Beginning of the End: Detroit News Panders to Us

Written by Schultz

Thursday, 27 August 2009 11:51

So, for the average email user it probably comes as no surprise to find a few hundred pieces of spam in your inbox each morning. Chances are there's an email or two from an actual person in there as well. Maybe a link to a video of a baby doing something silly from Aunt Lucy and a link to a video of a college kid doing something dumb from your friend Steve. And if you're a blogger, you might get a few emails from your blogger friends with links to check out.

But isn't it a really poignant sign of the times when the Detroit News gets in on the act of spamming random bloggers?

Heck, I didn't even know we were cool enough to warrant an email from them. Alas, the newspaper industry -- or at least this newspaper -- realizes what us internet trolls have known all along: there are a lot of eyeballs watching us. So much, in fact, that said daily metropolitan newspaper felt it necessary to forward us (emphasis on us cause, well, we don't think we're that important) and other hockey blogs this super important, groundbreaking story on Darren McCarty's tax woes (pictured left for the ladies).

It's hardly even a story, though. OK, so the guy shorted the tax man. That's not good and hopefully it all works out for McCarty. But the email -- see below -- seems trying to turn this all into some kind of story that will rip through the blogosphere like wildfire. This isn't Erin Andrews' privacy getting violated. This isn't even A-Rod's newest girl. I don't think Patrick Kane beat anyone up. But OK, I'll bite, here are the juicy details.

From the Detroit News Tax Watchdog blog

www.detnews.com/taxwatchdog

Former Detroit Red Wings star Darren McCarty, who won his fourth Stanley Cup ring in 2008 after recovering from alcoholism and a high-profile bankruptcy filing, has new money problems.

The IRS last week accused him of failing to pay $62,189 in federal taxes.

That's the latest personal challenge facing the rugged, fan-friendly forward who became part of Detroit sports lore through his grinding style, charitable acts and legendary battles with Colorado's Claude Lemieux.

McCarty, 37, split last season between Detroit and minor-league affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins and became an unrestricted free agent after the Red Wings lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup finals.

What's owed:

· The IRS filed a $33,847.81 lien against McCarty on Aug. 18 in the Oakland County Register of Deeds office. According to the lien, he owes income taxes from 2005.

· The IRS filed a $28,341.53 lien against McCarty on Aug. 18. He owes trust fund taxes from 2004-05, according to the lien. When McCarty filed bankruptcy in 2005, he owed $33,653.55 in trust fund taxes to the state and IRS, according to a court filing.

OK, so... Why are they sending BMR this email again? Maybe the world really is going to end in 2012 when the last newspaper kicks the bucket. Cause if they're pandering to us then we're all more fucked than we thought.