Denver Post Hockey Writer Wins Stanley Cup!

I knew somebody would say that. It was a very inexpensive gift. If I refused, it probably would have been thrown away. Engraved meant that my name was pressed into the wood. No ceremony. I didn't hold it up and prance around the infield. No cigars. I think it was sent to the office. Boss saw it. No big deal.
As far as his stained shirt, that is unavoidable. I covered the Yankees clubhouse when they beat the Dodgers in the 1978 World Series. I was a champagne- and beer-stained mess by the time I was done.

 

The photo looks like it was in some kind of hotel ballroom, and he said, "I wasn't the only journalist at the event..." which leads me to believe it was some kind of afterparty back at the hotel.

 

How much does stuff like this happen? Do media go to team championship parties a lot? Seems like neither side would want that to happen. Do you sign an off the record form before going?

That said, no other journalist looks drunk as hell and raising the cup on social media.

A lot of the general public might not care, but how does this play the first time he needs to do his job with a team or the league when it's a tough story or he needs to get info? Will he be OK? Maybe, but maybe not.

 

I freelanced for a state golf rag in 2003 and did a preview story on the PGA coming to a resort in the region. While I was touring the course with the resort's owner, he gave me four passes for me and a guest to play the course. Value was easily $1,000. I got to my car and called the editor and explained what happened and ask what I should do.

Him, "what do we pay you?"
Me, "Nothing."
Him, "Exactly. Go enjoy the course."

I used three of the passes and kept one that's still in my wallet.

 

This is nowhere near the level of this in terms of visibility, professional status and everything else, but in a way I don't find it totally dissimilar.

My very first beat ever was covering the volleyball team for the college student paper. High level team. Covered 100% locally. Difficult in ways because they were my peers and I had never done this before, even with some journalism classes under my belt. Certainly nothing like this came up and I didn't know how to act about everything. Some of the players were pretty friendly and I had chances to do things with them socially. The furthest that ever went is I sat with them at a football game. Not long after that a guy also covering a women's sport at a college paper around here got in trouble for asking out a player, or something along those lines. It made mainstream news at least locally. I never had any interest in that kind of thing, but it scared me straight forever from getting close to teams or players. I didn't want to lose my chance at a field I wanted to be in because I went to a football game with some of the team and it came across the wrong way. Never did anything like that again.

This may be extreme and I know journalists develop relationships with sources or who they cover outside of work, but I feel like you probably shouldn't have your drunk picture posted with the captain of the championship team and the championship trophy and gloat about it. Maybe I just am not fun (and I have been out of this part of the business forever). As was mentioned somewhere else, maybe he is leaving soon -- he's been at the Denver Post for eons -- or maybe he just doesn't care and it's a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Still, I'm not doing it and I assume most of us here wouldn't.

 

[_X_] Messy, booze-stained shirt
[_X_] Hoisting the Cup over his head
[_X_] Victory cigar

A hat trick!

I’d have had no problem with this guy taking a classic “grip and grin” photo with the Cup — it’s a cool moment, one that I, too, would like to document and share with family and friends — but this is just not a good look. Not that the guy should be fired or anything; threads like this and what I’ve seen on Twitter are punishment enough.

 

Ethics are for people who can afford to have them. Yes, I get it - not a good look in the "classic" sense. But we've all witnessed newspapars as institutions conduct their businesses in a way that is anything but ethical as circulation has dropped, cutting corners, dubious "alliances" - hell, selling ads on the front page. But some scrub reporter is the bad guy for enjoying the moment that has made all the BS, pay freezes, furloughs and more seem worth it?

 

The Ducks won the Cup?

 

I don't disagree. This business is shot through with hypocrisies. Always has been.

Just the same, the last ethical line of defense is the one we draw around ourselves.

 

The latter here is more where it is for me. I would be worried about how it impacts me actually doing what I'm doing now or in the future. I don't give a crap about the paper at all.

Maybe he is totally comfortable where he stands in this regard. I wouldn't do it, but he obviously is fine with it. The tweet is still up and he's even responded some.