Media outlets, regardless of expertise, don't just report the news anymore. Conjecture has become a natural part of journalism and no specific medium is guiltier than sports. As much as sports sites (this one included) talk about athletes, coaches and teams, we are never entirely sure of how such commentary is perceived by those who are the subjects. On tonight's episode of HBO's "24/7," Capitals general manager George McPhee and head coach Bruce Boudreau, dubbed over clips of 106.7 The Fan's "Sports Junkies," finally opened up.
In regards to the Capitals' then eight-game losing streak, McPhee, normally tight-lipped, held nothing back.
When you're having a tough stretch, this is when there are too many reactionaries out there. All the experts come out, all the pundits come out with their opinions and the truth of the matter is if that they knew anything about the game, they'd be in it. I don't usually comment on job status and that nonsense because people, whatever you say, will read between the lines and parse words.
Boudreau also added in his two cents.
It's not coming from someone you trust as a hockey person.
it is quite telling to see how two of the Capitals' most important entities thought of what the media had to say about their team. With 24-hour news cycles and a "faster is better" mentality in place because of the rise of new media, journalists and pundits look for the smallest sign of dissention to pounce on in order to make news. With the Capitals seemingly righting the ship, perhaps a more positive light will shine on them once again.
Oops, I think we said too much.