News Article: Pierre McGuire: “You’ll be seeing a lot of me

[Bileur]

I get towing the company line and not biting the hand that feeds him. Guy’s got bills to pay and has a pretty sweet gig because of it.

The mailing it in mentioned above really drives me nuts though. Really comes through in the post game interviews.

Things like:

Thanks… DJ….. ah… got to imagine it feels pretty good to get a win?

Or

Gus had the shutout out there tonight DJ, safe to say it’s good when the goalie has a shutout?

 

[Micklebot]

I can believe that is a strategy.

But in McGuire's case, there is the more self serving motivation of positioning himself for the GM job when it inevitably opens up.... and I can tell you that from years of working for various Ottawa hi tech companies, the motivation behind almost all ass kissing is to get that next promotion.

That may be so, nothing wrong with organizational strategies being also aligned with your own interests...

Seriously though, I remember a LeBlanc interview from March or April with the Hockey news were he was going all out in his unprompted praise of Melnyk. Oddly, even the interviewer was praising Melnyk...

 

[cudi]

I get towing the company line and not biting the hand that feeds him. Guy’s got bills to pay and has a pretty sweet gig because of it.

The mailing it in mentioned above really drives me nuts though. Really comes through in the post game interviews.

Things like:

Thanks… DJ….. ah… got to imagine it feels pretty good to get a win?

Or

Gus had the shutout out there tonight DJ, safe to say it’s good when the goalie has a shutout?

This is pretty much it for me too. I don't hate Bruce personally, but he's more of a walking meme these days.

I do enjoy his bowties tho.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

Don’t be so sensitive.

Just confirming it’s still because he doesn’t stray from the positive news stories - AKA doesn’t bite the hand that feeds him.

Eh, you can take the high road and call it that if you want. Always a pleasure Achtzehn.

I am just curious.. can you provide examples of butt kissing? I know it would mean digging through articles and I totally understand if you aren't willing to do that. I am genuinely curious if you can provide actual examples of this. I have been reading Bruce over the last twenty years and yes, he is definitely pro team but I honestly don't see him kissing Melnyk's butt.

As for being "spoon fed what to say"... that seems like the consensus opinion on this board but again, how do you know this is a fact?

He communicates for Melnyk about Melnyk to try to rehabilitate his image for him. That's what I mean by ass kissing. It's all about role. Are you a "journalist" or are you a spokesperson for the team? I don't see anyone else in media putting out the sort of content he does.

GARRIOCH: Melnyk is in it to win it and confident Sens can win a Cup | Ottawa Sun
Senators' owner Eugene Melnyk says priority is to stay in Kanata, but he's looked at sites in Gatineau for a new rink | Ottawa Sun
Senators' owner Eugene Melnyk is letting the city of Ottawa know he's willing to do business | Ottawa Sun
GARRIOCH: Melnyk says he's confident the Senators will sign Brady Tkachuk plus club needs a centre and defenceman | Ottawa Sun

He gets information nobody else is privy to. Narratives he puts out go exactly to plan. He is quite clearly the one guy in Ottawa that they use as a communicator since you don't see anyone else doing it.

Meanwhile guys that actually have the ability to put out coherent, professional content like Ian Mendes or ask hard questions like Wallace get insulted or threatened publicly by Melnyk, or kicked off planes, or cut off from interview access. I am not a fan of dictating what the media says and Garrioch playing along for them helps them achieve that and is essentially representative of that cause. It doesn't have to be one way or another, there's supposed to be some nuance to reporting.

 

[BoardsofCanada]

Eh, you can take the high road and call it that if you want. Always a pleasure Achtzehn.

He communicates for Melnyk about Melnyk to try to rehabilitate his image for him. That's what I mean by ass kissing. It's all about role. Are you a "journalist" or are you a spokesperson for the team? I don't see anyone else in media putting out the sort of content he does.

GARRIOCH: Melnyk is in it to win it and confident Sens can win a Cup | Ottawa Sun
Senators' owner Eugene Melnyk says priority is to stay in Kanata, but he's looked at sites in Gatineau for a new rink | Ottawa Sun
Senators' owner Eugene Melnyk is letting the city of Ottawa know he's willing to do business | Ottawa Sun
GARRIOCH: Melnyk says he's confident the Senators will sign Brady Tkachuk plus club needs a centre and defenceman | Ottawa Sun

He gets information nobody else is privy to. Narratives he puts out go exactly to plan. He is quite clearly the one guy in Ottawa that they use as a communicator since you don't see anyone else doing it.

Meanwhile guys that actually have the ability to put out coherent, professional content like Ian Mendes or ask hard questions like Wallace get insulted or threatened publicly by Melnyk, or kicked off planes, or cut off from interview access. I am not a fan of dictating what the media says and Garrioch playing along for them helps them achieve that and is essentially representative of that cause. It doesn't have to be one way or another, there's supposed to be some nuance to reporting.

I am not convinced of your position but thanks for digging up those examples. No doubt Bruce is a cheerleader for the team.

 

[HSF]

Bruce tends to also trash players that the team is clearly shopping or drives the narrative to support the msg that the team wants to get out there

he's a teams spokesperson at this point,

 

[AchtzehnBaby]

Eh, you can take the high road and call it that if you want. Always a pleasure Achtzehn.

He communicates for Melnyk about Melnyk to try to rehabilitate his image for him. That's what I mean by ass kissing. It's all about role. Are you a "journalist" or are you a spokesperson for the team? I don't see anyone else in media putting out the sort of content he does.

GARRIOCH: Melnyk is in it to win it and confident Sens can win a Cup | Ottawa Sun
Senators' owner Eugene Melnyk says priority is to stay in Kanata, but he's looked at sites in Gatineau for a new rink | Ottawa Sun
Senators' owner Eugene Melnyk is letting the city of Ottawa know he's willing to do business | Ottawa Sun
GARRIOCH: Melnyk says he's confident the Senators will sign Brady Tkachuk plus club needs a centre and defenceman | Ottawa Sun

He gets information nobody else is privy to. Narratives he puts out go exactly to plan. He is quite clearly the one guy in Ottawa that they use as a communicator since you don't see anyone else doing it.

Meanwhile guys that actually have the ability to put out coherent, professional content like Ian Mendes or ask hard questions like Wallace get insulted or threatened publicly by Melnyk, or kicked off planes, or cut off from interview access. I am not a fan of dictating what the media says and Garrioch playing along for them helps them achieve that and is essentially representative of that cause. It doesn't have to be one way or another, there's supposed to be some nuance to reporting.

Wallace got what he deserved. Totally stupid to bite the hand that feeds you. If he thought he could take a swipe at the owner and expect a free plane ride, (which was an amazing freebie by Melnyk, and not done by other teams), and get away unscathed, was pure stupidity. Bush league.

 

[DaveMatthew]

Wallace got what he deserved. Totally stupid to bite the hand that feeds you. If he thought he could take a swipe at the owner and expect a free plane ride, (which was an amazing freebie by Melnyk, and not done by other teams), and get away unscathed, was pure stupidity. Bush league.

I believe it's common practice across the league, and TSN pays for the seat on the plane (for all their reporters, even if it's a team charter). Melnyk would never give out freebies. I'm just surprised he didn't sue Bell after the incident.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

I am not convinced of your position but thanks for digging up those examples. No doubt Bruce is a cheerleader for the team.

I can respect that, I'm not here to convince anyone and try to be forward as much as possible that this is my perception of it.

Wallace got what he deserved. Totally stupid to bite the hand that feeds you. If he thought he could take a swipe at the owner and expect a free plane ride, (which was an amazing freebie by Melnyk, and not done by other teams), and get away unscathed, was pure stupidity. Bush league.

OKAY. Thought so.

Don’t be so sensitive.

Just confirming it’s still because he doesn’t stray from the unbiased news stories - AKA does not live in Melnyk's rectum.

 

[AchtzehnBaby]

I believe it's common practice across the league, and TSN pays for the seat on the plane (for all their reporters, even if it's a team charter). Melnyk would never give out freebies. I'm just surprised he didn't sue Bell after the incident.

No, it is in the article that only Melnyk offered that privilege. It is also confirmed it was his dime because he kicked him off. Not TSN

 

[SensHulk]

It is hard for me to keep up with all the hate reasons on this board, but what did Bruce do to the fan base again?

uh he belittles the fanbase and anyone questioning what the sens are doing, drags a players name through the mud when they are deemed expendable or to make a point to said fanbase (see ‘Wolanin not wanted by 30 other teams, passes through waivers’) and generally is never around to ask any tough questions. He’s a real POS

 

[JD1]

I believe it's common practice across the league, and TSN pays for the seat on the plane (for all their reporters, even if it's a team charter). Melnyk would never give out freebies. I'm just surprised he didn't sue Bell after the incident.

Actually no it's not common practice and they were flying free and it got cancelled. Iirc we were one of less than a handful of teams allowing media on charters.

Idk what to say about tsn paying for seats on charters. There's no incremental cost to giving them a seat so on what basis would you charge them? I've never rwad anything about them being charged.

 

[DaveMatthew]

No, it is in the article that only Melnyk offered that privilege. It is also confirmed it was his dime because he kicked him off. Not TSN

Yes, the team "allowed" reporters on their charters, but the cost of the seat was still paid for by the media company (Bell would pay the Senators for that seat). Melnyk and the team is under no obligation to offer the seat, but even when they did, they weren't doing it for free.

As an employee of a public company, Wallace would likely not even legally be allowed to accept a free flight, otherwise the company would need to account for it. (It'd be considered a large gift. Standard policy for a major corporation like Bell would be to cap gifts at $50). Gift policies are especially strict for media and news organizations, like TSN.

The "favor" wasn't a free-flight, it was added convenience, since a team charter flies direct and from a separate terminal. Flying commercial means you have to go through regular security, customs, deal with layovers, cancelled flights, etc, which could add hours to a trip. Ottawa has very few directs to any city, so it's a pain if you're going to 41 games a year.

Hell, it's right on their website:

Editorial Ethics Guidelines

We do not accept gifts, including paid travel, in order to avoid any conflict-of-interest or appearance thereof. When we rely on an organization for a product or access to an event, we are transparent about the relationship and note it within the relevant work.

 

[DaveMatthew]

Actually no it's not common practice and they were flying free and it got cancelled. Iirc we were one of less than a handful of teams allowing media on charters.

Idk what to say about tsn paying for seats on charters. There's no incremental cost to giving them a seat so on what basis would you charge them? I've never rwad anything about them being charged.

When you charter a flight, the total cost is easily converted to a "per-seat" amount. Companies share charters all of the time, and split costs.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

I fail to see how them offering it in the first place, even being one of the few to do so, excuses stripping it because you're unhappy with their media content. It's essentially an attempt to blackmail them in to writing what you want them to or at minimum just punish them for not writing what you want them to write.

 

[branch]

Lmao. Only push the Politburo's agenda or you will be sent to the gulag. No impartiality allowed. What's more bush league, a brokeass owner muzzling local reporters or a guy trying to get the scoop?

 

[AchtzehnBaby]

I fail to see how them offering it in the first place, even being one of the few to do so, excuses stripping it because you're unhappy with their media content. It's essentially an attempt to blackmail them in to writing what you want them to or at minimum just punish them for not writing what you want them to write.

I can’t understand that trying to undermine your boss would ever end well. It was not well thought out. Hopefully, Brent finds another job one day.

 

[DaveMatthew]

I can’t understand that trying to undermine your boss would ever end well. It was not well thought out. Hopefully, Brent finds another job one day.

Wallace's boss? Melnyk owns Bell Media? Shit, he's even cheaper than I thought if he can't spend to the cap but owns a company that's valued at $57.6B!

Funny thing is, Melnyk was likely only offering the seats because it'd help subsidy some of the cost of the charter, because as I outlined in another post, Bell Media WOULD HAVE TO PAY for the seats.

 

[branch]

I can’t understand that trying to undermine your boss would ever end well. It was not well thought out. Hopefully, Brent finds another job one day.

Well it's pretty clear that Brent thought Eugene was a mature adult, who was capable of taking criticism since YA KNOW he's in a very public facing role as a sports team owner, obviously he was wrong. Eugene would rather take his ball and go home rather than hear anything he doesn't want to (wahhh wahh). That's about the only thing that wasn't well thought out.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

I can’t understand that trying to undermine your boss would ever end well. It was not well thought out. Hopefully, Brent finds another job one day.

He's not his boss, Melnyk just has thin skin and is willing to go deep in to the depths of low morality with media blackmail. You wanna talk about bush league, Melnyk's handling of any media criticism is the epitome of it.

 

[BoardsofCanada]

I fail to see how them offering it in the first place, even being one of the few to do so, excuses stripping it because you're unhappy with their media content. It's essentially an attempt to blackmail them in to writing what you want them to or at minimum just punish them for not writing what you want them to write.

What about when a player refuses to answer a question from a reporter that they feel has slandered them? Famous example being Dan Boyle going off on Larry Brooks in the Rangers dressing room.

Should reporters just get free reign to paint any picture they want?

 

[aragorn]

What about when a player refuses to answer a questions from a reporter that they feel has slandered them? Famous example being Dan Boyle going off on Larry Brooks in the Rangers dressing room.

Should reporters just get free reign to paint any picture they want?

Reminds me of, "are you an expert". Or when Brian Murray went after Jim Fox after a game against LA. Fox is a cousin of a friend of mine & said he was shocked Murray went after him for a comment that was off the cuff & he didn't think was a big deal.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

What about when a player refuses to answer a questions from a reporter that they feel has slandered them? Famous example being Dan Boyle going off on Larry Brooks in the Rangers dressing room.

Should reporters just get free reign to paint any picture they want?

No, I agree with you there. There needs to be professional integrity and they should not be allowed to slander. They are allowed opinions sometimes, so it can be a fine line. I think a lot of the people answering questions are too thin skinned or testy (like Tortorella) and should be more forgiving since its the fans and media that props up and supports their products and lets them all live like filthy rich celebrities.

In these cases, I haven't seen any slander. Wallace asked a question about something he'd heard, he didn't put out a slanted article painting it all as truth, he gave the man the chance to answer the question publicly.

The time Melnyk insulted Mendes publicly was for something as simple as attempting to play fan feedback for Dorion on radio.

 

[SensHulk]

I can’t understand that trying to undermine your boss would ever end well. It was not well thought out. Hopefully, Brent finds another job one day.

Melnyk doesn’t pay Wallace. Wallace’s employers on the other hand, do pay Melnyk. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you Euge….

 

[AchtzehnBaby]

Melnyk doesn’t pay Wallace. Wallace’s employers on the other hand, do pay Melnyk. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you Euge….

ell em eh oh!