Ask Jim Fox, part 6

Here’s the second-to-last group of answers from Jim…

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Vahe said:
Hey Jim,
How hard is to constanly cover a team that is not in the playoff picture by December, escpecially with the cross town rivald, being a consistent cup contender in recent years? As a Kings fan, I know it is so hard to watch a team lose game after game, even if there is chance that in a couple of years we will finally be contender. (Even though it seems that they may never come)
Thanks

Vahe:
It can be frustrating to go through this but I love what I do and I find myself excited for every game…I have to admit, it hurt and it hurt a lot when Anaheim won the Cup a couple of years ago…I just keep thinking that all of the tough times will make the good times that much more special…

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Brian in HB said:
Jim:
If you were to pick our next Coach, who would it be? Or, what kind of coach would it be, maybe referencing other NHL coaches that are already under contract with other teams?

Brian in HB:
So many to pick from…one coach I really respect is Joel Quenneville…as far as the news goes today, it looks like it’s going to be Terry Murray…whoever it is…the priority must be on teaching…the Kings will probably be even younger this year than last…fundamentals and teaching over motivation and systems…

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Anonymous said:
Hi Jim,
The Kings future will rest on the shoulders of Bernier, Zatkoff or Quick (whoever wins out) and our young crop of blueliners: Johnson, Hickey, Doughty, Teubert, Voinov, Martinez, Campbell, etc. Assuming 4 or 5 of these players make it, considering their raw inexperience, do you foresee a major problem going forward with so many young defenders? In my estimation, this group (although talented) couldn’t reasonably “contend for a Cup” for at least another 4 or 5 years due to the lack of veteran leadership (and I don’t mean guys like Preissing and Modry). Am I wrong? Or has the NHL shifted to a “young man’s game” and we should be fine?
I bring this up because I think a lot of fans are under the impression that we’ll contend for a Cup sooner. You’re thoughts…

Anonymous:
The Kings are in a development stage right now…going young to try and build a solid foundation first…they will need veteran leadership as well as veteran players who will be impact players…that is where the biggest challenge will be…the timing of when to add some veterans and then hope to attract free agents…one thing the new ‘free agent” rules do is opens things up more than in the past…the ability to get free agents at a younger age is upon us now and in the next few years…it sounds like you are concerned about this upcoming season…the Kings are expected to go young…this means growing pains and learning experiences…the Kings should be fine in the future…it will take more time…

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Tom said:
Jim,
There has been some speculation on message boards that you might be a good choice for the next Los Angeles Kings head coach. There have been a couple of successful coaches come out of the broadcast booth in other sports. Have you ever considered going into the coaching profession?

Tom:
I am very flattered by all of this attention re the coaching world…I have answered this question before, so if you don’t mind, I will just insert the answer here…
Thanks for the confidence in me…I don’t have enough experience to apply for an NHL coaching job…I have always been very interested in coaching and have tried to study coaches as much as possible, but, since I love my job so much, I have never given it serious consideration…I think I can read the game well, I think I would have good enough communication skills, but there is so much more to learn…I would have to quit broadcasting and start at a lower level than the NHL…at this time, I would like to stay where I am…I would be lying if I said I have never thought about coaching, but as I mentioned, I am not willing to give up broadcasting to do it…thanks again!

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PKM said:
#1-Do you remember in your first (or second) season of broadcasting you described a five-hole goal by Cam Neely by saying “Cam ‘Neeler’ goes ‘tweenies”? Had me dying laughing, but it also endeared the rookie broadcaster with the nervous energy. You’ve come a long way!
#2- Any other gaffes, big or small, on air/off air, that you recall fondly in hindsight?

PKM:
Too many “gaffes” to list here…there was a time when a goalie made a save by falling back and sitting of the puck…I was thinking about “shot and sit” and it came out…and he just “s**t on the puck…
…I didn’t know you could go “tweenies” in hockey…there’s no tweenies in hockey…
…thanks for sticking with me…

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ianmonsta said:
if offered the job would you take the reigns as head coach?

ianmonsta:
If offered…wow…what an opportunity…unfortunately I don’t have the necessary experience to take over an NHL team…as I have mentioned a few times before…I have been asked this quite a bit and I appreciate the thought, but I am inserting my full answer here…copied from a previous question…
Thanks for the confidence in me…I don’t have enough experience to apply for an NHL coaching job…I have always been very interested in coaching and have tried to study coaches as much as possible, but, since I love my job so much, I have never given it serious consideration…I think I can read the game well, I think I would have good enough communication skills, but there is so much more to learn…I would have to quit broadcasting and start at a lower level than the NHL…at this time, I would like to stay where I am…I would be lying if I said I have never thought about coaching, but as I mentioned, I am not willing to give up broadcasting to do it…thanks again!

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psycho said:
I can tell you first hand that Foxy still plays hockey … I have the bruises on my lower back from his cross checks to prove it! 🙂 He still plays the game the same way: you get in his way, you’re gonna pay the price! Whether your someone he’s never met or an ex-teammate!
We love you Foxy! But its time to take it down a notch! My bones and muscles aren’t what they used to be! 🙂

Psycho:
…just one thing I have to say to you…Keep your head up!…:)

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34YearKingsFan said:
Jim – from Mark Seidel, the chief scout for North American Central Scouting, on the 2008 NHL draft:
“A+, Los Angeles Kings – When you begin the proceedings with the best defenseman in the draft, Drew Doughty, things are looking up. But the Kings consistently made tremendous picks that will help the franchise rebound from some tough times. Along with Doughty, the Kings got stud defensemen Colten Teubert and Vyateslav Voinov who will combine to give the Kings the best back end in four years; we all know how valuable stud defenders are. Not being satisfied with these picks, they also added the skilled Robert Czarnik and Andrei Loktionov along with the biggest winner in this draft, Justin Azevedo. All in all, the Kings did the best job at this year’s gathering and the future looks very bright in Tinsel town.”
Did he go too far??

34YearKingsFan:
I hope not…it would be great in everything worked out like he said…that would put the Kings “batting average” in this draft at about .800…maybe too much to ask for…one thing for sure…along with the draft, Dean Lombardi is a big proponent of “developing” players…the draft is one thing, but bringing players along the right way may even be more important…that is one of the first things Dean ever said to me…

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Matt George said:
Jim,
Thanks for all you do. You are in a class above.
I think the new marketing campaign for the Kings this year should be “Believe”.
Tell me, as long as you’ve been following the organization, does this game plan excite you moving forward or have you been down this road before?
I think I speak for all of us when I say there is a genuine fear that we are all going to be in the same boat as the clippers fans.

Matt:
Thanks for the kind words…I have addressed this before…I believe that if you make the decision to rebuild, then you go all the way…you can’t go in between…the Kings have made that decision and are in the process of rebuilding…no doubt it is frustrating and the Kings lack of success recently has not been fun for anyone…the foundation is starting to come together…let’s hope it leads to a very strong house…

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Lance said:
Jim,
I’ve heard some crazy hazing stories (of Kings rookies) from the past. Any you’d care to share with us?

Lance:
Most of the rookie stories I remember involve the “rookie initiations” that used to take place…not naming names, but there was a guy who was stripped down to nothing…put into and taped into a shopping cart…then he was put in the hotel elevator and all of the buttons were pushed…he was not a happy camper…the “Grand Pooh Bah” made many appearances, but I’m am sworn to secrecy…

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