Is The Ottawa Sun 'railroading' Heatley out of town?

Don Brennan is a terrible columnist. I am surprised he has a job. I am repeatedly embarassed by what they allow him to print. I cancelled my subscription to the Sun a long time ago and they only get hits from my web browser when a story is linked from somewhere else.

In days when the traditional newspaper is in jeopardy of disappearing as we know it, you would think they would do better by the people who got their hands dirty from the ink.

Honestly, I never read Brennan. Not going to start now, everyone knows he is a total hack.

Neely4Life wrote:Honestly, I never read Brennan. Not going to start now, everyone knows he is a total hack.

Neely, my friend, if Dany Heatley never plays another game as an Ottawa Senator, you may just have Mr Don Brennan and his partner Bruce Garrioch to thank for it.

Looking back at what The Ottawa Sun has written about The Heatley Affair, IMHO it might be useful to review how this 'trade request' was originally presented.

Bruce Garrioch's original article here:

HEATLEY WANTS SENS TO TRADE HIM AWAY
Winger not happy with coach Clouston
Bruce Garrioch, The Ottawa Sun, June 10, 2009

PITTSBURGH - Dany Heatley may have played his last game in Senators uniform.
The Senators winger fired a shot across the bow of Bryan Murray’s desk last week when the two-time 50-goal scorer along with agents J.P. Barry and Stacey McAlpine sent a letter to Scotiabank Place informing the Ottawa GM that Heatley wants to be dealt.

While Heatley has five years and $37.5 million left on a contract he signed in Oct. 2007 — that includes a no movement clause — league sources told Sun Media he wasn’t happy with his role after Craig Hartsburg was fired and his differences with coach Cory Clouston are irreconcilable.

Heatley’s role diminished under Clouston. He was on the second power play unit, had ice-time in the neighbourhood of 12-to-14 minutes per game and the indications are there were several discussions between Clouston and Heatley that solved nothing between the two.

Though Barry, who was in Pittsburgh for Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final last night between Detroit and the Penguins, was choosing his words carefully, he didn’t deny Heatley made the request.

“We have been having discussions with Bryan Murray concerning Dany’s role on the team,” said Barry in an interview. “I’d like to continue those discussions in private before determining what’s best for Dany.”

Heatley couldn’t be reached for comment because he was travelling from a function in San Diego to his home in Kelowna, B.C., yesterday.

Murray released a statement that didn’t rule out the possibility of dealing Heatley.
“We signed him (Heatley) to a long-term deal and we expect him to honour it,” said Murray. “At this point in time, he’s a Senator.”

League sources say Murray hasn’t held talks with other teams, but has been studying his options.

Heatley has been one of the league's top snipers the past few seasons. The 28-year-old ended last season with 39 goals and 33 assists for 72 points. He has spent the past four seasons in Ottawa after being dealt to the Senators from Atlanta for Marian Hossa and Greg deVries in August of 2005.

Heatley had 41 goals during the 2007-08 season after back-to-back 50-goal campaigns.

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Notice that Garrioch cites the usual "league sources". Who were/are these sources?

Notice the very first sentence..."may have played his last game in Senators uniform".

And the second sentence: "The Senators winger fired a shot across the bow of Bryan Murray’s desk."

The immediate impression of irresolvable conflict is imprinted in the minds of the public--even if that impression is all in the mind of Bruce Garrioch.

What would Bryan Murray have been thinking the minute this story was out in public? How would he be able to get full value in a trade for Dany Heatley if it was known to everyone that Heatley wasn't happy in Ottawa?

Did The Sun really try to reach Heatley to get his version of the facts BEFORE publishing the article?

IMHO these questions should be raised, because this anti-Heatley campaign by The Ottawa Sun is truly unique.

There are different kinds of journalists: responsible ones, who understand the power of the media and use that power wisely; and irresponsible ones, who will write and publish half-truths, innuendo and even outright lies because 'it makes a good story'.

Fans, as paying customers in the show business of hockey and other pro sports, are entitled to their opinions. Thanks to the Internet, these opinions have a place to be heard.

It appears, however, that Sun Media has employed its journalists to create and feed a drama around a hockey player's alleged request to make a change.

Say what you want about him, but Dany Heatley's reputation is being destroyed in public.

We still don't know the REAL reasons behind his request, nor do we even know the REAL nature of his request.

And we may never know the truth.

I am not in total agreement that the Garrioch article is that bad. It seems fairly even handed. Heatley couldn't be reached for comment (and still can't). I am not sure that I would say this is anti-Heatley, it is reporting a major story with as much info as you have.

I am not a big fan of Garrioch either. I totally agree on the viewpoint that Brennan has not acted appropriately (nor has the editorial staff in their handling of Brennan's 'columns')

MurderOnIce wrote:I am not in total agreement that the Garrioch article is that bad. It seems fairly even handed. Heatley couldn't be reached for comment (and still can't). I am not sure that I would say this is anti-Heatley, it is reporting a major story with as much info as you have.

I am not a big fan of Garrioch either. I totally agree on the viewpoint that Brennan has not acted appropriately (nor has the editorial staff in their handling of Brennan's 'columns')

Agreed, Garrioch's tone is even handed...but his characterization of the situation puts a negative spin on this right from the first sentence. The article is filled with innuendo.

Notice it is Brennan's polemic, which appears just one day later, which thoroughly hammers Heatley.

This is not an unusual approach when the media wants to do a hatchet job.

davetherave wrote:

MurderOnIce wrote:I am not in total agreement that the Garrioch article is that bad. It seems fairly even handed. Heatley couldn't be reached for comment (and still can't). I am not sure that I would say this is anti-Heatley, it is reporting a major story with as much info as you have.

I am not a big fan of Garrioch either. I totally agree on the viewpoint that Brennan has not acted appropriately (nor has the editorial staff in their handling of Brennan's 'columns')

Agreed, Garrioch's tone is even handed...but his characterization of the situation puts a negative spin on this right from the first sentence. The article is filled with innuendo.

Notice it is Brennan's polemic, which appears just one day later, which thoroughly hammers Heatley.

This is not an unusual approach when the media wants to do a hatchet job.

I see what your saying, perhaps the approach was to smoke Heatley out of his hole and have him address the situation? If it was, it didn't work.

MOI>who knows...but for sure, this is a mess.

I would agree that overall Sun Media has reported this poorly from the get go...

The rest of the media seems just not to be able to get the inside scoop.

I think we should remember that these guys also are
sports fans. And probably Senators fans. As such, they share the same frustration and anger as the sens bloggers. Hey, if your girlfriend dumps you in favour of your best friend, as least you know. When she just doesn't call you, you are going to frustarted and angry and want her to tell you why. I am saying Heatley is a girl. YES!!

However, don't tell me that if most readers were Garrioch or Brennan, they would be so objective and tolerant. To say otherwise is to admit that you are either Dany writing under an assumed name or his neighbour or parents.

senatron wrote:I think we should remember that these guys also are
sports fans. And probably Senators fans. As such, they share the same frustration and anger as the sens bloggers. Hey, if your girlfriend dumps you in favour of your best friend, as least you know. When she just doesn't call you, you are going to frustarted and angry and want her to tell you why. I am saying Heatley is a girl. YES!!

However, don't tell me that if most readers were Garrioch or Brennan, they would be so objective and tolerant. To say otherwise is to admit that you are either Dany writing under an assumed name or his neighbour or parents.

Senatron, the difference is that Brennan and Garrioch are paid to write, and their opinions are published by a powerful media organization that shapes how the public sees things.

If you, as a fan, call out Dany Heatley, it's your view, and it is perceived as such.

The core of this thread is to ask whether The Sun's articles, trade information leaks and criticisms of Heatley may have damaged the Senators' ability to trade him.

If so, hasn't The Sun done a disservice to Sens fans like yourself?

In other news, The Ottawa Sun did NOT have a negative story about Dany Heatley yesterday.

I have always contended that the Sun pick their favourites and their whipping boys.

Garrioch has had Vermette and Schubert traded for years. Of course Vermette got run. We all know how CheapShots did Corvo while simultaneously writing love letters disguised as news articles about Wade Redden.

SSF>do you think by any chance Mr Brennan or Mr Garrioch--or both--read this forum...and got the message being put forward here about their Heatley Hatchet Job?

davetherave wrote:SSF>do you think by any chance Mr Brennan or Mr Garrioch--or both--read this forum...and got the message being put forward here about their Heatley Hatchet Job?

Doubtful. They may read it for potential news but I'm sure they think sensationalism and half-truths (the "bonus") sell papers. Bob McKenzie and Team 1200 hosts have mentioned that they read the internet forums, so that's a possibility. I will say for Garrioch that he doesn't ignore direct emails from readers. I have no time whatsoever for CheapShots, however.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

davetherave wrote:SSF>do you think by any chance Mr Brennan or Mr Garrioch--or both--read this forum...and got the message being put forward here about their Heatley Hatchet Job?

Doubtful. They may read it for potential news but I'm sure they think sensationalism and half-truths (the "bonus") sell papers. Bob McKenzie and Team 1200 hosts have mentioned that they read the internet forums, so that's a possibility. I will say for Garrioch that he doesn't ignore direct emails from readers. I have no time whatsoever for CheapShots, however.

SSF, I agree with you regarding Team 1200...they definitely appear to be regular readers of the forum if one notes how they echo topics of discussion and opinions expressed here.

I seem to remember Bob McKenzie when he first started in the hockey media business as being a fairly sharp investigative reporter. But TSN seems to have muzzled most of that and turned him into a talking head.

If you've listened to McKenzie's phone interviews on the Team, though, once out of the confines of TSN, he offers astute and sometimes unique insights.

But hey, these guys have to make a living. So often, they make compromises.

As for Brennan, I don't know what purpose he serves at The Sun other than attack dog.