Game 26: Minnesota at UMD

There might be a few people here for these games.

Rivalry weekend ... fun!

Lines?

Lines.

UMD
Connolly (Mike) - Connolly (Jack) - Grun
Fontaine - Oleksuk - Brown
Schmidt - Flaherty - Seidel
Tardy - Hendrickson - Basaraba

Faulk - Montgomery
Bergman - Lamb
Olson - Palm

Reiter - Crandall

UMTC
Hoeffel - Haula - Barriball
Cepis - Bjugstad - Hansen
Condon - Matson - White
Serratore - Larson - Sacchetti

Helgeson - Fairchild
Ness - Alt
Wehrs - Holl

Patterson - Kremer

Super Bowl XLV Prediction

I promised myself I wouldn't spend endless hours anticipating this game Sunday, and I have not done that. Instead, I've been trying to avoid the hype, avoid all the lame reporting about the classless Packers team photo or the drunken Steelers quarterback.

The Super Bowl is upon us, and once we get through this weekend series against the Gophers, nothing will be standing in the way.

Sunday's game pits two teams that are similar in many ways. Both have dynamic young quarterbacks. Both have explosive 3-4 defenses with elite defensive backs.

For what it's worth, even the freaking fans are similar. There probably isn't a fanbase in the NFL with a better reputation for loyalty and energy than the Steelers and Packers. This isn't like the Steelers playing the Cowboys, or the Packers taking on a team like the Patriots, where the fans have some reason to dislike the opponent.

To be perfectly frank, Packer fans and Steeler fans should generally get along better than any fans in the NFL. They've got a lot in common, and no serious reason to dislike one another.

On the field, the similarity in defensive schemes makes it very interesting. Will Dick LeBeau and Dom Capers find a way to slow down the offenses? Or will the offenses be able to adjust and move the ball because they're so familiar with what they're seeing?

Typically, when these defenses are successful in big games, it's because the coordinators have come up with something the opponent hasn't seen. A personnel package, blitz, coverage, or look of some sort that's out of the blue. B.J. Raji's game-winning touchdown in the NFC Championship came on a play the Packers rarely run. If the offense doesn't know it's coming, the defense has a huge advantage ... especially if the offense thinks it's going to be something completely different.

Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers each have plenty of weapons at their disposal.

As I mentioned earlier this week, it makes me think this game will be decided by something or someone we haven't discussed as much.

It's not a hard rule, but it seems to happen every now and then.

Add in that these teams are closely-matched, and it becomes even easier to envision the game coming down to something like special teams or a defensive lineman making a play when we're talking all this time about linebackers, Charles Woodson, and Troy Polamalu.

I don't even know why I'm making a prediction. After all, I'm relatively certain that it's against the law to pick against your favorite team in a championship game. You follow them all year to this point, hanging on virtually every play, and you pick against them in the biggest game you'll play?

Stupid.

But it also makes this prediction pointless. You know what's coming.

As a fan, nothing beats having your team on the big stage playing for all the marbles. It can lead to a bit of sensory overload when you watch three hours of coverage over a plane safely landing somewhere, but it's worth it in the end.

The Green Bay Packers are in the Super Bowl, dadgummit.

And this time, they're going to win it.

Packers 23, Steelers 17

Yes, I'm taking the under. I just don't see LeBeau and Capers being outsmarted all night. I think they'll get the better of the play for most of the game. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that if this game makes the over, it'll be at least in large part because of turnovers and possibly defensive points.

Catch me on the Steelers Lounge podcast here.

The Stretch Run Begins

The next five weeks will decide a lot in the WCHA. Once we are through this weekend, there will be no difference in games played among the league's top eight teams (at least the top eight heading into the weekend), meaning we won't have to talk about games in hand, and teams won't have to sit out weekends and watch someone pass them in the standings.

At the top, it's a jumbled mess, with little separating Denver, UMD, and North Dakota. Or North Dakota, Denver, and UMD. Or UMD, North Dakota, and Denver.

You get the point.

North Dakota's schedule is very easy down the stretch, but that doesn't mean they've got a lockdown on the league title. Injuries to Chay Genoway and Danny Kristo have at least left the door open.

For UMD, a significant group of games awaits. The Bulldogs will be tested by the defense-minded Gophers, improving teams from St. Cloud State and Minnesota State, the always-tough-at-home Colorado College Tigers, and a Nebraska-Omaha team that is still a legitimate threat to make noise in this league.

Obviously, it's not reasonable to suggest North Dakota is going to play .500 hockey against UAA, St. Cloud State, Bemidji State, and Michigan Tech. Best case for the teams battling UND for the top spot is probably that North Dakota posts something resembling a 5-2-1 mark over these eight games. That leaves them 19-8-1 in league play for 39 points. To beat that, UMD would need at least seven wins over their last ten. I'm not saying that's too much to ask, but given the Bulldogs' schedule, it doesn't leave much margin for error.

Factor in the importance of winning season series (UMTC leads UMD 1-0-1 in the season series now), and this is a huge weekend for the Bulldogs, even if you don't take the opponent into account.

UMD is at full strength for the weekend, as forward Kyle Schmidt is back in the lineup. Look for Schmidt to skate five-on-five with Keegan Flaherty and Mike Seidel. The Schmidt/Flaherty combination is hard to beat in terms of speed, and Seidel is very good around the net. This allows UMD to keep the top two lines intact, with David Grun joining Mike and Jack Connolly, and Travis Oleksuk centering Justin Fontaine and J.T. Brown. The latter of these two was potent against Michigan Tech, and Grun looks to be working very well with the Connollys.

For Minnesota, there are a few things to be aware of. First off, goalie Kent Patterson has been in a zone lately. Even in games the Gophers have lost, it's not like you can really put it on Patterson. He's third in the league in save percentage, and in league play, he's one of the top goalies around. UMD's netminders -- Kenny Reiter (starting Friday) and Aaron Crandall -- are no slouches, but Patterson was a game-breaker against UMD in December, and if he does that again, the Gophers will be very tough to beat.

Offensively, the Gophers are heavily reliant lately on their transition game. The speed they generate with the likes of Jay Barriball and Jacob Cepis makes them potent off turnovers, so it's key for UMD to take good care of the puck. Minnesota is capable of turning neutral zone/blue line turnovers into odd-man rushes, but they're a less dangerous team when you make them go 200 feet with the puck and don't let them score off the rush.

Defensively, Minnesota has some physical guys like Mark Alt and Justin Holl, but they also have guys back there who aren't as noticeable in the hitting game. That's not to say Cade Fairchild, Kevin Wehrs, and Aaron Ness can't lay the lumber. It's just that they're more effective with the puck because of their passing and/or shooting ability. On the power play, Minnesota likes to use big bodies like Mike Hoeffel in front of the net, something UMD will have to be careful of.

The atmosphere should be electric this weekend, and UMD needs to raise their level of play. It's a huge key down the stretch for UMD to get points. Doesn't matter if they have to win ugly.

Just win, baby.

Goalie Fight!

If you missed this in the NHL Wednesday night, it may be because you blinked.

At the end of Pittsburgh's 3-0 win over the New York Islanders, a frustrated Isles goalie Rick DiPietro took a poke at Pittsburgh agitator Matt Cooke. As the skaters converged in the corner for one of those post-whistle skirmishes, DiPietro and Pittsburgh goalie Brent Johnson exchanged words.

Johnson wanted a piece of DiPietro, and he got it.



The best part is probably Johnson checking on DiPietro after he went down. Looked like Johnson caught him pretty good.

DiPietro was given minor penalties for interference and leaving the crease (goalies are not allowed to leave the crease during any scrum that takes place outside of the goal area), along with a major for fighting and a game misconduct. Johnson was only given the major penalty for fighting and a game misconduct, which seems odd, since he skated some 150 for the opportunity to punch DiPietro.

For his efforts, Johnson lost the chance to be credited with a shutout. Since Marc-Andre Fleury had to finish the game, it goes into the books as a team shutout, not one credited to either goalie.

And, frankly, when you shut out the Islanders, you probably shouldn't get statistical credit for it.

Super Bowl XLV Can't Come Soon Enough

It's been 13 years since my favorite football team played in a Super Bowl. In those years, this event has apparently become an insufferable, never-ending hype fest.

For Packers and Steelers fans, Sunday can't get here fast enough to satisfy.

Both teams are practicing indoors in preparation for Sunday's game. This alone has become a ridiculous story, in that the freaking game is being played indoors. Why wouldn't you want to practice inside for a game that is inside? Seems so simple to me that I can't believe the media is making such a big deal out of this.

The Packers and Steelers play similar 3-4 defenses. Dom Capers used to work for the Steelers. Mike McCarthy is from Pittsburgh.

Did you know Brett Favre used to play for the Packers?

Planes landed Monday with the teams on board. Players got off the plane in cowboy hats with jeans on and occasional belt buckles. NFL Network on-air people seemed surprised to see Charles Woodson get out of the Packers plane.

"Oh, there's Charles Woodson!"

Of course, it would have been news if Woodson hadn't been in the plane.

The point of this rant?

Nothing, really. Just pointing out that the media -- largely ESPN and NFL Network -- will make you loathe the biggest event in sports if you allow them to.

I haven't said much about this game for a couple reasons. For starters, I didn't think the Minnesotans who read this blog needed two weeks of reminders about how the Packers are going to take a shot at their 13th world championship. Secondly, I've been trying my damndest to avoid getting too excited about this game before it was actually close.

Now it's close, and I can't stand the hype!

On the bright side, it's close.

That means the hype will end, and the game will be played. Consider yourself guaranteed of one thing: One of the biggest factors in this game will be something no one has given nearly enough publicity to in the run-up. We're all talking about the quarterbacks and the defenses, and while they're important, it virtually assures that someone like James Starks, Rashard Mendenhall, Tim Masthay, Jeremy Kapinos, or Mason Crosby will play a huge role in determining the outcome.

Look at last year. Everyone worried about the Saints slowing Peyton Manning down, and the biggest moment in the game was determined by the size of Sean Payton's stones.

Alex Stalock For The Win

I'm pretty sure I don't have to litter this space with superlatives about former UMD goalie Alex Stalock. You've probably read them from me already.

The one-time WCHA superstar hadn't seen the light of the NHL day since turning pro after the 2008-2009 season. He set the AHL rookie record for wins by a goalie last year, helping the Worcester Sharks to the second round of the AHL playoffs.

This year, the Sharks are floundering around the playoff cutoff, just like their NHL parent Sharks are. With Antero Niittymaki still injured, Stalock was brought back to San Jose for Tuesday's game against Phoenix. This time, his destiny wasn't to sit and watch as Antti Niemi got a win.

Instead, Stalock got the call about midway through the game, as the Sharks were lifelessly trailing 3-0 and in desperate need of a spark.

Stalock would give them that spark. Here is the game highlight video from NHL.com.



Stalock didn't have to make any highlight-reel saves among his nine stops, but he kept Phoenix off the board, allowing the Sharks to come back.

Not a bad debut. Zero goals allowed, and your first NHL win. Stalock talked about the game with the Sharks website.

“You don’t have time to get the nerves going,” Stalock said. “You just get thrown right in there. You’re just watching the game. You’re not in it at all. It’s a shock (to go in like that), especially when it’s your first one.”

In a way, though, it probably wasn't a bad thing for Stalock, who had his parents in the stands. He's such a fiery competitor that there's a chance he benefited from not having all day to think about his NHL debut. It just happened.

Meanwhile, his impact is still felt in Duluth. Fourth-year junior Kenny Reiter spent two years with Stalock at UMD, and he learned from the former All-American.

"Obviously, his ability to play the puck, I think that's really important in today's game," Reiter said Tuesday. "I tried to take a few things away from him with that. But for the most part, just his compete level, and just to see how much he wants to win every game, night in and night out."

The Sharks play Wednesday at Anaheim. No word on who will start in net.

Stand By Your (Rival's) Man

While a legion of Minnesota hockey fans continues to hope for the return of alum Dean Blais to resurrect the men's hockey program from the depths of darkness (or, in their case, the fact they only won two national championships last decade), Don Lucia is still doing his best to make this season a success.

At the age of 52, Lucia has been written off by many Gopher fans, many of whom believe that if Joel Maturi would just commit to making a change, Blais would waltz in the front door and fix everything that's wrong with Gopher hockey.

As proven by the University of Michigan -- a fine institution with great football tradition that just fired their third-year head coach because they thought the big-name alum would never dream of turning them down -- this is a very dangerous assumption.

(Of course, Michigan fired Rich Rodriguez with the hopes that Jim Harbaugh would rescue them. Instead, they were stuck hiring their "Michigan man" in Brady Hoke, who has exactly two winning seasons as a head coach.)

Whether your coach has won over 500 games in his career, or he's perennially 15 games under .500, it's a tough sell for an athletic director to fire a coach without some sort of assurance that the school can do better.

Given what Lucia has accomplished, is it a slam dunk that the "Main U" can do better than him?

Probably not.

******

For fans, it's part of life to root for the backup quarterback/goalie and the replacement coach. The guy you have is never good enough, because THIS OTHER PERSON you really don't know anything about is automatically better.

The worst thing that a Gopher fan can say about Lucia is that he was late to the party when it came time to adjust to his early departures. The idea that this program is forever floundering under his leadership is so ridiculous it barely merits mention.

As he told College Hockey News in July, he believes the program is still doing just fine.

The Internet has a life of its own now. ... The bottom line, our kids graduate. We've won a lot. Are we where we want to be right now? No. The trick is, we need to keep our kids long enough. It used to be a guy was an All-American before he left. If you can keep those guys long enough — look at what RIT did in Atlantic Hockey, or Bemidji State before that. Why? It was a bunch of 22- and 23-year olds. They were grizzled vets. They aren't going to play in the NHL. We've got to find a way to have that. Some kids like (current senior) Mike Hoeffel wanted to stay and graduate. Most of them that are drafted, they can all leave if they want, at any time and more than likely (their drafted team will) sign them.

Lucia may have been late to the party, but he got the message.

College hockey teams need star players. Last year, Boston College had Cam Atkinson, but they also had older veteran types like Carl Sneep and Matt Lombardi. Atkinson may have been a big part of the offense, but the veterans brought the experience and leadership. Wisconsin had some young guns, but also older glue guys like Ben Street, Aaron Bendickson, Andy Bohmbach, and Michael Davies.

Minnesota needed more role players the last few years. Glue guys. Veterans. Guys who stay their four years, pay their dues, and bring the kind of "want to" that's hard to duplicate. Right now, many of their older guys are high draft picks who haven't panned out.

That could change, though.

Freshman Tom Serratore is all about heart and soul. Hell, he's a Serratore, so that should tell you all you need to know about his game. He won't dazzle anyone, but his skills are supplemented by an great competitive streak and a toughness that will serve him well as he grows up. He's 21, so he'll be 25 as a senior.

It's the older juniors and seniors that can make a team go in the spring. The reality is that you can't keep bona-fide future NHL stars in college long enough. You have to build a solid team around the stars, one that can sustain itself when the star leaves early.

Lucia recognizes that, and he appears to be making a more concentrated effort toward recruiting those types of players. That will make his top-notch recruits even more dangerous, because they won't have to eat those third- and fourth-line minutes when they should be getting power play time.

******

Minnesota plays UMD this weekend. UMD fans don't like Lucia, but I always have. From a professional standpoint, I couldn't ask an opposing coach to be more accommodating than he's been. But my favorite Lucia story has nothing to do with interviews or sound bites.

On Dec. 14, 2007, Lucia was in Duluth for a UMD game. His Gophers weren't playing. Instead, it was a chance for him to see the U.S. Under 18 National Team, a team that featured future Gophers Jordan Schroeder and Sam Lofquist.

During the second intermission, my father-in-law, who has rarely passed up an opportunity to schmooze with someone (something that is still hardly a strength of mine) decided to introduce himself to the coach, who was in the same section taking advantage of some empty seats.

After doing that, he decided that Lucia should meet my son, who was in his first year of playing little-kids hockey. Since it was close to Christmas, Lucia asked the boy, five at the time, if he was going to get a Gopher jersey from Santa.

My son's response? Looked at Lucia, totally serious, and said, "I am NOT a Gopher fan."

Good sport that he is, Lucia laughed it off, and probably crossed my son off his list of potential commitments for the 2021-22 season.

******

Reality is pretty simple.

Lucia has won two national championships and, literally, hundreds of games in college hockey. He hasn't lost his mind, and he hasn't simply forgotten how to coach kids.

If Minnesota thinks they can do better, they're probably mistaken. The Gophers have been hit hard by early departures, and they've been hit hard by the ability of the state's other four NCAA Division I programs -- along with nearby North Dakota -- to recruit Minnesota kids. Minnesota no longer has their pick of Minnesota talent. Instead, they have to 1) compete with UMD, St. Cloud State, Bemidji State, Minnesota State, and North Dakota; 2) realize that they won't win all those races; and 3) succeed in recruiting out-of-state players to make up for the in-state talent they don't get.

The sport isn't what it used to be. It's not easy to get to the NCAA Tournament, the Frozen Four, or the title game. It's not easy to get home-ice and make the WCHA Final Five.

For once, though, it would be nice if the fans could just support the team and let the coach do his job. If fans really did know everything, UMD wouldn't be playing .740 hockey for Scott Sandelin right now. After all, many UMD fans wanted him out three years ago. Instead, he stuck around, and while it's been 25 years since UMD posted three straight 20-win seasons, they're three wins away from making it happen.

Oh, and there are at least 12 games left on the schedule. I like their chances.

I like Lucia's, too, even if no one else does at this point. What I wrote about him last year still stands today.

Listen. You're not going to find excuses for Gopher hockey shortcomings in this space. They're not nearly as good as they should be, and Lucia deserves at least some blame for it.

However, this guy didn't win over 500 games and two national championships in college hockey by being a dummy. To suggest that the game has passed him by at age 51 is just silly. He's still sharp, still well-connected, and still knows how to win games.

Tell me I'm wrong, because I'm certain that I'm not.

Premature Tweet-ulation

There were reports that Packer Clay Matthews had won Defensive Player of the Year.

Those reports were apparently erroneous, as Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu won it, instead.

I suppose you're expecting a post full of bitterness about the tease of Matthews winning, only to have Polamalu, who plays for the Packers' Super Bowl opponent.

Not only am I not bitter about the early reports, but it doesn't bother me at all that a guy who is probably not even the best defensive player on his own team won the league-wide award.

The problem with awards like this is that there really isn't any set criteria. It's a major issue if it's decided that these awards really matter.

If you think they do, you should want some sort of criteria in place, so the voters don't have to base their decisions on things like "They lost to the Jets when he was hurt."

Of course, that's a more well-informed decision than "The other guy is buddies with Brian Cushing, and look what happened to him."

No, I don't know that it was a factor. But I know that a lot of the AP voters felt Cushing was undeserving of the Defensive Rookie of the Year award after they found out he was caught using a banned substance during the season in which he won.

And I know Matthews and Cushing aren't exactly strangers.

I also know that dumber theories have worked their way into votes like this in the past, so it wouldn't surprise me one bit.

In the end, it's pretty funny that some tweeted the wrong result to the voting. Given how close it was, I wonder if some sort of exit polling was the reason for the incorrect information getting out there. If so, it's very refreshing to see that major news networks aren't the only ones who can screw up exit polling.

Let's face it, that's how Polamalu won.

(Oh, and how can you not love that hair?)

Saturday Hockey Notes and Thoughts: Chay Genoway Injured for Sioux

With UMD having the weekend off, attention turned to other college hockey Friday night.

Got to watch a stirring battle between Notre Dame and Miami on CBS College Sports. That led into a newsworthy North Dakota-Colorado College game.

Unfortunately for North Dakota fans, it wasn't newsworthy for any good reason. Instead, it was newsworthy because one of college hockey's best players and ambassadors was injured, and it didn't look good.

North Dakota captain Chay Genoway went down in the second period in Colorado Springs, had to be helped off the ice, and did not return to the game.

Afterward, UND coach Dave Hakstol provided a say-nothing update on his best player.

“I don’t know what it is,” Hakstol told the Grand Forks Herald. “Obviously, everybody saw him go off the ice and what it appeared to be, but I don’t know.”

(Not blaming Hakstol for a vanilla answer here. For starters, they probably don't know anything for certain, because I don't believe they have a full compliment of medical equipment at the World Arena. And even if they did know, it's best to not say anything until you have a chance to prepare yourself for questions. Hakstol didn't have that opportunity, being that he had just been coaching his team in a game.)

I don't want to say that Hakstol's comment confirms my pessimistic suspicion, but it doesn't make me feel any better about what I saw.

What I saw was this:

Early in the second period, Genoway was behind the UND net playing the puck when he was checked by Colorado College's Tyler Johnson. The hit was clean, as Johnson simply rubbed Genoway into the boards. It wasn't a vicious hit, a hit to the head, or a hit from behind. It wasn't interference, boarding, charging, high-sticking, contact to the head, or anything else against the rules. It was a perfectly clean and legal hit.

However, when Genoway fell to the ice, his left leg appeared to get caught under him. It was hard to tell if this was because he caught a rut in the ice, or because his leg was up against the boards and couldn't move. When Genoway hit the ice, he didn't look like he hit his head, unlike what the commentators on television speculated.

On the replay, the camera went as close to Genoway's face as it could, and it told a grim story. It's said that athletes often know what's wrong when they get hurt, even before they're fully examined. If Genoway's face was any indicator, he knew, and it's not good.

North Dakota played like they were shell-shocked for most of the second period, as a 2-0 hole turned into 4-0. Jason Gregoire tried to bring them back, scoring twice in the third, including a three-on-five goal that was a thing of beauty.

(It was one of the best three-on-five kills I've seen in a long time. North Dakota flat out-worked Colorado College for almost two minutes, and had this sequence happened in the second period, it could have been a major turning point in a Sioux comeback. It was a clinic in how to disrupt the predictable passing sequences that plague so many five-on-threes. Unfortunately for them, they didn't leave themselves enough time, and Mario Lamoureux ruined much of it by taking a major penalty.)

Genoway has been ruled out for Saturday's rematch. If that's the worst that happens, the Sioux should consider themselves fortunate. A long-term absence could be disastrous for a team that -- while it's deep on defense -- doesn't have a ton of game-breakers like Genoway. Any college team that loses a valuable player like Genoway is going to be hurting, no matter their overall depth.

******

UMD is off, as they prepare to host Minnesota next weekend at Amsoil Arena. With any luck, the Bulldogs will have senior Kyle Schmidt back in the lineup on Friday. He's resumed skating, and his recovery from a broken hand is on schedule.

If he is able to return, the dilemma becomes where to put him in the lineup. The line of Justin Fontaine, Travis Oleksuk, and J.T. Brown accounted for ten points and a plus-11 in the series at Michigan Tech. You're not breaking them up at this point.

Putting Schmidt on a line with Dan DeLisle and Keegan Flaherty, and moving Mike Seidel with Jake Hendrickson and Joe Basaraba, could be the least "disruptive" move available. I don't know that we'll see Schmidt paired with the Connollys, even though his speed and nose around the net add an interesting dynamic to that group. David Grun has played well there, and having the space afforded to you by Mike and Jack on your line seems to have allowed Grun to showcase playmaking ability that so few people probably knew existed. His setup for Jack Connolly's first goal in the Friday game at Tech was a thing of beauty, and he had a couple other great passes for scoring chances in that series.

******

Michigan Tech is now winless in 21 after a 4-2 loss to Wisconsin. At least they scored, ending their goalless drought at 228:08 on an Alex MacLeod goal 41 seconds into Friday's second period.

Minnesota won again, beating road-weary Alaska-Anchorage 5-1. The Seawolves played at Denver last weekend, got swept, and then traveled to the Twin Cities instead of going home. They do this at least once per season, but it still has to really suck.

St. Cloud State's winning streak ended at six, but they're now unbeaten in seven after a 3-3 tie against Minnesota State. Since sweeping Minnesota in December, the Mavericks have played seven WCHA games. They've been decided -- in order -- by one, two, zero, one, one, one, and zero goals. The Mavericks have a record of 0-5-2 in that span. I'm just sayin'.

Let's Just Use the Homeless to Get Ratings, Instead of Actually Helping Them

You probably all know me well enough by now. If there is going to be a non-sports rant on this blog, there's a pretty good chance it will spawn off a Daily Show or Colbert Report bit.

Jon Stewart, take it away.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
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www.thedailyshow.com
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Words cannot describe this.

I mean, what kind of news director decides to do a story like this? Why?

Frankly, it's something I'd expect to see in a small market, where a news director and reporter at least have the excuse of "I'm trying to make a name for myself in a tough business."

This is freaking Indianapolis. Not a small market in any way.

It's every bit as exploitative and stupid as you think it is. Not only that, but it manages to confirm most stereotypes you hear about today's news media.

Yeah, we have freedom of the press in this country. That doesn't mean the press has a right to do stories like this, instead of chasing real news that actually matters to people.