It’s too bad, because I thought he was doing a fairly decent job in his first season as the hockey beat writer for the News…
This morning, the Detroit News’ Chris McCosky published an article essentially questioning the timing of Kirk Maltby’s shoulder injury announcement before eventually calling everyone involved classy and honest. I got a little bit of a mixed message from the article: yeah, it seems a little fishy that with Lilja’s return, an as-yet-unknown injury becomes common knowledge; but I also know the Red Wings would rather waive and lose Jason Williams for nothing (for better or for worse…probably for worse) than kick Kirk Maltby in the nuts after his incredible service to the Wings. I have to believe that, while the Wings are in dire cap straights, they have Maltby’s best interests in mind. Maybe that’s me being naive… a poor, frolicking, jailsexed naive fan.
Also, he notes that Kirk Maltby’s cap hit is $750,000. No it isn’t, bro. Do some research. His cap hit is $883,333. He is making $750k in salary this season, but as we all know (except McCosky, apparently), the cap hit is figured by averaging out the salaries over the life of the contract. It took me a grand total of nine seconds to find this information. (950k + 950k + 750k = 2.65M / 3 years = $883k. Tadaaaaa)
Last night, the same McCosky said that Mike Babcock has an unpleasant attitude toward the media, snarkily referring to the coach as “the always helpful Babcock.” Maybe Uncle Mike is allergic to beat writers who don’t do their research. Frankly, the coach doesn’t have to answer any questions about his lineup – and I’m shocked when they say as much as they do. He doesn’t owe you an explanation. He’s the coach. He decides who plays. Don’t cry when he snaps at you, or doesn’t give you what you expected…
Sure, Mike Babcock is gruff. That’s what he’s known for. His death stare is the things that nightmares are made of, and I certainly don’t envy McCosky’s job of asking the tough questions (assuming he does that from time to time). He doesn’t appear to be afraid to ask Babcock about the goaltending “controversy,” which is an issue that his readers are certainly interested in. And good on him for it. And good on him for writing a nice piece about Drew Miller and Jimmy Howard pulling for Team USA — one for his brother, the other (snubbed in the eyes of many) just being patriotic.
I’ve rather enjoyed Chris McCosky this season, for the most part. It’s too bad that, while the Wings head into the Olympics on an upswing, we’re forced to see the slimiest reporting of the season from a beat writer.
Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone out in TPLand. Here’s hoping your day is filled with frolicking and you’re all jailsexed so hard, all night.
The timing is very convenient – but what team doesn't do that? When a team is out of the playoffs, players who have been fighting nagging injuries and staying in the lineup decide to get needed surgery now instead of waiting until the offseason, get an early start on rehab, come to training camp fully recovered … and with a bright shiny new rookie star the team took with the lottery pick when their record fell off a cliff as players left the lineup for LTIR.
It's not deliberate tanking, just a recognition of when it is best to cut losses on a season and look ahead.
I'm sure if Detroit wasn't hit by so many injuries earlier in the season, Maltby might likely have opted for surgery earlier so that he would be fully recovered by the playoffs and ready to go then, but he could cope with it well enough to play and the team badly needed effective players in the lineup, so he took cortisone shots and sucked it up. Now the team is getting healthier, the need for Maltby in the lineup is less critical, and if he chooses surgery now he will be more likely fully recovered by the start of training camp next year and prepared to play again if there is a spot available for him. From Holland's comments it's pretty clear that the procedure needs to be done sometime – why not take advantage of the fact that he needs surgery to avoid waiving anyone to make salary cap space?
That isn't underhanded, it's smart asset management.
And I'm impressed by how forthcoming Babcock is with the media, actually. MacTavish was like that with the Oilers, too – pretty open in conversation, provided the question wasn't stupid or leading. He could have to deal with potty-mouth bully Tortorella.
So Maltby was out but then Fil couldn't go and Homer was questionable (very questionable as it turned out) and then Maltby is back in because the team couldn't spare him. Sounds like the season long pre-game injury induced line up confusion to me but then I'm not a jailsex-starved* beat writer with a chip on my shoulder.
*Do comments count on your word total because I worked hard to get that in?
Comments must count, or why would everyone have been talking about jailsex in them?
Some people just like being jailsexed so much that they don't care if saying it in the comments gets the count up. They're just so happy to talk about being jailsexed that it makes them go out frolicking.
I hate this form of journalism by McCosky. He spends half an article accusing them of doing "convenient" and underhanded things, then spends the other half covering his own ass talking about how it's not really underhanded. I agree with the concept that I like the way this lets Maltby go out at least.
Well good because technically I believe that should have been "jailsexed-starved".
Ya know what, the comments actually do not count because Wordle simply takes the text visible on the page (after I expand it to show all posts), and in order for comments to be visible, an individual post needs to be expanded. So, sadly, they aren't included in those numbers.
HOWEVER! Fret not, because everyone who drops jailsexed into the comments is certainly fighting the good fight and giving Rob and I ammo. Perhaps toward the end of the month, when we take submissions for next month's word, we'll put together a post that transcribes everyone's comments with "jailsexed" and "frolicking" in them, to raise awareness and thank everyone for their hard work in accomplishing our goal, and JJ's dream.
JAILSEXED. SWEET, FROLICKING JAILSEXED.
I am frolicking around here, trying to not get jailsexed in my head my McCosky. Yeah, Babs is gruff, but how would you people like to have a basketball moron with no hockey knowledge asking you questions all year?
I love that Uncle Mike doesn't deal with reporter's bullshit. I think he's always been honest and frank with the media, and he doesn't sugarcoat it. And when he says he doesn't know, I believe it. He's not frolicking around and making crap up that might leave you feeling jailsexed. If I had to listen to the moronic questions that I've heard a lot of reporters ask, I'd be gruff too.
Agree with you 100%, Michael, and this is a great send-up of McCosky.
I think McCosky's attitude is representative of the media's attitude as a whole: They are entitled to what is otherwise privileged or classified information, and if they don't get the information to which they feel entitled, they shit their pants and cry about it. Even the newspaper in my podunk town acts like this with local politicians. It's ridiculous. I don't know what it is about a press badge that makes reporters feel as if they have a right to know everything all the time. And more often than not, people indulge reporters more than they have to not because it's a necessity but because it's personally and politically expedient to keep the press satisfied than to deal with a public relations quagmire if the reporters turn on them. If Babcock isn't giving McCosky what he wants, or if Babcock is gruff with him, so what? Dealing with people who don't always want to deal with you is part of a journalist's job description. Instead of using his column to wipe his tears, he should just grow a pair and get over it. He's not going to win points with anybody over this.
Comments are closed.