Note To Dan Bickley: Get Bent – AGAIN

Hey Dan, it’s me again…

You must be aware there are essentially two schools of thought about dealing with objectionable statements. One is to ignore them, the rationale being to give them any thought or time is to give them power. It makes sense. The second is to voice one’s objections to the statements and, perhaps, offer an alternate view.

Obviously, the first course of inaction is easier. But, like Tina Turner, I don’t like it “nice and easy”.

The last time we had this conversation was last July when you wrote a “Note To Shane Doan”. I’ll admit to getting my back up with almost any criticism of Shane Doan, but I’m neither embarrassed nor apologetic about it. Ironically, your dig in July was regarding loyalty, which Doaner obviously has in abundance and perhaps even to a fault. You don’t suffer the same affliction.

Failure Is A Big Word

I can hear the argument and justification now:

“You just don’t like to hear anything negative about your team, I’m just relaying the facts and you don’t like it.”

Maybe. Your latest blurb on the Coyotes begins:

“The Coyotes failed miserably this past season.”

Hey at least we didn’t have to wait long to get the tone of your opinion if there was a remote chance that anyone thought you might have a positive word to say. You repeated the “fail” word four times in 2:12, just in case we missed your position.

I submit that, despite missing the playoffs for the first time in awhile, the Coyotes had more successes than failures in the grand scheme of things. As you’re aware, there are many challenges the organization is facing that have been dealt with remarkably well.

You’ll disagree, I’m sure, but the increased attendance and doubling of viewership in a lockout shortened season are grand slams for a bankrupt team without a real owner for FOUR years now. While the on-ice side of the season was a huge disappointment to many (although not to you, I suspect), there were fairly specific and identifiable deficiencies that should be evident even to people like you and I, people without an expert’s grasp of the sport.

Excuse Is A Big Word

You add a dig:

“…possible that four years of uncertainty took it’s toll on the Coyotes, or maybe that’s just an excuse.”

Who, exactly, in the Coyotes organization on or off the ice have you heard use that excuse for their performance this season? I’ve never heard anyone use it, and I have been paying attention. In fact, I’ve heard the EXACT opposite from nearly every person with the team. Since you’re so familiar with the team, I’m sure you’re aware accountability is a big deal with the Coyotes organization. If you DO know it, then it was a direct insult aimed at the team, right?

In the Don Maloney presser you used for your bites, he is quite clear about HIS errors and HIS failures in providing the tools necessary to win games. Did you listen to what he said? Were you physically there to take notes or ask questions? There was never a hint of an excuse or a finger pointed at anyone but himself. That’s what leadership is about, that’s one way to inspire the confidence of the people around you.

Obvious Omissions

Of course you neglected to mention ANY of the positives for the team. You ignored the aforementioned attendance and viewership increase. Excellent season ticket sales despite a poor showing on the ice went unmentioned. Your mention of “as long as they play in Glendale…” as one of two reasons for the continued woes of the team indicates, to me, that you’re disappointed they moved from the dungeon of a hockey venue that is USAC. Your failure to appear at the arena with any consistency indicates the same.

Significantly, you ignored the current landrush of potential Coyotes owners in the process of working a deal with the NHL. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt assuming you actually have knowledge of these people. If you don’t, then you’re just really bad at your job.

There’s more, but you get my point.

Home Town Loyalty

Dan, you’re a sports reporter not an investigative journalist. I’m wondering if you see how your consistently alienating comments about a sports team could actually have an impact on the bottom line of that team, assuming you care. While your attitude does nothing but infuriate most Coyotes fans, there are other sports fans with less fervor and knowledge of the game that you can impact with your negativity.

People rely on sports reporters, like you, for real information without a lot of bias unless it’s cheerleading for the home team. That’s not happening with you and the casual listener would get the wrong impression of what’s REALLY happening with the team. Why should they buy tickets to see such a FAILURE of a hockey team? We all understand ticket sales isn’t your job, but don’t run too far up the self importance tree that you can’t see the ground where your bread is buttered.

There’s a LOT to be said for loyalty. Would it have been possible for you to put together a two minute editorial with less invective, more real information, and still get your point across? We’ll never know. You should understand that the Coyotes are part of the package that puts food on your table and MAYBE show them some support every now and then. You could show them some respect.

Or, you could stick to baseball and basketball and anything BUT hockey. Turn that over to Sarah McLellan and everybody will be better off, because she puts you on the trailer every single time, Dan.

That was another sports term you might not have recognized, sorry.

Let’s not do this again, okay?