Sportsnet and The Score denigrate Edmonton Oilers after playoff loss to Avalanche – Edmonton Journal

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I’m not sure who runs the social media accounts of Sportsnet and The Score, but whomever it is evidently has no love and little respect for the Edmonton Oilers. Both sports media companies posted tweets on Twitter denigrating the Oilers after the team’s Western Conference finals loss to the Colorado Avalanche.

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The Oilers went deeper into the playoffs than any other Canadian NHL team this year, making it to the Final Four, where a powerhouse Colorado Avalanche team swept them in four games.

It was a hard knock loss for a team already battered by major injuries to star players like Leon Draisaitl and Darnell Nurse. Nonetheless, Edmonton went down fighting hard, with neither Draisaitl nor Nurse missing a playoff game due to injury and both providing inspiration to their teammates with their grit.

If the two players had been healthy perhaps the playoff outcome would have been different, but not to be, not this year.

The Score’s response to Edmonton’s playoff run, the most success the Alberta team has had since 2006?

In a now deleted tweet, they showed an Oilers logo being spray-painted over with the word “LOSERS.”

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And Sportsnet’s response?

In a now deleted tweet, they showed an Oiler character in a bog trying to grab the Stanley Cup, only to land facedown in the mud, while an Avs character flew overhead with with a broom, indicating the series sweep.

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And the reaction from fans of the Edmonton Oilers?

Oilers fan Burt Schoeppe said he’d been a Sportsnet subscriber for more than a decade and asked,
“Why was this posted then taken down? If you meant to sneer at Oilers fans stand by it. If you think it was a mistake address the issue.”

Said Edmonton fan Keri L. Kettle: “My initial reaction to both Tweets was disbelief. Sportsnet was denigrating its business partner. The Score – a former sports network – was embarrassing itself. As a Marketing Prof, I am stunned they didn’t give their social media staff clear direction on what is acceptable.”

And Oilers fan Goodfella @DhillonSteve: “Just embarrassing. What a bunch of clowns.”

And Daniel Ficca @oilers49er: “The envy that Toronto has that they lost the McDavid draft continues to this day. It’s constant over here in Ontario. I would say well over 80% of the NHL articles on the Score app are about how Matthews is going to win all the hardware and is the best (insert lie) in hockey.”

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And Jason Cobb @alpinejcobb: “Any other team get similar treatment from The Score or Sportsnet?”

Replied JB @JackieBee_16: “Nope. It’s a classless, trashy and quite pathetic tweet

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My take

1. It’s not news to anyone in Edmonton that some (certainly not all) media people in Toronto are anti-Alberta and anti-Oilers. Hockey is a tribal sport so no surprise to see this prejudiced attitude expressed in this context. In some ways, it’s part of the fun of hockey, a place where otherwise taboo angry and jealous tribal emotions can be freely and harmlessly expressed. At the same time, it’s bizarre to see Ontario-based corporations with many paying customers in Edmonton take such a partisan and class-less swipe at the Oilers and at Edmonton.

2. It’s wise that both companies took down the offending tweets. If they also promptly apologize, I’ll consider the matter closed. Not every Oilers fan will feel the same way, but almost everyone on Twitter makes the odd stupid, glib, ill-advised or offensive tweet. I’ve certainly done so in my 12 years on Twitter. I’m no fan of cancel culture and will not support it, save for the gravest of cases. If someone errs, but apologizes in good time, that’s works for me. Of course, we’ve yet to see any apology here.

P.S. At least they are better sports in Calgary:

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At the Cult of Hockey

LEAVINS: Player grades in final loss of the season 

McCURDY: Oilers fall 4-2 to Avalanche in critical Game 3

STAPLES: The Oilers whomped by Avalanche in Game 2