On my first day of journalism at Algonquin, I was instructed to go outside and walk around the campus and speak with the school’s staff, who were currently on strike.
Talk to people? Ask questions? I thought I was just going to be a writer.
Honestly, I was that naive/unprepared for what journalism really entailed. I just wanted to watch hockey games from the press boxes that looked so close on TV but so far out of reach in reality. I’m not particularly shy, but I wouldn’t say I knew my subject matter enough to be asking questions.
“Uhh, why are you guys so upset?”
“Isn’t it a little cold out here? How are you holding up?”
“A lot of people say you guys are the ones to blame for this problem. Is there anything to that?”
Apparently people aren’t to keen on leading or accusatory questions. I picked this up pretty quickly, and learned just how important the art of question asking is in the business. I’ve yet to have a hockey coach tell me to “fuck off” ala Paul Flixter, though I did once interview him. Shame. I’ve covered two of the worst junior A hockey seasons in recent years and managed to avoid much conflict, while still remaining upfront and honest in my assessment of the teams. NHL players are prone to more scrutiny than junior A players, sure, but knowing how to ask a question – or which questions are indeed irrelevant – is crucial.
Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star, on Tuesday, asked Phil Kessel, the Leafs most dynamic player and leading goal scorer for the past five seasons, if “There’s anything to” the accusation laid by former butthurt Leafs coach Ron Wilson that Kessel is a difficult player to coach. Essentially – and Kessel responded appropriately – Feschuk was asking Phil if he thinks it’s his fault Carlyle was canned. Earlier in the day, Wilson blasted Kessel on TSN radio, because, well, it’s Toronto. So, on a day when the focus should have been on the shortcomings of Randy Carlyle, Feschuk, who has a history of Kessel bashing (he once wanted the Leafs to trade Kessel so they could afford DAVID CLARKSON – let that sink in), decided to pose the “Is this all your fault” question to Kessel.
There’s a way to bring up the Wilson interview and his comments – “Do you pay attention to that stuff?” “Any response?,” etc. Regardless, what did Feschuk think Kessel was going to say?
“Yeah, you know, maybe Ron is onto something there. I’m a pretty tough haaackey player to coach.”
No, instead, Feschuk was looking to stir the pot, and he was successful. I get it; players in Toronto are under a lot more scrutiny than any other market, but it’d be a lot easier if we had professionals in those top positions that get to actually cover the Leafs.
Maybe newspapers should hold its reporters as accountable as the media holds Phil Kessel?
Ridin' The Pine 