We asked Google to explain what a “Hockey Insider” is:
“A hockey insider is a specialized sports journalist or broadcaster who reports breaking news, trade rumours, contract negotiations, and behind-the-scenes developments in the NHL before they become official. They leverage deeply connected networks of sources to scoop the competition during major events like the trade deadline or the draft.”
Huh? Scoop the competition?
If true, how is it that they all share the same “scoop” with us… mere seconds apart?
Here’s just a few examples below:
Some will say that Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has the latest scoop most often. Here’s the problem with that: Sportsnet is owned by Rogers. Rogers owns the Maple Leafs. Rogers has an exclusive broadcast partnership with the NHL in Canada. It’s just good business to alert you own people of a pending “scoop” before others. Does that make Friedman a true “insider.” Or is he just a true employee, doing what management tells him to do?
These social media “scoops” aren’t separated by hours or even minutes. They’re separated by seconds. Yet we’re constantly told these reporters are “beating” one another to the story through superior sources and unparalleled insider connections. If that’s true, they’re all sharing the same finish line.
The real competition isn’t uncovering a secret no one else knows—it’s being the first to hit the “Post” button after receiving the same information as everyone else.
