What a bad, bad year to be a major league sports coach or manager in the Big Smoke.
The recession started early for a number of those figures. Let's start with changes at Toronto's longest-running sports tragedy.
Toronto Maple Leafs
John Ferguson was hired as a rookie general manager in 2003, but his string came to an unceremonious end on Jan. 22 when the Leafs announced his firing.
"The decision has been made that John will not be receiving a new contract at the end of this year, and it's in the best interests of the Leafs and of John to begin the transition immediately," Richard Peddie, president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, told a news conference that day.
At the time, the Leafs were in 14th place in the NHL's Eastern Conference. They would go on to miss the playoffs for a third straight year since the lockout, finishing in 12th place.
Cliff Fletcher, a former Leafs GM, was brought back as interim GM.
In May, the Leafs also tossed head coach Paul Maurice, a Ferguson hire, overboard after two seasons. "I can't say I was surprised," Maurice would say. He would end up with his old club, the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Leafs would replace Maurice with Ron Wilson, and in early December, would announce the hiring of the club's new hockey czar -- Brian Burke, who will be the Leafs' president and GM.
Burke, who goes way back with Wilson, will reportedly have total control over hockey operations.
Many observers thought one problem with Ferguson was that the MLSE board hired a weak manager to give them more of a chance to meddle.
However, no one says the Leafs will be back in Stanley Cup competition any time soon, least of all Burke.
As of Dec. 24, the Leafs are doing better than expected, but were still 14-14-6, putting them in 11th place -- out of the playoffs yet in a less-than-prime spot for next June's draft.
Toronto Raptors
A 132-93 thrashing at the hands of the Denver Nuggets turned Toronto Raptors coach Sam Mitchell into an unemployed former NBA coach of the year.
"It comes to the point where some of the things you want to see out there are just not taking place," Bryan Colangelo, the basketball club's president and GM, told CTV Toronto on Dec. 3, who added that this year's lineup was "underachieving."
Mitchell joined the Raptors in 2004, amassing a .452 winning percentage during his tenure.
Canadian Jay Triano replaced Mitchell as the Raptors' interim bench boss. The Utah Jazz made his debut a humbling one, defeating the Raptors 114-87. His third win as a Raptors coach came Dec. 22 in Los Angeles against the Clippers. In that stretch, the Raptors lost eight.
At the Christmas break, the Raptors had an 11-17 record (.393 winning percentage) and trade speculation started to heat up -- as did whispers about Colangelo.
Toronto Blue Jays
Two months into the 2008 season, the Toronto Blue Jays gave up on manager John Gibbons after the American League baseball club had lost 13 games in a 17game stretch, leaving them in the AL East's basement.
The Jays would go back to their glory days for a replacement.
The club brought back Cito Gaston, who skippered the Jays to two World Series titles in the 1990s before being fired himself in 1997.
The Jays would ultimately finish fourth under Gaston, who earned himself a two-year contract extension.
However, Paul Godfrey, the club's president and CEO, stepped down at season's end. The 69-year-old had held the position for eight years.
Paul Beeston, another link back to the Jays' heyday, came back as an interim replacement for Godfrey.
Some are wondering if general manager J.P. Ricciardi will be around to the end of his contract term, which stretches through the 2010 season. He wore some egg for the Frank Thomas debacle. "The Big Hurt" stiffed as designated hitter after being signed to a two-year contract. The Jays released him on April 20 but had to pay his salary for the year.
Ricciardi lost starting pitcher A.J. Burnett to the New York Yankees for next season, a development that will leave a huge hole in the club's starting rotation.
Toronto Argonauts
Four years ago, the Toronto Argonauts won the Grey Cup. Mike "Pinball" Clemons" coached the CFL football team to that championship, but he move up to the executive suite this season.
The club was left with an aging roster and a quarterbacking problem.
New head coach Rich Stubler took the heat for a 4-6 record, getting canned.
However, his replacement, CFL coaching legend Don Matthews, did even worse. The team would lose eight straight games under Matthews, who quit at the end of the season.
It would be the first time the Argos finished out of the playoffs since 2001.
Other clubs
The Toronto FC soccer club's Mo Johnson gave up his coaching duties but retained his GM title. John Carver replaced him, but it didn't help the young club make the Major League Soccer playoffs.
In lacrosse, Glenn Cross of the Toronto Rock will be back for the 2009 season despite missing the playoffs this year, making him the sole survivor among professional sports coaches in T.O.
