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Approximate locations at 1 p.m. (Eastern)

The Flyers’ beat writers aren’t doing their jobs again.

Their job today is to cover practice, in Detroit. Yet two members of The Core 4 – which is Tim Panaccio (CSN Philly), Sam Carchidi (Philadelphia Inquirer), Rob Parent (Delco Times) and Dave Isaac (Courier-Post) – missed practice because they took previously scheduled, indirect, afternoon flights from Minnesota, where the Flyers played on Monday, to Detroit, where they play on Wednesday.

The Flyers held practice in Detroit at 1 p.m. today (Eastern– this will become important), and neither Panaccio nor Carchidi made it in time, because they were on separate flights, connecting through Chicago AND PHILADELPHIA, perhaps so they could earn more Star Alliance* miles. 

I’m told (yes, people actually tell me these things) that their Core 4 mate, Isaac, will pass along quotes to them upon their arrival, presumably so they can write more stories that will lead their readers to believe that they were actually in Detroit… covering the Flyers… doing their, you know, job.

Panaccio flew US Airways Flight 6816, which left Minneapolis at 11:00 a.m. (Central), and connected through Chicago to Flight 7881, which is due in Detroit at 3:33 p.m. (Eastern), two hours after Flyers practice and the ensuing media scrums.

Carchidi flew US Airways Flight 2044, which left Minneapolis at 11:00 a.m. (Central), and CONNECTED THROUGH PHILADELPHIA (!!!) to Flight 3462, which is due in Detroit at 5:22 p.m. (Eastern), four hours after Flyers practice and the ensuing media scrums. [Sam even tweeted from the plane!]

So, there must not have been a way to get from Minneapolis to Detroit this morning in time to cover a 1 p.m. (Eastern) event, right? RIGHT?!

Wrong.

They could’ve taken (direct flight) Delta Flight 557…

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… or (direct flight) Delta Flight 2198…

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… or any of these connecting flights.

But no. Perhaps because they didn’t want to wake up early, or perhaps because they like their Star Alliance miles, they decided to blow off practice in favor of inconvenient US Airways flights and are planning on obtaining quotes from Isaac, with whom Panaccio celebrated Thanksgiving.

Other local reporters made it. I’m told Isaac (obviously), who wasn’t in Minneapolis, was there, and Anthony SanFilippo (Flyers reporter) and Frank Seravalli (Daily News) appear to have made it, as well. Meanwhile, Panaccio and Carchidi didn’t depart Minneapolis until 11 a.m. (Central), meaning that even if there was a direct flight at that time, they never would’ve made to practice in Detroit by 1 p.m. (Eastern).

As I said it last week: Traveling the country to cover regular season practices and obtain a few quotes isn’t a healthy business model for modern publications stuck in their old ways. It’s just not cost-effective, and there’s little value, I think, in the sort of “news” that comes from attending a practice. But, that’s a beat writer’s job, for better or for worse. Plus, a good reporter will often use their attendance to find some interesting angle. You know, something fun to tell their readers. 

And it’s The Core 4 that got so butt-hurt over the WAR ON JOURNALISM! that was declared when the Flyers decided they were going to announce their starting goalie on Instagram and in other unique ways.

Remember this email exchange among beat writers complaining about the Flyers’ supposed disrespect for the media? Sent by members of The Core 4, all of whom were really angry that the Flyers cut them out of the commodity news loop. But I guess that’s what the team needs to do when the press is busy collecting their mileage by traveling circuitous routes to road games.

*US Airways and United are part of the Star Alliance.