Kamloops Blazers ban sports editor

[Flickered Flame]

Basically the Blazers are unhappy with some of the critical comments from Gregg Drinnan, who has been covering the dub team for years. Very similar to the Islanders situation earlier this year, hard to believe this stuff still happens today.

This appeared in the Kamloops Daily News of Jan. 4, 2011:

When Tom Gaglardi and his partners paid a reported $7 million for the Kamloops Blazers in 2007, they promised to turn the team into the kind of franchise people would want to watch.
In supporting the sale, The Daily News editorialized: “Clearly, the Blazers have not enjoyed the heady aroma of success for quite some time. The team itself has performed poorly, the organization has been beset by a series of internal problems, and promotion has been lacklustre. In short, despite the best efforts of the board and the community based administration, the Blazers have lost their mojo.”
Three-plus seasons later, the team languishes at or near the bottom of the standings and Gaglardi’s avowed priority — attendance — continues to suffer. In fact, rather than rebounding by the 600-700 fans Gaglardi had hoped, the numbers have continued dropping.
Everyone wants the team to succeed, but hockey is a tough game, on the ice and off. When a team loses consistently for several years, questions are asked, especially by fans and sports writers.
Daily News sports editor Gregg Drinnan has covered the Blazers for years. He is, without question, one of the most knowledgeable hockey writers covering the Western Hockey League today.
While he’s ready to give the team credit where due, he is also often critical of the Blazer organization and the performance of the team. That’s part of being a hockey writer and it’s part of a team’s growth.
Drinnan’s job is not to market the Blazers, but to report and comment on them. He doesn’t get mean about the players, but nobody can hide the fact the players aren’t winning and that the Blazers’ management must answer for that.
The Blazers’ office doesn’t see it that way. Vice president and general manager Craig Bonner, with the support of Gaglardi, has decided Drinnan will no longer be allowed to talk to team personnel unless he starts writing more favourably about the Blazers.
This is unacceptable to us as a newspaper. It’s also unacceptable to the Western Hockey League, or should be, since it clearly violates league policy.
Unfortunately, the league has so far declined to lift the ban on Drinnan, and so has the team. We’re attempting to work with the team and league to resolve what is, to our knowledge, an unprecedented infringement of transparency and free speech in the reporting and analysing of hockey not only in this league, but across the country.
We don’t believe Craig Bonner and Tom Gaglardi, nor the rest of the team’s partners and managers, are unreasonable people. However, this ban betrays a certain desperation about the fact the team’s mojo remains missing in action. It won’t get the community the kind of team it deserves.
We’re optimistic a solution can be found, but it won’t involve the Blazers deciding what Gregg Drinnan or any other member of our staff can or should write about the Kamloops Blazers. In the meantime, he will continue to cover them, albeit without comment from the team itself.
— Mel Rothenburger, Editor

http://gdrinnan.blogspot.com/2011/01/editors-note.html

[Vena]

I don't know what the Blazers expect ppl to say about them. There haven't been a whole lot of positives in that organization for a long time. Had season tickets in 90s, and gave them up in 00s.

Banning Drinnan seems like another stupid decision in line with a lot of other stupid decisions made over the years. There was a time when the Blazers were the hottest ticket in town. Now, you can get a ticket, but why would you when you're going to half full buidling (if that).

The organization needs to humble itself. It's been a long team since they had a competitve team. That '99 team seems like a fluke now. I'm choked that teams like Vancouver and Kelowna have done well over the years while the Blazers seemed to stay the same. Until they start fielding a winning team consistently, they won't be seeing a lot of positivity.

[Erick Estrada]

Is it me or have sports franchises become extremely thin skinned?

[Resolute 14]

If Drinnan is the bar by which columnists can be banned, Francis would be out of a job. Good to see his paper standing up for him too.

[Locke]

Well, this is just like Stalinist Soviet Russia. Complete collapse and uncalled-for censorship.

[Sylvanfan]

Ever since that fat sack of crap Colin Day insisted on firing Bob Brown after winning 3 Memorial Cups in 4 years it's been all downhill for the Blazers. I lived there from 89-96 and there were some damn good teams in that time. But ever since Brown suspected Day was stealing money from the team..and got axed, it's been downhill and a lot of bad hockey.

[habernac]

was Iginla one of the partners that sold?

[burn_baby_burn]

So I guess Blazers ownership prefers no coverage of the team? That should improve interest in the team resulting in increased ticket sales.

[dustyanddaflames]

Resolute - I couldn't agree more. It would be very easy for the paper to rid their writer and try and save face and what seems like a very fragile relationship with the club. Good on them, feel terrible for the guy who is only reporting what he sees.

[habernac]

Originally Posted by habernac

was Iginla one of the partners that sold?

Ah, apparently Iggy is in the ownership group still. and has no comment.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL.../16773401.html

[Vena]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

Ever since that fat sack of crap Colin Day insisted on firing Bob Brown after winning 3 Memorial Cups in 4 years it's been all downhill for the Blazers. I lived there from 89-96 and there were some damn good teams in that time. But ever since Brown suspected Day was stealing money from the team..and got axed, it's been downhill and a lot of bad hockey.

So true.

[Resolute 14]

http://chrisfoulds.blogspot.com/2011...f-how-not.html

One of Drinnan's competitors speaks out in his defence, and takes a bit of a shot at Iginla at the same time.

[killer_carlson]

That's brutal.

[rj*]

I have no idea what these people want Iggy to say- should he make something up without knowing the exact situation. He's an investor and not involved in the day to day operations.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

http://chrisfoulds.blogspot.com/2011...f-how-not.html

One of Drinnan's competitors speaks out in his defence, and takes a bit of a shot at Iginla at the same time.

I don't know why he would take a shot at Iginla? While I'm sure Iginla may have an idea what transpired but only from a distance so why comment? What could Iginla say that would shed any more light on the situation? Doesn't this guy realize that Iginla may have more pressing things on his plate?

[burn_baby_burn]

Who knows what Iggy's involvement is with the situation. However, to claim he simply does not have time to be involved or informed in such matters is naive in this day and age. If he played one less hour of Call of Duty a week, he could be very informed on what is happening with his investment.

[burn_baby_burn]

According to Roger Millions on Twitter:

Greg Drinnan ban was a sad story. Now lifted by Kamloops. Blazers aren't heroes in this one...makes me shake my head. Truth can hurt.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by burn_baby_burn

Who knows what Iggy's involvement is with the situation. However, to claim he simply does not have time to be involved or informed in such matters is naive in this day and age. If he played one less hour of Call of Duty a week, he could be very informed on what is happening with his investment.

Sure, and if he only slept for 45 minutes a night he could be very well informed as to all of his investments. My point being that the man undoubtedly has numerous investments, and keeping up with the day to day operations of them is likely near the bottom of his list of priorities. Issues with the local press in Kamloops are not, and should not, be the concern of minority owners who are very much occupied by their primary pursuits at the time. For one, his ownership stake is insufficient for his opinion to really mater anyways if it came down to forcing action.

[burn_baby_burn]

Originally Posted by valo403

Sure, and if he only slept for 45 minutes a night he could be very well informed as to all of his investments. My point being that the man undoubtedly has numerous investments, and keeping up with the day to day operations of them is likely near the bottom of his list of priorities. Issues with the local press in Kamloops are not, and should not, be the concern of minority owners who are very much occupied by their primary pursuits at the time. For one, his ownership stake is insufficient for his opinion to really mater anyways if it came down to forcing action.

Thats impossible. Nobody, especially a professional athlete, could live on only 45 minutes a night.

If attendance is laging in Kamloops, that should be a concern for Iggy. However, your right, as a minority owner he probably does have very little say. Still, I think in this day and age, it shouldn't be that hard for Iginla to be in tune with what is happening with the hockey team that he is a part owner of. Especially a team that he played for and must be a fan of, if not why invest?

The likley case, is that Iginla does not want to say anything controversial. Which is fine. I just hope Iggy isn't like a lot of other professional athletes who don't keep track of their money and end up bankrupt two years after they retire. Not that that is any of my business.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by burn_baby_burn

Thats impossible. Nobody, especially a professional athlete, could live on only 45 minutes a night.

If attendance is laging in Kamloops, that should be a concern for Iggy. However, your right, as a minority owner he probably does have very little say. Still, I think in this day and age, it shouldn't be that hard for Iginla to be in tune with what is happening with the hockey team that he is a part owner of. Especially a team that he played for and must be a fan of, if not why invest?

The likley case, is that Iginla does not want to say anything controversial. Which is fine. I just hope Iggy isn't like a lot of other professional athletes who don't keep track of their money and end up bankrupt two years after they retire. Not that that is any of my business.

I'm sure he's aware of the controversy, but he's probably heard a half assed explanation of it and doesn't want to make a comment based on partial info. Giving an answer on a somewhat controversial issue with half information is just plain stupid. If there's one thing we've seen with Iginla it's that he is very aware of how his comments will be viewed.

Maybe it causes him to reflect on his role as a minority partner this summer, but to ask him to keep up with things on a regualr basis is really pushing it IMO.