Re: Bob Emery announces retirement
First and foremost this is to take NOTHING away from what Bob did with respect to Mary and the whole Oswego family, but this man didn't just start being like this in the past few seasons. When my grandmother (an avid Cardinal fan from the 80's) passed away in the mid 90's, Bob showed up to the funeral. I, at the time, was a young pre-teen and Cardinal hockey was THE team and Bob was THE coach. I was drawn to his passion on and off the ice, but watching him show up to "just a fans" funeral meant a lot to me. It didn't stop there. When my uncle was diagnosed with brain cancer in his early 20's, Bob would send cards and have players drop in to see him in the hospital during his several trips. Again, my uncle was just one of the fans. He didn't give thousands to the program. He wasn't some politician or public figure. He just loved Cardinal Hockey (and was a bit loud at time). By this time I was a late teen, and still held Bob and Cardinal hockey on a high pedestal.
The other thing I loved about Bob, tho some would disagree, was his treatment towards his players. Was he loud? Yes. Did he go over the top sometimes? Maybe. Was he in your face? You're **** right. But did he want the best out of his players, both on and off the ice? Absolutely! I will never forget to this day him sitting his best player (and probably a Top 15 of all time player) for a SUNYAC Finals playoff game because he had failed a test. Not a class, not a season, a test. He held his players accountable no matter who they were, or how important they were to the team. You got a game misconduct, you were sitting. Again, he didn't care who you were or how big the next game was, you sat (and I'm not talking about the extra game the rules can give). We see teams (not naming names) who consistently produce "goon" games with no repercussions, not in Bob's house. For years Plattsburgh was one of (if not the best) least penalized teams in the nation. Discipline.
As I have grown and am now coaching high end youth travel teams myself, while I do have my own style, I would be lying if I said Ive taken nothing from what I've watch in Bob over the years. Both on and off the ice. Did he come across as arrogant sometimes, especially to opposing fans? Most likely. Was it justified tho? I can tell you this, if you ever needed something, Bob would be the first in line to help in some way that he was allowed.
But on the flip side, as Bob has children the same age as my own, I can only imagine how tough it has been to give 110% to his program, and balance family life. How many games has he missed of his kids when he is in Buffalo or Canada on a recruiting trip? I can only imagine the weight that has been lifted off of his shoulders now that he only has to be a Dad to 3 kids instead of 33 each year. I still won't be surprised in another 8-10 years you see Bob's name appear in another teams media guide.
