It looks as if the prolonged honeymoon the Blues' management team has enjoyed in the local media is about over.
The hockey team, which long has been in a rebuilding mode, has been given a relative free ride in a lot of media circles in comparison with the nearly daily dissection of the Rams and Cardinals. This probably is due in large part to the Blues being viewed by many as more accessible and fan friendly than the other local teams and the NHL having a lower profile than the NFL and MLB.
But the Blues' failure to make the playoffs for the third time in the four seasons under the stewardship of Dave Checketts, John Davidson and others has led to a loud round of criticism directed at the hierarchy of a team that hasn't won a playoff game since 2004. Bernie Miklasz, Post-Dispatch and STLtoday.com sports columnist as well as WXOS (101.1 FM) talk-show host, is one who has taken a hard look at the team in the past and has been particularly outspoken this week.
He wrote on his blog, "So now that it's official — Blues are out (of playoff contention) — can we move on, and have an adult conversation about this organization and what's next? Did Blues management overestimate the roster?
"Was Blues management too passive last summer? Did the Blues waste money on too many defensemen who make a lot of money for being mediocre players? Did the Blues oversell, and overestimate, their kids?''
He also said, "Other Western Conference teams got better this season, and the Blues didn't do much if anything to improve their team going into the season."
CLAIBORNE'S CRITIQUE
KTRS (550 AM) commentator Mike Claiborne came out with his microphone blazing Tuesday.
"I've lost total confidence in the leadership,'' of the team, he said, adding that Blues officials have done a poor job with free agency, drafting and trades.
"How about this whole youth movement we've heard about?" Claiborne asked. "The only thing the Blues are going to do is have another shot at being in the (draft) lottery. This is getting old."
He pointed particularly at Davidson, the club's president of hockey operations.
"I like John Davidson; he's a nice guy, he goes on everybody's radio show,'' Claiborne said. "He's a very forthright individual. I think everyone would say he's a good man, he's a good face for the organization. But here's the deal — that rhetoric has got to stop. This team isn't much better now than they were when (the current management group) first hit town. No real goal scorer, no leadership, no shut-down goaltender. ... It's the same things this team was lacking when the current regime took over.
"It's unfair to the loyal Blues fans who have found this team has no real direction. They've miscast players and coaches."
Claiborne wasn't done.
"We'll hear, 'Wait until next year,'""'' he said. "We'll hear, 'We're moving in the right direction.' I just don't see it. I just don't see a future, and I don't think I've ever thought I'd say that. But when you look at what's going on, you just see a rudderless ship. I'm out of answers, I'm frustrated, I'm kind of mad. ... I'm ready for results.
"There's a lot of guys in neckties trying to make decisions and none of them are getting it right.''
Miklasz, on his radio show, attributed much of the team's ability to escape significant criticism in the past to how it is covered.
"We've got too many people lined up to get autographs and not enough people actually doing reporting and digging into things and holding people accountable," he said, singling out those who criticized fans who disparaged defenseman Barret Jackman.
"Who the heck in the media is entitled to tell a paying customer whether they should (rip) someone or not?'' he asked. "That's the problem when you have cheerleaders covering the team other than actual reporters."
TV BLACKOUT BLUES
The Blues wind up their season this weekend and figure to have their best rating on Fox Sports Midwest in the post-lockout era, as The Nielsen Co. says 2.4 percent of homes with a TV in the market have been tuning in.
The FSM figure last year was 2.0. But KPLR (Channel 11) also was part of the local TV coverage package last year, and the games shown on that over-the-air outlet pulled a 3.0 rating.
The move of all the local telecasts to FSM caused angst not only among those who don't have cable or satellite service, but also led to an outcry from customers of Dish Network and some cable systems (notably Mediacom) in outlying areas.
That's because 35 Blues games were blacked out on those outlets because the carriers would not pay an extra fee FSM was charging for adding more telecasts this season. Those extra telecasts for the most part were ones that previously had been on KPLR.
Fox Sports Midwest general manager Jack Donovan said Thursday that if the Blues had made the playoffs their postseason games would have been shown by all of FSM's carriers. But he said there are no such guarantees for next season.
"We're cautiously optimistic that we'll have a deal in place,'' he said, but added, "I can't say there has been any big movement recently."
CARDINALS RADIO UPDATE
Sources say talks continue between Cardinals and WXOS officials about possibly simulcasting the club's radio broadcasts on that station (101.1 FM), but nothing is imminent.
The club has an "out" in its contract with KTRS (550 AM) after this season and WXOS is interested in obtaining the rights for itself, or at the least serving as the local FM home of the team. KMOX (1120 AM) also would be expected to make a pitch if the rights go on the market.
Complaints continue to be made that KTRS' signal is not reaching all parts of the region, including inside some buildings.
