Maybe they should stick to soccer

There isn't much to say about the Toronto Maple Leafs general manager fiasco that hasn't been said (and said and said and said...) already. But, sometimes it's hard to ignore the madness.

Consider this exchange from From Friday's Prime Time Sports (you can listen to the whole thing here):

Bob McCown: There is no blueprint for hiring a president and a different general manager and a different assistant general manager and a different head of worldwide scouting, or any of that?

Gord Kirke: That's possible, but it's not a blueprint, you're right. It's not a blueprint like that.

McCown: What do you mean it's possible? Do you mean it's possible that you may be be involved in doing all that?

Kirke: Probably not. If the new fellow that comes in asks me for my assistance of course I'm willing and able to...

McCown: How long have you been doing this now?

Kirke: A few months.

McCown: And you haven't got this figured out by now?

Kirke: Yeah, I've got it figured out.

McCown: You're just not telling.

Kirke: I've got all the answers. I just can't deal with it now.

McCown:Do you think you're close?

Kirke: It could go on for a while.

Stephen Brunt: Gord, how do you define 'a while?'

Kirke: Well I don't...a while is an indefinite period--until we get it right. I don't want to rush into a mistake. I think that the fans after 40 so odd years deserve that we get it right. It's not a time thing. It's not about doing it fast.

Brunt: But, all those sort of hockey signposts that are coming up--draft, free agency, next season. Are all those signposts for you guys too?

Kirke: No, not in that quest, no they're not. I think that if you put up those kind of barriers and those kind of definitions (then) you're not going to do the best job that you can do.

Brunt: But, you have to hire someone to coach them, right?

Kirke: Yes.

Brunt: And it's normally seen as a sort of a cart before the horse thing (to hire a coach before a GM), right?

Kirke: Yes. No, you have to carry on. You can't just sort of have a (?) in the meantime until you have a new general manager. There is a team and we have an obligation to run it. So, you have to have infrastructure. What you have to be careful about is not to put the new person with people that he may not want to have.

(some talk about the coaching situation for 2008-09)

McCown: It would seem that the likely scenario here is that Cliff Fletcher will be running the hockey club come September--not definitely, but possible.

Kirke: You're right. It's possible.

McCown: It's looking more and more like that?

Kirke: It's possible. I'd like it to happen sooner just because I could come on (Prime Time Sports) more often.

Basically the Leafs might have a plan (but you'll have to take Kirke's word for it), they might have a new general manager in place for the start of the season (although it doesn't look like it) and they will likely have to hire a coach prior to hiring the new GM, understanding that said coach may (likely?) be fired when they do get around to actually hiring the new GM.

It's been 40-what years now?