Blatant Bias Begs Boycott of NHL.com

I hate conspiracy theories the way Scott Hartnell’s fro abhors a Flobee. Further, I believe that its’ useless to waste energy thinking people are out to get you. Unless they really really (really) are.


I prefer to approach my hockey like I try to approach my life: put your head down, work harder than you think you should have to, ignore the bullshixxha and good things will happen.


But what is a Detroit Red Wing fan to do when she starts her 2009 Stanley Cup Finals weekend by checking www.nhl.com only to find the following nhl.com headlines:

“Watch Gretzky, Messier on Sid, Malkin”

“Gretzky, Messier talk Dynasty”- linked to a headline story- “Generation Now: similarities between Pens and Oilers don’t stop at dynamic duos.”

“Glenn Anderson sees potential dynasty with young stars in Pittsburgh”

“Nightmare on Helm St.”

Anyone besides me see a disparity in the numerous positive, exciting headlines for Pittsburgh versus a single negative headline concerning Detroit? Anyone else besides me read these headlines and draw the conclusion that the NHL and some of its greatest players think Pittsburgh is a dynasty?


After looking at how the NHL chooses to promote its upcoming finals today, can anyone make a legitimate argument that today’s NHL.com headlines don’t unequivocally support the argument that the league has a Pittsburgh preference and bias?


As far as I can see, according to the National Hockey League, its all Pittsburgh, all the time.


And what’s worse? The NHL has chosen to mislead the public, and lie to you all in the biased promotion the Penguins, thinly veiled as “journalism”.


Time and time again my Wings fan friends have lamented about the seething hatred the League exhibits for the Detroit Red Wings and the awful bias. My general feeling is that the only thing that matters is the Cup, and who cares what anyone else says or does.


Unless it a waived goal when Homer’s butt was not in the crease. “But” don’t get me started on that…






Previously I would only agree and admit that the League has, on occasion, displayed curious animosity toward its current Stanley Cup Champions, and long time league leader. But after seeing the nhl.com headlines from today, there is simply no way to characterize the League’s focus and priority as anything but Anti-Wing.

Bettman’s Blatant Bias Begs Boycott

To wit: nhl.com, t-31 hours and counting- one day before the Stanley Cup Finals begin what are the headlines all about? A Pittsburgh Dynasty.


There is no hard hitting analysis, no discussion of both teams in the finals and how they have changed since last year or what the changes will mean for this match up. Just fluff about the Pens being a Dynasty, or rather a Dynasty in the making.


Really – rilly?


Is today’s big story in the NHL really that HOFF’ers and Cup winning former Oilers thinks Pittsburgh has Dynasty in the making? In all fairness I didn’t read the Anderson article, it could be as big a misrepresentation as the tripe NHL attributed to Gretzky and Messier (see below).


But let’s just suppose they haven’t put words into everyone mouth and say "Ok, ok, Glenn Anderson likes Pitt", cool. Why not write about it?


Of course being that you are a website purported to cover the whole the league, shouldn’t you have an equal number of representative opinions? Perhaps there is another Cup Winning HOFF’er out there who could balance out your coverage...


Wouldn’t it be inspiring and thought provoking to have two hall of famers (guys inducted at the same time, perhaps?) to go tete a tete on this one?


Nyet?


Vhhhaaat, vas Igor Larionov unavailable for seister article? You could not find him or come up with something like“Igor Larionov thinks the Wings have a “D” in the making”???


Some how I would bet no one even thought to ask.



The League doesn’t talk about the Detroit Red Wings accomplishments in its headlines at all. They don’t discuss the Detroit Red Wings 18 season playoff legacy. They don’t mention 4 cups in 11 years. Or the fact the Wings should be the favorite for a 5th (other than a glib reference to the “compooter” picking the Wings to win). They don’t write about how impossible it is to get to the Finals two years in a row, or the fact that no one besides the Wings has repeated since 1991(ironically, a topic where they could totally kiss Penguin tail).


Perhaps Mr. Bettman and his ass crack marketing team, (the same marketing geniuses who think Chaka Chan and Alan Thicke’s son are a musical draw for hockey fans in Vegas) are confused, perhaps the League’s refusal to seriously consider safer head gear and implement game rules to minimize the risk of career ending, life altering concussions has left the collective head addled.


That’s my guess and I am sticking with it.


Chaka Chan??? Really?


REALLY?????


If someone proves to me that Sidney Crosby is a Chaka Chan Fan, I will first puke, then send GB a Kirk Cameron T-Shirt.


Perhaps you think I am bringing a lot of Red Wing Bias to this argument. I guess you’ll tell me then, that its not at all biased to talk Pittsburgh Dynasty when the Pens almost didn’t make these 2009 playoffs and haven’t won a Cup in 17 seasons, while the team opposing the Pens in these Finals – The Detroit Red Wings- is the only team in the history of all professional sports to secure a playoff berth for 18 straight seasons; the only post ‘94 lockout team to win 4 championships, the only team since 1991 to win back to back championships and the only team since the ‘04 lockout who is in a position to win a second set of back to back championships.



So that is the standard for a Dynasty then? A team has to scratch and kick and claw its way into the Stanley Cup finals two years in a row (not necessarily winning a cup in either attempt) and in this day’s NHL, that makes a Dynasty?


Well shixxsha, someone pull Lou Lamoreillo off the 9th hole at Pebble and let him know his team need not ever strive to achieve anything again…

A Lie Gets Halfway Around The World Before The Truth
Has A Chance To Put Its Skates On.

Ok ok, let’s say you still aren’t buying my bias argument as anything other than Red Wing Fan Homerism…how do you retort to the fact that the nhl.com headlines are misleading to the point of being untruthful?


“Gretzky and Messier talk Dynasty” linked to a headline story “Generation Now: similarities between Pens and Oilers don’t stop at dynamic duos”


Anyone else think that if you click on this link you will get a story about two of the greatest to play the game, members of the last great Hockey Dynasty to exist, talking about the Penguins being the next dynasty?


I cannot tell a lie, Gretz and Mess sure did “talk” Dynasty. I saw it NHL on the Fly this morning and here is how it went down:


1. Brian Duff asked Gretz and Mess about the Detroit Red Wings, referring to a “Dynasty in the making”.


B. Messier then made a cloaked reference to the Detroit Red Wings being a “dynasty-like” team. He also said that the Detroit Red Wings were exciting because of the 10+ years the Detroit Red Wings organization has dominated the league.


III. Duff asked for a comparison the 1984 Oilers and in response Gretz complimented Datsyuk and Zetterburg.


Perhaps my problem is that I think calling a team a “Dynasty” implies something special, fantastical and magical in the NHL- and perhaps that is the wrong way to look at it. Perhaps rather than a Dynasty, an “Empire” is the way to characterize the Detroit Red Wing Organization. The Detroit Red Wing Empire. And following that logic, perhaps by making the Wings out as the Evil Empire, the League is sending a message that an Empire is more impressive than a Dynasty, and therefore evil or not, the Wings are the best.


Well if that is the case, then by all means Commissioner please extend my apologies to your asscrack writing staff and marketing team.


Ahem… (crickets)

The Evil Empire- Detroit Red Wings

Don’t agree with me that the Detroit Red Wings are being cast as the Evil Empire in these SCFs? Ok then, indulge me, and compare these headlines:

“Nightmare on Helm St.” (with sublink entitled: Helm a nightmare)

versus

“Road to the Final: saavy moves by Shero pave the way return to Cup finals.”

Anyone else see a disparity in the only two headline articles that are exclusively devoted to each Finals team?


Sure sure, like you I tend think Freddie Kruger is a cool, iconic character, and I am sure Helmer has no problem being considered a nightmare to any opposing team, but the only way it could be more obvious that the League is choosing to portray the Wings as “a nightmare” and the Pens as “The Golden Children” would be if Eddie Murphy were to show up at the Igloo sporting a Crosby sweater over leather pants and other moderately racist asian accessories, and do his “I got your Ice cream” bit.

I got your Ice Cream, Indeed. In fact I got your Scoreboard.

Its like Gretz said today on the NHL Network, The Wings are the Champs, and they are back, and according to Mess, absent a few injuries, they are as good as last year, if not better.


FOUR Positive exciting headlines about the Pens, THREE articles discussing the Pittsburgh Dynasty. ONE headline devoted to the Detroit Red Wings, in which they imply an up and coming player is a Nightmare. The League purposefully misleading in its characterization of its interviews of Hockey legends.


This is your NHL…but This isn’t acceptable to me, and therefore it isn’t mine.


If it is acceptable to you, have at it.


In the end I hope and expect that the Wings will likely be able to yell “scoreboard” anyway. Its true that winning is all that should matter. But sometimes a message is necessary. Tell Gary Bettman the bias and homerism will no longer be tolerated. I for one will not be visiting the NHL’s main website again during the course of these SCF, and if you are a Detroit Red Wing fan, I would encourage you to stay away too.