Was perusing the print version of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Palm Beach edition) this morning, looking for Panthers representation following last night’s thriller against Chicago. Surely some semi-prominent mention would be made regarding the tri-county area’s only live pro sporting option of the evening…
- Sports section, page one: FSU/BC story, a feature on a UM football player, NFL commentary on Manning & Simms, and two featurettes about SportsKid of the year and something called the Florida Classic. Not a single mention of even the Panthers/Blackhawks score yet.
- On to page two: Replacing the Cardinals’ LaRussa, NBA “news”, and for some reason Don King. Hmm.
- Page three: an underwater camera is reviewed, fishing report, rivalry between UCF and USF. Gotta be getting close, yes?
- Page four: more FSU/BC, all the local college football reports.
- Page five: ah…”Panthers fall in Shootout”. At least it was above the fold.
To summarize: Exactly one game was played by a “major” club based in South Florida on Thursday. No Dolphins, no Marlins, certainly no Heat, no Hurricanes, no Owls, etc…and the Cats stumble over a news hole on page five (did an advertiser cancel at the last moment?). Thank you, “South Florida” Sun-Sentinel sports editors, for such gracious placement.
Haven’t seen the Miami Herald, so can’t comment there, and we all understand it’s not the beat writers who chose pages/columns for their work. Yes the game ended in a shootout loss, regardless of a stirring late comeback and truly unreal heroics by a rookie goaltender, and folks left the BankAtlantic Center a bit less than 100% satisfied, but would the print outcome have been any different with a “W”?
Really not picking on the Sentinel; just venting over what’s been a problem in every area of the print and broadcast media down here for a very long time, and perhaps deserved, what with the lame-o circus-like handling of the franchise until recently. And yes, consistent victories should make quick work of a decade of apathy by “the locals”.
It’s remarkable – and absolutely worth mentioning – that the Sentinel and Herald have continued funding road trips for their hockey writers at all in an age when even winning franchises, from all sports, have found themselves increasingly covered by the AP. For that, many of us are eternally grateful.
Still: would the sport-diving community have taken to the streets if that camera feature on page three had been switched with Panthers coverage on page five?