Sports Logic

written by Shaun Deering


It has become a trend in the sports media in the past few years to stand on their soapbox and preach to the masses. I'm all for a guy voicing his opinion, which would probably explain why I am writing a sports blog, but what I really have a problem with is when people tell me what my opinion should be.


This has never been more the case than it is in 2009. I'd never really paid much attention to Bob McKenzie during my younger years, so I can't speak to whether he was preachy then, or if this is a new, far more annoying version. His mantra over the past couple of seasons has been the elimination of "head shots" in the NHL, and has spoke so often on the topic that I almost had to grab a bucket when I typed it. But Bob McKenzie is far from the lone offender on this topic.


The main offender, or should I say offenders are a couple of gentlemen, who appear on the Fan590 radio station in Toronto and simulcast on Rogers Sportsnet. I speak of Bob McCown and Jim Kelley. It's been about 4 years since I discovered Prime Time Sports, and admittedly I do like the show. My problem is that McCown, who admittedly hates the game of hockey, yet wrote a book devoted to the topic, will not turn down the opportunity to knock the game. He has a know it all approach, even while interviewing people who have spent their lives in the game, and refuses to listen to anything they have to say unless it is in agreement with his opinion. As I said above, I can still tolerate McCown, but his refusal to listen to anything but the sound of his own voice is grating, and has me reaching for the mute button. His sidekick however, has me reaching for a keyboard to put him in his place.


Jim Kelley is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame in the writers' wing. That fact alone makes me wonder if I can get in the HHoF by filling out an application form with my $50 admission fee. He also moonlights as a writer for sportsnet.ca, and his articles vary in tone from critical to straight up morbid. Here's a guy who has made his living on the sweat and broken bones of hockey players, and he never has a good word to say about anybody. I have frequented the comments section of his articles, but what I really want to say would never make it by the sportsnet.ca censors. But I don't see any censors around here, so even though he will never read it, here's what I want to say to Jim Kelley, Hall of Fame writer.


Dear Jim,


Do you go to bed every night and thank the players who have given you a career in print media? I've read your articles and it's obvious to me that you didn't get this far on your talent alone. There's some sort of irony involved in the fact that you find it sick when a player gets hurt in a fight, but you have no qualms about exploiting the death of a human being to further your own crusade. I've listened to you ramble and stammer over your words for months on end now about how the NHL needs to clean up their game, yet the product on the ice has never been better. Why would the league tamper with a formula that works to appease a guy whose claim to fame is getting bitchslapped by Dominik Hasek? On behalf of myself and the 75% of hockey fans who want to keep fighting in the game, shut your mouth and go cover competitive knitting.


Sincerely,

Shaun Deering