Completed Homework

Interesting to see the new sports media writer of Canada's national newspaper is going about his business in the same laissez faire manner as the last one.

Today, we are treated to a diatribe about how all the "embedded" reporters at the Stanley Cup final - none actually named -  were hiding the true nature of Detroit defenceman Nicklas Lidstrom's injury, and that it took the courage for this intrepid Globe and Mail writer to break the news (from Calgary, apparently) that Lidstrom had suffered a testicle injury when he was slashed or speared.

It was suggested that reporters - again, all unnamed - were "complicit" with the NHL's secrecy policy on such injuries, which is about as insulting to a journalist as you can get.

Well, I'll leave the Globe writer to sort out the insults with his colleagues at his paper - some of whom are among the best in the business - but who he apparently believes are in cahoots with the NHL. But just for his information, Lidstrom's precise injury was reported by The Star last week.

Now he knows the rest of the story.

Seems you might need to read all the media reports out there - or actually attend the sporting event in question - before calling others in the business hacks.

Comments

[Andrew]

BOOYAH! Now who is getting speared in the family jewels?

[Matt B]

Link to the story, man. I searched their Sports section and couldn't find it.

[Matt B]

sorry!

here it is:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/nhls-injury-policy-a-pain/article1176410/

[mario]

Damien 1 Globe and Mail 0

[Brad Cook]

Zing! Thanks Damian. Someone finally calling Dowbiggin out for his reporting. Brucie has been getting away with weak reporting efforts for too long. Nice to see him put in his place for once.

[LOCKSTOCK93]

Dowbidgen is a bit of a blowhard. He and Damien share some opinions and tact as relate to HNIC and Dos Equis Don.

[Jay]

Hey Damien, is there some reason why you just won't say it's Dowbiggin.

[Jack]

Wow...a little sensitive, Damien? I'm a big fan of yours and not necessarily one of Mr D's, but I believe he claims 'many' of the 'embedded' reporters (he's a little exposure envious, perhaps) not 'all', and with all due respect, I'm not sure that you describing the precise injury that kept Lidstrom out of 2 games in the conference finals...4 games into the Stanley Cup finals (!) disproves Mr D's point about injuries being covered up successfully.

I don't think that 'all' GMs take particular glee or necessarily enjoy the power in the obtuse injury exclamations, moreover, I'd venture that NHL playoff/hockey culture has created this 'playoffs are war' mentality. The scars and injuries a player can survive throughout the 'gruelling' elimination rounds are played-up as much as the playoff beards. When and if (I believe they certainly are now...) most players believe they can advance by 'injuring' their foes out of the playoffs, why would GMs point out to the 'warriors' on the other team where to aim? I am sorry it's come to this..it's too UFC/MMA and not enough NHL, but, that's the story isn't it? Not your hurt feelings.

[chris]

First, it was the smug idiot sports columnist from the Toronto Sun who misled readers about the severity of Mats Sundin's groin injury from a couple of years ago. And now, the not as clever as he thinks he is Globe media columnist who goes all Bill Frist and writes from his living room in Calgary about how injured Nick Lidstrom is from Detroit. Way to call out the bad journalists, Damien. Now if you can only go after the Toronto based moron who writes hockey for Fox Sports and opines stupidly on HNIC, you'd complete the hat trick.

[LadyEatonOuters]

But he won two Gemini Awards as a sportscaster!! :P

[mark]

Interesting when someone in the media calls out someone else in the media. I wish there was more of this. It's amazing how often I read something misleading and/or inaccurate. Today with avenues like your blog Damien, a reader can express their dismay at something they've read (or, add their support to the writers position). But, it's not the same as media watching media and I really enjoyed seeing Mr. D. finally being put in his place on a very lame article.

[Flexecutioner]

I emailed Dowbiggin, the offender in question, to get his thoughts on this. The subject line of my email was "Lidstrom may have injured his testicle, but you injured your Cox".

He replied with a somewhat cryptic one-liner that simply read "Does Hertz comment on Avis?". I, in turn, wrote back with the following:

Does Pepsi comment on Coca-Cola? Does Audi comment on Lexus?

Come on, Bruce, you can do better than that. In fact, I'm not really sure what you mean. Are you suggesting that Damien Cox was wrong to comment on your piece (akin to Hertz commenting on Avis, which, if I understand correctly, you're suggesting is inappropriate) or are you saying that for you to share your thoughts on his piece would be the wrongful act in question?

Either way, the point he was making in his piece is that you chucked a grenade at all sports media writers by making unsubstantiated and unfounded claims about their journalistic integrity. In doing so, you weren't just taking aim at Avis; you were disparaging Enterprise, Budget, Thrifty and Zipcar as well.

That's a pretty scathing accusation against you, and that's why I was curious for your thoughts.

Thanks.

I guess I'm a bit of a pot-stirrer.

[R Harris]

Mr. Dowbiggin is addressing a very real issue with the media and that is `elitism` or withholding information from the fans. The most common example is the writer who mentions disharmony in the room but doesn`t elaborate leaving the hockey fan to wonder who he is talking about. Someone who bothered to research Lidstrom`s injury would have found the answer but a casual reader would not have and that is not good reporting.