” Off the Wire ” proudly sponsored by Pete’s Auto Body.
Permit me to expose some professional jealousy today.
There’s all kinds of sports broadcasters and journalists who exist on Big Stages that I admire.
In fairness, there’s other announcers and reporters on the Big Stages where I think if I was that ” gifted “, I’d have cut my tongue out long ago.
The issue for me, is the preference given to the Big Stagers.
Here’s the example.
In the face of COVID-19, the Ontario Hockey League was tossed and fluttered about from contingency plan to contingency plan, which is understandable.
The root of my issue stemmed from the restricted flow of information. I fully understood the sensitive nature of the information.
However, as the scenario unfolded, good local sources connected to the OHL were directed by the league to muzzle up and embargo the content.
In Owen Sound, Attack owners, Governors and the General Manager, all of whom I have great working relationships with, all gave me the same basic response; that is, ‘ we can’t say much, if anything, Fred.’
And I respect that.
However, what was bothersome to me was a prior to a couple of Conference Calls, ” Hockey Insiders ” from the Big Stage would disclose the information with almost bullseye accuracy, sometimes 24 hours in advance of the ” official ” release.
I have no beef with ” The Insiders ” doing their job, but come ON, the number of OHL games I’ve seen these ” Insiders ” at could be counted on my left hand, even if you severed my thumb and index finger.
And that’s my ultimate issue.
Broadcasters & journalists in the 20 OHL centres, including Owen Sound, people who cover and, yes, promote the league extensively were made to wait by the league and their local teams, while somebody somewhere obviously spoon-fed exact dates and details of the various Return to Play proposals to a Big Stage guy.
You might think this is a textbook case of professional envy, that I’m bitter that my skill level isn’t at a Big Stage standard…. …..and you might be right.
But I don’t think the sequence of events in this scenario was proper or fair to the very broadcasters and reporters who the OHL and their member teams are going to come to every time there’s a local issue or crisis.
As I’ve said many times, ……Oohhhh, but when they want a favor….who do they call ?