Why was a beloved hockey broadcaster pulled off the air? (Re: Jeff Marek)
August 1, 2024
Why was a beloved hockey broadcaster pulled off the air? (Re: Jeff Marek)
15 comments
I can copy and paste some of the article for those who don’t subscribe to the Athletic:
*The nearly five-hour broadcast ended around 8:15 p.m. local time, and Marek was scheduled to leave Las Vegas that night on a red-eye flight. But before he left, at least one NHL official approached Marek about wanting to speak with him.*
*The league was concerned about the potential misuse or dissemination of insider information, league and media sources said. Gaming industry experts said that draft “leakage” and “tipping” is relatively common. Possessing what’s deemed “insider information” is not inherently problematic; only if that information is used as a means of financial gain does it become an integrity issue. According to a publicly available document from the Nevada Gaming Control Board on requirements licensed books must adhere to regarding wagers on the NHL Draft, “acceptance of wagers which involve a specific player must cease 24 hours prior to the start of the first round. Acceptance of all other wagers must cease prior to the start of their respective round.”*
*League and media sources said that Marek gave Seidel a heads up on the picks so that Seidel could better prepare and offer analysis of those selections on social media. Professional sports leagues are known to monitor social media during live events such as drafts; it is also common for leagues to partner with external integrity and compliance firms to monitor social media activity.*
Glad you posted this. We need answers I fucking love Jeff Marek and something isn’t right with this.
Can anyone post the full text?
This what you get when the league jumps into bed with gambling outlets.
I don’t see how this should have blown back on Marek in any way. Unless they are going to prove later on that he either personally benefitted from the sharing of this information or knew someone else was going to bet using it.
And if sports books are greedy enough that they’ll let people in the hockey industry who could easily have insider info bet on the draft, then to me thats on them and they should take the L instead of whining about it.
Whether the league approves of Marek or not shouldn’t affect his status with SN I wish him nothing but the best. Hoping TSN can scoop him up so he stays in Canada.
Weird. Friedman and others tweet out the picks early in every draft, yet somehow texting this same info to one person is an issue?
A strange hill for them to die on.
Help me understand because I’m confused here. Marek is with the media, and is not affiliated with the NHL. There is no way he knows which player is going to be picked by a team unless someone on the team tells him. Don’t these guys make a living by cozying up to team staff, buying them beer/meals/golf etc so they become buddies and get the “Insider” leaks? One Insider sharing info with another Insider is the way it’s done.
I don’t see what he has done wrong here at all that would result in his termination. Either there is more to this story (gambling), or, he is a scapegoat. It sounds like the league needs to implement some form of code of ethics policy when it comes to fraternization. If you allow the NHL staff to share info with the media, but then get angry when the info is used/shared then I think the blame is being aimed at the wrong source.
Fuck sports betting. Wish it were made illegal again so I never have to see another ad for it.
TSN has a slam dunk of an opportunity in front of them. Hire Marek and their already superior broadcasting crew gets even better.
Feels like a bit harsh to me but what do I know? God speed Jeff, I’ll certainly miss you, next season of 32 thoughts.
Sportsnet trying to ensure only the worst broadcasters are back next season.
Put Joe Bowen back on TV. Everyone else sucks these days.
This compared to all the other leagues where everyone knows who’s getting drafted by who days in advance. The NHL is such a fucking joke. They’re so up their own assessment about what they think hockey and hockey culture is, but it’s just a bunch of dinosaurs doing the same thing over and over again until it breaks. Gary needs to fucking go, and the whole league management group with him. Get some people in their 30s who’ve grown up with these leagues and technology and aren’t afraid of it.
Everywhere he works he’s always eventually fired. He lasted 13 years at Sportsnet. His Mr Know it All ego finally rubs people the wrong way! TSN will never him because of Duthie Hayes Odog and Gord Miller and their egos. The Leafs have fired him twice so he won’t be doing TSN radio intermissions again.
15 comments
I can copy and paste some of the article for those who don’t subscribe to the Athletic:
*The nearly five-hour broadcast ended around 8:15 p.m. local time, and Marek was scheduled to leave Las Vegas that night on a red-eye flight. But before he left, at least one NHL official approached Marek about wanting to speak with him.*
*The league was concerned about the potential misuse or dissemination of insider information, league and media sources said. Gaming industry experts said that draft “leakage” and “tipping” is relatively common. Possessing what’s deemed “insider information” is not inherently problematic; only if that information is used as a means of financial gain does it become an integrity issue. According to a publicly available document from the Nevada Gaming Control Board on requirements licensed books must adhere to regarding wagers on the NHL Draft, “acceptance of wagers which involve a specific player must cease 24 hours prior to the start of the first round. Acceptance of all other wagers must cease prior to the start of their respective round.”*
*League and media sources said that Marek gave Seidel a heads up on the picks so that Seidel could better prepare and offer analysis of those selections on social media. Professional sports leagues are known to monitor social media during live events such as drafts; it is also common for leagues to partner with external integrity and compliance firms to monitor social media activity.*
Glad you posted this. We need answers I fucking love Jeff Marek and something isn’t right with this.
Can anyone post the full text?
This what you get when the league jumps into bed with gambling outlets.
I don’t see how this should have blown back on Marek in any way. Unless they are going to prove later on that he either personally benefitted from the sharing of this information or knew someone else was going to bet using it.
And if sports books are greedy enough that they’ll let people in the hockey industry who could easily have insider info bet on the draft, then to me thats on them and they should take the L instead of whining about it.
Archive link:
[https://archive.is/K8qcd](https://archive.is/K8qcd)
Whether the league approves of Marek or not shouldn’t affect his status with SN I wish him nothing but the best. Hoping TSN can scoop him up so he stays in Canada.
Weird. Friedman and others tweet out the picks early in every draft, yet somehow texting this same info to one person is an issue?
A strange hill for them to die on.
Help me understand because I’m confused here. Marek is with the media, and is not affiliated with the NHL. There is no way he knows which player is going to be picked by a team unless someone on the team tells him. Don’t these guys make a living by cozying up to team staff, buying them beer/meals/golf etc so they become buddies and get the “Insider” leaks? One Insider sharing info with another Insider is the way it’s done.
I don’t see what he has done wrong here at all that would result in his termination. Either there is more to this story (gambling), or, he is a scapegoat. It sounds like the league needs to implement some form of code of ethics policy when it comes to fraternization. If you allow the NHL staff to share info with the media, but then get angry when the info is used/shared then I think the blame is being aimed at the wrong source.
Fuck sports betting. Wish it were made illegal again so I never have to see another ad for it.
TSN has a slam dunk of an opportunity in front of them. Hire Marek and their already superior broadcasting crew gets even better.
Feels like a bit harsh to me but what do I know? God speed Jeff, I’ll certainly miss you, next season of 32 thoughts.
Sportsnet trying to ensure only the worst broadcasters are back next season.
Put Joe Bowen back on TV. Everyone else sucks these days.
This compared to all the other leagues where everyone knows who’s getting drafted by who days in advance. The NHL is such a fucking joke. They’re so up their own assessment about what they think hockey and hockey culture is, but it’s just a bunch of dinosaurs doing the same thing over and over again until it breaks. Gary needs to fucking go, and the whole league management group with him. Get some people in their 30s who’ve grown up with these leagues and technology and aren’t afraid of it.
Everywhere he works he’s always eventually fired. He lasted 13 years at Sportsnet. His Mr Know it All ego finally rubs people the wrong way! TSN will never him because of Duthie Hayes Odog and Gord Miller and their egos. The Leafs have fired him twice so he won’t be doing TSN radio intermissions again.