Lambert's Take-Down Piece on Dreger: "When an NHL insider becomes an inside man"

[the2bears]

Originally Posted by strombad

It's not, it's just not cool.
I think we should all give the link a good click, because really, an article exposing the moron that is Dreger needs as much support as possible.

How is it not? The whole article (or a large portion of) is reproduced here, far beyond what fair use allows for. This is something you're not supposed to do. I agree it's not cool, either, but this is clearly a case of copyright violation.

[Northendzone]

I have no real feelings one way or the other towrds Dreger - for the most part I enjoy listening to what he has to say and I then move on with my life and I do not further analyze what he has told me. As an aside, I did not know he was Dave N cousin - but I can't get enough Leafs stuff.......

With respect to Nazem the Dream - I think most of us on this board would ahve negotiated a similar deal. You simply can't guarantee the kid $30 million, because he had one good (short) season.

[Coach]

Dreger's attitude seems pretty common for someone who's a foot shorter than everyone around him. A very nice Napoleonic complex he's created for himself.

Not a fan of him at all. But really I'm not a fan of any panel members on any station. For people that have spent years around the game (and in a lot of cases played it), a lot of them seem to have no clue what they're talking about.

[nik-]

I will just continue to refer to Dreger as Dr. No for his zealousness in shooting down rumours not started by TSN.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Dreger's attitude seems pretty common for someone who's a foot shorter than everyone around him. A very nice Napoleonic complex he's created for himself.

Not a fan of him at all. But really I'm not a fan of any panel members on any station. For people that have spent years around the game (and in a lot of cases played it), a lot of them seem to have no clue what they're talking about.

Never met the man in real life. How tall (or short) is he?

As for Dreger I listen but the ony guy at TSN I really look for to confirm or dispute rumours is Bob Mackenzie. I've always like Bob and the way he goes about his business. Never biased, never oversteps his boundaries and craps on players or organizations even if the opportunity is right there. He's the closest thing to a pro there is in the business IMO.

[PegCityFlamesFan]

I'll never forget Dreger coming on Winnipeg Radio, 2 weeks before the Jets came back saying it wasn't going to happen for years and that we should just be happy with the AHL. This was even after the Atlanta rumour in the Toronto Star and the whole Bettman denial. Of course 2 weeks later, he had turned a complete 180. I'll always remember him as the tool who hosted breakfast television here.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Never met the man in real life. How tall is he?

As for Dreger I listen but the ony guy at TSN I really look for to confirm or dispute rumours is Bob Mackenzie.

Not sure how tall he is, but if you ever watch a segment where he his standing beside someone and not sitting, he is way shorter than everyone else. Not that it really matters, it's more of a joke, but a lot of short people tend to have dooshy attitudes and loud mouths, hence the name for the Napoleonic Complex.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Lord Carnage

Find myself torn on the article. I'm certainly not a Dreger fan, but after reading this, I find I'm LESS a fan of Lambert.

My opinion only, but he sounds exceedingly whiny. He's upset that the team was able to get Kadri at, what I view as, a perfectly reasonable (for both parties) bridge contract instead of Kadri holding out and sticking it to them. It also comes across that someone other than him is breaking stories (very possibly due to his relationship), so he'll complain all the louder.

The reality is, who you know is a realistic part of how the world works. Yes, that means Dreger may have some inside information, but Lambert needs to suck it up and grow a pair.

Like 19Yzerman19 said, you missed the point. Lambert (who trolls a little too often for me to like him much overall) is not "upset" that Toronto got Kadri at a bargain price. He is arguing that Dreger was not acting as an NHL insider, but rather as a shill for Maple Leafs management. Or, put another way, Dreger was acting as a sockpuppet for Nonis to influence negotiations in Nonis' favour.

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

That read like a rambling CP drunk post, without the humour or use of 'fata'

[FlamingLonghorn]

Originally Posted by fotze

I've wondered, many years ago wasn't there a poster here named Ryan Lambert. Is it the same guy?

I am pretty sure it is.

[Northendzone]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Or, put another way, Dreger was acting as a sockpuppet for Nonis to influence negotiations in Nonis' favour.

so i guess the question is, do NHL execs and player agents listen to Dreger? in my mind, dreger is telling us things that these execs and agents should already be familiar with.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by strombad

It's not, it's just not cool.
I think we should all give the link a good click, because really, an article exposing the moron that is Dreger needs as much support as possible.

Yeah...actually it really is.

[The Yen Man]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

so i guess the question is, do NHL execs and player agents listen to Dreger? in my mind, dreger is telling us things that these execs and agents should already be familiar with.

I think the argument is that Dreger is using his media pull to sway public opinion into pressuring the player to sign for what the Leafs want to sign him for.

[mikeecho]

Originally Posted by The Yen Man

I think the argument is that Dreger is using his media pull to sway public opinion into pressuring the player to sign for what the Leafs want to sign him for.

The real story is that Nazim signed the exact contract that everyone and their dog knew that he'd end up with 6 months ago. Dredger may be a ######, but his sound bites had nothing to do with this signing.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by mikeecho

The real story is that Nazim signed the exact contract that everyone and their dog knew that he'd end up with 6 months ago. Dredger may be a ######, but his sound bites had nothing to do with this signing.

Whether or not he actually had anything to do with it doesn't change the fact that (by all appearances) he tried to influence the process.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

so i guess the question is, do NHL execs and player agents listen to Dreger? in my mind, dreger is telling us things that these execs and agents should already be familiar with.

I wonder aloud if maybe this isn't tampering in some degree?

[DazzlinDino]

Dreger posting the Olli jokinen trade with NY before it happened and unsettling the team at a time the Flames were trying to win games was a turning point for me. The Flames had been planning to play Jokinen and Prust against the Flyers but ended up with a very awkward situation with the players knowing about the trade the practice before game time. After that Dreger seemed to act indifferent towards the Flames, but I thought his posting of the potential trade going down and naming players before it happened was completely unprofessional.

[Lord Carnage]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

I wonder aloud if maybe this isn't tampering in some degree?

Tampering?!? Wouldn't that require Dreger to be owner/gm/or employed in some other meaningful way of another NHL team?

There is no tampering here. At worst he's leaking information that a team wants leaked - and that's your good old standby that every reporter leans on. Not even influencing the process, just reporting what he's told by a source.

If you want to fault someone, why not Nonis for negotiating through and influencing the media... though maybe Dreger is too simple to realize he's being played?

[Psytic]

Originally Posted by DazzlinDino

Dreger posting the Olli jokinen trade with NY before it happened and unsettling the team at a time the Flames were trying to win games was a turning point for me. The Flames had been planning to play Jokinen and Prust against the Flyers but ended up with a very awkward situation with the players knowing about the trade the practice before game time. After that Dreger seemed to act indifferent towards the Flames, but I thought his posting of the potential trade going down and naming players before it happened was completely unprofessional.

He's a media panelist and reporter. His job is to break news. The people in the Flames or Rags org that leaked it are the unprofessional ones. Dreger is not bound to a code of confidentiality why is that his problem at all. Don't want something leaked, don't tell the media. Public relations 101.

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by Psytic

He's a media panelist and reporter. His job is to break news. The people in the Flames or Rags org that leaked it are the unprofessional ones. Dreger is not bound to a code of confidentiality why is that his problem at all. Don't want something leaked, don't tell the media. Public relations 101.

I still think it was classless. Obviously Dreger just wanted to be the first to post it and had inside information. That posting affected the players involved as I recall the players talked about it being a distraction during game time as they couldn't focus. Obviously in this case it appeared to give the Flyers an advantage.. The offending parties, be it the Flames or Rangers shouldn't be let off the hook either. Thought I recall at the time Dreger's source was on the NY side but that point isn't really important now.