Concern: As More Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews’ Health is challenging

Due to his health, Toronto Maple Leafs player Auston Matthews has missed important round one games. How off-base are naive tirades against his commitment?

This is a critical point in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ playoff series. But will they play without Auston Matthews, their top scorer, in tonight’s Game 7? Although Matthews is not on the team, his absence has made it weaker.

In the absence of its 69-goal scorer, the club has won two straight games with great effort. If the Maple Leafs can prevail in tonight’s Game 7 away in Boston against the Boston Bruins, they will almost certainly advance to Round 2.

Related: Is It Better to Have Half an Auston Matthews Than None at All?

A Hockey hockey analyst displays startling ignorance regarding Matthews’ Well-being

As the Maple Leafs continue to suffer, some so-called hockey analysts have used Matthews’ predicament as an opportunity to vent about his dedication to the team. Scott Ferrall of Sports Grid, whose rather self-important job title on the website is SPORTS RADIO PERSONALITY (all caps), is one of these so-called analysts.

“He’s Bold,” reads the opening paragraph of his bio. He is brash. Additionally, he is really audacious. The second sentence should read, “He’s also ignorant,” after this introduction.

You can see and hear his tirade on Matthew’s health below.

Why Is This Matthews Ignorance Claim So False?

I’ll refer to this would-be analyst as the “ranting man” since he often asks, “Where is this guy when it matters most?” Then he says that Matthews has the ability to participate in important games but decides not to. He casts doubt on Matthews’ tenacity and dedication while sharing his own story of persevering through injuries while playing. He says Matthews’s absence amounts to a failure to come through in crunch time.

What exactly is wrong with his tirade, is the question. To be clear, I’m not saying the speaker is stupid; rather, I’m arguing that he lacks intelligence. Most likely, the reverse is true. He’s probably come to realize over the years that his tirades cover his expenses, which is why he’s a PERSONALITY (all caps).

But the ranting man displays prejudices and commits a number of logical fallacies that obscure a more nuanced picture of Matthews’ circumstances.

Large Rock Errors in Ranting Man’s Evaluation of Matthews’ Condition

First of all, it is demeaning to assume that he is motivated or committed. The ranting man asserts that Matthews’ lack of motivation or devotion is evident in his absence from important games. This disregards the valid explanations for his absence, which include significant injuries or tactical choices made by the coaching staff.

Will Auston Matthews play in Game 7 of the Bruins vs. Leafs?

Second, ranting man has a profound misperception about professional players, despite his self-proclaimed rank. It is inaccurate to draw comparisons between professional sports and his own experiences of playing through an injury in an amateur setting. It’s a ridiculous attempt to put himself above Matthews in comparison. When choosing to play through ailments, professional athletes’ organizations must take their long-term health and careers into account. A sulky man didn’t need one of those.

Third, the angry man makes too many assumptions based on scant data. It doesn’t matter that he acknowledges that he doesn’t know the whole truth about Matthew’s condition. Based on the few facts available, he sees no need to withhold claims. His assertions about Matthew’s dedication or the seriousness of his injuries are unjust and hypothetical because he doesn’t know the facts. He compares Matthew’s absence from the game like having diarrhea. That is rather filthy in a few different ways.

Fourth, there is no regard for medical privacy shown by raving man. His insistence on openness belies athletes’ rights to this kind of private medical information. As is customary in many professional sports leagues, not all information is made public for legitimate reasons. He seems to believe that the medical staff of the Maple Leafs should set up a Zoom conference just for people who are similar to him.

Fifth, the ranting man ignores the value of professional judgment. The medical staff of the Maple Leafs bases its recommendations on thorough assessments of athletes’ conditions by professionals in the field. Despite his lack of knowledge to assess the decisions, he maintains that they are made arbitrarily or without good cause. He undervalues the professional standards for handling an athlete’s health by doing this.

The Mistake of Noise as Interpretation and Pleasure as Understanding

Raranting man is noisy, according to science. Any undesirable or random disruption that tampers with the desired information in a system is considered noise, according to scientific definitions. It may show up as interference that makes conversation or analysis less effective.

We can learn nothing new about Matthew’s health from this ranting man. He diminishes the caliber of the situational analysis and communication. Additionally, a ranting man minimizes the value of thoughtful sports analysis. He degrades the profession.