Earlier today, we received the good news that Shea Weber was back at practice today at A-Game Sportsplex in Franklin. OtF had the news up immediately, complete with pictures, depictions and quotes from the day's events.
NHL.com had the news up a little later, as well. However, the article that was published on the league's website had quite a few problems getting even the basic facts straight...
In case you can't read it, here's what the text says:
Nashville captain Shea Weber returned to practice Tuesday for the first time since suffering a concussion on Dec. 23.
The news was broken by the Predators on the team's official twitter feed, which tweeted out a photo of Weber at practice wearing a yellow no-contact jersey. There is still no timetable for his return.
The reigning Norris Trophy-winner and impending unrestricted free agent has been having an impressive year for the Predators, tallying 8 goals and 21 assts while registering a +14. At the time of his injury he was on pace for roughly 68 points, a number that would shatter his career high of 53 points in the 2008-09 season.
Weber has missed four games so far since being diagnosed with the concussion. Nashville has managed to win three of four games without him and is currently six points behind the Central Division-leading Blackhawks.
Right off the bat there are two egregious errors regarding Weber himself:
1) Shea Weber is not the "reigning Norris Trophy-winner." That would be Nicklas Lidstrom. Weber finished a close second in the voting.
2) Shea Weber is also not an "impending unrestricted free agent." Weber will be a restricted free agent at the end of this year, meaning the Predators can sign him to an offer sheet and negotiate with him exclusively before other teams do, unlike unrestricted free agency which is a total free-for-all.
And maybe I'm just being nitpicky, but here are a few other things wrong with the story:
The article references this tweet sent out by the team that broke the Weber news. (and if we're being technical, OtF's story was published five minutes before the team's tweet, but I digress....)
According to the article, Weber was "wearing a yellow no-contact jersey." In that picture, Weber isn't wearing anything close to yellow. And anybody in attendance at the practice saw that Weber wore blue, then switched over to a white jersey.
And it sure wasn't a "no-contact" jersey. Trotz even said in his media availability that he probably should have put Weber in a no-contact jersey instead of the one he was actually wearing.
The article in question has since been updated (about three hours after it was published), switching the wording to "Norris Trophy finalist" and "potential restricted free agent," as well as completely removing anything that has to do with the color or meaning of Weber's jersey.
Look, I know bloggers have a reputation for being a bunch of whiny fans who complain about everything the mainstream media says. This, however, is an example of a league website publishing multiple pieces of false information about its own trophy, its own CBA and one of its best players. How does something like that happen?
0 recs | 16 comments
Ha ha
NHL.com still lists the Wild’s GM as Cliff Fletcher, thinks Mikko Koivu’s name is “Mikka,” lists Pierre-Marc Bouchard as a center (hasn’t played center since he was in Houston during the lock out and NEVER for the Wild)… the list goes on and on.
BReynolds - January 3, 2012
....yikes.
davisca - January 5, 2012
This gave me such a great laugh! How can they possibly be that ignorant??? This is precisely why I mostly stick to blogs for hockey news and analysis. Some bloggers may be fanatics, but at least they know what they’re talking about.
dnorm4 - January 3, 2012
the only thing NHL.com has going for them
is the spiffy standings page, and the daily scores across the top of the page. oh, and a wealth of statistics.
Only Fan In J.C. ? - January 4, 2012
I see people like this every day in college...
… people who can’t get their facts straight, misspell words and otherwise screw up with news writing. This is what happens when college kids don’t take their chosen field seriously. Factual errors are bad enough, but I’ve seen NHL articles wrought with typos this season. Unless, of course, Nashville GM David Poille has a nice black fidora that he gave to Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightening on New Year’s Eve.
Hey, NHL, I’ll do your news for $30 a story and a good reference. This is just ridiculous.
worstfaceoffmanever - January 4, 2012
I hate to do this but misspelling grates on me too
It’s fedora, not fidora and the Tampa Bay Lightning, not Lightening.
predrock - January 4, 2012
Heh.
cisar - January 4, 2012
Which may have been his point (saw those words misspelled there?)
LuvthePreds - January 4, 2012
While we're at it
The name is Poile, not Poille. I think someone is trying to French it up. Maybe Randy Cunneyworth? He’s got mad bilingual skills.
predrock - January 4, 2012
Thank God I’m not the only grammar Nazi…
davisca - January 5, 2012
Not that surprised
They frequently have pictures of players that have nothing to do with a story (unless it’s Ovechkin or Crosby) and rarely get anything about Nashville correct. As Fan in JC mentioned, the only thing the site is good for is standings and scores. I come here for everything else.
Evanbio - January 4, 2012
Don't forget...
Today is the last day to vote for the participants in the All Star Game. I personally have written McGrattan in as many times as possible. I would just love to see a goon at the ASG.
predhead33 - January 4, 2012
The ASG is a joke, largely because of the voting system. I don’t care about it, and I don’t know anyone who does. :/
However, I’ll agree that Mcgrattan should definitely be there. He should go around asking everyone to fight every shift he gets. _
Smashvillain - January 4, 2012
The info is a prime example of why we should not believe much of anything we read in the papers, on the internet, or hear on TV and radio. The people doing the background work are lazy and don’t care if the info is valid or not. I suppose that’s why those in power keep it. They deliberately lie and the trusting accept it. Such is life.
None of the above applies to this site however. I believe everything printed here! :P)
amyinsparta - January 4, 2012
ESPECIALLY the stuff by amyinsparta!
cisar - January 4, 2012
Did they ever know what they were talking about?
I missed that point in time.
Smashvillain - January 4, 2012
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