Thursday, June 29, 2006

PRONGER PREGGO RUMOURS! (UPDATED)

This could be literally be a cock-and-bull story, but we're going to run with it for the next 12 hours or so.

There has always seemed to be something off-kilter about the "Lauren Pronger hates Edmonton" storyline, so that's why the Oilers have to trade their star defenceman, Chris Pronger (at left in an, ahem, interesting photo with Eric Lindros).

Now Microbano might have stumbled into something -- an e-mail sent by a TSN staffer that claims to shed some light on what's really going on. Here's excerpts:
Well, the reason Pronger's wife wants to leave Edmonton is not b/c she hates the city or the people. Apparently Pronger got a female beat reporter who covers the oilers pregnant. Christy Chorley is her name, and she told Prongs half way through the season. This is why it would be difficult for the Pronger family to settle down in Edmonton.

The e-mail itself seems legit. The grammar and spelling (it's Christie Chorley with an i-e, and the name of another female reporter is also spelled wrong) suggest it would have to be from someone who works in television.
I am not that mad at Prongs or his wife for that matter. Prongs would not be able to focus on hockey and his home life would be difficult, new start where he can impregnate another city's hot reporter...maybe Nermala Nidoo-Hill from Global Calgary. Pronger has jungle fever.

(UPDATE 11:43 a.m., Friday, June 30: Responding to a statement by an obviously upset Christie Chorley, Microbano yanked his post. This was never about her. This deals more with the mentality of the people who spread these rumours so I'm keeping the post up, with a few revisions.)

There's a teensy bit of sexism (not to mention racism) involved in those paragraphs, and it does confirm a lot about the Grade 7 mentality of the type of guys who fall into sports broadcasting, but that's another column.

If this is false -- there's libel/slander possibilities. Also, knowing how the herd mentality works, how upset Edmonton fans are about Pronger leaving, and how subservient local media can be, if this stays out there it could lead to Chorley having to leave her job and seek employment elsewhere.

(UPDATE Just to reiterate, there's nothing to this Chorley nonsense, but the Lauren-Pronger- hates-Edmonton story also sets off the bullshit detector.)

You also, from reading those two paragraphs, get an idea of some of the crap women and minorities -- to say nothing of a minority woman like Nermala Naidoo-Hill -- have to deal with from the old boys' club in Old Media, who even in 2006 sometimes make Anchorman look like a documentary.

Getting back to Pronger, the initial story line just seemed too well-formed, too pat. Too obvious. Too easy to swallow for Edmontonians, who are defensive as all get out about their city -- they live there, so they know that while it doesn't completely suck, it probably isn't New York or Paris. You would have to be defensive to call yourself "the City of Champions."

A friend and I were talking the other night, and we, like so many gossip hounds and hockey nuts, were wondering what was really going on. My gut feeling was it was some kind of "emotional blackmail" being carried out by Lauren Pronger -- i.e., ask for a trade or we're getting divorced. For the record, my pal thought I was crazy.

What I was thinking of was a paperback novel I read when I was 16, Ballpark by Michael Schiffer, a lovely bit of fluff about a romance between an emotionally scarred ballplayer and a Veronica Corningstone-esque crusading female sportswriter. There's a part where the woman scribe has to write a story about a veteran ballplayer who's demanded a trade, and she can't the real reason: that his wife has gotten wind of his screwin' around and has mentioned -- take it away, Tammy -- D-I-V-O-R-C-E.

Either way, this is a little embarrassing for TSN, since it does show a blatant unprofessionalism on the part of so-called journalists.

By tomorrow it could be a cock-and-bull story, but for today put it on the front page, big headline, with a slammer. God forbid we ever run anything without an exclamation mark.

(UPDATE: Deadspin notes that the Oilers had to ban discussion of Pronger from their official website, and as noted, Microbano pulled the post.)

Do Puck Bunnies Have Litters? (Microbano -- dead link, don't click)
Is This The Real Reason Pronger Wants Out? (Deadspin)
Christie Chorley website

Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.

5 comments:

sager said...

Well, if the story's true, then why hasn't TSN reported it "officially"? They are supposed to be journalists.

Pattington said...

Her site isn't down; OOLF's link is dead, that's all. She has a statement on it. And how do you know "she's a piece of work?" What authority do you have this on?

Careless Whisper said...

Hi! About Christie Chorley & Chris Pronger rumor hope all of you would REALIZE and TRUST

what I have says here. My English might not be good as before but please I would hope all of

you would satisfied and understanding what I wanted to say, ok?

My name is (Akira) Peter Lee, 29 yrs old. I am living in Hong Kong right now, I am also a

Canadian's too. When did I met Christie Chorley?? I met her in Edmonton Alberta when I was

12 Yrs old we were in a same school. she is a very nice person, because she likes to help

people. At the time that I met her I wouldn't know how to speak or even understand english

well, but she teaches me. Its been 17 years we have met til now we still have good

communication on the phone or even email. To have all of you beleive me and Christie Chorley

are best friend probably it might be kind of hard. But I could have a way to approve it.

When did I knew this Rumor? Everyone please try and beleive that I have knew my best friend

Christie Chorley Rumor on June 29 8:20:31 am by clicking to my own website here

http://akiralee9669m.blogspot.com/2005/10/christie-chorley.html, it was a internet visitor

went inside to my website and left a comments for me to look at.Then,I know what happen, so

did all of you saw a question from the visitor " Are the rumours about Christie Chorley and

Chris Pronger true" ?

Now let me answer to all of you the question if anyone would like to leave me a comments

from my website I would be appreciate.

About Christie Chorley & Chris Pronger Rumor are (100%) ONE HUNDRED PERCENT FAKE!!! I would

appreciate your help in putting an end to my Best Friend Christie Chorley name being linked

to this situation, as it is completely WITHOUT ANY MERIT OR FACTUAL BASIS.

Any further slander or defamation can and will result in swift legal action. Hong Kong has

all kinds of the best technology and I would also help my best friend Christie Chorley to

investigate where does the rumor comes out from.

At last, Christie Chorley has already did completed her own statement from the Official

Website on June 29, 2006.

By the way, Christie does not know Chris Pronger. Who the hell its Chirs Pronger??? Chris

Pronger where the hell are you??? Are you hiding in Edmonton somewhere??? Chris Pronger, act

like a man just come out and to say something, ok?

Which means Chris Pronger if you have read through the things that I type then its time for

you to come out and made out your true statement to everyone!!!

Thank you!

(Akira) Peter Lee

Hong Kong Timezone 06/07/2006 18:37 PM

sager said...

Thanks, Peter. You really make a good point that Pronger should have acknowledged how his refusal to come clean on the REAL STORY led to Ms. Chorley being the subject of apparently unfounded rumours.

Careless Whisper said...

Sager:

Well, thanks for your reply! Hope you would beleive me to what I had post from before. I help my best friend look through so many website and also I did the same things what I have did here. I post my message on ppl's website its not trying to tell all of you that Christie was a good or bad girls. I just wanted to tell all of you that what I have knew from christie, as a best old friend what would you do if your best friend has problems and you know your friend its a good person? I am just trying to telling the truth about Christie would not have some sort of relationship with pronger this Hockey Player