Abel to Yzerman
Next entry: Outside The Lifelines
Previous entry: You Want Incentive? I Got Incentive
Editing After The Facts Change
by IwoCPO on 12/11/07 at 03:55 AM ET
Comments (15)
Updated 0530: I’ve added a comment from Matt Saler, pointing out that Khan(!) isn’t the only culprit here. As is usually the case, the Wing Deep Digger incompetence is a group activity. See the bottom of this post for more.
------
Of all the Wings it couldn’t have been, Nick Lidstrom was the only one singled out yesterday by Deep Digger Captain Ansar Khan(!). Remember this?
“We’ll see who’s eligible and who’s not,’’ said Babcock, who wouldn’t reveal the injured player but said it’s not Nicklas Lidstrom.
Now? Well, now it gets interesting.
Why? Because Khan(!)’s been fooled again.
Detroit News/Kulfan
Nicklas Lidstrom said he had a sore hip flexor after Sunday’s game but felt good enough to play Monday night.
Because Lidstrom was uncertain heading into the game, the Wings took Chris Chelios on the trip, although Chelios was not scheduled to play.
With Lidstrom able to play, Chelios, 45, was a healthy scratch. Derek Meech played in Chelios’ spot.
Here’s the deal. Uncle Mike’s a lying liar and we all know it. We’ve known it for three years. It’s just taken Ansar a lot longer to figure it out. He noticed Chelios was along for the trip, when he was supposed to stay behind. He asked Babcock about it, who was put in a position to speak at least halfway truthfully. Babcock told Khan(!) a slight injury may force Cheli into the lineup. Injury to who?, Khan(!) must have asked. Not tellin’, said Mike. Nick?, asked Khan(!).
And you know there’s no way Babcock was going to reveal a hip injury prior to a game with Bubba. No chance. So he lied. Said “it’s not Lidstrom.”
So what? We dig it. I’ve got no problem with Babcock lying to keep his players or intentions safe.
But the Diggers lying to cover their tracks? That pisses me off.
How? Here’s how. The link to yesterday’s blog entry from Khan(!)? Here it is. Before you click, let me remind you what the post contained yesterday at 1410.
But a minor injury to an undisclosed player forced the team to bring Chelios on the trip. Babcock said after the morning skate that he wouldn’t know who’d be out on defense until just before the game.
“We’ll see who’s eligible and who’s not,’’ said Babcock, who wouldn’t reveal the injured player but said it’s not Nicklas Lidstrom.
It isn’t Meech or Brett Lebda, either, as they both skated during the optional practice.
Same URL this morning to, allegedly, the same post?
With games on back-to-back nights, the Wings will rest defenseman Chris Chelios tonight against Nashville, inserting rookie Derek Meech into the lineup. Meech hasn’t played since Nov. 17, but he figures to see more action this month because the team has a couple of more back-to-back games in which Chelios will likely be given a breather.
“You’re hesitant (to scratch him), but it’s also important we understand the big picture and we know when we need him to be real good and playing all the time, so we got to be smart about that,’’ Babcock said after today’s morning skate in Nashville.
Chelios originally wasn’t supposed to make the trip to Nashville, but a minor injury to a defenseman forced the Wings to bring him along just in case.
Now, Khan(!) reported it accurately--or as accurately as he could--in an article for this morning’s paper.
The original plan called for Chelios to stay home, but he was forced to make the trip just in case he was needed because Lidstrom sustained a right hip flexor injury in Sunday’s game. It turned out to be minor, however, and Lidstrom, who rarely misses a game, ended up playing 29:17 on Monday.
But why the shadiness with the changing of the text of the blog post? Why go back and change what you’d originally written, rather than just post something altogether new, something along the lines of, “the injured Wing was Nick Lidstrom after all.” That option, I’m assuming, was available to Khan(!). Instead, he edited his work after the fact.
Minor and kinda trivial? Maybe you think so.
Or maybe you think the job of a beat writer, of a reporter, is to kinda, umm, stick by the truth? If nothing else, it opens up an interesting debate.
Babcock said one thing. Khan(!) quoted him. Later, several hours later, Khan determined he’d been outright lied to. Did he report the lie itself? No. He just went back and edited what he’d posted so that the lie (a) wasn’t exposed or (b) he could cover up the fact that he bought the lie without question and printed it.
But he didn’t “print it”, did he? He “posted it.” Is there a difference? If this were an article, obviously a game report or a column, would Khan have been so willing to go back and change the text of it? I doubt it. But, because a blog--a reporter’s blog--is supposed to be living and breathing, evolving...does that give him the right to make that change in such a dishonest fashion?
Maybe it wasn’t Khan(!) who made the edit, or the decision to edit the post. Who knows. I do know it’s worthy of discussion.
Updated 0530: Matt Saler just added this to the comments.
Helene St. James’ post, in which she quoted Babcock as saying “no, no, no” to the Lidstrom question, has completely disappeared. Earlier in the day, it said Chelios may play, but a couple hours later, it said he was sitting, with no notice that anything had been changed.
Maybe it’s just a quaint blogger thing, but when I update a post with something substantive (and not just spelling or something), I generally put it in a labeled update.
It’s both writers protecting the Wings’ “right” to lie about injuries.
I personally encourage any and all injury-related lies from the organ-I-zation. I have no problem with that. My irritation stems, as stated above, from the beat writers going back and editing, or just deleting, blog posts as if they never happened in the first place. As Matt pointed out, there are always options when the facts change. Posting an “upate” is one. A whole new post pointing out the more relevant/timely facts is another.
Khan(!) and St. James, I believe, were embarrassed--again--at having bought Mike Babcock’s statement at face value--again--and simply tried to make it go away. In St. James’ case, that’s exactly what happened.
Poof. “Error: Invalid story key (C4,20071210,BLOG09,71210043,AR).” Never happened.
Filed in: | Abel to Yzerman | Permalink
Comments
It’s not just a blogger thing.
Books belong on paper, as far as I’m concerned, but I love to read papers on the internet, and in papers such as the New York Times if there is an error in a story (such as an incorrect name), it is corrected in the story, but there is a notation right at the bottom of the page noting that in the original story such-and-such an error was made, and the New York Times regrets the error.
Not in a separate link, but right there at the end of the story. You can’t miss it.
I like it when bloggers update to correct an error instead of just changing it - it gives the impression of a fluid situation, and it’s more realistic and more interesting to me that way.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 12/11/07 at 06:36 AM ET
“I like it when bloggers update to correct an error instead of just changing it - it gives the impression of a fluid situation, and it’s more realistic and more interesting to me that way.”
Definitely agree. Which ever way they note it, they just need to note it. It’s aggravating to find a screwup on someones post, and when you go back the next day to laugh about it some more it’s been quietly corrected.
Posted by dougie on 12/11/07 at 06:54 AM ET
ok ... sorry i’ve missed out on the nicknaming ... but who is bubba? Makes me thing of bertuzzi, or foppa, or anders ericsson ... but i know it’s none of those.
Posted by ColdWar on 12/11/07 at 09:00 AM ET
ColdWar: Bubba refers to anything Predator-related. Typically, it’s the fans or the team. But it could be a philosophy, a lifestyle. For more A2Y jargon, go here. http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/A2Y/glossary/
Posted by IwoCPO from Washington, DC on 12/11/07 at 09:03 AM ET
The New York Times lists corrections like that because they’ve been called out on it very publicly before.
Other media outlets, like Slate, have bought into the “new media” openness and aren’t ashamed to admit where they’ve made mistakes.
The Detroit hockey media hasn’t had a scandal like the NYT has and they’ve only gone half-way on new media methods like blogs. I guess they either don’t realize someone is always watching, or they don’t care.
Bruce MacLeod is different. After the Chelios story had run its course, he still posted a lineup that had Chelios paired with Lebda and Meech listed as a healthy scratch. He hasn’t changed it, even now.
Posted by Matt Saler from Grand Rapids, MI on 12/11/07 at 09:30 AM ET
Corrections in the print media are different. They are handled that way because the mistakes are hardware now and can’t be changed without evidence. The internet is a whole different species.
Kudo’s to you and Matt for catching this..
It should be referred to in the future when the issue of irresponsible bloggers vs journalistic “integrity” are used as a scapegoat.
Posted by HockeyTownTodd from upset when blogs don’t live up to my expectations on 12/11/07 at 12:17 PM ET
It should be referred to in the future when the issue of irresponsible bloggers vs journalistic “integrity” are used as a scapegoat.
Oh...it will be.
Posted by IwoCPO from Washington, DC on 12/11/07 at 12:20 PM ET
Oh right, about those injury reports.
Might as well call it migrating pain.
Anyone else notice how Maltby’s strained shoulder suddenly became unknown back issues?
Posted by HockeyTownTodd from upset when blogs don’t live up to my expectations on 12/11/07 at 12:20 PM ET
Fox News has done this lots of times in the past (specifically transcripts from Bill O’Reilly shows). also (as was stated) by the NYT.
when it’s “news,” it’s assumed by the journalists that report and print it that it’s the gospel truth. we all know that facts/stories/news changes as more details on stories are revealed. Khan and the like are just trying to cover their asses in a forum where most of their audience are Detroiters skimming through the Sports Section for the Piston boxscore. it’s just easier to get away with it when most of your readers don’t care who was, then wasn’t hurt.
Posted by Alex from San Francisco on 12/11/07 at 12:46 PM ET
Anyone else notice how Maltby’s strained shoulder suddenly became unknown back issues?
Yup. And the last mysterious back pain that wouldn’t go away that I can recall is Jason Wooley’s cracked lumbar vertebra.
Took something like three MRI’s before they were able to locate the crack.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 12/11/07 at 12:49 PM ET
Baroque: You’re going to give me a heart attack with that kind of insinuation!
As for the Diggers, Matt has it right insofar as it is a credibility issue. They actually thought removing the story would damage their credibility less than if they just posted a new article with an update. This is, I think, a mark of arrogance because they 1) assume their audience is not paying attention or particularly intelligent or 2) catches the mistake but can’t do a damn thing about it because they still hold the press credentials. Both assumptions are linked to the denial of blogging culture within the organ-i-zation.
If they paid attention to the thriving web life of Wings fans, the Diggers and front office would certainly realize that the first assumption isn’t true and perhaps grant press passes to those who are sincerely invested; of course, they would have to risk the entrance of people not willing to tow the party line.
I wonder too, if the assumption that the audience isn’t paying attention is linked to the ongoing attendance issues. If people aren’t willing to impale themselves at the box-office, then they are clearly not invested in the team.
Idiots.
Posted by srt on 12/11/07 at 01:21 PM ET
You’re going to give me a heart attack with that kind of insinuation!
Remember how it started with Wooley, though? He was too sore to skate, so the doctors told him to rest, the back pain didn’t go away, he went in for more tests...and they found a hairline crack in one of the vertebrae in his lower back.
It’s the holiday season. I’m sharing the joy.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 12/11/07 at 02:18 PM ET
I’ve tried to learn to “update” my blog entries instead of erasing them or editing them without reference to a previous report. I personally find that a, “Whoops, my bad!” goes further than the, “I am never wrong...what do you mean that there was an incorrect statement? Untruth, untruth, thoughtcrime!” (Yes, I read 1984 about two too many times) in suggesting that I may in fact be a human being.
Whether the beat writers are rock-em-sock-em robots from City Hall is another story, I suppose that’s not my place, but I come from a unique perspective in that I work for a newspaper’s website, so if I make **** up, I can be fired, so I have to take the whole “credibility by proxy” situation very seriously.
Those of us who would happily take press passes while reminding ourselves that we are not beholden to the organ-i-zation, but, instead, our readers, and as such, would have to report the truth (in all its gory truthiness) as we see it would obviously give not only a unique perspective as most of us are pretty subjective bloggers, but also have no real agenda in terms of making ourselves look overly “professional” to the point of managing our image as right 100% of the time, but between the “space restrictions” (seriously, that’s an excuse given by the organ-i-zation) and the fact that we won’t toe the party line, I find it hard to believe that a blogger will ever be allowed within 50 feet of the Wings’ dressing room or ice during practice.
Posted by George James Malik from South Lyon, MI on 12/11/07 at 03:04 PM ET
Nice detective work! You should join a certain federal law enforcement agency
Posted by dcsportschick on 12/11/07 at 03:27 PM ET
Add a Comment
Please limit embedded image or media size to 575 pixels wide.
Add your own avatar by joining Kukla's Korner, or logging in and uploading one in your member control panel.
Captchas bug you? Join KK or log in and you won't have to bother.
Most Recent Blog Posts
Create Your Own Headline For The Wings/Habs Live Blog
Mellow Is The Man Who Hosts About 120 Live Blogs Per Year
“Faux”…Interesting. Do You Use “Faux”?
Detroit Media: Zero Outrage. Fedorov? Plenty
Well Gary? Your League Is A Joke
Gambling In Havana? Hiding In Honduras? Dad? Get Me To A Live Blog…STAT
About Abel to Yzerman
Welcome to Abel to Yzerman, a Red Wing blog since 1977. No other site on the internet has better-researched, fact-laden and better prepared discussions than A2Y. Re-phrase: we do little research, find facts and stats highly overrated and claim little to no preparation. There are 19 readers of A2Y. No more, no less. All of them, except maybe one, are juvenile in nature. Reminding them of that in the comment section will only encourage them to prove that. Your suggestions and critiques are welcome:
A2Y Stuff
-----------------------------
Wanna Feel Smart?
Does confusion make you sad? When you read words like "enigma" and phrases like "Thanks Gary. Ass", do you wonder why mean people speak in languages you don't understand? Fret no longer friend! The A2Y Glossary will bring you great joy and enlightenment.
-----------------------------
How Others View The A2Y 19
"Hell, I guarantee the content co-opters at Abel to Yzerman were about to link this article under the heading “Bitter Blues Fans” again right up until they just read that last half-sentance. Thanks but no thanks, you Kukla hangers-on."
--St. Louis Game Time
"I realize it’s the slow summer season, but can this guy tone down the tough-guy histrionics? His posts are fatiguing on an otherwise excellent site."
--A2Y Fan, Eternal_Fields
"I constantly marvel at how Bill (IwoCPO) and his disciples at Abel To Yzerman can be so pompous and full of themselves throughout every regular season, but come playoff time they collapse into wavering puddles of stress and nervousness as they anxiously await the impending and unavoidable collapse of the Red Wings in the post-season."
--Mile High Hockey
"I hate them because they are better than us. Of all the frigging teams…"
--In The Cheap Seats
"It's just a shame that the most classless, uneducated, lowbrow fanbase in the league gets this sweep. Red Wing fans don't deserve their team."
--Thhom
"I really don’t care what fans or bloggers think."
--Drew Sharp
"Why is it you Detroit fans are still so classless when you have such a classy hockey team, with such a professional GM and gentlemen players? I understand that the author of this blog is a manner-less cad, but the rest of you should be better."
--A2Y Fan, Jeff Beaumont
"Have you ever *read* A2Y? Its the most opinionated, juvenile stuff i've read."
--Paul Nicholson
"I actually like the Detroit team and have a sh&% load of respect for them, but their fans are the biggest douches next to Canadians."
--KStewy, PensBlog Commenter
"Just when it looks like we have bottomed out, the 19 hit a new low."
-A2Y legend, Hockeytown Todd
"And for the record, I don't hate the Red Wings, I hate their fans."
--Douche Bag at Puck Daddy who isn't Wyshynski
"You’re nothing but a douchebag ****, c3po. Go f**k yourself, and learn something about hockey in the process. Nothing ruins my day more than seeing your byline on the kk page."
--Hector, A2Y fan, statesman, Pittsburgh Chapter of Jonas Brothers Fan Club President
"I can just imagine the kindergarten teacher’s reaction when the tyke blurts out 'Mommy says Gary Bettman is a f*cking f*ckface! He wants to give ‘Rosby the bad touch.' ”
--Bella, of the 19
"A2Y is what other blog sites aspire to be when they fail to grow up: intelligent immaturity for the juvenile genius set”
--Captain Dennis Polonich, of the 19
Head to Hockeytown
Blogs the Chief Likes
Helene St. James’ post, in which she quoted Babcock as saying “no, no, no” to the Lidstrom question, has completely disappeared. Earlier in the day, it said Chelios may play, but a couple hours later, it said he was sitting, with no notice that anything had been changed.
Maybe it’s just a quaint blogger thing, but when I update a post with something substantive (and not just spelling or something), I generally put it in a labeled update.
It’s both writers protecting the Wings’ “right” to lie about injuries.
Posted by Matt Saler from Grand Rapids, MI on 12/11/07 at 05:26 AM ET