Lastly, on today’s column, I know a lot of people inside the Wild ain’ t happy with me right now.
I have always considered myself an objective beat reporter. I don’t root. I tell it like it is (ask Mike Keenan, who grew tired of me real quick in Florida). And I have written a lot of positive stories about the Wild, the players on it and the GM, who I do have great respect for.
But as I once told Ray Whitney, who got angry with me after an article, “Ray, I’ve written a lot of good things about you, and you know what, you have to take the good with the bad.”
The Wild has lost nine of 11, and I don’t believe this just a slump. My job is to write for the fans, for the Star Tribune readership. And I believe I expressed the sentiment today that a lot of fans have felt for a long time (and incidentally, the midseason report is about 10 days from appearing).
The fans drive the NHL like no other sport. Hockey basically makes squat from TV, from merchandising, etc. The NHL is unique because the paying customers, for the most part, almost directly pay everybody’s salaries — players, coaches, management. That’s the biggest revenue stream.
The fans are upset. There’s serious problems going on right now inside this organization. I wrote it, and the fans deserve to have it written. That’s my job.
I like these players. But the overall team is not good enough, and that’s what I
Mike I agree with you 100% the Wild are a mess and the management needs to know this. If they are upset with you so be it. They need to take a look at what they are doing. Since 2000 Wild fans have been patient with the team and watched them flounder and have limited success.
Please don't hold back and keep reporting it like it is. I know there are a lot of us that appreciate what you’re doing. I appreciate your candid writing while others in the print and broadcast media dance around the issues and act like there is nothing wrong with this team. The Wild fans deserve better.
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