The University of Prince Edward Island Panthers’ tale caught me off guard, too.

Dylan Taylor resigned as head coach of the men’s hockey team on Tuesday, but it seems he was simply resigned to the fact the players had tuned him out.

That’s the consensus in cyberspace, at least. Assistant coaches Gordie Whitlock and Mike Smith, in a show of solidarity for the skipper, stepped aside too.

Frankly, I’m surprised the players turned on Taylor, but, again, I’m not privy to what goes on behind the dressing room doors.

I will say this: I have a lot of respect for Dylan Taylor.

The former UPEI captain was a three-time Panther Pride Award recipient, a two-time Academic All-Canadian and a one time Dr. Randy Gregg award nominee. Those credentials helped him get his foot in the door.

Taylor arrived in an Oz-like tornado, though.

Mike Kelly, you may recall, left the UPEI program on the eve of the 2005-06 season to be an assistant coach with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose.

Taylor was only hired on Sept. 9 – long after the recruiting wars were won/lost and the best player in the conference, Joel Ward, was gone. (Ward, now with the Nashville Predators, has 107 NHL games under his belt.)

Not surprisingly, the Panthers went 8-20 and missed the playoffs by 14 points.

But the Panthers, under Taylor’s watch, made modest gains in the standings.

They had 20 points the following season, 22 in 2007-08 and 29 last season.

Josh Patterson, a bruising winger, was certainly in Taylor’s corner when he was on the island: “Dylan has done wonders for this program. I can’t say enough about him. Over the two years he’s been here, he’s been unbelievable.”

Coaches around the AUS, almost to a man, have applauded the work Taylor’s done to bring respectability back to the UPEI hockey program.

He worked as hard off the ice as he had on the ice.

I found a sheet of neon green paper outside the UPEI dressing room at the LBR a couple of seasons ago. Taylor had left it behind by mistake, but it outlined the team’s keys to success for that particular game. it detailed the St. Thomas Tommies’ tendencies, factored in the LBR’s tight dimensions, players to focus on, where and why the Tommies were vulnerable/dangerous … heck, it even had a breakdown on the goaltending style of Matt Davis.

The depth of the details – for one regular season game – was impressive. I’m not suggesting the other coaches don’t do their homework, as well. This is simply to point out that Taylor wasn’t about taking shortcuts.

But the trick for all AUS coaches is how they react when the players don’t follow the X’s and O’s to a T. was Taylor’s post-game punishment over the top? were some of the players prima donnas?

As a local coach once put it: “All it takes is a couple of bad apples to poison the whole dressing room. if you lose a few, you lose them all.”

If you believe the blogs, the UPEI players voted 20-5 in favour of boycotting practices until changes were made. if true, that’s a shame.

Taylor had a real passion for the Panthers program. I could tell that every time I talked to him, which was every pre-season for my preview and several times during the regular season.

Heading into this season, when coaches and fans were almost unanimous in picking the reigning national champion UNB Varsity Reds as the team to beat again, Taylor didn’t follow suit when asked to foresee a frontrunner.

“There are lots of strong teams, but I believe in my guys,” Taylor told me.

The preview appeared Friday morning. That night, the V-Reds pummeled the Panthers 10-0 at the Aitken Centre.so how did the Panthers respond to that shellacking?

They picked up 10 of a possible 14 points the next seven games, going 4-1-2.

Last weekend, though, the Dalhousie Tigers broke a 4-4 tie with seven minutes left and added two empty-netters to surprise the host Panthers 7-4. The St. Francis Xavier X-Men, rebounding from a 9-3 butt-kicking administered by UNB the night before, beat UPEI 5-1 … leaving the Panthers in fifth place with a 4-4-2 record and, a few days later, Taylor without a job.

Fredericton triathlete Elizabeth Seiffert was hoping for a top five finish in the 45-49 age category at the Foster Grant Ironman 70.3 World Championships last Saturday in Clearwater, Fl.

She was just over five minutes shy of that goal, finishing 10th in 4:47.09 – 23 seconds out of ninth and 76 ticks out of eighth.

“I’M HAPPY although I did have a disappointing swim,” Seiffert said in an e-mail. “I was directed off course and missed a buoy. The swim had to be moved to the bay instead of the surf and there was a time trial start. it really proved challenging.”

Lauren Smith of Windermere, Fl., topped the age category in 4:34.45. The event consists of a 1.9-kilometre swim, 90K bike ride and 21K run.

One of the most popular T-shirts sold at Green Bay when former Packer Brett Favre returned Nov. 1 with the Minnesota Vikings: “We’ll never forget you, Brent.”

Richard Oliver of the San Antonio Express-News, on Hall of Fame golfer Lee Trevino about to turn 70: “When he tees it up these days, the biggest hazard he tries to avoid is the creak.”

Bruce Hallihan can be reached at 458-6442 or hallihan.bruce@dailygleaner.com. His column appears each Thursday.

Beck’s speech, delivered in 45 minutes under gathering clouds in the downtown square of this retirement community, was much-anticipated for its promised reveal of “a plan” the television personality had been heavily promoting on his weekly show, his Web page and in media interviews leading up to Saturday’s rally.

Laying to rest rumors of a political candidacy, Beck announced a series of voter education conventions that he plans to organize in various regions of the country, kicking off with an event in Orlando March 27 at the UCF Arena.

These conventions, Beck told the crowd of thousands, would serve to register new voters and educate people on issues touching on energy, health care, foreign policy and social issues.

“You’re going to learn about history, finance, community organizing,” he said, to cheers. “If you want to be a politician, we’re going to teach you how to be a politician.”

Beck said he wants to develop “a 100-year plan for America” and told the crowd, “You will change the course of history.”

As of Saturday afternoon, a letter outlining this plan had been posted on his Web site to coincide with his live announcement.

In that letter, he indicates the last of these conventions would culminate with a march in Washington, D.C., in August 2010, also the release date of his future book, “The plan.”

Following the rally, Beck, 45, held a book-signing to promote his current book, “Arguing with Idiots: How to Stop Small Minds and Big Government,” a new York Times Best Seller.

Organizers for that book tour said those seeking wristbands for Beck to autograph copies of their book began camping out in line overnight, ahead of the next day’s 3 p.m. rally.

Beck is the second of three conservative icons to headline events in the Villages in recent days.

Last week, former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee appeared at the Landing bookstore to promote his book, “A Simple Christmas,” and Tuesday, former Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin will sign copies of her book, “Going Rogue: an American Life,” at the Barnes & Noble bookstore.

Addressing a crowd that held signs blaring such messages as “I Want My America Back!,” “Danger: Right-Wing Extremist” and “Glenn Beck for President,” Beck on Saturday painted a doomsday scenario describing the nation as stuck in “troubled, troubled times” and urged Americans to reverse the “corruption” rankling government today.

“Everything is upside down right now,” he said. “I’d like to name us all the Constitution Czar.”

In his remarks, the television host and former radio disc jockey mixed in details of his own roughshod past with a spiritual sounding call for Americans to rediscover their faith, start living within their means and to “question with boldness” everything.

He said he’s assembled “a team of advisors” to counsel him on matters dealing with the most pressing issues of the day and urged the crowd to embrace a “community-building” process to get their neighbors on board.

“Two can play at that game,” he said knowingly, more than once, as the crowd cheered.

At one point, Beck’s voice fell to a low register, and he appeared to become emotional as he described the newfound “celebrity bubble” in which he has found himself, with the late night comedy spoofs and all.

The crowd hushed to a silence and many nodded sympathetically.

“We’re all the same. In the end, that’s all that matters,” he said.

His remarks concluded with a rallying cry to stir people into action.

“Join me this year, as we take our country back and usher in the next generations of Americans,” he proclaimed.

Saturday’s rally here had the feel of a concert, with vendors selling alcohol and food along the main square, and the sounds of country music and patriotic anthems blaring over the loudspeakers.

Beck’s tour bus appeared at 3:45 p.m., and he took the stage minutes later after wading through the crowd and shaking hands with a mostly age 55-plus crowd.

Attendees described the headliner as an independent voice who echoes their own thoughts and concerns.

“I know everyone has these feelings inside them, but the media and culture has shut us down,” said Tom Millhouser, 59, of St. Augustine.

“[Beck] has told us we’re not idiots. He wants to empower us and the powers inside of us,” he said.

Susan and Earl Johnson, of Windermere, called Beck “a new voice” that represents neither the Republican nor Democrat party, but “how about of honesty,” said Earl Johnson.

Ed Rivero, 47, said he appreciated the talk show host’s style.

“I like his show,” said the Polk County resident. “It’s common sense, the stuff he talks about. I believe what he is doing is vital for the survival of our country. His style speaks to the average person – it’s not too high, not too low.”

Dianne Venetta, 44, of Leesburg, said Beck represents “the voice of the people, the poor Americans in this country.”

“I think the world is watching Glenn Beck, and I think the world is watching the people watching Glenn Beck,” she said.

A Malcolm Turnbull supporter says the Liberal Party will be facing electoral oblivion if it changes leaders next week.

Senator Gary Humphries says a change in leader would mean a change in its emission trading scheme (ETS) policy and desertion of its supporters.

“To change the leader is to change the policy, and I don’t think in their heart of hearts Liberals will want us to change our policy if it means we are looking down the barrel of electoral oblivion,” Senator Humphries told Sky TV.

He says private polling within the party shows the majority of supporters believe an ETS “is the way to go”.

“As more time goes past, the more people will focus on what they were doing – if they were to change the leader,” Senator Humphries said.

“If people say to themselves, to make, for example, Tony Abbott leader of the party, that would certainly be a change of policy on the ETS.”

He said if the party doesn’t back the amendments negotiated by Ian Macfarlane, supporters will abandon the Liberals in an election he believed could be held in March.