Folks in the Barilkosphere are mad as hell and aren’t going to take it anymore:
Dear Most Valuable Losers,
Yesterday, continuing a long-standing trend, another Toronto reporter took his shot at Leaf fans. This time it was Howard Berger calling us “losers” (screenshot: one two) but we’ve seem the same cookie-cutter article before from virtually everyone who covers the team.
Quite frankly, we’ve had enough.
As fans, we believe that those most deserving of our praise and our scorn are directly inolved in the game, whether it’s on the ice, in the press box or in the executive corridors. Fans don’t pencil in the starting five, make bad trades, or write the headlines of the day and shouldn’t be blamed (or praised) for the totals in the wins and loss column.
Hockey may be just a game but it’s also a passion. If you’re looking for passionate hockey coverage that offers insight and humour and you’re sick of being blamed for supporting a team you’re passionate about, you have a better option.
It’s time to leave the media superstars behind. There’s compelling, timely, wide-ranging content waiting just for you online in the Barilkosphere.
Many have found this better way of following the Leafs, but not every Leafs fan has been so lucky. Please send this message to your fellow Leaf fans via e-mail or postings on message boards and let them know that they do have a choice.
We hope you’ll join us here in the Barilkosphere and become regular readers, writers, and commenters.
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Consider the futility of criticizing Berger’s viewpoint: denial lends credence to his delusion assertion; should the Leafs vindicate the belief of the loyal fanbase, I’m sure he’ll be there to hand out a pat on the head for the faithful.
Perhaps then he’s to be pitied — putting out troll bait like that can be no more than a desperate cry for attention, a lone voice crying out that he’s still relevant in this new media world. Over the past year I’ve come to rely more and more on the Internet for my sports news — updated often, as narrowly or broadly focussed as you need, and usually more insightful as well.
Amen, brother. Testify!
The galling thing about it is that there are excellent points to be made in answer to Howie’s laughably unoriginal drivel – Sean at Down Goes Brown did an excellent job making the contrary case today – but none of it seems to make the MSM. The finger, it seems to me, has to be pointed squarely at the journos’ editors, asleep at the switch, with the runaway train heading off down the wrong set of tracks.