[News] Damien Cox becomes Sportsnet's lead NHL Insider: The Official SN Updates Thread

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Panic, Panic, Panic, Panic, Panic, Panic......................let's make sure we panic before the first show of national coverage even airs. That would be prudent.

[HotHotHeat]

Luckily 'NHL Insider' has nothing to do with in game coverage. This change weeds him out of TSN, which is the only place anyone actually uses to read NHL coverage.

So really, it's a good thing.

[Parallex]

Damien Cox becomes Sportsnet's lead NHL Insider

In related news: Monkey flinging poo at a decision board becomes Sportsnet head of human resources.

[Enoch Root]

I never thought I would ever say anything positive about Damian Cox, but he is a big upgrade on John Shannon

[the_only_turek_fan]

I bet Elliot Friedman ends up at Sportsnet. Boomer was hinting on this a couple of weeks ago.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Well at least it isn't Steve Simmons....

If I had to think of a worse person it would be Simmons for sure but this pretty well assures it's going to be all Toronto all the time with RSN as Cox really doesn't know anything outside of the Toronto universe.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by saillias

A lot of vitriol for a guy I don't even recognize. Who? What does he do?

He is usually a particularly mediocre columnist for the Toronto Star. He has a habit of engaging in hatchet jobs then acting defensive (and blocking people on Twitter) when faced with blowback. e.g., he insinuated that Jose Bautista is on steroids pretty much so that he could get his name in the international spotlight.

He is also known for his continual attacks on bloggers - mainly due to his own defensiveness over the fact that amateurs do his job better than he does.

He also couldn't find anything on a map other than Toronto, even if you circled it in orange crayon.

Not to mention that his face just screams "punch me".

[Joborule]

Hoping Elliot Friedman comes along otherwise Sportsnet panel is going to be extremely weak in comparison to TSN's.

[Ped]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

Panic, Panic, Panic, Panic, Panic, Panic......................let's make sure we panic before the first show of national coverage even airs. That would be prudent.

Yes, because Cox has absolutely no body of work anywhere that he can be judged on to predict whether this move is good or not.

[Vinny01]

I like Freidman a lot I think he should become Sportsnet version of Mackenzie/Dreger. Cox is pretty terrible not quite Healy bad but he is in the same class.

If Sportsnet can't poach anyone from tsn it will be a disappointment

[Resolute 14]

Sportsnet has already failed to poach anyone from TSN. Everyone who matters has already signed long term deals.

[Red Slinger]

I'm going to give Sportsnet the benefit of the doubt for a little while. It's their first year taking over the national rights and a lot of talent is still under contract, primarily with TSN. I'm hoping hires like this one are simply short term bridge gap solutions until the real talent becomes available.

[BigTuna]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

If I had to think of a worse person it would be Simmons for sure but this pretty well assures it's going to be all Toronto all the time with RSN as Cox really doesn't know anything outside of the Toronto universe.

Simmons is from Calgary. LOL.

[puckluck2]

Originally Posted by BigTuna

Simmons is from Calgary. LOL.

LOL no he's not?

[flames_fan_down_under]

Damien Cox is one of the worst sports "journalists" in all of Canada.

This is a good article about how terrible Damien Cox is:

http://blogs.thescore.com/nhl/2013/0...l-credibility/

In the space of two weeks, did he forget that it was the Leafs who said no to trading Kadri? Or did he just disregard the truth and tweet something that he knew would get a response and gave him the chance to take a potshot at Mike Gillis?

My personal favourite comes from 2008, when Down Goes Brown pointed out that it took just 24 hours for Cox to completely change his opinion over the Bryan McCabe trade:
Damien Cox, Sept. 2, 2008:
‘Can’t say this is a bad trade for the Leafs…’
Damien Cox, Sept. 3, 2008:
‘McCabe deal a bad one for Leafs.’

[T@T]

Originally Posted by BigTuna

Simmons is from Calgary. LOL.

Simmons is from Mississauga, I know this because I banged his cousin in 1986 and she couldn't stop talking about the idiot working for the Calgary Sun.

Bro story!

Edit: Disclaimer, I swear she didn't look anything like him...doh!

[19Yzerman19]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Well at least it isn't Steve Simmons....

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

I never thought I would ever say anything positive about Damian Cox, but he is a big upgrade on John Shannon

This is the thing, those guys are terrible but I actually don't think there is anyone worse than Cox. Like Mike Milbury has more credibility and he destroyed an entire franchise basically singlehandedly. I honestly cannot think of a worse sports person than Damien Cox. Pick a poster here at random and put them on Sportsnet and you have a better chance at getting decent hockey insight.

This is just an incomprehensible, indefensible, awful hire.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by saillias

A lot of vitriol for a guy I don't even recognize. Who? What does he do?

I'm with you. I haven't heard of this Cox guy.

[bubbsy]

for folks who don't recognize him or haven't heard of him, consider yourself lucky. He's toned it down a bit, but in my last 10 years in toronto, he has been the most obnoxious, site hit hungry at any cost, sports journalist in the country as far as i'm concerned.

He comes across as a know it all, until you see the point he is trying to make and the evidence he uses to back his argument. Then you just question how someone like this gets a job at a reputable news paper.

[topfiverecords]

Hearing panel could be Kypreos, Cox, Healy, and Shannon
Gord Miller main PBP, Hrudey colour, and Ferraro between the benches
Strombo overall host
Cherry, Maclean stay in their roles








...j/k