I have received dozens of angry emails and blog post messages regarding the Washington Post and its lack of even a mention of the Caps vs. Red Wings game in Monday’s paper. The game was on national television and was being played against the best team in the NHL. I agree with you and your concerns. There isn
Ted's Take
The Washington Times does a great job, they should be giving away hockey sticks…
the NY Times? Gotta wonder what a ranger fan thinks of it…
I’m just thankful that you have the forsight to recognize these changes and to base your team around the future and not the past. Way to go Ted!
You regularly chronicle the decline of the old media compared to new media, and things like this are evidence as to why this is. What in bloody blazes else was going on yesterday? Redskins don’t play till next Sunday, Wizards don’t play till tonight – only other notable event was the Nationals announcing their 2008 fixture list (for a season that doesn’t begin for another three-months-plus, and for which single tickets won’t be on sale for awhile yet). Simply inexcusable…but oh well, Kornheiser and Wilbon effectively run the Post sports department and their prejudices dictate coverage policy, and I guess the Post has just decided to sink or swim with that. (And as far as that issue of ‘popularity’ – DC United has arguably the most passionate fandom in town and regularly outdraws the Caps and Wizards on a per-match basis, and they can’t get any love from the Post either.)
I find it nearly unbelievable- and that is the precise word I am looking for- that not one columnist has written an article about the Caps in months. Their excuse that there is not enough interest to warrant an article is pure baloney. The Post has columnists who themselves just don’t care for hockey, obviously don’t follow it closely, and there is knowledge is sorely lacking. Anyone is entitled to personal preferences regarding any subject, but columnists for a paper in an area that has an NHL team should be knowledgeable whether they like the sport or not. The editor ( and boy do we miss George Solomon) obviously gives these guys free reign. Wilbon salivates over the NBA, has his butt at Verizon for them all the time but can’t write one article about the Caps. The real shame is that the more that is written about a subject, the more important that subject is perceived to be. If Wilbon, Boswell, etc were were writing about the development of Mike Green, how our off season acquisitions were doing, certain line combinations, etc this would itself serve as branding for the Caps. I could go on and on about this but suffice it to say that the Post, imo, is the single biggest obstacle facing the Caps. Obvioulsy, winning more is critical but the truism of “the power of the press” is really hurting the team.
Think the Washington Times does a more consistent job than the Post. The Post has always been in the tank for the Redskins. Look at all of the front page coverage the Redskins get from the Post.
Same goes for the local TV/radio media as well. It’ll probably stay that way until the Caps win the Cup. Sad but true.
The Post itself told us what helps drive ink. While explaining the amount of coverage they gave the Shawn Taylor story a Post rep said: (paraphrased) “Based on the number of Web hits we got on those articles we could have run more.” Click and ye shall receive?
You couldn’t have put it any better!
I agree Ted. Part of the overall problem in generating new excitement about Washington DC teams outside the Redskins is the pretty poor coverage. They say it is based popularity and selling papers, but by doing a much better job at coverage, you increase the fan base and then you increase readership. Tarik does a great job, but lets face it, Tarik doesn’t have the support or help JLC has for the Redskins.
That the paper with the largest circulation in Washington can’t have someone cover for a writer who takes a day of is inexcusable. If their newspaper is losing money, then perhaps they should fold it up or sell it. I am sure there is a company out there that could make the Washington Post the newspaper it *should* be…