Mongrel Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 That's the thing. Few BC sports reporters, and a far smaller percentage when you consider the radio personalities, have Tony's command of the English language, regardless of whether one agrees with his views on this or that. He was one of the small minority left these days that was a real writer or journalist. And he was probably the last guy left that I could picture hammering away at a typewriter in a smoke-filled room to make his deadlines, which added a little bit of authenticity and nostalgia to the whole thing. If all we knew was basic grade 10 English than yes Tony G was a literary genius. He was an OK writer who complained about whatever he could to get readers. In this town that often means complaining and quite often he was really just expanding on whatever some other journalist had already touched on. We can't fault him for that because that's the job but lets not paint him as anything but an OK journalist especially during his last 10 years on the job. Complaining about things for the sake of complaining about them does not make someone a critical visionary and throwing in a metaphor is something we learn about in grade 7 Language Arts. Can't fault him for that either though as it's not uncommon among journalists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puckdontlie Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 I don't consider any reporter that covers the canucks to be any good. As bad as Vey was in the preseason, these reporters are 10 times worse at their jobs. I personally prefer reading/hearing direct quotes from canucks personnel, look up stats and cap hit info then use the eye test to make my own conclusions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanuckFan1981 Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 I felt Tony G. was trolling more often than criticizing. He had some good articles from time to time, but being a reporter for 35 years, you should be able to make some decent articles on occasion. Certainly don't have any ill will for him, but won't miss him either. The chicken little syndrome, everyone is out to get us mentality that seems to surround the Canucks annually was often generated and fueled by TonyG articles. Around the rest of the league seeing articles he wrote would make the entire Canucks fanbase look like tinfoil hat wearing kooks, in particular when playoffs rolled around and he would write that the league doesn't want a Canadian team in the finals. He wrote articles that he knew would enrage some fans and confuse others and I don't think it was just his opinions that decided what he wrote about. It all seemed to come down to hits on the webpage or comments after the story that drove what he wrote about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Positive Canuck Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 good riddance cancer , he won't be missed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoted Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 Though he tended towards negative, I think that is a bit overstated. At least he wasn't afraid to call it like he saw it, which is what you want from editorial (his views, not just the popular ones). As much as he wasn't a favorite, I also can't stand a home team media member that is always just pom poms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angry Goose Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 So Ovi missed a team practice and has to sit that game-team rules, everyone has to follow them (even the star players), makes sense right? Surprise surprise, of course Tony G on 1040 doesn't understand the reasoning. Having never played sports to any high degree in his adult life I can see why he just doesn't get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoted Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 So Ovi missed a team practice and has to sit that game-team rules, everyone has to follow them (even the star players), makes sense right? Surprise surprise, of course Tony G on 1040 doesn't understand the reasoning. Having never played sports to any high degree in his adult life I can see why he just doesn't get it. Whether he played or not, I don't think it is fair to say he doesn't understand the game as clearly he does (more than most people here I would say). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Positive Canuck Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 hopefully next week Harper joins crypt keeper in the E.I line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fanofvan Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 hopefully next week Harper joins crypt keeper in the E.I line. And you I'm imagining....nothing like bringing your ignorant political views into a hockey post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoted Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 Can't we just get some more brainless cheerleaders? Perhaps Bro Jake wants to write a hockey column. I still can't understand why Bro Jake even has a show anymore. He and Pratt are dinosaurs in so many ways (basically at the fart humour level with a preoccupation with porn stars). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Biestra Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 I still can't understand why Bro Jake even has a show anymore. He and Pratt are dinosaurs in so many ways (basically at the fart humour level with a preoccupation with porn stars). Those guys both suck beyond description. Neither one has any interest in following or talking about sports. It's like a public access radio version of the Howard Stern show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoted Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 Those guys both suck beyond description. Neither one has any interest in following or talking about sports. It's like a public access radio version of the Howard Stern show. Do they still do that stupid "Champ" piece? It comes across like something done by and for 12 year olds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Biestra Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 Do they still do that stupid "Champ" piece? It comes across like something done by and for 12 year olds. I think they still do, though I simply avoid the station during those hours now. Yeah, it seems like decades of that horrible Stallone impression now. Pointless and irritating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabinessence Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 I felt Tony G. was trolling more often than criticizing. He had some good articles from time to time, but being a reporter for 35 years, you should be able to make some decent articles on occasion. Certainly don't have any ill will for him, but won't miss him either. The chicken little syndrome, everyone is out to get us mentality that seems to surround the Canucks annually was often generated and fueled by TonyG articles. Around the rest of the league seeing articles he wrote would make the entire Canucks fanbase look like tinfoil hat wearing kooks, in particular when playoffs rolled around and he would write that the league doesn't want a Canadian team in the finals. He wrote articles that he knew would enrage some fans and confuse others and I don't think it was just his opinions that decided what he wrote about. It all seemed to come down to hits on the webpage or comments after the story that drove what he wrote about. The thing is, for the most part, he was a columnist, not a reporter. The one thing I will not miss about having him not write anymore is to hear all the comments about how negative he was, and the sound of silence for every upbeat piece he wrote. He criticized management a lot, but with the overall record of management, what could one expect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davathor Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 Good riddance, he complained about the stupidest things. I'd rather watch a strmbolopolopolis interview than read his columns... Or in that case even see his decrepit miserable face during the pre game Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabinessence Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 Good riddance, he complained about the stupidest things. I'd rather watch a strmbolopolopolis interview than read his columns... Or in that case even see his decrepit miserable face during the pre game Lazy comment. He often complained of things, backed them up with examples, then was dismissed without people looking at the points he had made. Cue bass solo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homersexual Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 I remember a BS article Tony wrote about Bure and why he left. Basically Tony blamed Pat Quinn and wrote a bunch of crap about how poorly Quinn had treated Bure. Tony mentioned that Quinn had 'leaked' a story about Bure demanding a new contract during the 94 playoff run or he wouldn't play in the playoffs. My guess, Mike Gillis, Bure's agent at the time was the one leaking info to Tony. It is no coincidence that Tony was the one of the reasons why Gillis got the GM job, and that Tony never really ripped into Gillis when he was GM like he did when Quinn, Burke, or Nonis was GM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Biestra Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 I remember a BS article Tony wrote about Bure and why he left. Basically Tony blamed Pat Quinn and wrote a bunch of crap about how poorly Quinn had treated Bure. Tony mentioned that Quinn had 'leaked' a story about Bure demanding a new contract during the 94 playoff run or he wouldn't play in the playoffs. My guess, Mike Gillis, Bure's agent at the time was the one leaking info to Tony. It is no coincidence that Tony was the one of the reasons why Gillis got the GM job, and that Tony never really ripped into Gillis when he was GM like he did when Quinn, Burke, or Nonis was GM. I remember this and I readily admit that I don't know what the inside story really is / was. What I do know is that Tony was the only guy I can remember reporting in a way that didn't make Bure out to be the villain, and I don't know whether Tony was the only heroic sports reporter in Vancouver with any courage, or a fool that got duped by Gillis. But even if he was duped and Gillis was lying, Gillis' claims would certainly be newsworthy. I'm close to the biggest Pat Quinn fan in the city, certainly a bigger Quinn fan than a Tony Gallagher fan, but I don't know 100% what went down in those negotiations with Pavel, and which side was childish or dishonest. The passage of time seems to have vindicated Pat Quinn as a man, while the passage of time has continued to leave Pavel Bure as an unknown quantity. Anyway, I won't hold the side of the story that Gallagher reported against him. I really doubt he fabricated it himself, and it's entirely possible that without SOMEONE in the media defending Bure all those years, the bridges might never have been rebuilt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Lock Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 Lazy comment. He often complained of things, backed them up with examples, then was dismissed without people looking at the points he had made. Cue bass solo. Because I totally want to look into how the Canucks "suck" and be a complete pessimist and miserable for the rest of my time in cheering for the Canucks. I'll pass thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanuckFan1981 Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 The thing is, for the most part, he was a columnist, not a reporter. The one thing I will not miss about having him not write anymore is to hear all the comments about how negative he was, and the sound of silence for every upbeat piece he wrote. He criticized management a lot, but with the overall record of management, what could one expect. I don't mind some negative articles, and over the years of TonyG the Canucks have had many reasons to write negative stories. However, during the glory years leading up to 2011, I didn't like how his articles after a loss were always "here we go again... " referencing back to past choke jobs. He never had much optimism about Luongo, who is the best goalie our franchise has ever seen (honorable mention to Captain Kirk, and an argument could be made for King Richard if he played longer and on a better version of this team). He did write some good articles, both positive and negative, but I will remember him mostly for his negative articles and pessimism towards the Canucks chances of success. I also thought he came off as a pinhead whiner in an interview with Thornton during the finals in 2011. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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