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I’m not one to rehash political debates on a hockey blog, but it’s interesting to see certain opinions from a certain context. One of the hot button issues in the American debate on immigration is the subject of language. There is a sect of this country that would prefer that all people living in this country speak English.  It is apparently the same, though on a smaller scale, in Quebec.

The Canadiens replaced Jacques Martin with Randy Cunneyworth, who does not speak French. It would, undoubtedly, be a good idea to learn the native tongue of your fan base, though clearly, it’s not a job requirement. Guy Carbonneau has asserted the value of learning a little French, but clearly it’s not soon enough and the Habs fan base is already a little sore.

All of this, honestly, I am OK with. Part of fandom is having a team that represents you.  But what Le Journal de Montreal did crosses a line of journalistic integrity. Because they knew that Cunneyworth did not speak French, and they knew that public sentiment was against him, the French Language newspaper tailored a headline just for him: “Another Loss for Cunneyworth” written in English.

For what is purported to be a newspaper, objective and opinionless (at least on the front page), a cheap shot should be beneath them.

Ice Insiders Chris Berry Interactive Chris Berry Interactive