Wow, the Boycott has produced amazing results. In less than a year, you have taken a site ranked fairly high in the category of internet pageviews and completely eliminated it from the internet radar! While the publisher continues to troll for new, unsuspecting players who are enamored of seeing their names on the Web, savvy hockey families have abandoned the troubled rag in droves. Stalwart subscribers whose children have received favorable press continue to ignore the persecutory practices of The Scouting News because, they believe, any positive ally is a good ally. It’s sad that people are willing to sell out their teammates and unable to realize the impact to hundreds if not thousands of younger players coming behind them. Supporting The Scouting News is supporting the hockey politics and blacklisting that is the bain of the very sport. Ask top-level hockey parents what they like least about the sport and one of the things at the top of their lists is “politics.” Why less talented or weaker players get opportunities over better players. That kind of rhetoric is usually attributed to jealously, but the Boycott is showing that; 1) top players get what they earn regardless of what The Scouting News writes; 2) real scouts and coaches apparently don’t read “The News” ; 3) The Scouting News’ Claims of infallibility and superiority are patently false, its promises hollow, and its back-alley blacklisting is busted finally; 4) The Scouting News never truly carried any weight in the scouting community which will survive long after the “News” draws its last breath; and 5) when regular people speak out in unison with their purchasing power and preferences, they can make a difference and begin to depose to false dictators and pretend potentates who would like them to believe they are powerless. You who have joined the Boycott by submitting your comments here and in other internet forums and through private email campaigns have said “enough” to the Scouting Nazi. Until The Scouting News is removed from the internet or until the apology is posted on its front page, rest assured that this Boycott Blog will remain alive in acknowledgment of your support.
While The Scouting News claims to be a resource for scouts and coaches, its credibility is continually damaged by its own words and practices. The Boycott Forum recently called them on their “tip sheets” which they claim are compiled from calls for information by college, pro, and junior coaches. In the same article, they appeal to kids who want to be added to the list asking them to fill out a “free form.” If any player can submit himself to the list, how valuable can it really be to teams looking for the best players? This kind of semantic gymnastics is par for The Scouting News and fairly representative of the deceit employed in their business practices. Ever wonder how much of their revenue comes from scouting staffs vs players’ parents? You can bet its heavily lop-sided in favor of parents. If you want to pay to read online what you or your child has written, that’s certainly your prerogative, but if you think you’re paying to get scoop from legitimate decision-makers, you are mistaken. The Boycott takes issue with the Scouting News not because of its content, but precisely because of its persistent deceptive practices. Cancel your subscription now and don’t renew, even if they offer you 90 days free. The Boycott is working and people are getting the message that giving Ron Holmes their money only supports fraudulent, predatory, and discriminatory business practices which do more to hurt kids than to help them.
In a desperate attempt to save its sinking flag-ship, The Scouting News recently launched copy-cat site, icescouting.com. The new domain is registered anonymously and differs from the Scouting News only in that its scouts have names and photographs published. Or should I say its Scout (only one). While it would be unfair to comment on the legitimacy or credibility of the new site’s source, he is clearly not discriminating about the company he keeps. We urge “former WHL scout”, Sean Wilson, to distance himself as quickly and as far as possible from this new joint venture and its cowardly face, Ron Holmes. Perhaps if Wilson knew the lows to which Holmes stoops in the name of business, he would never have allowed his name and likeness to be associated. On the other hand, perhaps Wilson is associated with The Scouting News precisely because he was unsuccessful in prior ventures. You are judged by the company you keep, and Mr. Wilson, regrettably it is affecting your reputation and credibility very negatively. How do we know these two are in choots? When have you ever seen The Scouting News link to a competitive site? When have you ever seen them name a source? The sites use the same payment processor. They even use the same words, pictures, and articles. They want you to visit the new site. Why? Because the Boycott is working! The Scouting News revenue is spiraling beyond repair thanks to the Boycott. By setting up a figure-head and copy-cat site with a different name, they hope to continue their business of preying on the hopes, dreams, and pride of innocent parents and children by masquerading as a legitimate source of news for coaches and scouts. There is even, perhaps, redemptive value in that aim as long as there are those who knowingly buy into it. There is however, no excuse for the bullying and persecuting practiced by Ron Holmes.
Boycott The Scouting News and Boycott IceScouting.com! Boycott every other venture it spawns until The Scouting News can muster the integrity to publish an aplogy on its front page and in its Network 54 Forum. Aplogize for calling coaches to complain about parents who don’t agree with your articles, apologize for attempting to black-list deserving kids, apologize for spreading lies about others in internet forums, apologize for bullying and persecuting paying customers, and apologize for taking so long to apologize. Then, the Boycotts will be lifted.
