Why is Joe McLaughlin such a sourpuss? I don't recall reading any column by him that didn't sound like it had been written after someone stepped on his toe, or some other part of his anatomy. First, all Cronin said (at least as reported by/complained about by McLaughlin) was that Hannigan had become a friend and that he had kept his confidences. Honorable people keep confidences; dishonorable people accept information given in confidence and blurt it out to friends. (They're called rumormongers or backstabbers.) Honorable reporters keep confidences; dishonorable reporters accept information given in confidence and put it into their news stories. Second, Hannigan is not a reporter--at least that's not his primary role in relation to Cronin and UMaine hockey. Hannigan is a play-by-play announcer for the radio station that covers the Black Bears. I certainly don't expect him to adopt an adversarial role in announcing the games, or in interviewing the coach and players before and after the games. I don't expect him to be a cheerleader for the coach or even for the team, but I see nothing in Cronin's comments that indicates that Hannigan didn't do his job as a play-by-play announcer properly and effectively.