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As far as I know, Robyn Doolittle of The Globe & Mail has never broken news about a blockbuster hockey trade. Nor has TSN’s Rick Westhead or The Athletic’s Katie Strang for that matter. They are about the furthest thing from being “NHL insiders” as there is.
Thank goodness for that.
Fact is, the world of professional hockey media would be a much darker place if not for this talented trio, which has done some incredible digging and heavy lifting when it comes to national/international stories that many in the sport would prefer you know nothing about.
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Whether it’s exposing the Chicago Blackhawks scandal, uncovering numerous other abuses in sport or staying on top of the 2018 Canadian junior team sex assault investigation, they are going places the highly touted “insiders” likely want no part of.
Why is that, you ask? Simple. That kind of access to team and league executives and player agents comes with a price. Specifically, ruffling as few feathers as possible, toeing certain lines and, some would say, selling your journalistic soul.
Sure, you get the occasional scoop about a player swap or signing dropped in your lap, to share with your large social media following. And, no doubt, that kind of information has a place. It’s fun!
But when the you-know-what hits the fan, can you really trust these folks to put all that aside for the greater good? I think not.
Now in my eighth year of sports reporting — after a 21-year stint covering crime and justice — I can proudly say I’ve wanted no part of that scene. A few years ago, I wrote a column about how I was proud to be an NHL “outsider” and I stand by every word.
My background has given me even more respect for the type of work that goes into these investigative pieces, which I had plenty of experience sinking my teeth into during the old beat and continue to keep my eyes open for on this current one.
It’s not easy, it’s often not pretty, and it’s why I’ve long believed that the best sports reporters are ones who have first put in the work outside the “toy department” to get a real sense of what matters.
The games we watch and write about may seem like life and death to some. They are anything but, especially when put in the proper real-life perspective.
Unfortunately, there are fewer and fewer Doolittles, Westheads and Strangs out there, given the sad state of journalism, which continues to see layoffs and shutdowns at a dizzying pace.
Just this week alone, the prestigious Los Angeles Times announced cuts to 20 per cent of its staff — that’s at least 115 employees — in what feels like just the latest example of a canary in a coal mine.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I’m proud to work for an independently owned company that still values everything from daily Winnipeg Jets coverage (we’re the only local outlet and one of the few remaining in Canada to still cover road games) to covering off all the important beats (courts, legislature, city hall, health, education, business, local sports, local entertainment) to in-depth investigative pieces from many talented colleagues.
It’s why support from readers and advertisers is so crucial to us at the Free Press. If all of that were to disappear, not just locally but in every market, I shudder to think of the situation we’d be in.
A world filled with just “insiders” is not journalism. It’s activism and public relations puffery, nothing more.
On another note, I just want to veer away from sports briefly here to give a shout-out to all the folks currently working in our beleaguered health-care system.
Our family had a scare last week — apologies for no newsletter last Thursday — and I got an up-close look at the current situation over the course of five long days, and nights, at two different Winnipeg hospitals (Concordia and St. Boniface).
As you’ve likely read and/or heard, emergency rooms are packed beyond capacity. To that extent, I witnessed plenty of sad, discouraging scenes during my visits.
That said, I couldn’t be more impressed with the poise and professionalism of every nurse, doctor, technician, etc., that we dealt with. This, despite clearly difficult, at times chaotic, conditions around them.
I’m happy to say that, thanks to exceptional care and the miracles of modern medicine, our family’s experience worked out for the best. I’m now hoping those on the front lines get some much-needed help to do their extremely valuable work, for which I saw first-hand and am extremely thankful.
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