Semin. Brodeur. Spezza. Huselius. Brassard. The fourth-round pick.
Stop spreading it. Why are you giving him the publicity he obviously craves? And don't start with the, "We need to expose him as the fraud he is!" How long has he been doing this - at least five years now? Nearly everyone knows that he shouldn't be taken seriously. This is no longer about him. It's about the people who insist they despise him, but are content to spew his garbage all over the Internet, regardless of whether it comes with a warning.
And what's with the new-school preamble of, "I heard this on the Internet/this is online everywhere"? We know where it's coming from. Your vague cover-up is doing nothing to help the matter.
Don't feed the machine. It doesn't matter if it's in jest, to point out his ridiculousness, or to just "put it out there." Very few of us - both bloggers and media - are truly in the business of legitimately chasing rumours. There's no need to broadcast these foolish ideas as quickly as possible, even in a casual fashion (such as Twitter).
Media, stop. Bloggers, stop. Hockey fans, stop. Stop talking about him, and stop spreading his [expletive] around.
Posts
Good luck with that! :)
opiatedsherpa
10:01 a.m.
I'm with you here. He doesn't even deserve to be acknowledged, tacitly or not.
We're getting to a point where mainstream media members want to be the first to 'scoop' their competitors and quell rumours. But doing so just pushes more people to his website. It's sad, really.
Peter Raaymakers
10:06 a.m.
I don't understand why people get so upset about this guy. He throws everything against the wall hoping that something sticks. His record speaks for itself. He's just a hack.
So if he's so clearly NOT an expert, why is this anything more than just harmless fun for hockey fans to play with? This is the candy floss of the pre-draft, pre-free agency carnival.
Journalists - real ones - need to be responsible for their sources. Hack "insiders" who sell a fanasy product don't qualify, so why make them out like they are such a danger? It's the shoddy "journalists" who run with these "stories" who really sh*t the bed.
Caveat emptor, I say.
Dazillion
12:59 p.m.
I don't even think it qualifies as "harmless fun" at this stage. There's nothing thought-provoking about it, even from a "Wow, what if..." standpoint. It's pointless, nonsensical and useless. I mean, why don't I just run over to the Globe and tell them that Brian Lee's been traded for a goat? That's the facetious equivalent of this man's "service."
Again, this isn't about him - it's about the people who decide to broadcast his "rumours", for whatever reason. Everyone, not just media, should know better by now.
The Universal Cynic
1:15 p.m.
On a completely different subject, I did a double-take upon spotting the top of this page because I have a hat identical to that. Like, on my head and everything.
Have I been blogging unconsciously?
Anonymous
1:17 p.m.
I guess I just don't see the difference between this guy - I know it's not about him - and the people who claim to see UFOs or that they can speak to the dead. A yutz is a yutz. It's the "journalist" who reports on it as if it's legit that needs to be held accountable.
The public is what it is. Saying they should "know better" is like pointing out that "common sense" isn't all that common. It's as obvious as it is unlikely to change.
Dazillion
1:29 p.m.
Hockey fans like to think of themselves as an intelligent breed - I'm trying to give them the benefit of the doubt. And what bothers me the most, is that there are people whom I respect (large-scale bloggers) who insist on mentioning these rumours, even in jest. It would be nice if more people would choose to ignore him. It really isn't that hard.
The Universal Cynic
1:35 p.m.
...who insist on mentioning these rumours, even in jest
Well, I'd hope there's a difference between mocking the guy, and passing along his "news" as if it's even halfway credible.
But then again, I'm probably biased on that one.
Down Goes Brown
1:45 p.m.
By the way, don't interpret that as me letting the media off the hook. I expect better from my friends. The media, at least a good portion of sports media, is a lost cause.
The Universal Cynic
1:46 p.m.
DGB:
Obviously there is a difference, but when there are so many other marks out there (at least for the purpose of humour - this business is great that way), why bother giving him any run at all?
The Universal Cynic
1:49 p.m.
I dream of an Eklund free hockey world. I'll never stop believing.
Navin Vaswani (@eyebleaf)
1:40 a.m.
Truer words could not be spoken... I, myself, am guilty of openly mocking he-who-shall-not-be-named (along with a few other hacks) but never once - no matter what "rating" that follows his excrement - would or could I repeat the rumors he spews without having a little vomit in my mouth... or at the very least needing a half-dozen very hot showers, in succession.
Good article..
SpeechlessDave
8:36 p.m.