of uncreative recycling.
Just for the record, the NHL's biggest and most expensive franchise recently hired a 30 year old GM and a rookie coach. With teams like New Jersey going to a veteran bench boss, the Devils are going against the trend of younger, more analytically attuned coaching.
Coming in at #7 it's Shane Doan.
Now most people would probably have him higher, but I was never a fan. Sure, he's a great third liner, and probably even at his peak a very good first-line winger, but he's so overrated it's a bit of a turnoff.
Like, it's obvious that a constantly shaky franchise would embrace the one guy who wants to be there, but I come from Toronto where we hate star players and embrace only the Domis and Tuckers, and that's always been dumb to me.
Doan is a great member of the Coyotes family, but he makes #7 only because of longevity. There are a lot more talented members of the team.
Still, he was a great player. Just not a Hall of Famer.
He has played more than double the games of the next player on the Coyotes games played list.
He has 216 more goals than anyone else, and he is also the franchise leaders in assists, points, and penalty minutes.
But this list give credence to overall talent.
Top 50 Movies of All-Time
50: Limitless 49: Oh Brother Where Art Though? 48: Role Models 47: the Rock 46: Mission Impossible Franchise 45: Nicholas Cage Man Tetrology 44:Heat 43: The Art of Self Defense 42:Walk Hard 41: The Winter Soldier 40:Taken 39: The 6th Day 38: Groundhog Day 37. The Batman Trilogy - Christopher Nolan 36: Jackie Brown 35: Gremlins 34: Who Framed Roger Rabbit 33: Speed 32: Adventure Land 31: Eyes Wide Shut 30: Semi Pro 29. Endgame/Ragnorak Trilogy 28. Baby Driver 27: Next 26: Keanu 25:Annie Hall 24: Catch Me If You Can 23: Serpico 22: Pop Star: Never Stop Stopping 21: Passenger 57 20: The John Hughes Trilogy 19: MacGruber 18: Source Code 17 Live. Die. Repeat 16. The Lethal Weapon Franchise 15: Paycheck 14: The Fugitive 13: The Prestige 12: Enemy of the State 11: Con Air 10: High Fidelity 09: Zodiac 08: the Terminator
Today, coming in at #7 is a movie that I have seen probably 20 times, and which always gets better. It is Wes Anderson's 2001 masterpiece the Royal Tannenbaums.
My favorite author of all-time is J.D Salinger, and I'm guessing it's Wes Anderson's too, which is partly why I love this movie that seems very much based on the Glass family.
It turns out I was wrong when I declared Enemy of the State to be Gene Hackman's best work, because he's in this too and he's amazing as the titular Royal.
This movie is so good I didn't even dock it points for casting Gwyneth Paltrow or Ben Stiller, two actors I generally can't stand.
Everything about this movie is perfect - the writing, the sets, the tone, the acting and the soundtrack.
To be honest, I could have populated this list with at least five Anderson films, but I used this one to stand in for all of them, much like I did with both Zodiac and Prestige.
The Life Aquatic is every bit as good as the Royal Tannenbaums, and in some ways even better.