Jim Toth made a comment the other day that got me thinking about the Winnipeg media and why they consider themselves as expert.  Jim Toth said, after a Bomber win, "This Bomber win came as a shock because all of us in the media discussed earlier in the week and had the Bomber getting blown out this week".   Looking at the media, I doubt any of them have played any serious sports; none of them look like athletes.  They all are likely education in communications, maybe an English degree

 

A few days before the season started, I called into CJOB on one of their "panel nights" with Penton, Toth, and I think Bob Irving was on too.  I said I thought the Bombers win 8 games and make the playoffs in a crossover and Toth and Penton basically laughed at me. 

 

Toth comes across as quite arrogant sometimes, like a "know it all".  When I see him at Bomber practice he's always socializing with the other media, not even paying attention to what's going on.  One practice I was at last year, Buck Pierce threw a total of one pass, and Toth sends out a tweet that "Buck is looking great at practice today", because he interrupted his socializing and glanced over to see Buck complete a pass. 

 

Another example is last year, the day before the Banjo Bowl, the Bombers had an open house for fans at IGF with festivities, free lunch etc.  Paul Wicek was there and tweeted, "there's a disturbing number of Rider jerseys at IGF today".  I replied to his tweet and said, "I'm here right now and I count a total of 4 Rider jerseys...you find that disturbing?"  Wicek then blocked me for that.  He's just trying to create a story by reporting false information.  I called him on it, but he doesn't want to hear it. 

 

My question is why do the Winnipeg media who follow the Bombers consider themselves to be "experts"?  Some consider themselves as the authority.  Sure they follow the Bombers and report on Bomber related news, but what makes their opinions more valuable than anyone else?  I'm starting to put less and less weight on what the media says, and more weight on what some of the more credible posters have to say on forums like these.  

 

 

 

Guys who never played sports but are experts everything the Flames & sometimes the Stamps.

Definition of Calgarys sports fan community....

 

When I hear some of them trying to act like they've spent time in a locker room &  know what it's like to play in a CIS, NCAA or CFL game when they never did, I just shake my head. It's one of the reasons I no longer listen to Sports Talk radio here because it is laughable. 

 

 

Well if you're in Winnipeg, you'll have a reason to frantically try and kick the radio thru the dashboard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

hint - rhymes with troy westwood

 

It's the same here in Calgary. Except the media in Winnipeg at least covers both the Jets & Bombers. Here in Calgary, it's all about the Flames. The Fan 960 has the rights to Flames radio broadcasts & that is all they talk about to the point of being ridiculous. They'll rehash the same subjects all day long. I love sports but I'd go nuts talking the same hockey topics hour after hour. They'll give the Stamps some discussion but hey, The Fan 960 is a Rogers station. 

I think the overall problem with the media, and Milt Stegall talked about this on TSN last Thursday night before the game, is that some of these people like to spout educated guesses about how things will go during a year, and then just wait to say "I told you so" among other things.  To be fair I was just thinking about what the headlines might be saying about the bombers as I didn't really look at them after the Argo game and decided to look at them today.

 

Overall, the tone seems to be okay on the WFP site, but I've noticed GL has put no more columns down on the site about the bombers since releasing that one about O'Shea and keeping a lid on it.  My take on him in particular is that he likes to think he's the Nostradamus of the CFL.

 

My problem with Wiecek, and I don't read much of his columns, but it seems to be that even in some of his more positive articles, he uses terminology that strikes me as being unprofessional for a media person.  Maybe living down in the states and living down in different paradigm of media markets has made me think this way, but I see some of his titles and wording as being a bit too casual even for a columnist.

 

I think one of the problems is some of these outlets are relying too heavily on columnists instead of putting people in there that go out and get actual news from what's going on.  And by that I don't mean you have to be in every team meeting or go trying to find out their game plan or find all the dirt going on, but there are plenty of ways to get more stories with hard facts about the team going than what's been happening recently, or at least enough to not have to rely on columnists.  Someone else was saying that some of what may be going on more recently is the press being upset about their access to the team these days, hence why they may write more opinionated tabloid-like pieces.

 

But I would have to agree, I know people who have no degrees in journalism or communications at all that could still write better articles than some of the garbage that pops up around there.

I guess with Lawless on vacation Tim Campbell has been writing some Bomber articles this week.

 

Jim Toth made a comment the other day that got me thinking about the Winnipeg media and why they consider themselves as expert.  Jim Toth said, after a Bomber win, "This Bomber win came as a shock because all of us in the media discussed earlier in the week and had the Bomber getting blown out this week".   Looking at the media, I doubt any of them have played any serious sports; none of them look like athletes.  They all are likely education in communications, maybe an English degree

 

A few days before the season started, I called into CJOB on one of their "panel nights" with Penton, Toth, and I think Bob Irving was on too.  I said I thought the Bombers win 8 games and make the playoffs in a crossover and Toth and Penton basically laughed at me. 

 

Toth comes across as quite arrogant sometimes, like a "know it all".  When I see him at Bomber practice he's always socializing with the other media, not even paying attention to what's going on.  One practice I was at last year, Buck Pierce threw a total of one pass, and Toth sends out a tweet that "Buck is looking great at practice today", because he interrupted his socializing and glanced over to see Buck complete a pass. 

 

Another example is last year, the day before the Banjo Bowl, the Bombers had an open house for fans at IGF with festivities, free lunch etc.  Paul Wicek was there and tweeted, "there's a disturbing number of Rider jerseys at IGF today".  I replied to his tweet and said, "I'm here right now and I count a total of 4 Rider jerseys...you find that disturbing?"  Wicek then blocked me for that.  He's just trying to create a story by reporting false information.  I called him on it, but he doesn't want to hear it. 

 

My question is why do the Winnipeg media who follow the Bombers consider themselves to be "experts"?  Some consider themselves as the authority.  Sure they follow the Bombers and report on Bomber related news, but what makes their opinions more valuable than anyone else?  I'm starting to put less and less weight on what the media says, and more weight on what some of the more credible posters have to say on forums like these.  

 

I see this with the Buffalo Media and the UB Bulls all the time..

 

This is not at all Blue Bomber related but this is where I lost it with them last season

http://www.ubbullrun.com/2013/8/15/4623252/buffalo-news-runs-down-ub-athletics

 

Some news orgs just aim to create a problem so they can talk a lot about it... It was fair to say before the season that the Bombers could be one ot the worst teams in the league. New coach, new QB, new everything. But to disimss arguments that it might be better than all of that, or to crap on your team by imagining fans of the other team is something else..

 

Did you know that the Bulls recruited Chris Merchant, a HS qb from Southern Ontario private school (St. Andrews)? He is a kid who grew up & played all of his football in Calgary. Until grade 11 anyway when he went to Ontario. 

Jim Toth is what you call a "SUPER CLOWN" in the business. Kinda like Rosey (Mark Rosen) on Minneapolis media. Guy is all over the place with his opinions, can never keep a straight face during interviews (spends half the interview needling his prey). Ever since he came here from an Alberta tech college working at community cable access tv.

 

But in a strange way he's a lot of fun cuz, well CLOWNS ARE FUN....and besides CJOB's old sports director Bob Irving likes the guy!

Jim Toth is what you call a "SUPER CLOWN" in the business. Kinda like Rosey (Mark Rosen) on Minneapolis media. Guy is all over the place with his opinions, can never keep a straight face during interviews (spends half the interview needling his prey). Ever since he came her from Alberta out of some tech college and worked at community cable access tv.

 

But in a strange way he's a lot of fun cuz, well CLOWNS ARE FUN....and besides CJOB's old sports director Bob Irving likes the guy!

Kinda sounds like you're talking about yourself Nate 

I like Jim Toth... not cuz he has any legitimate knowledge of sports.... but he's just entertaining to listen to.... Kinda like Nate said, clowns are fun!

I've certainly missed Lawless since he's been on vacation.

 

The print guys have a tough job getting people to buy a newspaper in this day and age.  If they write about a subject that has been talked to death on the radio and social media the day before the article comes out, who's going to buy it?  Print media needs to offer really deep analysis or a different spin.  A lot of media seen to find it easier to offer a weird spin or go negative rather than deep analysis.

 

I find most of the radio guys pretty good.  Im far more a 1290 listener than a CJOB listener now so I am biased.  If there is a major news story or following a game I always want to catch H&L.

I think if we ranked the print guys in this town it would go something like this imho:

 

1. Garry Lawless - the gooner was initially tough to listen to and always seemed to be looking for confronations but he's obviously the top of the walk in the peg now.

 

2. Ed Tait - reliable non-opinionated guy who gets to the heart of the story. Not overly creative but just a quality print journalist.

 

3. Kirk Penton - aka Kerkules; he's the Ed Tait of the Winnipeg Sun.

 

4. Paul Friesen - nobody knows how to annoy sports executives or players more than this guy. Everyone wants him banished but he keeps on a writin'

 

5. Tim Campbell - versatile guy, who can work the curling, football and hockey beats.

 

6. Paul Wiecek - nice guy, works hard on his stories and is a bit more creative than most when he cobbles his copy together

 

7. Jim Bender - reliable member of the old guard

 

8. Kent Morgan - writes a weekly 'Toast & Coffee' column for the Free Press regional papers. Always some good stuff for old-timers

 

9. Scott Taylor - once the Gary Lawless of Wpg media he's a hard worker who writes a nifty amateur sports/memories column in the seniorscope publication.

 

10. Melissa Martin - best female sports journalist in Wpg and she's only part time

As far as Radio/TV guys are concerned the rankings are a matter of taste:

 

No clear leader anymore since Bob Irving took a part-time emeritus spot at CJOB

 

1. Irving (by default)

 

2. Lawless (he's omnipresent on TSN1, The Reporters, Landsbergh, Hussler/Lawless, Free Press)

 

3. Andrew "Hussler" Patterson - quality has improved dramatically with his work ethic and mixing with the public

 

4. Sara Orlesky

 

5. The Illegal Swerve Guys on TSN - great info and passion but they parse things to the core

 

6. Kelly Moore - solid

 

7. Shane Hnidy - best pro hockey color man in years; won't be long til Sportsnet grabs him up

 

8. Mitch Rosset = the new king of global tv since Joe retired

 

9. Jonathan Mead - now curling's go-to guy for color in Manitoba and some canadian curling events

 

10. Jimbo Toth - cuz clowns are fun.

 

Did I leave anyone out?

Sometimes there seems to be a frantic effort by the local media, to bury the Bombers before the season or even tc gets underway. They base everything on the previous years performance, forgetting in this 9 team league, huge turnarounds are not an impossibility. This has been proven in the past. I have to laugh at all the bogus prognostications, about coaching changes (who they don't know) or player changes (which they really have no real handle on) are all trotted out as skeptical and failing because of a last years performance. It almost appears that the media wants to go negative no matter what, and really as local reporters, should be giving them support. I guess it's 'show me the money' type of attitude with a lot of these guys and I think this year the Bomber brass and team are about to 'show them the moola'. It'll look good on guys like Freezer and Wiceck. 

 

 Looking at the media, I doubt any of them have played any serious sports;

 

 

 

Some of them have played.

 

Doug Brown, Troy, I think Mitch played NFL and CFL football. Now you have to include Walby.

 

 

These guys are all members of the Winnipeg media. I think they're all entertaining, and have interesting informed  viewpoints. 

 

I know nothing about the hockey writers and broadcasters.

 

I don't care if you never played the game, and I don't mind negativity if it is intelligent and insightful, but at the very least, the person being paid to report on the game should be a fan of the game, like us, and possess basic knowledge of the rules, actually - more than basic knowledge truth be told.

 

 

 

This sums it up well.

 

Mitch did play.  IIRC his career was cut short by a knee injury.  Someone else can correct me on that if I'm wrong.

Now on to Troy Westwood...my handle says it all.  The guy's a absolute idiot that never shuts his mouth.  And he still cannot accept that fact that he sucked at kicking and it equally terrible at broadcasting.

There is no list, in print media, that should be started, without Ed Tait at the top of the list  period

 

 

 Looking at the media, I doubt any of them have played any serious sports;

 

 

 

Some of them have played.

 

Doug Brown, Troy, I think Mitch played NFL and CFL football. Now you have to include Walby.

 

 

These guys are all members of the Winnipeg media. I think they're all entertaining, and have interesting informed  viewpoints. 

 

I know nothing about the hockey writers and broadcasters.

 

I don't care if you never played the game, and I don't mind negativity if it is intelligent and insightful, but at the very least, the person being paid to report on the game should be a fan of the game, like us, and possess basic knowledge of the rules, actually - more than basic knowledge truth be told.

 

 

 

This sums it up well.

 

Mitch did play.  IIRC his career was cut short by a knee injury.  Someone else can correct me on that if I'm wrong.

Now on to Troy Westwood...my handle says it all.  The guy's a absolute idiot that never shuts his mouth.  And he still cannot accept that fact that he sucked at kicking and it equally terrible at broadcasting.

 

 

Opinions are just that but "he sucks" is a pretty moronic summation.

Tait is king, no question. In Hollywood, they talk of actors being an "everyman"....Tait is "every reader". He really is just one the boys, and personifies his target audience. One of the great keys of any media is understanding your audience. I'm not sure anyone "gets" their audience the way Tait does.  I read his articles and think "I'd just like to sit and have a beer with the guy and bullshit about sports"...

 

...Now, I say this, and he's going to laugh at me because he does skulk around these boards...

Not only is what you said true, you get bonus points for using the word skulk, as part of your thought process.

...not only used, but used properly!  ....I like words...

 

 

 

 

Guys who never played sports but are experts everything the Flames & sometimes the Stamps.

Definition of Calgarys sports fan community....

 

When I hear some of them trying to act like they've spent time in a locker room &  know what it's like to play in a CIS, NCAA or CFL game when they never did, I just shake my head. It's one of the reasons I no longer listen to Sports Talk radio here because it is laughable. 

 

 

Well if you're in Winnipeg, you'll have a reason to frantically try and kick the radio thru the dashboard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

hint - rhymes with troy westwood

 

It's the same here in Calgary. Except the media in Winnipeg at least covers both the Jets & Bombers. Here in Calgary, it's all about the Flames. The Fan 960 has the rights to Flames radio broadcasts & that is all they talk about to the point of being ridiculous. They'll rehash the same subjects all day long. I love sports but I'd go nuts talking the same hockey topics hour after hour. They'll give the Stamps some discussion but hey, The Fan 960 is a Rogers station. 

 

 

I like panels that have intelligent discourse.  These people have access to all sorts of information and bigwigs I would never have.

 

I can't stand the talking heads phenomenon.

 

3 or 4 people talk over each other as bombastically as possible and are just as happy to have shock value as meaningful thought.  It doesn't matter if you have a point, you just have to have a "strong take".  No matter how stupid it might be.

 

Westwood is the Winnipeg king of incredibly stupid "takes".

I do not find that to be true at all.  I find Westwood has a lot of insight and asks some very good questions.  He's also always respectful of the counter argument to his position.

I didn't like Westwood at first, but I don't mind him now. 

I do not find that to be true at all.  I find Westwood has a lot of insight and asks some very good questions.  He's also always respectful of the counter argument to his position.

Westwood is good. I'll admit that. But he's always being ambushed by that young arrogant kid TSN carries on their morning show - Matt Leibl. Leibl loves to humiliate fellow personalities at TSN. Evidently, thats his shtick. And while you talk of Westwood talking outlandish positions Leibl is absolutely off the grid!

Leibl thinks he is the most intelligent man in Winnipeg radio because he pays attention to the American sports media and tries to parrot their opinions.

Leibl thinks he is the most intelligent man in Winnipeg radio because he pays attention to the American sports media and tries to parrot their opinions.

Thats why they call him Matt the Parrot over at 1290.....

 

I forgot one radio guy and thats Rick Ralph - a bit annoying cuz he does most of his shows himself (even though its called Rona Round Table) and tends to be hugely repetitive. But he's a pretty slick old pro and his interviews are really solid. His post-game Jets show gives him ample opportunity to show restraint when callers are clamouring for Chevy's execution game in and game out.

I find it's more and more obvious when broadcasters are having legitimate debates vs canned arguments.... you can tell when someone is playing devil's advocate just for the sake of entertainment... boring

Scripted arguments are the worst. You can't fake it...people aren't stupid. And when you assume stupidity in your audience, you're the one who ends up looking like an *******.