The Official Ottawa Sports Radio Thread #5

[BonkTastic]

I believe I've conducted myself like a professional and tried to maintain a sense of objectivity

I honestly wish that the rest of the sports media in this city were as professional as you are.

Compared to you, it feels like everyone else in this town took a 6-week semi-intensive weekends-only "intro to media" non-credited course at a local adult high school and decided to try to make a career out of it.

 

[Inkling]

Great show yesterday Ian and Shawn.
Thanks for being accurate and transparent in your coverage of the team yesterday.

I found it really interesting to note that the Ottawa Senators Organization does indeed contact you guys about the 'negative coverage' they sometimes receive on the radio. My question is: do they not believe the coverage is accurate? Who calls in? Is it Dorion? I feel like the coverage is fair .

If you're interested in stuff like this, I'd also recommend the Andrew Berkshire podcast episode with Christopher Curtis. The mere mention of Berkshire can sometimes elicit extreme opinions (maybe he's not known in Ottawa so much though, but certainly in Montreal) but bear with me because this episode is actually pretty good. Curtis is a former Habs beat reporter for the Gazette. He's left sports and has no intention to return so he can be as candid as possible since there's no vested interest anymore. He talks about the pressures he's received, both explicit and implicit, when he was covering the Habs. He talks about the relationship between the media and professional sports teams after having lived it.

 

[Fandlauer]

I believe I have been nothing but fair and transparent in my coverage of this team - whether on radio Or print. That's not the way everybody feels - including those in the organization. I'm cool with it because I believe I've conducted myself like a professional and tried to maintain a sense of objectivity during their recent slide.

The thing I try and tell them is that the tone of my coverage will be dictated by the team's success on and off the ice.

If there are people within the team saying you haven't been fair and transparent, then that really says a hell of a lot about them. I mean, do they expect you to toss on some pom poms and just scream "Go Sens Go" for hours every day? The way things have gone for this team over the last month, I think you guys have been more than fair. This is just baffling.

 

[BatherSeason]

I believe I have been nothing but fair and transparent in my coverage of this team - whether on radio Or print. That's not the way everybody feels - including those in the organization. I'm cool with it because I believe I've conducted myself like a professional and tried to maintain a sense of objectivity during their recent slide.

The thing I try and tell them is that the tone of my coverage will be dictated by the team's success on and off the ice.

Wow, so the myth has been de-bunked. TBH, one of my biggest critiques is that the hosts at the station don't critique enough (don't worry, I still have more critiques ). Now the reason has been confirmed.

Also, a good majority of the hosts on the station have been holding the teams pom poms for years and still do, the team is lucky that most are still doing the same for them.

Pierre from Orleans or Uncle Euge from Barbados maybe should just worry about running the organization properly and not pay attention to whats said on Twitter or on the radio. OR, maybe use the criticisms you hear from fans and the radio hosts to improve how the team is run.

 

[Stylizer1]

If you're interested in stuff like this, I'd also recommend the Andrew Berkshire podcast episode with Christopher Curtis. The mere mention of Berkshire can sometimes elicit extreme opinions (maybe he's not known in Ottawa so much though, but certainly in Montreal) but bear with me because this episode is actually pretty good. Curtis is a former Habs beat reporter for the Gazette. He's left sports and has no intention to return so he can be as candid as possible since there's no vested interest anymore. He talks about the pressures he's received, both explicit and implicit, when he was covering the Habs. He talks about the relationship between the media and professional sports teams after having lived it.

What a great interview. This is exactly how fans view the media in Ottawa. Montreal is obviously a lot bigger and has been around longer but it's the impression I get.

 

[Stylizer1]

Can always count on TSN 690.

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

TSN is approaching CBC levels of painful cheesiness when it comes to hockey commercials.

Its just a f***ing game.

 

[Countdown0]

I'm with what seems to be the majority here, that the commentary on TSN 1200 has been very fair. Its pretty simple to me: if people in the Sens' organization want more positive coverage, win more games. Reporting negative facts about the team doesn't make Ian Mendes, or anyone else, unfair, and if anyone in the organization thinks otherwise they need a thicker skin.

 

[Joeyjoejoe]

TSN is approaching CBC levels of painful cheesiness when it comes to hockey commercials.

Its just a ****ing game.

Yeah, shit is cringe worthy. Our commercials aren't any better.

 

[Joeyjoejoe]

God Gord Wilson is such a waste of fat air Jesus what a blatant mouthpiece for the organization. To him the organization can do no wrong, all the fans who say otherwise are the idiots and the genuises behind the 3rd worst NHL team are always right.

 

[Stylizer1]

God Gord Wilson is such a waste of fat air Jesus what a blatant mouthpiece for the organization. To him the organization can do no wrong, all the fans who say otherwise are the idiots and the genuises behind the 3rd worst NHL team are always right.

His job isn't to be critical of the team.

 

[Tuna99]

As a Sens fan what needs more attention IMO are the broken promises/sell jobs from the Sens brass to the fan base that has burnt this fan base out

And this is ‘Matt Duchene is a super star’ - no he’s not. ‘Alfie left because he had Swedish friends in Detroit’ - no he didn’t. ‘Bobby Ryan is ready for a larger roll’ (not his belly roll but on the ice) because he was ‘stuck’ behind Corey Perry’s - he clearly wasn’t physically or mentally ready for anything bigger.

We’re a playoff team (favourite of Murray and now Dorion) - nope and oops, make that a lottery team. We keep our players and never lose them - Spezza, Alfie, Turris, Methot. We are a top drafting team - no We’re just okay.

I think the promise of the repeated message that we are a playoff team and we are border line elite and we’re a contender - it’s like any other product, if it promises you something but doesnt
Deliver you just stop buying it.

The new Dorion ‘everyone is for sale’ line, does anyone actually believe this? I don’t, but I do believe the Sens don’t really have a plan, it’s Just a constant 6 week scramble to meet the promises they’ve made to the fanbase.

What we need now is for the GM to
Present a real solid plan of how he’ll make us a legit playoff contender and not tell me ‘Duch’ gives us two #1 lines when we don’t even have a real #1 line

Stop the sell job, get me something I can believe in and follow. I’m to
Smart, my Sens fans friends are done pretending And suspending belief anymore. Even if it’s a full rebuild plan or wait for EK to heal and, I just need consistency and a plan that isn’t smoke and mirrors.

And PD I know you will read this, Ottawa fans are most comfortable with the Hossa/Alfie/Jacques Martin Sens - this is what we know works and is our best chance at winning and is a philosophy we will all embrace. Draft players with speed and hockey IQ and big Dman who can move the puck, get players who are young and underpaid, don’t spend big in FA or make knee jerk moves (Ryan, Duch, Methot) - just settle it down, let the prospects grow into their rolls, draft from wherever you can to get an advanatage (We picked Slovakia, 2018 Tampa picked Russia and both clearly worked to their advantage)

Let’s get back to the Ottawa roots of elite player development, a true drafting philosophy of responsible players who are fast and smart. We will stick with your plan, and we know as a scout this is probably what you want to do anyways. You’ve got a headstart with a Chabot, Chlapik, White, Brown, Batheraon, Formenton - 2 solid drafts and some nice trades and you’ve got this team on the right track, but ore importantly you’ll have the fanbase buying a product they know will work and have a deeper emotional connection to. We loved Alfie because he was ours, fans love Hossa more then Duch or Ryan because he was ours, fans love JG deeply because he’s ours.

No more grand plan moves. Get back to a product we will all believe in.

 

[FormentonTheFuture]

As a Sens fan what needs more attention IMO are the broken promises/sell jobs from the Sens brass to the fan base that has burnt this fan base out

And this is ‘Matt Duchene is a super star’ - no he’s not. ‘Alfie left because he had Swedish friends in Detroit’ - no he didn’t. ‘Bobby Ryan is ready for a larger roll’ (not his belly roll but on the ice) because he was ‘stuck’ behind Corey Perry’s - he clearly wasn’t physically or mentally ready for anything bigger.

We’re a playoff team (favourite of Murray and now Dorion) - nope and oops, make that a lottery team. We keep our players and never lose them - Spezza, Alfie, Turris, Methot. We are a top drafting team - no We’re just okay.

I think the promise of the repeated message that we are a playoff team and we are border line elite and we’re a contender - it’s like any other product, if it promises you something but doesnt
Deliver you just stop buying it.

The new Dorion ‘everyone is for sale’ line, does anyone actually believe this? I don’t, but I do believe the Sens don’t really have a plan, it’s Just a constant 6 week scramble to meet the promises they’ve made to the fanbase.

What we need now is for the GM to
Present a real solid plan of how he’ll make us a legit playoff contender and not tell me ‘Duch’ gives us two #1 lines when we don’t even have a real #1 line

Stop the sell job, get me something I can believe in and follow. I’m to
Smart, my Sens fans friends are done pretending And suspending belief anymore. Even if it’s a full rebuild plan or wait for EK to heal and, I just need consistency and a plan that isn’t smoke and mirrors.

And PD I know you will read this, Ottawa fans are most comfortable with the Hossa/Alfie/Jacques Martin Sens - this is what we know works and is our best chance at winning and is a philosophy we will all embrace. Draft players with speed and hockey IQ and big Dman who can move the puck, get players who are young and underpaid, don’t spend big in FA or make knee jerk moves (Ryan, Duch, Methot) - just settle it down, let the prospects grow into their rolls, draft from wherever you can to get an advanatage (We picked Slovakia, 2018 Tampa picked Russia and both clearly worked to their advantage)

Let’s get back to the Ottawa roots of elite player development, a true drafting philosophy of responsible players who are fast and smart. We will stick with your plan, and we know as a scout this is probably what you want to do anyways. You’ve got a headstart with a Chabot, Chlapik, White, Brown, Batheraon, Formenton - 2 solid drafts and some nice trades and you’ve got this team on the right track, but ore importantly you’ll have the fanbase buying a product they know will work and have a deeper emotional connection to. We loved Alfie because he was ours, fans love Hossa more then Duch or Ryan because he was ours, fans love JG deeply because he’s ours.

No more grand plan moves. Get back to a product we will all believe in.

If you didn’t think they were a playoff team this year. Then you are lying.

 

[Tuna99]

If you didn’t think they were a playoff team this year. Then you are lying.

Point is, I did think we were a playoff team and it looked like it was going that way the last day Turris was a Sen, the fact that PD overpaid and changed the entire dynamic of the team is the point I’m making. No more making it up as we go along. No more reactionary moves sold as ‘this was the plan all along’ like the Ryan move. I want a real plan.

I did think we’d be in the playoffs and that’s why I spoke out against the Duch move before it happened because I thought just making the playoffs would be a success for the team. I wasn’t under the illusion we were a Turris-Duchene trade away from being a Cup contender.

I thought just being consistent and making the playoffs would be a solid season. Even if we went out in round 1. What I didn’t expect and which clearly hasn’t worked is a huge trade, more empty promises, muddying the water on the Sens plan (whatever that is - lose Methot and Turris after watchibf last years playoffs to me makes zero sense) - I don’t think the Sens have a plan. I think there team is kind of directionless and that is my point as to why the franchise is losing fans and not achieving anything significant in over 10 years

 

[FormentonTheFuture]

Point is, I did think we were a playoff team and it looked like it was going that way the last day Turris was a Sen, the fact that PD overpaid and changed the entire dynamic of the team is the point I’m making. No more making it up as we go along. No more reactionary moves sold as ‘this was the plan all along’ like the Ryan move. I want a real plan.

I did think we’d be in the playoffs and that’s why I spoke out against the Duch move before it happened because I thought just making the playoffs would be a success for the team. I wasn’t under the illusion we were a Turris-Duchene trade away from being a Cup contender.

I thought just being consistent and making the playoffs would be a solid season. Even if we went out in round 1. What I didn’t expect and which clearly hasn’t worked is a huge trade, more empty promises, muddying the water on the Sens plan (whatever that is - lose Methot and Turris after watchibf last years playoffs to me makes zero sense) - I don’t think the Sens have a plan. I think there team is kind of directionless and that is my point as to why the franchise is losing fans and not achieving anything significant in over 10 years

I disagree but I won’t get into it.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

As a Sens fan what needs more attention IMO are the broken promises/sell jobs from the Sens brass to the fan base that has burnt this fan base out

And this is ‘Matt Duchene is a super star’ - no he’s not. ‘Alfie left because he had Swedish friends in Detroit’ - no he didn’t. ‘Bobby Ryan is ready for a larger roll’ (not his belly roll but on the ice) because he was ‘stuck’ behind Corey Perry’s - he clearly wasn’t physically or mentally ready for anything bigger.

We’re a playoff team (favourite of Murray and now Dorion) - nope and oops, make that a lottery team. We keep our players and never lose them - Spezza, Alfie, Turris, Methot. We are a top drafting team - no We’re just okay.

I think the promise of the repeated message that we are a playoff team and we are border line elite and we’re a contender - it’s like any other product, if it promises you something but doesnt
Deliver you just stop buying it.

The new Dorion ‘everyone is for sale’ line, does anyone actually believe this? I don’t, but I do believe the Sens don’t really have a plan, it’s Just a constant 6 week scramble to meet the promises they’ve made to the fanbase.

What we need now is for the GM to
Present a real solid plan of how he’ll make us a legit playoff contender and not tell me ‘Duch’ gives us two #1 lines when we don’t even have a real #1 line

Stop the sell job, get me something I can believe in and follow. I’m to
Smart, my Sens fans friends are done pretending And suspending belief anymore. Even if it’s a full rebuild plan or wait for EK to heal and, I just need consistency and a plan that isn’t smoke and mirrors.

And PD I know you will read this, Ottawa fans are most comfortable with the Hossa/Alfie/Jacques Martin Sens - this is what we know works and is our best chance at winning and is a philosophy we will all embrace. Draft players with speed and hockey IQ and big Dman who can move the puck, get players who are young and underpaid, don’t spend big in FA or make knee jerk moves (Ryan, Duch, Methot) - just settle it down, let the prospects grow into their rolls, draft from wherever you can to get an advanatage (We picked Slovakia, 2018 Tampa picked Russia and both clearly worked to their advantage)

Let’s get back to the Ottawa roots of elite player development, a true drafting philosophy of responsible players who are fast and smart. We will stick with your plan, and we know as a scout this is probably what you want to do anyways. You’ve got a headstart with a Chabot, Chlapik, White, Brown, Batheraon, Formenton - 2 solid drafts and some nice trades and you’ve got this team on the right track, but ore importantly you’ll have the fanbase buying a product they know will work and have a deeper emotional connection to. We loved Alfie because he was ours, fans love Hossa more then Duch or Ryan because he was ours, fans love JG deeply because he’s ours.

No more grand plan moves. Get back to a product we will all believe in.

Great post!

I would say the overwhelming majority of fans would agree with your sentiments. We have shown up for rebuilds and bought in before...when we have a solid plan.

Play FUN hockey, and fans will watch. Emphasis on speed, skill and hockey IQ, then sprinkle with character and grit.

 

[Langdon Alger]

If you didn’t think they were a playoff team this year. Then you are lying.

I didn’t think we’d be a playoff team this year before the season began.

 

[Stylizer1]

If you didn’t think they were a playoff team this year. Then you are lying.

A lot of people here thought they were a bubble team. I for one think they had the best possible match ups last season to go as far as they did.

 

[FunkySeeFunkyDoo]

Has there been a Dorion interview on TSN1200 in the last few weeks? When things were going well he seemed to be on once or twice a week ... now that things are NOT GOING WELL, do we ever hear him?

I'd be really intrigued to hear the tone and type of questions they'd ask in a more recent interview.

 

[FolignoQuantumLeap]

Was listening to the pregame show today and I found it really funny how all the commentators have to handle Lee Versage. Its like navigating a field of landmines and he could explode at any moment. Lisa and Shawn were kind of calling it like it is but Lee sound like a lot of people here: disillusioned.

 

[BloodRedArmy]

Has there been a Dorion interview on TSN1200 in the last few weeks? When things were going well he seemed to be on once or twice a week ... now that things are NOT GOING WELL, do we ever hear him?

I'd be really intrigued to hear the tone and type of questions they'd ask in a more recent interview.

I think he jumped the shark when he called in disguised as Pierre from Orleans.

 

[Pierre from Orleans]

I think he jumped the shark when he called in disguised as Pierre from Orleans.

What a bozo

 

[Stylizer1]

You can always tell when a commercial is produced in Toronto.

 

[Icelevel]

Post game show is the best part of this failure. No wait, it's the only entertaining part of this.
Thanks 1200
(Simmer especially. High five bro)

 

[Icelevel]

Haha. MKultra. Caller recommends looking it up.