Mea Culpa

Sometimes we make a mistake

During the Avalanche preseason game this past Tuesday, I was tweeting about the game and made a comment about the Altitude broadcast. I’ve let it be known in the past that the television play by play duo are far from my favorite around the NHL. During this game, I was being reminded of that fact. That’s a matter of taste. Different broadcasts appeal to different demographics. Many people who follow the Avalanche love this particular PxP team, many don’t – I’m one of the people that will often watch the road broadcast because I fall into the second category.

With that said, I crossed a line.

In a reply to my initial tweet, an Avs fan mentioned Peter McNab in a somewhat tongue in cheek way. I responded in an insulting and immature manner with a comment about Peter. I shouldn’t have. It was dumb and immature and my emotions got the best of me.

In the process of watching the game and tweeting, my mind made the mistake of mixing up Marc Moser and Peter McNab. I have had issues with Moser in the past for things unrelated to the broadcast. My comment was an expression of frustration with that. That doesn’t make it right.

My thoughts were about Moser but they were in a response to a tweet about McNab. I made a mistake and it looked like I was attacking Peter – something he didn’t deserve. It was a blunder on my part and I regret it. He did not deserve to be called the immature names I threw in his direction. Regardless of which one I was thinking of, I should have not have made the comment either way and definitely shouldn’t have lumped Peter into it.

I don’t know Peter beyond what he does as a color commentator, nor did I know he was sick. I have spoken with a few people who do know him well since the comment, and the view I get is of a good man who is universally beloved by those around the Avalanche game-day experience. That makes my mistake even worse. Whether my ire was intended for him or not – and whatever I think of the broadcast – doesn’t matter. My actions looked like I attacked his character as a person and I shouldn’t have. It was childish and something I shouldn’t have done.

The response to my comment speaks even louder to Peter’s place in the Avalanche community. He is important to many Avs fans and seeing someone seemingly hurl an insult at him justifiably made people upset. Hopefully some of those fans will accept my remorse at face value.

For those who are open to my contrition, thank you. I did something dumb and I am going to work to be better in the future. I understand that this apology may fall on deaf ears for many and that no matter what I write, I will remain vilified to some. That’s not important here. What I care about is setting the record straight with the one person at the center of my mistake. I hope Peter McNab understands that I do not have a personal issue with him and that I shouldn’t have made a comment about his character the way I did. I regret it, I’m sorry for it and I just hope that he is able to see this and understand the remorse and contrition I feel.

I’m sorry Peter.