Do you trust your political leaders? Do you trust business leaders? Now, and here is the big question for today, do you trust either of the above group to always be their public selves when they send private e-mail messages to each other?
The public debate about Colin Campbell and his e-mailed complaints (or jokes?) to a director of officiating leaves me wondering whether we have truly lost sense of how the world operates today.
I'm not talking about how the world should run today. Take two business executives. Put a pile of cash in front of them and say it is there for the taking. The smart executive negotiates a plan to split the pile. Once the agreement is reached, that executive then dashes to pick up the cash (as stated in the agreement) and points out that the entire pile is now belongs to him/her. You don't like it? See you in court.
Sad, but true.
Same goes for e-mail. Once an executive gets past the initial training -- How does this work? -- and the initial skepticism -- Why do I need to know this? I'll never use it -- that person takes a slow yet steady approach to where we are now.
First you send short messages. Then some forwards. Then some chain mailings. Then you begin to feel like a sports columnist, firing off snarky little remarks that are, between you and me, to be kept between you and me.
Then you get mad. And that is where the private side comes into play. I will flame this person, but it's between you and me. It's wrong, we can both agree on that, but you do it anyway. And when this conversation or practice blows up, defense mechanisms go into action.
Feel bad, call it a joke, call a lawyer, whatever. It happened, now deal with it. But don't act surprised that this happens. Ray Ratto, who once was the reason for this graveyard shift editor to get up around noon to pick up that morning's edition of the San Francisco Chronicle, expresses some shock.
But I say it's misplaced. Again, are we surprised? Really? I would be surprised if this only happened in the NHL. So let us take a deep breath and redirect some questioning in this direction of Stephen Walkom and Dean Warren, the other two players in this situation, have to say? Let's have someone take this to court and get a proper airing. That would be best for all. Seriously, Campbell's firing or resignation would only be window dressing. A public hanging that does not solve the problem. (Elliotte Friedman of the CBC touches on this and a bigger issue in his blog post.) And the business world has a big problem that we are not even close to touching.
I consider this just another day and another business. (Such conflicts of interest should be considered wrong, as Friedman suggests in an earlier blog post, but I assure you they are taking place as I write this.) See those skyscrapers? They have elevators. Inside them, executives are talking. They may be ready to eliminate your job, or cut up another pile of money, perhaps at your expense. (Ask Ratto how that joint operating agreement between the Chronicle and the San Francisco Examiner worked out. While your at it, ask him when did he finally figure out the fix was in for one or both of those newspapers.) Or they may be quickly sending a text message that locks in a spot at an exclusive school for their undeserving son or daughter, effectively blocking your deserving son or daughter from landing a seat and getting a shot at a better life. Connections beat merit? Say it isn't so.
Those are my two cents, anyway. But keep it between you and me, OK?
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
At Toronto 5, Nashville 4
At Montreal 3, Philadelphia 0
At Dallas 2, Anaheim 1
Roundup is here.
Summaries are here.
Standings are here.
Three stars by Puck Daddy.
AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 4, at Albany 1
At Hamilton 2, Toronto 1 SO
At Springfield 4, Bridgeport 3
At Texas 8, Chicago 2
Roundup is here.
Summaries are here.
Standings are here.
EAST COAST HOCKEY LEAGUE
Kalamazoo 3, at Cincinnati 2 OT
At South Carolina 3, Greenville 1
Summaries are here.
Standings are here.
ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE
At Kitchener 7, Guelph 1
Recap is here.
Summary is here.
Standings are here.
WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Portland 4, at Brandon 2
Recap is here.
Summary is here.
Standings are here.
UNITED STATES HOCKEY LEAGUE
Lincoln 8, at Tri-City 0
Summary is here.
Standings are here.
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