- Grapeline with Don Cherry & Brian Williams at 4:45
- co-host from 5:00 to 7:00 is Stephen Brunt
4:10 Bob Nicholson, Hockey Canada
4:25 Doug Smith, Toronto Star
5:25 Nik Kypreos
5:42 Aaron Fox, Eric Tillman’s Lawyer
6:06 Eugene Melnyk, Sens Owner
6:30 Michael Hiestand of USA Today or John Walsh of ESPN
6:45 Justin Bracci, Director Of Athlete & Team Relations For Tactics Armoured Hockey Socks
On 640 with Brady and Watters thanks to Mike S.:
- Peter Deboer, head coach of the Florida Panthers (rescheduled from yesterday)
- Brian Duff of NHL Network on hockey
- Jolly Jonas Siegel from the ACC to preview tonight’s Leafs-Panthers game
- hockey insiders Darren Dreger & Bob McKenzie at 6:10
- open phones with McCown from 4:05 to 4:40
- co-host from 5:00 to 7:00 is Stephen Brunt
5:20 Jamie Campbell, Sportsnet
5:40 Paul Waldie, Globe & Mail
6:05 Ken Holland Red Wings GM
6:30 Eugene Melnyk, Senators Owner
6:45 Glenn Howard World Cup Curling Champion
On 640 with Brady and Watters thanks to Mike S.:
- Bill Hayes is filling in as guest host with Wilbur
- Colin Campbell, NHL director of hockey operations
- Jeff Jackson, member of the Leafs’ front office
- Bob “The Bear” Cowan with his Monday NFL pick
- hockey insiders Darren Dreger & Ray Ferraro at 6:10
- Fay Vincent- on Mcgwire’s hiring as hitting coach
With the Phoenix Coyotes case still sitting with Judge Baum, Jim Balsillie is hoping that an interview Eugene Melnyk did with Bob McCown on Prime Time Sports will help prove a material point that is in dispute with the NHL. According to the Canadian Press, on September 17th, “he noted that he’s not allowed to schedule an exhibition game for the Senators at his OHL team’s arena in Mississauga, Ont., because it falls in Toronto’s territory.”
Now,if there is no territorial rights why would Melnyk say that on national radio here in Toronto? I am not making the argument however the Judge will evaluate it.
- open phones with McCown from 4:05 to 4:40
- co-host from 5:00 to 7:00 is Stephen Brunt
4:20 Brian Williams, TSN in Studio
5:20 Rob Becker, Our Legal analyst
5:40 Doug Smith Toronto Star
6:05 Eugene Melnyk, Senators Owner
6:30 Dan Shulman, ESPN
6:45 Mitch Melnick, Team 990 (Both shows combine for the final 15 minutes)
On 640 with Brady and Watters thanks to Mike S:
- Craig MacTavish, new hockey analyst on TSN
- Bob Clarke, Hockey Hall of Famer
- Dave Naylor of the Globe & Mail on football
Seinfeld Award? Yes, you recall Seinfeld, the tv show about, nothing. Well here at TSM when a scribe writes a story without saying anything they get the Seinfeld award. We have a winner today and the column may well be the winner of the year.
Today’s winner is Bruce Dowbiggin who’s column about media savvy could be pretty interesting. He looks at Jim Balsillie, Eugene Melnyk, Dany Heatley and Patrick Kane and the weeks they have had in the public arena. Now, the theme of article as suggested by the title is clear, “Media savvy severely lacking in Coyotes saga”, the problem is Dowbiggin’s article doesn’t really say that. It doesn’t really say anything.
“Usual Suspects’ first rule of journalism: There is no problem you can’t make worse by laundering it in the media. Just ask Jim Balsillie and Eugene Melnyk. Or Dany Heatley and Patrick Kane. Years from now students of the fourth estate will look back at this past week and say, “This was not their finest hour.”
Ok, I get that. From the public perspective none of the above would call last week good in terms of public relations. Balsillie filed a court document that may have blown up in his face. In the document he called into question the character of some of the current NHL owners in response to his own character being questioned. Melnyk was one of the named owners and he reacted by smearing Balsillie right back in a public forum. Was it Melnyk’s worst hour? Hardly. He reacted in a way many of us would expect him too. He didn’t start the fight, but it surely looks like he ended it. You all know how much respect I don’t have for Dany Heatley. However, I wouldn’t say this was his worst week either. He didn’t thrust himself into the media, rather that came at the request of others. Don’t get me wrong, he did request or demand the trade, however I am not really sure how much this is the player making his own decision or the agent wagging the player. As for Patrick Kane, this wasn’t his finest hour? Ummmmm, I think things were way worse the week the “cab incident” occurred! Having to read a prepared statement isn’t nearly as bad as the stuff that was written about him everywhere (here included).
Dowbiggin’s multiple paragraph piece on Melnyk and Balsillie says nothing, zero, zilch, nadda. Really, there is so much a guy like this should be able to say. He has been in this business for years. I am sure he could have cited numerous examples of good and bad that these guys could have followed. Instead we got an article about nothing. Too bad.
He then moves on to Kane and Heatley.
“Dany Heatley and Patrick Kane both engaged in a little pre-emptive media spinning last week. To avoid distracting reporters from pressing Olympic issues – such as, “Is the Canadian jersey too boring?” or, “Why is Brian Burke’s tie always undone?” – both star players fessed up (sort of) to the summertime blues. ”
Again, this piece is full of angles that Dowbiggin could have explored. There are tons of athletes who have handled trade demands and tons of stories to tell about they handled better and worse than Heatley. There aren’t enough trees left in the world to cut down and turn into paper to write all the stories about athletes who have run afoul of the law. Count this as an opportunity wasted. So much to say, so little said.
“The real purpose of the non-disclosure disclosures was not to shed light on the issues but to allow both Kane and Heatley to tell pesky reporters, “Guys, I already addressed that in my press availability. Next question?” Mission accomplished.”
That’s it??? That’s all you got? No opinion of your own? No expert opinion? No comparisons? talk about leaving me wanting more….well, not more, but….anything.
Congrats Bruce, your column in today’s Globe and Mail has won you the TSM Seinfeld Award for Monday August 24, 2009.
On Hockey Central at Noon:
Roger Lajoie hosting today
1240 EUGENE MELNYK
On Leafs Lunch:
Darren Dreger’s last day for the summer
TBA
College of Sports Media Game of the Night:
In baseball there is no bigger news then the return of Manny Ramirez to the Los Angeles line up tonight as the Dodgers are in San Diego to face the Padres. During Manny’s 50 game suspension the Dodgers maintained their lead over the National League West, leading all rivals including the Padres by at least seven and a half games. Hiroki Kuroda (2-4) takes the mound for LA, while Chad Gaudin (4-6) toes the rubber for SD.
In the American League, the Toronto Blue Jays make their first trip to new Yankee Stadium as they tangle with their division rivals in some afternoon action. It will be the second time the Jays face former teammate AJ Burnett (6-4). Brian ‘classic 80’s porno ’stache’ Tallet (5-5) gets the call for TO. Jays hope to make up some ground as they trail the second place Yankees by four games in the AL East.
At Wimbledon it’s the men’s turn to battle in the semi-finals. The weight of a country is on the shoulders of Andy Murray. He hopes to become the first Brit to win it all at Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936. Murray needs to get through Andy Roddick to get the chance. Roger Federer and Tommy Haas serve and volley in the another semi-final.
So, you pick up the cover of the Toronto Sun today and WOW you think- NHL IN Turmoil- cover story and a pullout! This is going to be good! What it meant was, ok you picked up the paper, now pullout and put it down! Are you kidding me? Bill Lankhoff’s 2 pages of not one original thought gets on the cover of the paper??? That’s it??? What a complete farce. It’s bad enough Gary Lowen gets a column every day, but this entirely unoriginal column get’s it own pullout and makes the friggin cover??????? Where is the news in this piece? Where is the wow-factor. Raise your hand if you learned anything about the NHL that you didn’t know before?
The Sun used to be THE sports paper in town. Complete with the sunshine girl, you used to read it for the best sports coverage in the city. I have received 3 calls in the last 7 days, no shit, asking me to subscribe. When I tell the headset phone jockey that I am a subscriber they are totally dumbfounded. Who is running this paper these days? Take Elliot and Simmons and you are left with???????
Speaking of Simmons, how great is this quote from his article today “So without any research, The Fan began leading its sportscasts with the news that ESPN was reporting a meeting Bosh had with Bryan Colangelo informing the general manager of his desire to leave the Raptors, when, in fact, ESPN wasn’t reporting anything at all. There was no mention of Bosh or Smith’s apparent report on espn.com, the most credible sports reporting organization anywhere.” RESEARCH???? Wait, you are kidding right? You aren’t talking about journalistic integrity are you? Come on Steve, this is the year 2009. My friend’s neighbor’s son-law’s daughter’s brother’s uncle’s butcher’s farm hand’s buddy the Sherpa told him that Mats Sundin has agreed to be traded by the Vancouver Canucks and that of the teams he has agreed to be traded to, Toronto is at the top of the list (TSM-5)…….
I did, however actually enjoy Hogan this am on the way to work. The show works so much better when he is solo and he isn’t talking CFL. Anyways, he did a couple of segments talking hoops and what Bryan Colangelo should do with Bosh. It was actually interesting and worth listening too. Which is more then I can say for Landry’s phoney call in from Vic Rauter hoping to take over the weather gig at CFTO, which was only a little less brutal then the Landry’s fake Chris Shultz’s mustache talking to Kurt Warner’s beard…I mean that was riveting I have to tell you. Oh, and Mike S., I thought of you last night when I went to the Fan website last night and every, and I do mean EVERY audio clip was of a TFC team member on with Nigle Reed. No offense folks, but it will be a cold day in hell before I listen to a TFC interview on my laptop.
I have to wonder, by the way what Bill Watters must be thinking these days. It has been his battle cry that the Raptors where a team in total disarray until “NBA Commissioner stepped in and handed them Bryan Colangelo”. The team was being so mismanaged before, I mean it was SO obvious right? Um Bill, what exactly has changed since Colangelo has taken over. The team is actually worse then it was before. We are still pathetically begging for a marquee player to say “I tolerate Toronto enough to stay long term.” Can we add the Raptors to the “Tank Nation” yet? Where do we send the thank you cards to David Stern? Bill of course won’t see it that way. Bill is still changing the meaning of Sundin’s words, “what Mat’s meant was he has to be there from the start of HIS season, not the start of THE season, and we all know when Mats’ season started so he isn’t lying, he is telling the truth.” Good radio with ol’ Wilbur yesterday, he has been bashing the shit out of Bryan Murray for weeks (save for his love for Gene Gene the Dancing Machine), but when Murray came on with him at noon, ol Wilbur turtles faster then Sundin used to from the trap door of the Maple Leafs room…..
More later as Bettman is on with Wilbur and Brady…Thank god Brady is back, one more day of Bill Purple Hayes and I was going to start listening to music again….
Thank god they aren’t my team is all I can say. Get a load of this crap:
“Anybody that says we should blow up this organization should get their own bomb and go blow themselves up,” Melnyk said at a press conference on Wednesday. “This is not an organization that is completely crippled. It needs fine tuning, it needs some tweaking, it needs a player here, a player there, a few good bounces and that’s it. But we are nowhere near that type of environment.”
WOW-
“This has not been the season we had all hoped to have,” Melnyk stated. “We had great high expectations but it’s not over ’til it’s over.”
Um, Gene, It’s over. Consider since going 13-1 to open the season last year your team is 46-67 OUCH! But no, don’t blow it up, keep on keeping on.
I know, our Maple Leafs, well we admitted we sucked, we admitted we needed the bomb and it was thrown in. More is to come. Man, I feel sorry for the Senators fans (not really, but you know what I mean)
