Earthquake Enyart
02-13-2003, 08:56 AM
Woolley described Ruff's work environment as the "Buffalo Brainwash."
"You make a little mistake and you're bombarded with video," Woolley said. "Here it's about the big picture. There's been no pounding down of the guys.
"Guys (in Buffalo) got videoed and pounded to death. Some guys can't take it and some guys can. I could always take it, and I did for a while. But guys like (former Sabres forwards) Erik Rasmussen and Geoff Sanderson got abused there.
"Every time I sat out, I wanted to come back the next game and stick it up your (expletive). I think my teammates always respected that. But it also hurt me in that they started to think, "We know we can sit Woolley out, he's going to respond.' "
In the eight games he played after being a healthy scratch last season, Woolley had three goals and three assists.
He claimed Ruff gave preferential treatment to certain players when it came to being scratched. It irked Woolley so much that last summer he lobbied good friend and former Sabres captain Michael Peca to speak with the New York Islanders' management about acquiring him.
"Last year," Woolley said, "Lindy told the team, "I don't care who you are. If you don't perform, you're going to sit.' That couldn't have been any more B.S. because the same guys got sat out all the time.
"I just felt that no matter what I did it wasn't good enough. Lindy and I . . . I don't think I ever understood our relationship. We weren't communicating much. . . . Once my assistant captaincy was taken away (before the 2001-02 season), I felt that was a shot I didn't deserve."
Woolley said it didn't take long to shake that miserable feeling once he arrived in Hockeytown.
"When I got here I was worried about making mistakes, and then I remembered, "You're not in Buffalo anymore, brother,' " he said.
Ruff wasn't shocked to hear Woolley's pointed remarks. But the coach seemed mildly perturbed Woolley never conveyed his frustrations in person.
"He's found the gravy train," Ruff said. "He's riding on top of the world right now and he thinks it's easy when you're up there to take a shot.
"It just sounds like another player that doesn't want to be held accountable. You've got to compete on a daily basis. As a coach you listen to excuses, and Jason was a guy that needed 25 pair of skates. And it was never him, it was the equipment. His hips needed to be aligned. It was flying in a special doctor. We catered to his every need, or we tried to.
"This is his fifth team. He was put on waivers. Nobody wanted him. Everybody in the league had a chance to watch him play and pick him up for free, but they didn't."
http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20030213/1007355.asp
"You make a little mistake and you're bombarded with video," Woolley said. "Here it's about the big picture. There's been no pounding down of the guys.
"Guys (in Buffalo) got videoed and pounded to death. Some guys can't take it and some guys can. I could always take it, and I did for a while. But guys like (former Sabres forwards) Erik Rasmussen and Geoff Sanderson got abused there.
"Every time I sat out, I wanted to come back the next game and stick it up your (expletive). I think my teammates always respected that. But it also hurt me in that they started to think, "We know we can sit Woolley out, he's going to respond.' "
In the eight games he played after being a healthy scratch last season, Woolley had three goals and three assists.
He claimed Ruff gave preferential treatment to certain players when it came to being scratched. It irked Woolley so much that last summer he lobbied good friend and former Sabres captain Michael Peca to speak with the New York Islanders' management about acquiring him.
"Last year," Woolley said, "Lindy told the team, "I don't care who you are. If you don't perform, you're going to sit.' That couldn't have been any more B.S. because the same guys got sat out all the time.
"I just felt that no matter what I did it wasn't good enough. Lindy and I . . . I don't think I ever understood our relationship. We weren't communicating much. . . . Once my assistant captaincy was taken away (before the 2001-02 season), I felt that was a shot I didn't deserve."
Woolley said it didn't take long to shake that miserable feeling once he arrived in Hockeytown.
"When I got here I was worried about making mistakes, and then I remembered, "You're not in Buffalo anymore, brother,' " he said.
Ruff wasn't shocked to hear Woolley's pointed remarks. But the coach seemed mildly perturbed Woolley never conveyed his frustrations in person.
"He's found the gravy train," Ruff said. "He's riding on top of the world right now and he thinks it's easy when you're up there to take a shot.
"It just sounds like another player that doesn't want to be held accountable. You've got to compete on a daily basis. As a coach you listen to excuses, and Jason was a guy that needed 25 pair of skates. And it was never him, it was the equipment. His hips needed to be aligned. It was flying in a special doctor. We catered to his every need, or we tried to.
"This is his fifth team. He was put on waivers. Nobody wanted him. Everybody in the league had a chance to watch him play and pick him up for free, but they didn't."
http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20030213/1007355.asp