Whining chief exec at Saffacens

[InGuinnessVeritas]

I nearly fell out of my seat this afternoon when I read this.

[tigerburnie]

The Saracens were amongst those who demanded the playoffs be put in place after we ran away with the league and had it won by Christmas. These johnny come latelies ought to engage their brains before opening their mouths. Tigers want to win it, not make money from it, maybe he should concentrate on getting his team to peak at the right time and not bottle it.

[fentiger]

Very rich for him to say if anything is done for money it's wrong! Pot & kettle spring to mind

[JohnI]

Strange how he makes comparison to football or maybe playing at Watford ground for so long it rubbed off onto them.

Obviously aggrieved at putting so much money into a team that has come up empty handed over the last few seasons!!!!

[Smurphswillgetya]

Best laugh I have had in ages. Didnt hear them whine when the beat us in the final. Did he give us the trophy then or say we were the champions? Numpty.

[ellis9]

That statement has frustrated me so much, I have actually sent Ed Griffiths an email. I may have missed things off or kind of rambled on a bit but it is late at night. This is what I sent:

Dear Mr Griffiths


I felt it necessary to send you this email as I am a bit baffled by your recent comments in the media regarding the Aviva Premiership play-offs.


You said "It's only there for money reasons and we don't think if anything is done purely for money it's the right thing". I don't mean for this to sound rude but yes, of course that's the reason for them! It always has been and always will be, it doesn't really take a genius or a business brain to work that one out. You also said "We think a league where everyone plays home and away should be decided by the league champions which is what the Premier League in football does and every other mature league in the world". I and so many other fans of rugby completely agree with you on this point but may I point out that, before the play-offs were introduced, all twelve Premiership Clubs were asked to vote as to whether the play-offs should be introduced. As I understand it, there were eleven clubs who voted for the introduction of the play-offs and only one, who I believe was Leicester Tigers, voted against it. Therefore, Saracens, your club voted for the play-offs. I know that you were not part of the club then but your club still did vote in favour of this system. I therefore find it very contradictive of you to criticise this system. Could your pessimistic view come from the fact that you have lost the past two finals after finishing top of the league and you have only won one of the four finals your club has been involved in. Furthermore, the final that you did win was the season where you didn't actually finish top of the league, Leicester Tigers did. Does this mean that in your view, the 2010/2011 Premiership Champions were actually Leicester Tigers?


I fully appreciate that this is your opinion and everyone is entitled to one but I feel that you have made yourself look a bit foolish by making this statement.


Regards

I will post what the response is if I get one

[Phil B]

Nicely put - good balance.Hope you get a reply, but I doubt it!

[ellis9]

I have a response. Sent at 6.10 this morning. Here it is:

Thank you for your email.



You are correct on many fronts…



1. I was not part of the decision to introduce play-offs

2. Leicester should have been champions in 2011

3. Organisations, like people, are entitled to change their positions, and Saracens do not support the play-offs

4. The justification for the play-offs is that it raises around £3m at the end of the season, but we would argue the value of the league (in TV rights and sponsorship) would be increased by the introduction of a fairer system whereby the league winner are declared as league champions.



Thanks,



Edward



P.S. Nobody ever looks foolish when they express an honest view.

[Nailsworthstiger]

Blimey... fair play to him, I am surprised he bothered to reply to you.

However, I agree with him even if they are hypocrites... a league champion should be that... the league champion.

[ellis9]

I completely agree with him on the team who finishes top should be champions and so do many other fans but it annoys me that he has come out publicly and stated the obvious about money making. Does he think by him moaning about it, things will change?

[WhitecapTiger]

It's called - moving the goalposts

[Smudge]

Firstly let me say that I agree with those sentiments but if my memory serves me well
the playoffs were also supposed to even things up for the clubs (like Tigers) who
were so badly affected by the home and autumn internationals.

He gives no opinion on this.

[Tigerpete]

I have to say that I agree with him. Whoever tops the league should be league champions. The playoffs should be renamed with the winners winning the Premiership Cup or some such thing....

[Tigerbeat]

Perhaps the League winners should be called the Handicap Champions. If clubs have all their international players available for selection for every league game then the league winners can be called the Champions.
Currently it is not a level playing field with league games being played on international weekends.

[Jeremy Anderson]

And off course teams like Sarries still stacked with loads of SA players available every game for their club and a very large squad with plenty of cover come out well during the International windows.
They also have all their home games on an artificial pitch which helps them be top of the league but does not help them in the final which is played on grass. They play half their games on it whereas everybody else plays one now two games a season with Newcastle. Hence they are more used to the different surface and have an advantage IMO in the league.