Oilers respond to blog business

"It was disrespectful, it was embarrassing and we simply do not need it," Oilers media relations director J.J. Hebert says.

about 1 year ago James Mirtle 17 comments 0 recs |

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You sure that quote’s not about Jarret Stoll’s play last season?

by J.P. on Oct 21, 2008 10:26 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Cute. They had to delete his blog because it might have hurt Stortini’s feelings…

Adam C was taken

by Back In Black on Oct 21, 2008 10:30 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Why not let Stortini handle his business and hug him to death?

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Oct 21, 2008 10:50 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

do the Oilers really think they’ll be able to convince anyone that Stortini isn’t a disgusting hockey player?

by David Driscoll-Carignan on Oct 21, 2008 3:38 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well I am glad that 2 sentence explanation cleared up all the issues involved here.

by Blackcapricorn on Oct 21, 2008 10:44 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Nice Shifting Goal Posts

So basically they are saying that Dave is a liar? Nice work Watt.

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Oct 21, 2008 10:50 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I think there is a point to be made about not saying anything that you wouldn’t tell the guy to his face. It’s just too easy to take nasty shots from a distance. Do that from your couch. If you want press credentials as an independent blogger, there should be some expectations. A player should not have to deal with someone being disrespectful in his own house. I think it is reasonable for the Oilers to keep jerks away from their employees (not at all suggesting that Dave is a jerk – just pointing out that it would be reasonable to be concerned about it).

But, there is also a fine line on what content constitutes disrespectful content and what constitutes plain old censorship.

It still sounds like the Oilers completely mishandled this one in the heat of the moment and were unable to recover upon calmer reflection. Some of the comments from Hebert sounds more like spin to me.

It is completely disingeneous to suggest that they cannot sort out the good bloggers from the rest. C’mon – are they unable to do that with the MSM or do they simply give credentials to every so-called MSM application that comes in? I highly doubt it.

by hockeycountry on Oct 21, 2008 11:46 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

If you want press credentials as an independent blogger, there should be some expectations.

And if people do want it then there are teams that do have a process for getting credentials. Dave didn’t want them. He was just killing time before fulfilling the duties of his press pass.

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Oct 21, 2008 11:58 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

That’s why I think the Oilers over reacted when it happened and have not been able to graciously get out of it. Once he apologized and agreed to stop, the whole thing should have been dropped there and then. It was clearly too hard for the powers that be to step back in the heat of the moment (which would be a job performance issue if I were their boss). Now the organization is forced into a tough spot they didn’t need to be in.

by hockeycountry on Oct 21, 2008 12:13 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think there is a point to be made about not saying anything that you wouldn’t tell the guy to his face.

They’re professional athletes (well, Stortini only because they actually pay him), and the only reason they have jobs is to entertain people. That comes with the assumption that people will talk about them, sometimes critically. Sometimes even rudely. I know, can you believe it?

It’s important to criticize the players’ performances on the ice, not their personalities or personal lives, but sometimes you just have to say, “that guy is a horrible hockey player and he shouldn’t have a job.” I shouldn’t have to worry about whether or not I would “say that to the guy’s face” because I have the freedom to say whatever I want and he assumes the risk of being criticized by signing his contract and playing a professional sport.

A player should not have to deal with someone being disrespectful in his own house.

Except he doesn’t play hockey in his house, he plays hockey in a giant entertainment arena, and the only purpose he serves is to generate money for an entertainment organization. You subject yourself to the public, you subject yourself to the public’s complaints and criticism. That’s the trade-off.

Go Avs! Let's get some goals!

by Joe Dunman on Oct 21, 2008 2:54 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

“The public” aren’t the ones in the press box, however.

by James Mirtle on Oct 21, 2008 3:47 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The regular reporters who cover the team all the time know they must face the players and coaches that they write about. “Media don’t fear for their lives when they come in here but they know they have to be fair,” Hebert says.

as a blogger, I absolutely hate this argument. The ability of a blogger to offer an opinion that doesn’t need to be tempered by someone’s ruffled feathers can be a tremendous advantage. For every blogger who crosses the line of good taste, there’s a member of the MSM who’s forced to choose his words too carefully. The fact that the media sees these players the next day is a negative, not a positive.

“As long as it’s fair, we’re fine with it.”

and I believe in the tooth fairy

by David Driscoll-Carignan on Oct 21, 2008 3:58 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Dave was definitely a bit melodramatic here, and I guess the Oilers still are Kevin Lowe’s organization so it shouldn’t be surprising to see a ridiculous reaction like this one to the charges against them. This just seems like everyone is piling on… the truth is there probably was no procedure set, so when Dave crossed the line (and if he did say that about Stortini, I’d say he did cross the line as a journalist) all kinds of allegations were made that weren’t logical.

Hockey blogging can't get any flatter.

by saskhab on Oct 21, 2008 1:25 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I wonder – if the Oilers folks had just gone to Dave and said “look, what you’re writing is crossing the line and we don’t want you to do that in our house”, would the end result have been different?

by David Driscoll-Carignan on Oct 21, 2008 4:09 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think some of the argument I’ve heard sums it up pretty clearly: Dave screwed up. He knows it, he admits it. His beef is that he wasn’t told beforehand, and that the Oilers people who handled the situation immediately went to the ‘nuclear’ solution rather than being levelheaded. I can understand that. I can also understand that the Oilers organization may not have approved of his comments and felt he crossed a line, but if he happened to work for a MSM outlet and had another voice (column, webpage, etc.), would they have treated him the same way? Would they have immediately gone the ‘blogger scum’ route? I think not.

Colorado Avalanche: Gellin' and Propellin'!!!

by Mike @ MHH on Oct 21, 2008 4:37 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think that’s about right.

by James Mirtle on Oct 21, 2008 4:45 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

If Dave really follows the Oilers at all, he should be well aware of the fact that you toe the company line in Edmonton, or this happens to you. The Oilers are not afraid to silence criticism, and this isn’t the first time they’ve done it.

by Resolute on Oct 21, 2008 4:42 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs