Today’s Washington Post Sports section front is a revolutionary feast of outreach to the region’s hockey fans. Start with the sumptuous photo journalism of a celebratory Alexander Semin. The Post is hardly alone in old media in diminishing impact photo journalism in recent years, but its return is always welcome. We have as well Tarik’s usually stellar game file. And columnist Mike Wise got a story — a compelling one, too — from a visit he made to Kettler.
During last night’s evening drive WTEM’s Steve Czabin called the Post’s Sports section one of the worst in the country. Among other grievances, he cited the absence of notes files accompanying team coverage. But there’s this as well in today’s Post, from Tarik.
We’ve given the Post props for this kind of work before. We just wish it weren’t so cicada-like in its intervals.
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What Czaban knows about sports journalism would fit in the “notes files” for which he is searching. The depths of his shamelessness have not been reached. His “sports radio” station is (and there isn’t even a second place for this contest) the worst of its kind in the country. Geez, go to any mid-to-large city on the Eastern Seaboard, turn on the radio, and listen to what your heart yearns for — real talk about sports, local and national. What 980 offers up is pretty much the sports nutritional equivalent of a pop tart.
So would this be an appropriate place for me to comment?
My comment: Yay, we’re all friends today!
Having spent time recently in places like Miami and Raleigh, I’m continually amazed at how poor the Post’s hockey coverage is by comparison. When is the last time the Post has had a hockey story — not a Caps story — but one about the sport. The NY Times does this at least twice a week, and even in non-hockey markets like Miami and Raleigh they are frequent. So, let’s applaud the Post for today’s work, and hope it is a sign of things to come.
Gumpper - I think you’ve honed in on the heart of the matter. On the radio last night the complaining host referenced his travel and his exposure to the sports pages in other large cities. I’ve had this experience myself. The Post of recent history covers the Caps rather superficially and the sport of hockey not at all. What’s most frustrating about this is that with treatments like today’s we see what they’re capable of. It’s still early in a new year, and the Caps are a bit of a hot story, so maybe we should harbor a wee bit of optimism for the future. Now you’ll be thinking I’m blogging from a Union Station bar.
Caption under one photo in the slide show of the WP article..
“Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom knocks the ball away from Senator centers Cody Bass.”
Sweet.
“During last night’s evening drive WTEM’s Steve Czabin called the Post’s Sports section one of the worst in the country.”
Is this the same Steve Czabin who hosts Fox Sports Radio’s “1st Team on Fox” radio show? The same Steve Czabin who lives near DC yet speaks not one word of hockey on his show let alone the Caps? Granted, I listen only from 7-9AM, but the only thing I hear about hockey on his show is that last night’s scores can be found on foxsports.com. Good show, yes, but I only listen to it because the rest of AM and FM in Central NY really, really sux.
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