I understand Torvalds' long-standing opinion that microkernels are not the way to go. Fair enough.

What still befuddles me is that he would (allegedly) make such a blanket statement that he knows someone in the press is going to pick up and run with.

You could argue that the alleged quote has received way too much airtime. But that's what happens when you start calling the other guy's toys crap.

There's got to be more here than microkernel bashing.