The brutal incident with the unscreened tweet on TSN yesterday (we ask that you don’t discuss the contents of it in the comments) may have been the straw that broke the camel’s back as far as the Leafs and their media relations this season are concerned.
Honest technical mistake or egregious error in judgment by a TSN staffer, it seems to have been the boiling point.
Get familiar with #nocomment
— Joffrey Lupul (@JLupul) March 3, 2015
Dubas pretty pointed in ripping TSN for the twitter fiasco. "I think players have a right to be pissed off." #Leafs
— Rob Longley (@longleysunsport) March 3, 2015
The reaction from the media has been as predictable as the seasons. Within minutes of the Kessel and Dubas stuff hitting the social media rounds, suddenly the Leafs personnel in question are portrayed as ducking accountability for their horrible play and playing the “media blame game.”
When you've played as lousy as the Leafs have this year, the media blame game is bad move.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) March 3, 2015
Again, I agree with Kessel, Phaneuf gets way too singled out. Other team execs respect Phaneuf's game and he would thrive on a better team.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) March 3, 2015
Below Michael Grange (a smart guy and good writer) appears to actually be defending the actions of the professional sports media in Toronto by citing words spoken in a dressing room full of children. Besides being too young to know any better, who do you think they take their cues from?
If Phil doesn't like what the media says about Dion, he should hear what the kids on my son's hockey team say.
— Michael Grange (@michaelgrange) March 3, 2015
This type of stuff obviously misses the point entirely. Anyone in that dressing room of sound mind knows a good deal of criticism is warranted for the team’s performance. Lebrun actually appears to agree with Kessel’s entire point and yet, he’s still been accused of the ducking responsibility for saying it.
It’s hard to think of a worse advertisement for playing in Toronto than the events of the past couple of months. It’s absolutely true that there’s no issue if the Leafs win more hockey games. But anyone who thinks players from other markets aren’t taking stock of all of this and mentally noting what could happen to them during a bad losing streak in this city is fooling themselves. There’s fair and warranted criticism, and then there’s whatever you want to call what Kessel and Phaneuf have gone through in the past year.
An MLHS comment earlier today summed it up best — The Leafs need a rebuild and so does the media that covers them.
If I'd written better this year the Leafs would have at least 10 more wins. #blamegame
— steve simmons (@simmonssteve) March 3, 2015
@simmonssteve mhhm. pic.twitter.com/gwfHd8in1x
— Auston Statthews (@statssundin) March 3, 2015
