Oh Please...

Some reporters should just shut up. It's that simple. If, as a reporter, you wait a week to throw in your commentary on an issue, then you probably just shouldn't do it. Especially when your report is error-ridden and untimely. Such is the case with Duncan Currie of the Daily Standard.

Mr. Currie has written a two-page summary of how the National Hockey League (NHL) is at a low-point now that ESPN has 'dumped their rights' to the NHL broadcasting for next season. I have a couple of major problems with this entire article:

Firstly, there is the point of bad-journalism/fact-checking. Mr. Currie alludes to the loss of the '2003-2004 season.' I think the Tampa Bay Lightning would have a problem with this statement, considering that they were the champions that season. It was the '04-'05 season that was cancelled, sir.

Secondly, Mr. Currie discusses ESPN's dumping of broadcasting rights for the NHL. They chose not to pick up their 60 million dollar option. I think it would have been crazy for ESPN to pick up and exercise those rights considering that, at the time of the deadline, the NHL had made NO progress with the National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA) to establish a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). I mean, that's like a car dealership saying "well, I'll sell you this brand new car for full price, but it doesn't have a motor or transmission in it yet" and the buyer saying "ok, load it up." Of course ESPN is going to wait to negotiate a new deal--how does one negotiate to buy a product which, at the time of negotiation, is non-functioning? ESPN will be back for the rights to the NHL, we can all count on that.

Thirdly, apparently when Mr. Curie wrote his report he hadn't read the CBA negotiation reports since October of last year. Doomsday for the NHL is not looming--instead, the light at the end of the tunnel seems to be emerging. Reportedly, a new deal is within reach and only a few days away. Some sources are reporting that a deal could be announced as soon as today or early next week. I myself don't know that I believe that, but hey, anything is possible.

Oh please, Mr. Curie, check your facts and step out of the cloudy arena of pessimism in which you seem to dwell. This kind of 'the NHL is doomed' attitude is starting to bother me deeply from all journalists. There will be a season next year and it will open on time...and further more, the first game of the season will, without a doubt, air on ESPN or ESPN 2. That, my friends, is a given.