Blue Jackets dump sideline reporter for "negativity"

Absolutely insane.

 

Very disappointing.

And it looks like Fox caved in.

Also, Blue Jackets management remains angry, according to sources, that Day did not conform to the club's request to NOT mention late majority owner John H. McConnell on the night the Blue Jackets clinched a playoff spot, April 8 in Chicago. He also didn't follow along by acknowledging that it took the club eight seasons to make the playoffs.

Most regional broadcasters are pretty much homers (Jack Edwards, anyone?) but this is ridiculous.

 

Why didn't they want him to mention McConnell?

 

No idea. Maybe they thought paying tribute to the dead founder and owner would have been a downer.

 

Certainly not the first team to act this way. I think baseball is the worst. Lots of local/regional broadcasts are little more than a 3-hour commercial to sell tickets and club seats, with announcers prohibited from questioning coaching strategies, player actions or anything else that might be taken to reflect negatively on the team in question.

 

And then there is Marty Brenneman.

 

Urban Meyer approves this firing.

 

Who do the Jackets think they are? The London Knights?

 

Didn't one of the Hunter brothers go after Rogers/Cogeco a few year's back because they thought the broadcasters weren't supportive enough? Or made critical comments?

 

Mark Hunter felt the guys doing the games, specfically PBP guy Leigh Cunningham weren't big enough homers.

I will also add that while I haven't dealt with that many NHL PR directors, Todd Sharrock was easily the worst I have encountered.