Wanting to be Managed

Adam Proteau’s most recent piece had me shaking my head in amazement. The first two paragraphs:

“The inspiring talker produces zeal, whose intensity depends not on the rationality of what is said or the goodness of the cause that is being advocated, but solely on the propagandist’s skill in using words in an exciting way.” – Aldous Huxley, famous author

At a point in history where image and optics trump truth nine times out of 10, it is paramount not only to be able to walk the talk, but to talk with sufficient verve to make people want to stick around and see if you can walk it.

Proteau goes on to declare that it would do the NHL a world of good if there were inspiring talkers running all teams rather than just some teams. This could be true, but what’s good for the NHL may not be good for the rest of us. Proteau does not seem to understand that Huxley was warning us against the “inspiring talker” because the irrational and evil can be sold as easily as the rational and the good. Huxley would say that image and optics are not supposed to trump truth nine times out of ten.

Managing the message, the media and fan expectations is definitely part of a general manager’s job, but why would Proteau think it is a good thing that Brian Burke can control the coverage of his hockey team? Obviously it would make Proteau’s job easier if every general manager was as good as Burke at generating copy, but what does it say about Proteau’s approach to his work? He’s happy being Burke’s tool, his microphone?

Isn’t he supposed to peer around the propaganda to find some semblence of truth? Isn’t he supposed to resist the manipulation and ferret out a fact or two? His job is not to applaud those who are best at manipulating him. He is not supposed to suggest how teams could do a better job of providing him with happy (for the team) stories. He is not supposed to polish the image and adjust the optics for the league so that the truth can be trumped nine times out of ten.

Proteau wants to be managed? He’s supposed to stand against that sort of thing. Isn’t he?