It's Only The Score

It was just before bed, and for some reason at that time of night, I insist on flicking between the three sports channels presented by my beloved cable TV package, knowing that only one of them is going to give me what I'm looking for. It's a reluctant admission. I'm a little too early for Sportsnet and way too late for TSN.

My fingers depress the "1" button on my remote, followed by the "6." It's The Score.

The Score has a lot going for it. Not only does it have the best ticker out there, it also keeps a tight rotation on game highlights, meaning I can usually flick to 16 and get what I'm looking for without having to contend with an endless stream of "Best Damn" nonsense or MMA garbage.

Last night, I should have waited. Sid Seixeiro and Tim Micallef were on, wrapping up their show with a recap of the night. Some informative comments on the triple overtime Bulls-Celtics game were followed by a mention of the opening match between the Canucks and Hawks. I had watched the game, so the quality of my sleep was not incumbent on the content presented. A quick highlight of the Salo goal and a mention of the final score.

4-3.

One problem. It was 5-3.

The mistake went uncorrected.

I work in the broadcast business, so I know full well that mistakes can be made. But it's only the final score. Get it right. Say the Ryan Johnson empty-netter was unimportant? Ask the Canucks, who didn't need to spend the end of the game scrambling around in their own end, trying desperately to preserve a one-goal lead. Heck, tell the New Jersey Devils about the importance of an insurance goal.

The injection of "personality" brought by Seixeiro and Micallef is barely watchable at the best of times, though it's something I can tolerate. But when you're spending so much masturbatory time listening to the sound of your own voice that you neglect the facts of what you're reporting, that's when credibility hits the floor.

Inaccuracy is inexcusable, especially considering what you called your network.

JamesP