Columnist chooses not to name names (of media cronies)

Globe and Mail columnist Steve Brunt wrote about the NHLPA's change of leaders today. Much was about the deposed-disgraced former union boss Ted Saskin and his cozy buddying with the NHL veep Bill Daly. Funny enough Brunt leaves out details about a broadcaster / de facto mole who ratted out (to Daly) a lawyer (Ian Pulver) and a former player (Steve Larmer, who'd get in the HHOF if God had a vote) who were mobilizing a PAlace coup. "Details" ... well, name. Not a small detail. Even more troubling the rationalizing about why he chosoes not to name him.

The column in full:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20071016.BRUNT16/TPStory/TPSports/

Here's the tap dance.

How the NHL won that war of hearts and minds was further detailed last week with the publication of a series of e-mail exchanges between Daly, Bettman's right-hand man, and Saskin (including a rather embarrassing reference to a complicit member of the electronic fourth estate, who will remain nameless here only because he almost certainly wasn't alone).

...

They became such pals, the e-mail suggests, that when Saskin faced a growing insurrection among the players, uncomfortable both with the level of his compensation and the manner of his ascension, Daly tried to help him out by passing on the names (helpfully provided to him by said broadcaster) of those within the union who were conspiring to bring him down.


Swell, Brunt drops the names of Shakespeare, Aeschylus and Caesar and leaves out TSN's Gord Miller, the broadcaster in question whose name was reported in stories in other papers when all this broke over the weekend.


I figured this wouldn't get picked up by readers til I checked out the comments. Amazingly a bunch clued.

Jeff Taylor from Canada writes: Just because someone is "not alone" in his questionable behaviour is no reason to protect his name. The "complicit member of the electronic fourth estate" is Gord Miller of TSN (it's no secret: he's already been named in the Star). By feeding information on NHLPA dissension to Bill Daly, Miller disqualifies himself from being taken seriously as a professional.

Hogtown Heckler from Phoenix, United States writes: As usual those in the media have the thinnest of skins. They are so quick to condem but they will always protect one of their own.

mike cardin from Brampton, Canada writes: Thank you, Jeff. I can't understand why Brunt would hide Miller's name as he is central to the story. I've always thought of Brunt as special, kind of above-it-all, more intellectual than just about any other Canadian sports journalist/commentator/writer - boy, was I wrong. Brunt's still at the top, though.

An Objective Hockey fan from Nepean, Canada writes: Maybe Brunt didn't have a choice in not naming NHL toadie, Gord Miller, since CTVglobemedia owns both this paper and Miller's employer, TSN. But not surprising that a TSN employee would be aiding the NHL in their labour war against the NHLPA since CTVglobemedia has a vested interest in the NHL winning due to its ownership stake in the Leafs.

Robert Roach from Ottawa,Ont., writes: Gord Millar should be fired for his part in this treacherous act. He should be ashamed of himself.

tad bradley from toronto, Canada writes: Hypothetical: If it were not a member of the media acting as a mole but rather a player / NHLPA member, would Brunt choose not to name him because he is almost certainly not alone? There could be many motivations for Brunt not to name Miller. The most obvious would be the ownership issue mentioned by a previous sharp-eyed poster--the "synergy" of Globe / TSN / Leafs / NHL. But that's only the start. 1. When Brunt says that Miller likely did not act alone it leaves open the possibility / likelihood that Brunt knows or works with those who did the same thing and might be outed down the line, or that he did the very same thing himself. In a case like this, it should all be full disclosure -- not only should he have named Miller but he had all the more reason to name him BECAUSE of (the appearance of) conflict. 2. Brunt would be loath to tick off the TSN brass because it remains a potential employer for him. He has cashed cheques from there in the past. Though he works for Rogers/the Fan (a curious thing and a potential conflict in and of itself with Rogers' ownership of the Blue Jays), he would be foolish to eliminate a potential bidder for his services. It's curious that William Houston has yet to take this up in his media column. Brunt or Houston could easily dial up Miller for an "exclusive" explanation / rationalization of his delivering inside dirt to Daly. I wouldn't hold my breath.

Should Brunt have named him? Would his bosses have told him not to print it? It looks more like self-censorship than something coming down from up high, but I don't know. I'm just a small-town rube. Is that how they protect each other in the self-proclaimed centre of the Canadian universe?

 

Let me be the first to welcome RokskiCanada to these shores.

 

Meanwhile, Aunt Martha is lying in a ditch at the edge of town...

 

You got to wade through the turgid stuff to get to conflict. Sorry. Should have edited for a 10" space. Still, what a pass to give a guy (because other people almost certainly were working for rats).

 

I would have loved to have heard Miller's conversation with Daly.

 

Sorry Elliott (and I enjoy your work). Yeah, the Globe wrote about Miller the Tuesday after the Saturday he was outed--and a day after (as you say) a lot of people asked questions about why Brunt (and I guess others at the same place) gave him a pass. Not that much legwork I'd think. So they're writing about him on Tuesday because they didn't on Monday ... still looks like they were giving him a wide berth. Maybe the Globe's media guy could have called a journo prof and ethics guy to see if he thinks that sorta thing is a proper or decent way to do things. If it is, I had no idea and I guess that explains why I've never made it out of covering Tier II and Gord Miller made it off the Prairies to the Big Smoke.

 

Sirs, Madames,

All interesting stuff. Now they're bringing up Don Meehan's name (agent accused by Chris Chelios of wielding a little too much influence in NHLPA affairs). It's a small world, I guess, what with Anton Thun (one of those opening the trap door under Ted Saskin) losing big clients (Jovo, Peca) to Meehan. Miller's connections to Meehan are at least friendship. I'm pretty sure they golfed together in Ireland or Scotland. I don't think that Chelios was in their foursome.

Bob Goodenow might have been a bastard but he was always (or at least mostly) the players' bastard.

YHS, etc

 

...and, across town, old man Eagleson was closing up the malt shoppe and running for the border.

 

I think this is the first time M*A*S*H was ever connected to hockey.

 

Glad someone got it...