Covering the news on Team Canada
December 30, 2009 · 33 Comments
We’ll give TSN a big edge over Rogers Sportsnet on covering the selection of the Canadian Olympic hockey team leading up to the announcement earlier today.
At about 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, TSN’s Bob McKenzie basically broke the story on who would be chosen for the team. He got two players wrong. Jay Bouwmeester wasn’t picked for the defense and Jeff Carter was ultimately dropped from the group of 13 forwards. But he correctly reported the rest.
Now, you could say that McKenzie had an advantage over the competition because TSN is Hockey Canada’s TV rights holder and business partner. But, why would Hockey Canada assist TSN in scooping its big announcement?
Sportsnet’s decision to air a preview show at 11 p.m. on Tuesday, 13 hours before the announcement, was a good one. That late in the day, it was assumed Sportsnet would have fresh news to report. Nick Kypreos, John Shannon and Gord Stellick did provide some interesting analysis. But, there was no news, despite the fact McKenzie three and a half hours earlier had reported what he said was the roster. Nobody at Sportsnet said, “These are the Team Canada players, according to our sources.”
This morning, TSN aired a live 30 minute show leading up the noon announcement during which McKenzie revised his original story, correcting his Bouwmeester and Carter picks.
In contrast, Sportsnet’s morning preview consisted of a re-run of the 11 p.m. Tuesday show. By then, the information was old.
All in the family
You could describe Bob Nicholson’s Hockey Canada as a pa and ma operation in which pa, which is to say president Bob, minds the store while also applying some level of influence, passive or otherwise, to book deals given to ma, Lorna Schultz Nicholson.
Perhaps we’re overstating this relationship, but Lorna has done very well as an author of Hockey Canada books who also happens to be married to the company’s president. She has written several books licensed by Hockey Canada, three of which carry the Hockey Canada imprimatur on the cover. The most recent is titled Home Ice: Canada’s 2010 men’s Olympic Hockey Team Guide.
Now, Nicholson would likely argue that Lorna was a good choice to write these books. She has penned several works of fiction, most of them for children, plus a few non-fiction tomes. You can find them at her website here.
Perhaps Lorna was, among all the fine hockey authors and journalists in Canada, best qualified to produce this official Olympic team guide, but we doubt it.
This is a case of privileged access and perhaps nepotism, which suggests (a) Nicholson is so dense as to not understand what nepotism, or the appearance of nepotism, is, or (b) so arrogant as to not care.
This much we do know: Lorna has received some plum Hockey Canada book assignments. Given her relationship with the boss, she should have never accepted them.
Happy together?
For the Team Canada announcement, which was carried on CTV, TSN and Sportsnet, we saw Daren Millard of Sportsnet holding a microphone bearing a CTV flag. On the panel, Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet was flanked by two members of the opposition, TSN’s James Duthie and Bob McKenzie. As far as we know, there was no fistfight on the set, but the guess here is McKenzie and Kipper, two fierce battlers for information over the past 10 years, aren’t close. But that’s how it will be for the television coverage of the Olympics in February. CTV and Rogers will combine its resources to produce programming disseminated over several platforms.
A good team?
There wasn’t much criticism, in fact there was basically none, from the TSN-Sportsnet experts on the Canadian team selected by Steve Yzerman and his staff. Still, Sportsnet’s John Shannon made some good points on the Tuesday night show. He thought Martin St. Louis deserved to be on the team (he’s not), given that he’s playing very well, ranks 5th among Canadians in NHL scoring, is a veteran of Stanley Cup and Olympic games, and would have given the team some jump and major speed off the wing.
Shannon also wondered about Martin Brodeur, who is likely to be Canada’s starting goaltender. I think goaltending could be a weakness for Canada. Stellick leapt to Brodeur’s defense, reminding us that he has a record 104 shutouts. Yes, very impressive, but just what a career stat has to do with what Brodeur may or may not do in Vancouver is anybody’s guess.
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From the Column:
Shannon also wondered about Martin Brodeur, who is likely to be Canada’s starting goaltender. I think goaltending could be a weakness for Canada. Stellick leapt to Brodeur’s defense, reminding us that he has a record 104 shutouts. Yes, very impressive, but just what a career stat has to do with what Brodeur may or may not do in Vancouver is anybody’s guess.
According to the NHL.com stats page, this year Martin Brodeur ranks 4th in Goals Against Average (no other Canadian in the top 5), tied for second in Shutouts (no other Canadian in the top 5) and first in Wins (M-A Fleury is 4th). He is also the top Canadian in Save percentage at 9th, with no other Canadian in the top 10.
While Bill may have reservations about the strength of Canadian goaltending, the stats bear out Brodeur as the starter.
If you say, "Here are the people who are going to be on Team Canada…" without any qualifiers, you need to have it right, 100%. Anything less is a fail and you just as well ought not to report it.
If there's any "truth" to Jim Kelley's allegations posted in Dowbiggin's column today, you need to address it.
Agreed… However, in my opinion, Jim Kelley is nothing but a hypocrite looking for pity. Too bad about his personal plight, don't wish that on anyone, but his professional approach to the situation is the same as has been for decades… shoddy journalism at best and full of speculations instead of actual factual research.
I can't agree. While I'm not a Jim Kelly fan, he had said nothing until William Houston posted it here first. Now he's trying to take control of the situation.
Bill Houston was NOT the first one who went public with the story … look a lot closer to the "Rogers campus" as that is where the truth lies.
There's no need to address the "allegations." They're just stupid, but consider the sources.
Bill,
Why don't you just admit you were an asshole to reveal the details of Jim Kelley's ailment. To hide behind something like "consider the sources" merely demonstrates the manner in which you conducted yourself while employed.
Pat Grier
Pat Grier,
Get a life – writing hate notes at 11 pm on News Year's Eve? Boy you are a loser! Good luck in keeping your job in 2010 you pathetic little ar$e kissing little boy. Hopefully you will be fired soon, as the Rogers/Sportsnet "empire" slowly, but surely crumbles because of the inept, young, immature and self-centered leadership by yourself and others. Look in a mirror instead of pointing fingers at others for your internal problems at Rogers/Sportsnet! TMZ Sports will be hiring soon – could be perfect for you with your track record of reporting mistruths and blatant lies!
Give me a call, Pat, if you've got the courage, which I doubt. I'm sure you have my number.
I'll call you next week, Bill.
You might be shocked to know that I don't have you in my rolodex, but I'll do what you didn't with Jim and make the effort.
And where do I get a pet like Voice of Reason?
Same place Kelley found you. I look forward to it.
Pat, I need to expand on my previous post, just to make it clear to all my readers how it works around here. I have no idea who Voice of Reason is. I don't know the identity of any T&R readers. And their comments are never edited. But I must say this, VOR raised a good question. Do you have a life? Staring into a computer and typing out an attack on me at 11 p.m. on New Year's Eve? That's just hilarious. Can't wait to talk next week.
William,
I cannot believe what I am reading. Your unprovoked and juvenile attack on Jim Kelley and those that defend him is despicable.
Grow up and start acting like a professional journalist.
There's been no attack on Jim Kelley. I'm not taking down your post. I don't do that. But you contact me with your phone number and we'll talk.
Unreal.
Thought there might be more to you, but I realize now you aren't worth the effort.
Guess that means you're not calling, huh, Pat? I will be writing about this soon.
Looking forward to the read Bill. Too bad for Master Grier the truth may be told, instead of then Rogers/Sportsnet spin on sensationalized reality.
Again, I feel for Jim Kelley's plight, but he for the first time now has a taste of how awful it is at the other end of the pen, after decades of writing libelous columns. Not so pleasant eh Jimmy-boy? Ah, Dom Hasek rings a perfect bell of incredibly baited irresponsible tabloid journalism. — just what Grier loves for extra trash paper sales!
This is revoltingly unprofessional.
I agree entirely. The level of discourse between William Houston and Pat Grier is juvenile.
This blog is getting ugly. I'm beginning to wonder what this column would have looked like at the Globe without an editor.
Pat Grier is who is revolting and unprofessional.
@Pat Grier: You sir, are a hypocrite. Always have been. You don't like the fact Bill reported about Kelly's illness without contacting him first. Fine. But did you contact Bill first personally telling him you were going to go onto his website and spam it with personal attacks like a child?
You're no saint, Grier and neither is Kelly.
If you praise TSN for their coverage for their pre-announcement coverage, you must slam them for airing a taped Off The Record show (starring TSN announcers) while Sportsnet did a live half hour recap show.
I didn't realize getting a story wrong was an acceptable form of journalism these days… What McKenzie reported wasn't news – it was wrong. Sportsnet wins by not getting the story wrong.
Great point. 100% agreed.
as much as i am looking forward to the tournament, i cant believe there was a two hour time slot taken up for the team announcement.
especially when the talking heads repeated themselves so many times, and so much was made over who may or may not have been the final picks.
and i guess the pop people must feel jilted.. no one broke out in there promo cheer….
"as much as i am looking forward to the tournament, i cant believe there was a two hour time slot taken up for the team announcement."
Indeed. Only in Canada. Quite the joke. The amount of praise they gave themselves was ridiculous as well. You could smell the ego even over the radio. They seem beyond confident that they have the goods to win and sound more like they deserve it more than anyone else. I almost want Canada to too poorly just so it puts many of those ego's in check.
Nice scoop on Nicholson's wife.
I guess they needed to turn this announcement into a one-hour extravaganza to pay for all the travel that Stevie Y and company were doing over the past year. One enjoyable part was seeing the bloated brass stewing on the head table for an hour.
Why was Darren Millard shilling Team Canada jerseys (or was it the tickets to Molson Hockey House)?
I have to agree with Josh. The last few guys were the only questions and McKenzie got them wrong. Period.
How he thought Carter was on ahead of Richards makes no sense for two reasons. 1 – Babcock, during the summer when asked if any player had impressed him or outperformed his (Babcock's) opinion of said player, named Richards specifically. And 2 – It's pretty common knowledge that Carter was sleeping with Hartnel's wife this season, accounting for some of the Philly dressing room problems. No way would Yzerman take a guy like that. So that was a very odd pick for McKenzie.
On the topic of Hockey Canada, very glad to see Bill calling out Nicholson and his wife. Another example of arrogance (just like the whole torch relay thing) on the behalf of those in certain positions of power. It would be interesting someday to get a real, honest to god look at Hockey Canada's books and finances. But god knows, that will never happen.
As for the team, well if Crosby, Nash, and Heatley (as much as I can't stand him being on the team, total disgrace, he is a killer who served no time and a whiny baby) don't score goals, it won't matter who is the 13th forward or 7th dman.
Just to add to that: I mean, most pundits and fans knew about 90% of the team before it was announced – everyone knew Crosby, Iginla, Getzlaf, Pronger, Brodeur… need I go on? So, if it was about 10% of the roster that was a mystery to pretty much everybody, getting two names wrong is hardly getting the story right.
Jim Kelley wrote libelous columns? If so, can you cite examples of when Jim Kelley was found liable in a legal proceeding?
With respect to the Hasek episode, I believe Jim Kelley questioned Hasek's mental toughness. You may agree or disagree with that view, but how is the comment irresponsible?