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DD’s Dig In On Implosive Rumor

by IwoCPO on 01/30/07 at 06:37 AM ET
Comments (8)

Updated 0650:  After a month-long walkabout, the Acid Queen has returned and returned with a flourish.  I mention it here because her first post-walkabout topic is the generator of this particular disussion, Boy Bander Dwayne Klessel.  Read her thoughts here and take note of her pointer to a recent bloggers’ access conversation at the Atlanta Journal Constitution web site.  I think you’ll find that interesting.
____________________________________________________________________________

Oh, the drama.  When Klessel’s boy wonder, Andy Strickland, posted his anonymously-sourced report of continuing friction in the Wings room yesterday a variety of reactions ensued.

First: we read it and wondered, naturally, if there was any truth to it whatsoever.  We’ll get to that.

Second: the A2Y correspondence staff went into overdrive, contacting Strickland and the DD’s, sharing a block of pleasing cheddar, and considering how to present the info flooding our Commodore 64’s.

Third:  we waited for the fallout from Hockeytown.

Immediately after the “report” was posted on Dwayne’s retail rumor site, I dropped a note to Strickland, asking him if he’d care to share with us any more details he may have left out.  Here’s his response:

Strickland email, 29 Jan

What are your questions? I’ll be happy to answer any questions that you have as long as you understand I will not tell you who told me what. Please don’t try to guess what player told me what. It’s not fair to a Manny Legace to throw his name out there just because he played for the red Wings. I have been covering the NHL and International hockey for several years and know people throughout the NHL. If you live in detroit and cover the club you should poke around.

Yeah, I’ll poke around a bit.  And as for not guessing?  Guessing’s what you do when reporters resort to anonymous sources.  One time...ok.  Twice...irritating.  Consistently?  Something stinks. 

Not fair to Legace?  Jeez Andy.  Ask around...errr, poke around.  Some will say I haven’t been fair to Manny for at least a year now.  And how fair is it to he and Jamie Rivers to write about friction in Detroit, while covering the Blues, claiming “sources”, but not naming them?  Is there anyone else we should consider, other than Legace and Rivers?

So, I replied.  And here’s what I asked him.

Is your source of information on discontent among the Wings a current Detroit player?

What prompted you to follow this story in the first place, considering your affiliation with the Blues?

How does this differ from the friction common to all the Bowman teams, even those prior to the Wings?

You mention Robert Lang, Chris Chelios and Matt Schneider as leaders of a group of players dissatisfied with the coaching staff.  How are they making their voices heard? Have they addressed management?

Does your source indicate Steve Yzerman’s feelings regarding the current situation?

Have you and Manny Legace discussed the Wings room? If so, does he concur with your assessment?

It’s been just under 24 hours since I posed those questions and I haven’t heard back yet.  Nor do I really expect to.  Why?  Thank you for asking.

Because DD captain Ansar Khan(!) blew him out of the water yesterday.  First, in response to an email we sent him asking for reaction.

Khan(!) email, 29 Jan

It’s crap. I’ll just say this: Sure, Babcock’s not the loveable sort, but isn’t that why they hired him? They didn’t want another players’ coach like Dave Lewis, they wanted someone to kick these guys in the pants after two playoff flops. I can tell you this: The front office is very happy with the way the team has played this season. They really thought they’d be struggling to make the playoffs and they feel they’ve overachieved, that Babcock has gotten the most out of them.

But Khan(!) was just starting, and I’ll tell you I’m proud of the young man.  He took to his blog and let loose the hounds.

I got a couple of e-mails today asking about a “report’’ from a St. Louis radio guy who apparently is spending too much time talking with Manny Legace and Jamie Rivers. He writes in his blog (I’m not giving it any credibility by providing a link) about widespread dissension in the Wings locker room, painting a picture of an impending mutiny against Mike Babcock.

Khan(!) writes best when he’s got that sarcastic anger thing going on, and this is good stuff.  Every reference to Strickland’s piece is as the “report.” Nice.  He picks it apart line by line, pointing out the idiocy of it.

The “report’’ also claims that Chris Chelios, Mathieu Schneider and Robert Lang are leading the insurrection. OK, so Lang and Babcock aren’t exactly best buddies, but to label Chelios and Schneider as malcontents is laughable.

Ted Saskin might differ with that, but the point is there.  Khan(!) wasn’t the only DD to get in on the act.  Both Kulfan and St. James added a few lines this morning in their game-day stories.

Ted Kulfan/Detroit News

The Wings were shocked to hear about an Internet report out of St. Louis that said there’s widespread dissension and a revolt against Babcock.

“There’s no truth to it,” said Draper, who the story stated had a loud argument with Babcock after the Colorado loss Jan. 20. “That kind of caught me off guard. I haven’t seen the story, but there’s nothing to it.”

Babcock said there was no truth to the report.

Helene St. James/Detroit Free Press

Draper was surprised to hear of an unsubstantiated Web report Monday out of St. Louis. In a blog on the Website hockybuzz.com, Andy Strickland wrote, “Sources tell me Babcock and former Selke Trophy winner Kris Draper had a major blowup in Colorado in which the two exchanged one curse word after another.”

And from Andy?  Crickets.  Here’s the real crux of the whole thing.  The guy has allowed his name to be associated with a fraud, then publishes (posts) explosive accusations about a team his fan base despises, refusing to provide anything other than “sources” as his provider of information.

And, meanwhile, Klessel is laughing all the way to the bank as Wing fans the world over click over to his site.  Young Andy said in the email I referenced above that “he’s covered the NHL and international hockey for several years”.  He says he “knows people around the NHL.” Well, that’s nifty.  At what point are you going to start acting like the responsible journalist you wish us to believe you are?  You want credibility Andy?  How about backing up your “report” with some substance?

Needless to say, if Strickland chooses to reply to our questions, we’ll post them here.

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Comments

That was a very interesting read. Thanks for passing the links along.

It boggles the mind how “Eklund” continues to get along without a hitch, even though so many credible bloggers have called him out. It’s like the people just don’t listen… or just don’t care… I really don’t get it.

Also, I hope Strickland actually responds to your email. My guess is that if he does, his responses will be Dwayne-esque…

Posted by Nathan on 01/30/07 at 11:25 AM ET

And, meanwhile, Klessel is laughing all the way to the bank as Wing fans the world over click over to his site.

Not me.  I refuse to give the clown my page view.

Out of curiosity, I went to his site (his old site) once a couple of years ago via a link posted on a Wings forum.  The warbling coming into my headset set off by my built-in bullshit detector was immediate and deafening. 

Charging kids for that crap as he does now is pure sleaze.

Why do I get the impression that Klessel is a Todd Schlissler type—i.e. trolling the concourse after a rock concert looking to pass himself off to all the hot chicks as a member of the band?

Posted by O-Joe on 01/30/07 at 12:52 PM ET

I think we get it...you aren’t a fan of Eklund/Dwayne. I visit KK multiple times daily, but every time I navigate here and see a new article that is posted just to take a shot at another blogger...well, it’s a bit of a turn off.

Posted by NHL_07 on 01/30/07 at 01:02 PM ET

NHL_07, I know you are a regular reader of KK.
You have to understand that there is way more behind this, all coming from what Dwayne did to some bloggers and especially to KK.
It will come out in due time, then the picture will be much clearer.

Posted by Paul from Motown Area on 01/30/07 at 01:16 PM ET

Sorry for the profanity in my above comment.  I didn’t realize that this story was also on KK’s main hockey page and that my comment would also show up there. I know Paul tries to run a clean site, which is great.

I posted using profanity here at A2Y thinking not that many people would see it.  (Heh-heh…I kid in retaliation for all those Ensign jokes in the early days).

Posted by O-Joe on 01/30/07 at 03:07 PM ET

Not a problem O-Joe.  It came from the heart.

Posted by Paul from Motown Area on 01/30/07 at 03:11 PM ET

Nobody is taking shots at Dwayne. They are just trying to tell the truth and keep him from ruining the credibility that they are earning.

Posted by Nathan on 01/30/07 at 06:25 PM ET

I rather enjoy the schiester roastings, and they keep me coming back to A2Y.  It’s honest analysis I can’t find anywhere else.  Mixed with a bit of sarcasm, it goes down very nicely.

Posted by Hoser from Downer Peninsula on 01/31/07 at 09:26 AM ET

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