A Melrose by any other name.
After a 13-year hiatus as an ESPN broadcaster, Barry Melrose flopped as a coach of the Lightning and was fired after only 16 games. He never related to the players and never had their respect. Ownership made a bad hire.
Although he’s being well compensated now that he’s back in the broadcasting booth, he’s still being paid by the Lightning. But it obviously wasn’t hush money.
The other day Melrose showed that he not only lacked coaching chops; he also lacked class.
On Canadian radio, he cheap-shotted the Lightning ownership, interim coach Rick Tocchet and rookie Steve Stamkos. Melrose called Tocchet a puppet of ownership.
It’s one thing to lose. And it’s another thing to get fired for losing. No one is at their even-tempered best.
But nothing — a month removed — justifies that mean-spirited, juvenile insult he fired off from Toronto’s 590 AM: “I hope that Tampa Bay doesn’t win a game the rest of the year.”
A Melrose by any other name.
Stinks the same.