“The toxic Vancouver media.”
I see that phrase – or similar ones – on social media on a constant basis.
When I do, I just shake my head. It’s rather strange how people will throw out statements but never really have any credible evidence to support their case.
The Oxford Dictionary defines toxic as “very harmful or unpleasant in a pervasive or insidious way” which is strange because it’s the last thing that comes to mind when trying to describe how the local media treats the Canucks.
As we begin our case, let’s look at the facts.
The group of individuals covering the Canucks has dwindled dramatically over the course of the last decade. There was a period when there might be twenty or more people covering a Canucks home game for various outlets.
That’s no longer the case.
At a recent game at Rogers Arena, I did a head count and came up with nine people from independent sources covering the event. That’s all: nine.
During its heyday, Postmedia alone would have six people in attendance. The Vancouver Sun and The Province would each have a columnist with reporters covering the home and visiting dressing rooms respectively.
Now it’s down to Patrick Johnston or Ben Kuzma.
TV crews? Gone are the days where Sports Page, CBC, BCTV, Sportsnet, TSN and The Score would send a camera.
Now it’s only TSN – whenever Farhan Lalji isn’t galivanting about covering the NFL – and Sportsnet, which of course, is the rightsholder.
So what’s left? Who are the members of this ‘toxic media’ that torments the Canucks?
Is it Gemma Karstens-Smith from Canadian Press? Does it include Kevin Woodley from NHL.com? Maybe Harman Dayal from Canucks Army? Or perhaps Rob Williams from The Daily Hive?
Oh wait.
It has to be Jeff Paterson from Rink Wide or Thomas Drance from The Athletic!
Toxic media is a broad term but I have yet to see any specific examples to corroborate that claim.
In most instances, the ‘negative’ stories surrounding the Canucks are self-inflicted. Case in point the rift between Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller.
No one covering the team had brought the subject up at all last season until a national report indicated there was a problem. Afterwards, Pettersson was questioned on the topic for the very first time as was Miller.
Yet it was the ‘toxic media’ that caused the issue.
If someone could bring me specific examples of Canuck players being disrespected by the local media, I’m all ears. I will even go as far to say that this group of players has it EASY all things considered.
It’s a Canuck team that sits dead last in the NHL’s overall standings with 29 points despite Wednesday’s 3-0 win against the Rangers in New York.
Could you imagine the field day Neil Macrae, David Pratt, Tony Gallagher, Ed Willes or Jason Botchford would have had considering the current state of the Canucks?
You think the Canucks have it bad? Try reading or watching some of the coverage the two NFL teams based in New York are getting. The Giants sit at 2-12 while the Jets are at 3-11.
You want to talk about toxic? Go read the New York Post or listen to WFAN and then come back and talk to me.
Or perhaps try examining some of the coverage the Eagles are getting in Philadelphia. The last month has seen quarterback Jalen Hurts have to answer questions about frustration within the organization about his play.
Did we mention the Eagles are the defending Super Bowl champions and currently have a 9-5 record which is good for first in the NFC East?
If anything is ‘toxic’ when it comes to the Canucks, it’s social media.
X has always been a cesspool where people can post anything they want without repercussion as they hide behind anonymous handles and/or burner accounts.
I could see a player going on X and being impacted by what he reads but there is a solution to that.
Just don’t go on X.
OVERTIME
* The Canucks could only manage a winning streak once this season with Quinn Hughes in the lineup, which was in October when Vancouver won three consecutive games on the road against Dallas, Chicago and Washington. They couldn’t muster back-to-back wins until after the Hughes trade as they recorded a 2-1 win in New Jersey and the 3-0 victory against the Rangers.
* With the loss to Vancouver, the Rangers woes at Madison Square Garden continued as they became the first team in NHL history to have six shutout losses through 17 home games.
* Thatcher Demko became the first Canuck netminder to record a shutout at MSG since Kevin Weekes did so on Oct. 24, 1999. The only other Canuck goaltenders to have accomplished the feat in the Big Apple were Cesare Maniago on Nov. 20, 1977 and Gary Smith on Oct. 20, 1974.
* With the Rangers failing to convert on four power play chances, the Canucks PK unit continues its recent turnaround. They’ve only allowed two goals in 14 opportunities during the last five games for an 85.7% success rate – an improvement on the 77.1% rate which has them ranked 28th in the league.
Veteran B.C. sports personality Bob “the Moj” Marjanovich writes about the B.C. sporting scene for Black Press Media. This column is brought to you by:
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