ESPN’s Michael Wilbon slams Arizona Coyotes and new GM John Chayka
May 7, 2016, 1:09 PM | Updated: May 8, 2016, 7:32 pm
As expected, the Arizona Coyotes are taking some flack from the national media for hiring 26-year-old John Chayka as their new general manager.
Pardon the Interruption co-host and ESPN commentator Michael Wilbon had harsh words for the franchise and Chayka.
“Analytics help you vault over everything else in this day and age and help impress some owner,” Wilbon said on Pardon the Interruption.
“That’s how you leap everyone else who might be in line.”
Chayka’s portrayal wasn’t difficult to see coming, and he himself said Thursday that it bothers him more when people misunderstand analytics in general, as opposed to being dubbed just an analytics guy.
Co-host Tony Kornheiser joked “it’s about a millennial who likes analytics which means you hate him automatically,” to which Wilbon agreed.
Wilbon didn’t stop there, however, as he continued to be critical of the Coyotes organization.
“They make bad decisions at every turn on everything,” Wilbon said.
The former Washington Post columnist didn’t cite examples but is skeptical about any hiring by the Coyotes.
“They screw up all the time on decisions big and small so my concern is is he right the guy at any age?” Wilbon said.
As he usually does on the show, Kornheiser presented the counterargument of Theo Epstein, who was hired at the age of 28 and has gone on to major success with the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs.
“I hope he’s great,” Kornheiser said, before joking that Chayka is younger than the suit he was wearing.
“He’s taken over a bottom feeder and so he can bump them up. He’s got some room to grow,” Wilbon said.
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