Where Were You When Sam Mitchell....

Okay so I admit I watch more than a reasonable amount
of Sports TV...I was watching when the news broke that
Raptors Head Coach Sam Mitchell had been fired.
From a Canadian perspective Sam Mitchell getting canned
and being replaced at least on an interim basis by
Canadian Jay Troino is a significant story...Sadly, it
was "top of the news" for a very short couple of hours.
The story that had been the headliner before Sam's dismissal
was "Sean Avery and Sloppy Seconds."
Sean Avery eclipsed Carolina coach Peter Laviolette's
firing in the realm of NHL importance despite the fact that
Laviolette was relaced by the man he replaced - Paul Maurice.
On any other day - there's a story with some ironic legs.
But the emphasis all day - in fact since Tuesday night -
was renegade mouthpiece, problem child, and four million
dollar a year headache - Sean Avery.
Sean Avery orchestrated a national TV forum where in a
carefully rehearsed soundbite he referred to two of his
Calgary opponents' girlfriends as his " sloppy seconds."
At best - his comments can be viewed as an effort to
incite and distract his opponents. I think it was more
an effort to inflame the media - a self serving and well
thought out way to get his own image on TV reinforcing
his image as the NHL's badman...
Give him credit..he knows our media all too well. He knew
there was no way the media could resist. His words are
the poison koolaid todays "journalists" die for.
There in lies the problem.
To what depths are we willing to stoop in search of
headlines ?
Calgary coach Sutter said it best. Modano and Turco were
ignored...two of the NHL's credible stars never got
interviewed - until they were asked to comment on Avery.
It's sad really...ignore Avery and his "National Enquirer"
off-ice quotes - and Avery would have to rely on his
performance in-game to be noticed.
The whole issue is not Avery and his conduct, but the conduct
of our media. Avery is nothing if not predictable.
He should be the last player interviewed before or after
each game...and if he doesn't have something worthwhile to
say - he should be ignored.
"Sloppy Seconds" is a headline created not by Avery but by
the media - and if this particular incident leaves the same
bad taste in your mouth as did Steve Murphy's "interview"
during the federal election campaign with Liberal Stephane
Dion - don't be shocked. When CTV aired the Dion "outtakes"
during a Halifax interview, in my mind, the network was not
doing a service to the Canadian public any more than it
was doing a service to Dion. It was a self serving action
aimed only at it's headline, ratings - building potential.
It is my feeling that in both the Avery and Dion cases,
we have witnessed the media at it's lowest level.
The media's job is to cover the news - not create it !
Now to the really important part of this particular column.
I had the pleasure of embarking on my Broadcasting career
in Kingston Ontario...One of my fondest memories is of the
smoked meat sandwiches at the Miss Kingston Delicatessen..
From Kingston, I moved to Kitchener Ontario where I grew
particularly fond of the smoked meat sandwiches at the
Three Minute Deli...smoked meat piled high on fresh rye bread
with a particularly garliccy dill...oh God, I'm becoming
Montreal aroused....well...on the off-chance that you are of
the belief that advertising doesn't work I want you know how
wrong you are...Subway has been promoting it's own version of
Montreal smoked meat...I can't get them out of my head.
Sadly, I am on a diet, trying to provide my knees and ankles
with much needed releif, so I have so far managed to avoid
breaking down and visiting my nearest sandwich artist...
Give me strength....
That's it...
"I have nothing to say and I'm only going to say it once."
Harry Neale
Bless...
Don