Behind the Blog: Sharkspage
For our fifth Behind the Blog feature, I’d like to introduce Jon (PJ) Swenson at Sharkspage. His blog hosts a variety of photographs whether it’s of hockey (professional or college), boxing, lacrosse, soccer, etc. Additionally, he covers sporting news in the San Jose area in depth with special attention to the local ice hockey teams. Thanks to Jon for answering all of my questions.
Q.1 - On your blog, you cover the San Jose Sharks along with other local sports teams whether it’s hockey, boxing, lacrosse, etc. Why is hockey your favorite sport to cover?
Hockey and Boxing are my favorite sports to cover. Boxing is easier to write about, the segmented action makes it easier to describe the flow of a bout, and boxers are easily the most accessible athletes to journalists and fans that I have seen. Hockey is a mix of so many exciting elements, every game is different. Whether it is a pile of bodies in front of the crease, a big open-ice hit, or a breakaway OT goal to win the game like San Jose last night.
Q.2 - When did you first start Sharkspage and what made you want to do so?
Hard to answer. Around 1993 I put up a page of information about the team on a college webserver in gopherspace. In 1995 it morphed into a home webpage with much the same information. In 1998 it became some semblance of a blog, with multiple contributors, photos, and me copying and pasting each post into an archive. In 2001 I moved it to blogger. It was started to learn about the technologies and to write about a sport that was not receiving a lot of coverage at the time.
Q.4 - What advice would you give to other hockey bloggers, especially the newcomers?
Enjoy it.
As to what to post on your blog, at a bloggercon conference at Stanford a former Pentagon reporter said there was three types of journalism: hard news, analysis, and opinion. Blogs are more than capable of delivering the last two, and occasionally on the first. I would add a fourth to that list, acting as a filter by collecting information and links on a subject and organizing them in an easy to read format.
The more you post, the more people will come back to visit.
Q.5 - How do you balance your time between running a very thorough and popular website with having a life?
Only post when you have something to say, and do not feel the need to post only about one subject. A number of bloggers apologize when they are not able to post for a day or two. Not neccessary in my opinion. I post instead of getting a morning Starbucks or watching the late night Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
If it is possible to bring in other contributor, or guest posters, it makes it a lot easier than relying on one person. Or some days you can just post photos like me and not any text at all.
Q.6 - What made you become a San Jose Sharks fan and how long have you been one?
Since 1990, a year before their first season when they announced that San Jose would get a team. I remember driving by the spot where the arena was going to be built and being a little puzzled at the location. Before the Sharks I followed the Bruins mostly because I could not force myself to root for the Red Wings, where a lot of my family is from. The Wings had an almost 49ers-like hold on Michigan, and you could not go anywhere without seeing an advertisement on a billboard, a tshirt, or a coffee cup. It was Orwellian.
Now I would say I am more a fan of the NHL than I am of the Sharks. I follow players and story lines more than I do any specific team.
I have always followed international hockey, but kind of passively. Last year I was not only able to follow it from the team websites and the local papers, but I had fans send in notes and photos from Finland, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, France, Russia, Japan, and Korea.
It was cool.
Q.7 - How do you think the Sharks will do this year compared to the rest of the league?
Before the preseason I had them in my top 4 overall. After the free agent signing bonanza, I would have put the Sharks fighting for the last playoff spot in the West, with a number of streaky offensive players and rookies as the major factor. Surprisingly, goaltending and defense has been shakey early. Two areas where the Sharks were strong.
Starting goaltenders Nabokov and Toskala are both injured at the moment, and Nolan Schaefer and Dimitri Patzold may have to fill in for a game or two. On defense, all that is needed is for the Sharks to cycle through very able prospects to find a fifth and sixth defenseman who are solid in their own zone. There are about 5 or 6 candidates who can get the job done. If a competition is created for those positions, it will pressure the defenseman into playing up to their ability.
Q.8 - Who is your favorite hockey player? Why?
Ray Bourque and Al Iafrate were my favorites on the blueline. Ray because he was a complete player on offense and defense, and Al he was one of the few defenseman who other players would get out of the way for when he wound up for a slap shot. Cam Neely and Owen Nolan were two of my favorite forwards because I thought they played the game the way it was meant to be played, by mean Canadians.
San Jose has been blessed with solid goaltending for many years, and not just at the NHL level. From Irbe to Vernon, to Shields and Nabokov, it has been interesting to examine the different styles. Martin Brodeur and Grant Fuhr were goalies I would make an effort to see. Andy Moog still has the best hockey name of all time.
Q.9 - What do you think of OLN replacing ESPN as the NHL’s TV provider?
There are going to be glitches for sure, but I think it is a positive step. The NHL will lose a little audience at first, and OLN has taken a hardline stand with Echostar and Cablevision, but I think it will work itself out and prove to be a boon for the future.
ESPN not only cancelled the NHL2nite highlight show, and passed on the NHL television broadcast contract, but several executives openly took potshots at the league in the months leading up to the decision. Mark Sharpiro’s legacy will be a number of non-sports shows that take ESPN away from what it is, a sports network. Losing the NHL will just be one more bullet point. It is a shame because ESPN had done so much for the sport up until now.
Q.10 - What would you do to draw more fans into the NHL or even just to keep the current fans?
On the West coast, it is a whole different issue than it is in other parts of the country. The biggest thing I think could be done is to make playing hockey more involved with the NHL. Whether it is sponsoring hockey leagues, or expanding on the youth ice or roller hockey the NHL is currently involved in, that is the thing that will get new fans to stick with the sport.
In college, at a gradeschool I volunteered with, my group of fifth and sixth graders could not name one NHL player. After my 2 years, many of them could probably only name Ray Bourque, not sure why. But a cheap street hockey setup I bought at a sporting good store became one of the most popular sports we offered. We had to move to grass for safety, and rules and scores became kind of arbitrary, but they enjoyed it.
Q.11 - What team and/or player do you think will have a breakout year this season?
Everyone is on the Crosby bandwagon, but watching a few highlights from Alexander Ovechkin I think he is going to be the next allstar power forward. If he can make this kind of impact at 20, he is going to be scary good in a year or two.
Q.12 - Do you think the new rules will improve the game of hockey? Are there any more rules that you’d like to see created?
I think it has had a positive effect for the casual fan early, but it has been a little confusing for those who have been following the sport for awhile. Overall I think the more goals and shootouts will result in a entertaining product. With the trap and clogging up the neutral zone, it was becoming too much like soccer. Where 1 or 2 goals could seal a win.
Not sure about what new rules should be created. Something needs to be done about diving. There was a diving list proposed a few years ago. Bring that back. It might help prevent people from taking advantage of the new system.
Q.13 - Do you get upset when people say that markets in the south or west (like California) shouldn’t have a team because there isn’t a big enough market to support one?
I think it is a valid point. What upsets me more is when people call out the fans for supporting, enjoying, or turning out to watch hockey. There are a few local reporters who seem annoyed whenever they have to cover the sport, which is usually when there is a violent act, a lockout, or someone is fired. If you don’t want to write about hockey, we are probably not going to want to read what you have to say about it.
I think ice hockey is growing in popularity, on the youth, college and minor league levels. There are hundreds of fans showing up for club college games, and the ECHL has a new all-California 5 team Pacific division. There was a spike in the popularity of roller hockey in the 90’s, but that is fading. There used to be pickup games at Yahoo, Netscape, Apple, and whatever parking lots and tennis courts were not being used. Now those are a rarity.
Q.15 - Is there a hockey blog or site that you look up to for inspiration?
The first was a BBS by Chuq of Teal Sunglasses fame. With very little hockey in the paper, TV, or radio in the small northern California town I was in, I used to dial into his BBS messageboard from 91 on and discuss/argue the latest about the sport.
The other was LCS hockey, which was more of an internet magazine covering the NHL with a decidedly sarcastic slant. I posted a few highlights from 94-99 in an LCS tribute post.
Other hockey blogs I follow are Off Wing, Jes Golbez, James Mirtle, and Puck Update among others. I like them all.
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