The WHL's problem with being unable to keep fans informed continues this morning. Yesterday Kelowna released Lyon Messier and Saskatoon released Michael Kaye and Curtis Patterson, yet nothing to that effect can be found anywhere on the WHL site, the Rockets site, or the Blades site. Indeed, all three sites still have those players listed in the roster sections as well, as of 8:30am MDT anyway. It is now the following day, and Michael Kaye is actually in Oklahoma right now trying out for the CHL's Oklahoma City Blazers (thanks to Gregg Drinnan for that) but as far as the WHL and the Blades would have us believe, he is still with the Blades and the Blades will be permitted to use five overagers for the forseeable future.
Some people in this league just don't give a shit about keeping fans informed and never have. Certainly there are some teams and individuals who are exceptions, but the league office is particularily bad. Not issuing a press release about the overage decisions in these two cities is bad enough, but it would have taken about 30 seconds out of someone's day to update the rosters on the websites and that was too much to ask as well.
A hundred years ago, getting news a few days (or more) after the event was the standard. There was no means for getting news out any quicker to the people who wanted to hear it. But this is the 21st century and the internet is the greatest information dissemination tool ever invented, allowing instantaneous worldwide transmission. But the league doesn't use this to their advantage, because they don't understand the desire by fans to have this information. Some of us care, damn it! We're not all part-time fans who are content to read a weekly roundup of league happenings in the local fishwrap. Start taking the job of keeping fans informed seriously. Don't make a big deal about overage deadline day and then not bother telling us which four and five year veteran players some teams released.
UPDATE: As of 9am MDT, a Blades employee has taken the 30 seconds and updated the roster on their website to remove Kaye & Patterson. Still no press release, although p-b-p guy Les Lazaruk confirms it in his blog on the site. The Rockets site and the WHL site still have nothing about Messier or Kaye/Patterson, and still have them on the rosters.
4 comments:
It upsets you that much that teams dont release press releases that there crappy OA was released? Wow, thats quite bizarre to me. In regards to the teams you mention that didnt have announcements, could you not figure it out on your own? Or did you need to be the first blogger to report it?
You bloggers/reporters always resort to blaming teams for short-changing the "fans", when in fact you are upset that someone else may break the story.
Relax already, Im sure the fans are all okay that we found out a few hours or a day after a OA was released.
Well said Rupert, it doesn't take a super-slueth to figure this stuff out.
Everyone knew who was being released in Saskatoon and Kelowna. That's not the point. The point is the league routinely acts like it's not important to tell the fans what is going on. It's not just this particular incident, it's a regular thing.
If you guys don't care, that's fine....I'm sure a lot of fans don't care if they don't get the news for a day or two. But some of us do.
Well said Alan. As a fan here in Swift Current, Saskatchewan I do care. The League, the Blades and the Rockets all dropped the ball huge on this one. Rupert and anonymous dont seem to care but I can tell you that is not the case here. I am not alone. Simple press releases are not that hard to do. And Rupert no we will not relax a little on this issue. Way to stick you nose out there Mr. Anonymous.
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