Slava Malamud rips into Ovechkin/Caps

[Human]

I have learned these days that in Russia if you're not pro-Russia you're basically anti-Russia. Nice to see things haven't changed at all... Shockingly...

 

[Zine]

I remember loving reading TSN/CBC/Sportsnet a decade ago. Now I dont' even go to these websites, because they don't carry a high quality product that interests me anymore. But I do get upset when they use tools like this guy to make a sensation that Ovechkin is universally hated in Russia.

It's because of the current political climate.

If Malamud was an average Ivan who respectfully reported on Russian hockey (good and bad), nobody in N.A. would give two ***** about him.

But when one can sensationalize everything about Russia, go on twitter rants, and evoke politics into everything, it appears you'll be in high demand these days, even on TSN.....and even if that said person isn't even a journalist or insider anymore.

 

[Siberian]

It's because of the current political climate.

If Malamud was an average Ivan who respectfully reported on Russian hockey (good and bad), nobody in N.A. would give two ***** about him.

But when one can sensationalize everything about Russia, go on twitter rants, and evoke politics into everything, it appears you'll be in high demand these days, even on TSN.....and even if that said person isn't even a journalist or insider anymore.

Partially, yes. However it's not just that. The problem is that there are no good professionals who can actually dig into the story and tell you something under a different angle. They now hire hacks who are good with twitter and nothing else and tell people exactly what they think will bring them the ratings.

 

[Fantomas]

One man's troll is another man's ...not troll...or whatever the opposite of a troll is.

You seem to think that "access to players" is some magical privilege that only a few lucky people have. I think if he wanted to, he could easily get NHL press credentials back. He could also probably get in touch with any player he wanted to (minus the Russian ones that will not speak to him) if he wanted to do some writing.

I think it is very hard to make a living and raise a family when you are a sports reporter. You have to be on the road all the time, and unless you are one of the select few, you are not paid well. I think that is why the career change for him, it was not that he was blackballed by SE.

I don't think press credentials are special. I've had press credentials and I barely made any money covering hockey.

But I was responding to what you said, and it is simply not true that a team would grant access to any reporter simply because they are asking for information. Malamud isn't looking for info. He is interesting in stirring up trouble.

 

[Teppo]

I don't think press credentials are special. I've had press credentials and I barely made any money covering hockey.

But I was responding to what you said, and it is simply not true that a team would grant access to any reporter simply because they are asking for information. Malamud isn't looking for info. He is interesting in stirring up trouble.

Where did I ever say that? Probably every team in the league would ban any reporter who constantly made their player(s) look bad because of their political views.

 

[Zine]

Could you imagine the opposite equivalent of Malamud?

Some French national, ex-employee of TSN, marketing himself to Russian sport media as a 'Canadian expert', while negatively sensationalizing everything about Hockey Canada and the NHL, simultaneously ripping into Trudeau every opportunity he gets.

 

[Teppo]

Could you imagine the opposite equivalent of Malamud?

Some French national, ex-employee of TSN, marketing himself to Russian sport media as a 'Canadian expert', while negatively sensationalizing everything about Hockey Canada and the NHL, simultaneously ripping into Trudeau every opportunity he gets.

He would be the most popular reporter in all of Russia.

 

[Siberian]

He would be the most popular reporter in all of Russia.

Such person would be as popular as this clown in Canada/US - a side show that pops up once in a while to fill the gaps and make some losers feel good about it.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

I don't really place a lot of importance on what this writer says..but you don't have to be him to see there's something a bit off about the Caps as an organization. I would say it goes beyond Ovechkin though and has to do with the whole team and how Washington works as a sports market.

You can't have a culture of winning in D.C. because there's no sports culture there in the first place. It's all plastic. Ovechkin was the brand symbol, the icon, so they built their crowd around that. Remember, the Caps were basically almost dead in the early 00s. Most of today's fans weren't fans then, most of em didn't even live in the DMV. The Caps couldn't look beyond OV because the organization as a whole became so entangled with Ovechkin in the public mind that the two are inseparable for fans.

Toronto, Montreal, Boston, New York..they all love their superstars if they win a title, but the star is just a vehicle that leads the larger cultural entity to glory. If that doesn't work it's "Get outta here, bum". That ain't the Caps. There's no larger cultural entity, for this generation there's just OV. If he goes, if the Caps rebuild, that's most of them gone too.

 

[Teppo]

Such person would be as popular as this clown in Canada/US - a side show that pops up once in a while to fill the gaps and make some losers feel good about it.

If it is only losers that he makes feel good, why is he followed by every major North American hockey journalist / broadcaster? Why is he the go to resource any time there is some type of Russian focused issue hits the NHL? He doesn't even work as a journalist anymore but whenever something comes up Russian he is asked his opinion, and is requested for interviews non-stop?

The reality is that he knows what he is talking about, but most importantly he knows how to express himself both on paper and via interview in a way that is entertaining to many hockey fans.

 

[Teppo]

I don't really place a lot of importance on what this writer says..but you don't have to be him to see there's something a bit off about the Caps as an organization. I would say it goes beyond Ovechkin though and has to do with the whole team and how Washington works as a sports market.

You can't have a culture of winning in D.C. because there's no sports culture there in the first place. It's all plastic. Ovechkin was the brand symbol, the icon, so they built their crowd around that. Remember, the Caps were basically almost dead in the early 00s. Most of today's fans weren't fans then, most of em didn't even live in the DMV. The Caps couldn't look beyond OV because the organization as a whole became so entangled with Ovechkin in the public mind that the two are inseparable for fans.

Toronto, Montreal, Boston, New York..they all love their superstars if they win a title, but the star is just a vehicle that leads the larger cultural entity to glory. If that doesn't work it's "Get outta here, bum". That ain't the Caps. There's no larger cultural entity, for this generation there's just OV. If he goes, if the Caps rebuild, that's most of them gone too.

So basically you agree with everything Malamud said but you delivered in a civil manner. Civility doesn't sell!

 

[kmart]

Pretty much. I think we all know the Caps' window is over, and so they won't be back for at least another five years or so, but since they're cursed, they probably won't ever win seeing as they didn't this year.

Shame, because it's a likable team and it's easy to root for them because they're fun to watch. But they're done, and I don't just mean for this season. And we all know that. This guy is just venting it seems.

what means window is over ? the op states that this window of the caps was never open... the hole team is just a marketing trick..., now the washington capitals still have a few banner years in them.

 

[Sentinel]

Malamud has always been mildly enjoyable and well respected among many people I speak to. This article is fairly harsh on Ovechkin, but it's hard not to be. This was an all-around pathetic series that culminated in Game 7. I will buy the injury excuse though, but it's been happening too often for too long.