The Official Ottawa Sports Radio Thread #5

[slamigo]

A link for those interested.

Wow. He certainly does have an ego. He just doesn't seem like someone you'd ever want to hang out with. Sucks the air out of a room.

 

[PatrickEaves]

Bud, it's been 25 years and now we have attendance problems. The reality is there are 1.3M people in the area, and lazy apathetic fanbase. You can cling to excuses all you want, if it makes you feel better. I'm not buying them, but you go ahead.

A lot of people missed another memorable game, well worth 120 bucks . Last I checked, we were between Toronto and Montreal 25 years ago so...yeah good point for bringing that up now. Just another lame excuse

How many playoff games would you go to if you hadn't been paid in a year?

 

[sabremike]

A link for those interested.

Thanks for posting that (I have no idea how to do that on my phone because I am a tech dummy)! It's the gold standard for kicking a fired coach's corpse.

 

[branch]

Brennan is the guy who is taking on Melnyck in the press. He's said some stuff on 1200 about him and is the only reporter in the city that is critical of Melnyck himself as a man and owner. Now he's written an article taking on Melnyck as the #1 reason for attendance problems - I believe this to be the case.

Get going Donny, give it to him

Please stop spelling it this way it hurts my brain

 

[coladin]

Right. Once again, I'd suggest you read the thread on the main boards rather than jump to conclusions. That only scratches the surface.

Oh right, the flood is a new excuse, thanks for that! What a train wreck of a thread, filled with fans that are very, very sensitive to the realities that we are laughing stock in every other Canadian NHL market.

This morning, TSN Edmonton was having a contest of who can come up with the best excuse of why it wasn't sold out. LOL

 

[dingbatz]

Oh right, the flood is a new excuse, thanks for that! What a train wreck of a thread, filled with fans that are very, very sensitive to the realities that we are laughing stock in every other Canadian NHL market.

This morning, TSN Edmonton was having a contest of who can come up with the best excuse of why it wasn't sold out. LOL

Why do you care so much? Honestly, it sounds like you're the one who's sensitive. Who cares about what other people are doing. Get over it. It shouldn't affect you this much.

 

[YouGotAStuGoing]

Why do you care so much? Honestly, it sounds like you're the one who's sensitive. Who cares about what other people are doing. Get over it. It shouldn't affect you this much.

Yep. As someone who's been fortunate enough to be able to attend every home game and one away game, I couldn't care less whether we hit the arbitrary number that constitutes a sellout. Or what other fans think. I care that the arena's been lively, bouncing, and everyone in the city seems to be behind our boys.

 

[Blackhockeyfan]

Not sure what the hype is about McGuire. He's become a predictable "brand". I personally find his takes completely useless and his constant name dropping nauseating.
He's essentially a mediocre coach and failed wanna-be GM.
Worst thing about him is the way he caters his takes to his audience. Just another reason to skip the entire morning segment.

Literally tune-out on my morning drive every time he comes on. Besides all that you've mentioned, he's also incredibly boring.

 

[Blackhockeyfan]

Bud, it's been 25 years and now we have attendance problems. The reality is there are 1.3M people in the area, and lazy apathetic fanbase. You can cling to excuses all you want, if it makes you feel better. I'm not buying them, but you go ahead.

A lot of people missed another memorable game, well worth 120 bucks . Last I checked, we were between Toronto and Montreal 25 years ago so...yeah good point for bringing that up now. Just another lame excuse

I agree with you to be honest. I came across tons of people who justified the disinterest by arguing no one wants to shell-out to watch the Sens get rocked. How'd that work out? There's a significant percentage of people unaffected by Phoenix etc. who simply passed because of the Game 5 result.

 

[Senateurs]

In a perfect world, there would be no important soccer game last night, everybody would've got paid in time and nobody busy doing damage assessment of the floods we had barely a week ago.

This fan base has been hit hard but we managed to fill the building with next to 0 corporate support.

 

[TeamRenzo]

A link for those interested.

Ouch, that is pretty harsh...I guess the truth can be that way sometimes.

Personally, I like PM. He loves the game and has a tremendous amount of knowledge however I can understand how is can irritate people.

 

[TeamRenzo]

Oh right, the flood is a new excuse, thanks for that! What a train wreck of a thread, filled with fans that are very, very sensitive to the realities that we are laughing stock in every other Canadian NHL market.

This morning, TSN Edmonton was having a contest of who can come up with the best excuse of why it wasn't sold out. LOL

The last fan base that should be poking fun at any team is EDM. They were perennial losers for over a decade and had the luxury of of winning the lottery multiple times.

Question for EDM fans, did you enjoy watching the Oilers play last night???

 

[Masked]

In a perfect world, there would be no important soccer game last night, everybody would've got paid in time and nobody busy doing damage assessment of the floods we had barely a week ago.

This fan base has been hit hard but we managed to fill the building with next to 0 corporate support.

There's no such thing as an important soccer game in Ottawa.

 

[Masked]

The last fan base that should be poking fun at any team is EDM. They were perennial losers for over a decade and had the luxury of of winning the lottery multiple times.

Question for EDM fans, did you enjoy watching the Oilers play last night???

Edmonton is just bitter that their draft lottery dynasty came to an end this season.

 

[Stylizer1]

Media is ultimately a business, not a public service. In their business the bottom line is about improving ratings and generating buzz. JR is a controversial figure, so if you can get him on your show it's going to generate some chatter. Some of us purists might find it a little off-putting, but in a world where the competition for listeners and attention is fierce, frankly they can't worry about that too much.

 

[Stylizer1]

I think having Roenick on did the exact opposite of what you are stating here. Pierre McGuire is also doing the same thing. Unfortunately, TGOR doesn't change anything about their program, so McGuire will continue to appear every day at 8 until he decides he no longer wants to.

On the flip side, Mendes is a bright guy, I think he learned his lesson from yesterday and may think twice about an interview like that next time.

It just shows Mendez that he has to do some more homework to have more ammunition to go at a personality like JR.

 

[Stylizer1]

Why...you can't handle the truth?

Roenick came on to explain himself, and you all thought he was going to apologize when Game 6, the most important game in 10 years wasn't (and didn't )sold out? As a matter of fact it was perfect timing.

You wanted Mendes to stick up for the losers who didn't go last night? You tell me what JR said that was wrong. Not hurtful to all of your fragiles psyches, but wrong.

Most important game in 10 years. Check. Fans had 4 days to buy tickets. Check. We are in Canada, the hockey crazy country. Check. We have Karlsson. Check. What Anderson has gone through and how he has battled adversity. Check. In Canada, this is the only market where this would happen. Check. Place should be filled and standing room. Check.

So where was Mendes going to correct him? He is supposed to stick up for the cheapskates who wouldn't shell out 120 bucks for the most important game in 10 years? Yeah right.

Cheap seats aren't usually the problem. Ticket prices where between $120-$900.

 

[Flamingo]

I tuned in mid-day to hear one of the mic jockeys chastising a caller for mentioning his go-fund-me page to help him buy tickets. This playoff run needs more shenanigans.

 

[Flamingo]

In the 2007 run, wasn't there a best-dressed competition in the red zone every game?

 

[ianmendes]

It just shows Mendez that he has to do some more homework to have more ammunition to go at a personality like JR.

This thread simply shows you need to do more homework on how to spell my name.

 

[Stylizer1]

This thread simply shows you need to do more homework on how to spell my name.

 

[ianmendes]

Given the amount of venom on here towards my decision to bring Jeremy Roenick onto the station on Tuesday, I figured I would take a moment to chat about my thinking.

1. Jeremy Roenick is a very polarizing figure and I'm well aware of that. However, he's got a resume that includes 500+ goals in the NHL and a very big platform as a national analyst in the United States. So when somebody with that stature makes comments specifically about Ottawa, I believe it's in my best interest to try and hear if he has more to add to the conversation than just what he said on a Toronto radio station.

2. I specifically started the interview by asking Roenick about Game 3 of the Ottawa series actually selling out - despite the fact he said it wasn't. This seemed to be a bone of contention with a lot of people, so I wanted to offer him a platform to respond.

3. For those who have criticized my lack of interviewing skills, please understand that I'm not in the business of confronting people on the air. I will ask reasoned, well-thought out questions and treat all of our guests with respect -- as if they are a guest in my home. I'm not an antagonistic person by nature and I will ask respectful and pointed questions if necessary. I do not believe that Roenick needed to be blasted by me, because he had a passionate opinion about our inability to sell out playoff hockey games in the 3rd round. Did he need a lecture on the Phoenix pay system, local flooding, arena location, raised cost of parking, spending discretionary money on Redblacks tickets, etc. from me? I didn't think that was worthwhile because if you understand the situation in Ottawa, it's very complex. This was his opportunity to expand on why he felt it was embarrassing to not sell out hockey games and there are thousands of people in Ottawa who share his opinion. I didn't appreciate being called a "gutless puke" by one particular texter and I certainly don't agree with the accusations of laziness that many of you have pointed to in this thread.

4. I find it extremely interesting that I did SIX hours of radio yesterday and exactly ONE segment was focused on ticket sales in Game 6 and that happened to be with Roenick because he was so passionate about the topic. That means I spent roughly 5.5 hours talking Sens power play, Craig Anderson, could they bounce back from 7-0 loss, using Colin White, where is Stone/Hoffman, can they solve Matt Murray, etc. I literally spent 5.5 hours talking about things that weren't related to tickets....and yet some of you are acting like I'm this sensationalist dick of a journalist trying to push a false narrative. It's extremely upsetting when I put so much time and effort into this radio station and put together a great show for our listeners and yet you choose to look at one segment out of 24 that I did yesterday and paint me with an inaccurate brush.

5. Lastly, maybe you don't agree with Jeremy Roenick's opinion on the Senators ticket issue. And that's completely your right. But I am utterly blown away how so many people are unwilling to listen -- for ONE SEGMENT -- about a viewpoint that doesn't mesh with their own. Maybe just understand that the ticketing issue is a complex one and it generates a lot of passionate takes. Nobody has the magic bullet solution. I worked for the Sens front office and have covered this team for a combined 20 years. And I still couldn't give you one exact reason for why they failed to sell out a playoff game in the third round. But I would gladly listen to any and all people's opinion's on this matter because that's what makes talk radio fantastic. A variety of opinions that -- when all put together -- create a better picture of the truth.

I absolutely love doing this job for a living and as many of you can attest, I will absolutely engage in thoughtful and meaningful discussion. But calling me out for one segment and making it seem like I'm a major problem with the media in this town isn't the way to go.

A few weeks ago, I spent hours putting together this piece on the Sens ticketing issues. http://www.tsn.ca/there-s-no-playoff-fever-in-ottawa-only-sens-malaise-1.737420

There is nothing I do that isn't calculated, well thought out and well researched. You can accuse me of a lot of things, but please don't ever accuse of not putting any thought into lining up guests or interviewing them.

As always, you can e-mail me directly at [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you. And for those of you who complain about Ottawa media not caring about your thoughts and opinions, I hope this post proves otherwise. I do care about what you think. But let's try and do this in a really positive and constructive way.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Oh right, the flood is a new excuse, thanks for that! What a train wreck of a thread, filled with fans that are very, very sensitive to the realities that we are laughing stock in every other Canadian NHL market.

This morning, TSN Edmonton was having a contest of who can come up with the best excuse of why it wasn't sold out. LOL

Excuse me? Come on out to the areas where the flooding occurred and tell us that. In case you haven't noticed, this isn't 1995 anymore, and the tech boom (and great jobs) in the Ottawa area are gone.

I would bet, that if you did a detailed study of hockey fans in Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa, it would be the Ottawa fans that pay out the biggest percentage of their gross income into our NHL team. We don't have the corporate welfare tickets the other markets have, or the nice personal writeoffs, or the 6-figure paychecks to cover luxuries.




As for Roenick....most times I wouldn't give a rats ass about having him on the show or dissing the city. Critical media and hard-hitting journalism is great...most of the time. But like others said, this is a once-a-decade event for this team. This one of the rare times the pom poms should be out in full force. We should be celebrating this team right now....not letting this gray cloud cast a malaise over the city.

This is like going to a 50th wedding anniversary party, just to ***** about an affair the couple had years ago. Some things you just don't crash and ruin.....ya know what I mean? We could've saved the attendance discussions for the summertime, when we'll undoubtedly have a ton of time to complain about anything and everything.

 

[Flamingo]

NMF, the Sens not selling out a game isn't a personal failing of yours. Relax, sports teams are here to be loved and hated.

 

[Stylizer1]

Given the amount of venom on here towards my decision to bring Jeremy Roenick onto the station on Tuesday, I figured I would take a moment to chat about my thinking.

1. Jeremy Roenick is a very polarizing figure and I'm well aware of that. However, he's got a resume that includes 500+ goals in the NHL and a very big platform as a national analyst in the United States. So when somebody with that stature makes comments specifically about Ottawa, I believe it's in my best interest to try and hear if he has more to add to the conversation than just what he said on a Toronto radio station.

2. I specifically started the interview by asking Roenick about Game 3 of the Ottawa series actually selling out - despite the fact he said it wasn't. This seemed to be a bone of contention with a lot of people, so I wanted to offer him a platform to respond.

3. For those who have criticized my lack of interviewing skills, please understand that I'm not in the business of confronting people on the air. I will ask reasoned, well-thought out questions and treat all of our guests with respect -- as if they are a guest in my home. I'm not an antagonistic person by nature and I will ask respectful and pointed questions if necessary. I do not believe that Roenick needed to be blasted by me, because he had a passionate opinion about our inability to sell out playoff hockey games in the 3rd round. Did he need a lecture on the Phoenix pay system, local flooding, arena location, raised cost of parking, spending discretionary money on Redblacks tickets, etc. from me? I didn't think that was worthwhile because if you understand the situation in Ottawa, it's very complex. This was his opportunity to expand on why he felt it was embarrassing to not sell out hockey games and there are thousands of people in Ottawa who share his opinion. I didn't appreciate being called a "gutless puke" by one particular texter and I certainly don't agree with the accusations of laziness that many of you have pointed to in this thread.

4. I find it extremely interesting that I did SIX hours of radio yesterday and exactly ONE segment was focused on ticket sales in Game 6 and that happened to be with Roenick because he was so passionate about the topic. That means I spent roughly 5.5 hours talking Sens power play, Craig Anderson, could they bounce back from 7-0 loss, using Colin White, where is Stone/Hoffman, can they solve Matt Murray, etc. I literally spent 5.5 hours talking about things that weren't related to tickets....and yet some of you are acting like I'm this sensationalist dick of a journalist trying to push a false narrative. It's extremely upsetting when I put so much time and effort into this radio station and put together a great show for our listeners and yet you choose to look at one segment out of 24 that I did yesterday and paint me with an inaccurate brush.

5. Lastly, maybe you don't agree with Jeremy Roenick's opinion on the Senators ticket issue. And that's completely your right. But I am utterly blown away how so many people are unwilling to listen -- for ONE SEGMENT -- about a viewpoint that doesn't mesh with their own. Maybe just understand that the ticketing issue is a complex one and it generates a lot of passionate takes. Nobody has the magic bullet solution. I worked for the Sens front office and have covered this team for a combined 20 years. And I still couldn't give you one exact reason for why they failed to sell out a playoff game in the third round. But I would gladly listen to any and all people's opinion's on this matter because that's what makes talk radio fantastic. A variety of opinions that -- when all put together -- create a better picture of the truth.

I absolutely love doing this job for a living and as many of you can attest, I will absolutely engage in thoughtful and meaningful discussion. But calling me out for one segment and making it seem like I'm a major problem with the media in this town isn't the way to go.

A few weeks ago, I spent hours putting together this piece on the Sens ticketing issues. http://www.tsn.ca/there-s-no-playoff-fever-in-ottawa-only-sens-malaise-1.737420

There is nothing I do that isn't calculated, well thought out and well researched. You can accuse me of a lot of things, but please don't ever accuse of not putting any thought into lining up guests or interviewing them.

As always, you can e-mail me directly at [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you. And for those of you who complain about Ottawa media not caring about your thoughts and opinions, I hope this post proves otherwise. I do care about what you think. But let's try and do this in a really positive and constructive way.

I don't think you need to explain yourself on this. Butt hurt is contagious. JR is a loud mouth and you just have to out think him. Maybe you underestimated what he was going to bring to the show so your rebuttals didn't make him take a breath.

Either way when there is news about the Sens on a national level you must follow up on it. Not doing so wouldn't be doing your job.

The idea of having to buy tickets from stubhub in the first round kept me from trying. When we played Montreal 2 seasons ago it was such a frustrating process. 3rd in line only to be told that I couldn't sit with my kid because there were no 2 seats together within 10 seat radius. Went on stub hub to find lots of tickets at double the cost. I had no interest in making someone money this year even if it wans't the case.