News Article: Bullying and Backstabbing: The Ottawa Senators are Pro-Sports' Biggest Mess

[Zorf]

Dude, I have never in my life used the phrase 'fake news'! And in the future, future you and future me can settle what will at that time be the present. I'm not much of a soothsayer and will deal with the future facts, and future you, as future me, in the future.

Hey fair enough, and I really didn't want this to turn into the writer being a representative of the organizational issues, and me taking issue with their presence.

I'm attacking the messenger not the message! personally I don't find attacking the messenger in this case to be cheap at all, the writing and delivery of the 'message' is pretty terrible. This isn't a piece of journalism, it's tabloid.

I don't feel obliged to let everyone and their dog take a dump on the team just because there are in fact issues with the team. It's one thing to deal with you guys in here on a day to day bases, most in here are Sens fans at heart, it's quite another to be accepting of pile-on hack jobs from vengeful media types. Thankfully the fans of our most hated rivals are respectful enough to leave us be at the moment.

But you're defence against the article is that it's poorly written. Ya. It is. It's a grade 6 writing level... If that. But what I'm saying is you're missing the primary issue, and it's not bad writing. The issue is this team is so bad that it made international news. That's embarrassing.

Rage againt the bad writing all you want but that does nothing to deflect the fact that this team, and this owner, is a laughing stock.

Yes. It sucks that the team is a joke. I wish that it wasn't. But it is, and the root cause of a whole lot of this is on the owner. And you can't defend that by saying the article is poorly written.

 

[Zorf]

The most recent news was the reporter being kicked off the plane. But the Uber ride was not news? Why didn't this article come out at that time?

I am absolutely questioning the integrity of the writer. And he is bad at it. I mean, the paragraph that Ice put up, when I read it the first time, I didn't even understand who the "he" was , as they were talking about Melnyk. He is a writer after all...why not say "the former beloved captain appeared unable to explain..."

A lot of writers/journalists/hacks have been tripping over themselves to defend the Citizen ONLY after Warren was kicked off the plane. The Wallace story was sat on until now. If people think that there is a lot of integrity left in journalism, no matter what side you are on, well, you are welcome to that point of view.

What I just replied to Ice Tray applies here too.

 

[solidprospect]

Terrible article by some guy named Colin Horgan.

 

[Silencio]

Not a part of the article, but pretty embarrassing if true:



Does anyone have any insight into this? I don't think Amazon would have set up its HQ2 here if there hadn't been technical issues, but this still seems pretty bush league.

Eh...I mean Amazon was never going to bring HQ2 to Ottawa to begin with. They are building a massive distribution centre in Ottawa so the CTC issues couldn't have spooked them that much.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

I mean, being 25th is surprisingly good! After all, weexpected that we would have been middle of the pack in the AHL at the start of the season.

I would bet more HF Sens fans would think the Sens are doing better not worse than expected on the heels of the Karlsson trade. Most of those stats are all shots/shot attempts based... We knew we were going to be weak on defense; but even there I am really pleasantly surprised at the positive strides Chabot and Lajoie have taken.\

Its a strange thing to me to parade how bad we may be doing , based at least in part in the inability to afford to spend on the team and then encourage not spending to the benefit of the team , where at least a portion , goes to players salaries. Its like wearing poor performance as a crown. I don't like Melnyk. I don't like Dorion. I do want the team to do well and to be in a position to improve and move up the competitive ladder. Do I think we have anywhere close to ideal ownership or management to get there .. no.. but this is the team I cheer for to do well in spite of the ownership and management. Not supporting them, ensures we won't do well.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

Good. Keep the negative press coming. Don't let the pressure off Beavis and Butthead for ruining our team.

Playing run and gun hockey with young kids may be exciting enough for some, but the product still sucks and lacks hope because they sabotaged it over money.

 

[slamigo]

I hear the next front house hire will be a senior fashion advisor....

Honestly, I didn't care which jersey he had on. Would have been cooler to wear a 90s vintage with the 2D logo. That would have spun folks on these boards. Troll fashion.
The article is just a summary of past events from an outsider's perspective. Seems to be piling on because it's easy to pile on right now.

 

[branch]

Can I throw in some of my like-minded takes in here?

 

[branch]

Terrible article by some guy named Colin Horgan.

You mean a professional journalist who has been published in the Globe and Mail, National Post, Ottawa Citizen, Maclean's, The Guardian, and CBC? Ya what an absolute zero. Total bum.

 

[aragorn]

Good. Keep the negative press coming. Don't let the pressure off Beavis and Butthead for ruining our team.

Playing run and gun hockey with young kids may be exciting enough for some, but the product still sucks and lacks hope because they sabotaged it over money.

I don't agree with this at all. I don't think anyone ruined the team & they just had a crappy team that needed to be rebuilt. As much as I dislike EM mostly because he has a big mouth & constantly sticks his foot in it, but he has spent money on the team in the past when it was required to get some players. He has no reason to spend now when the team has no expectations of making the playoffs, it would be a waste of money. Most people wanted PD to re-sign Ryan & keep him & it's only after the fact & what has gone down with Ryan mostly due to injuries that he has not earned that big salary. He didn't re-sign EK & I would not have either because he was too expensive for a rebuilding team, it was time to move him IMO & they got a decent return for him.

Playing run & gun with the young kids is exciting to watch & the product is much better than most expected. Of course, they are not going to lead the league, they are rebuilding, it would be dumb to expect more but at the same time we should appreciate that they are trying & playing better. They just beat the best team in the NHL & then lost to the worse team in the NHL, that is going to happen with a young rebuilding team. It's the potential in all the young guns that is & should be exciting for fans this yr with the emergence of Chabot, Lajoie, Tkachuk & White & more good young players coming. AS A FAN YOU COULD NOT BE MORE HOPEFUL OF THIS TEAM & IT'S POTENTIAL. You could not be more wrong about that, I can't remember a time when there was more hope for the young players than the young guns Ottawa has & have coming.

I'm so tired of all this negative shit all the time surrounding the team, it's so deflating & unnecessary when the team is fun to watch again. I don't miss EK & think they made the right move to trade him at that time but most of the problems with this team have been self inflicted by the owner, management & the players, they do it to themselves. The owner is a dickhead & hopefully some day he sells to a better owner (I'll believe that when I see it) who will keep the team here but until that time we should enjoy watching this exciting young team. If people don't like this team & don't think they are exciting to watch maybe they should check out another team more to their liking & stop dragging the rest of us down who do like the direction the team is headed.

 

[DrEasy]

Terrible article by some guy named Colin Horgan.

Terrible! Sad!

 

[Sensung]

I don't agree with this at all. I don't think anyone ruined the team & they just had a crappy team that needed to be rebuilt.

The team was one goal away from the Cup final. With a little creativity and additional $ the team could have been very competitive for the next few years. The "rebuild" excuse is pure and unadulterated BS. Melnyk just wanted to slash spending until he got Lebreton signed.

Playing run & gun with the young kids is exciting to watch & the product is much better than most expected.

30th in CF %
30 in FF%
1st in shooting % (unsustainable)
31st in GA/gm
31st in SA/gm
25th in SF/gm
31st in shot diff.

25th in point percentage and with every advanced stat saying it will only get worse.

This team is terrible and will only get worse once the shooting % comes back to earth and the UFA'S go out the door as part of the firesale.

I'm so tired of all this negative **** all the time surrounding the team, it's so deflating & unnecessary when the team is fun to watch again. I don't miss EK & think they made the right move to trade him at that time but most of the problems with this team have been self inflicted by the owner, management & the players, they do it to themselves. The owner is a ******** & hopefully some day he sells to a better owner (I'll believe that when I see it) who will keep the team here but until that time we should enjoy watching this exciting young team. If people don't like this team & don't think they are exciting to watch maybe they should check out another team more to their liking & stop dragging the rest of us down who do like the direction the team is headed.

I'm so sick and tired of posters who don't hold this owner and management accountable for ruining our franchise.

I do miss EK and will never forgive our Ahole owner for driving the best player go ever wear our jersey out of town.

If you want to spin rose-colored tales about how this team is performing I'll be happy to point out a more realistic view of the team.

Actions have consequences and our owner will be made to pay.

 

[aragorn]

The team was one goal away from the Cup final. With a little creativity and additional $ the team could have been very competitive for the next few years. The "rebuild" excuse is pure and unadulterated BS. Melnyk just wanted to slash spending until he got Lebreton signed.


30th in CF %
30 in FF%
1st in shooting % (unsustainable)
31st in GA/gm
31st in SA/gm
25th in SF/gm
31st in shot diff.

25th in point percentage and with every advanced stat saying it will only get worse.

This team is terrible and will only get worse once the shooting % comes back to earth and the UFA'S go out the door as part of the firesale.


I'm so sick and tired of posters who don't hold this owner and management accountable for ruining our franchise.

I do miss EK and will never forgive our Ahole owner for driving the best player go ever wear our jersey out of town.

If you want to spin rose-colored tales about how this team is performing I'll be happy to point out a more realistic view of the team.

Actions have consequences and our owner will be made to pay.

I could have bet you would have responded, they were one goal away from the cup final & then imploded the next yr, they had no choice but to tear it down, they weren't that good just lucky that yr. Those stats mean nothing to me, I watch the games & they are competitive in a lot of those games & most people on here seem to like what they are watching, at least they post positive stuff about it, well not you. As I have told you numerous times there is nothing we can do about this owner, they tried #Melnykout & he still owns the team, it didn't work & hasn't worked to this point but I still hold out some hope he will, but it doesn't look like he will tbh. You don't want us to go to games but you still watch games, hum, I cancelled my STH for this yr & now regret not going to games. We've tried to hold this owner accountable & so far he is out lasting us, billionaires are so stubborn.

I don't miss EK & think the team is better without him, it's unfortunate how it ended & he had a tough time but I think they are better without him right now & more fun to watch. Is that bad? I don't agree that the team is terrible & will get worse, when they are so much better than most expected, they are not dead last in the league yet. I'm optimistic the young guns will improve this team & IMO already have. I don't get why you continue to watch this team if you hate the owner & think the team is terrible & will only get worse. It can't be healthy. Why not jump ship & watch a team you do like & enjoy watching?

 

[Spartachat]

This all screams of "owner harassment". The Guardian and Post Media are both fake news. Tune into Boro for the real news. The Sens are doing great!

 

[Do Make Say Think]

The team was one goal away from the Cup final. With a little creativity and additional $ the team could have been very competitive for the next few years.

We traded for Matt Duchene, getting the upgrade on Turris we all wanted. Maybe if we make the playoffs last year and win a round (or two) money isn't the problem it is now. Maybe Melnyk spends more.

Point is, we don't know. It was Karlsson second-to-last "cheap" year, we had to go for it.

 

[Dino Tkachuk]

and that is a problem why?

Journalists move around all the time, him being a past local actually increases his familiarity with the subject. You're challenging his journalistic integrity due to his past workplace, and that is a ridiculous leg to stand on.

I actually disturbed my fellow bus-mates by laughing out loud at this one. Remember this opinion the next time there is an internal promotion or a local boy is drafted/signed.

 

[Engineer]

I actually disturbed my fellow bus-mates by laughing out loud at this one. Remember this opinion the next time there is an internal promotion or a local boy is drafted/signed.

What does your comment have to do with the post you quoted?

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Can I throw in some of my like-minded takes in here?

Not sure which group this applies to more.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

It amazes me how anyone can come to the defence of this organization after the “harassment” statement.

 

[AchtzehnBaby]

He is a Canadian who lives in Toronto.

He mostly writes for Macleans, though he seems to be primarily a freelance writer. He has been published in The Citizen, but was never on the payroll on a permanent basis.

He seems to predominantly be a politics / tech / culture writer.

Looks like the boycott is working. Spoke to someone while at the HHOF game on Sunday. Seems we are beginning to look a lot like Winnipeg before they folded.

No one will step in to take over for a floundering team without enough fans to support it.

Go team!

 

[BondraTime]

Looks like the boycott is working. Spoke to someone while at the HHOF game on Sunday. Seems we are beginning to look a lot like Winnipeg before they folded.

No one will step in to take over for a floundering team without enough fans to support it.

Go team!

Glad to hear you spoke to someone!

There has been offers made, recently, of people who obviously want to step...nice take

 

[Knave]

Looks like the boycott is working. Spoke to someone while at the HHOF game on Sunday. Seems we are beginning to look a lot like Winnipeg before they folded.

No one will step in to take over for a floundering team without enough fans to support it.

Go team!

Winnipeg moved. Good luck to Melnyk and his fans in convincing 30 other NHL owners they shouldn't want $20-30 million each for the next NHL team.

 

[Spartachat]

Looks like the boycott is working. Spoke to someone while at the HHOF game on Sunday. Seems we are beginning to look a lot like Winnipeg before they folded.

No one will step in to take over for a floundering team without enough fans to support it.

Go team!

Except that is not the Sens problem. There are groups that have interest in the Sens, but the owner does not want to sell. Fans don't like the current owner.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Looks like the boycott is working. Spoke to someone while at the HHOF game on Sunday. Seems we are beginning to look a lot like Winnipeg before they folded.

No one will step in to take over for a floundering team without enough fans to support it.

Go team!

Please take a chaperone with you next time.

 

[solidprospect]

You mean a professional journalist who has been published in the Globe and Mail, National Post, Ottawa Citizen, Maclean's, The Guardian, and CBC? Ya what an absolute zero. Total bum.

Nothing in the article that we didn't already know. Just a rehash of everything that we have heard about. Anyone can do that.