Behind the Blog: Behind the Jersey
Today’s Behind the Blog will feature me, Christy Hammond. I got a little caught up in setting up my new laptop that I forgot to send out more email interviews for BtB in time for Monday’s weekly post. So I’m basically asking myself the basic questions I usually ask my previous interviewees so enjoy my laziness!
Q.1 - When did you create Behind the Jersey and what made you do so?
I started BtJ in the fall of 2003. At that point in time, I’d had my third knee surgery and could no longer play basketball or run track. I decided to refocus my passion for sports into sportswriting. I wrote for my high school paper and finally decided I would like to have a place to openly express my hockey opinions to people who might actually care about the Wings (my high school has always been a Pistons school). I had also recently interviewed a couple of players and the alternate governor (Denise Ilitch) of the team because my best friend was family friends with the 2nd generation Ilitch family so BtJ was a place where I could post these interviews.
Q.2 - When did you start contributing to MVN, On the Wings, and FantasyHockey.com?
I’m not sure when I joined OtW, but I know that it was before I started BtJ. I had come across Matt and Brian’s blog and had a lot in common with Matt so I dropped him an email. After awhile, he invited me to help out with the blog and I gladly accepted the offer.
I started my BtJ mirror site at MVN when I received an email from the head hockey guy at MVN. He asked if I’d be interesting in running the Wings weblog for them and I was certainly eager to gain more readers. I’ve been posting there since June 2005.
I become a writer for FantasyHockey.com this past year after receiving an email from Ray Flowers. I write the Detroit Red Wings monthly team reports about that month’s goaltending, defense, offense, and special teams.
Q.3 - What’s your favorite piece of Wings memorabilia?
I love Wings memorabilia - I’ve spent too much money on it already (easily over $1000). My favorite has to be either this 16×20 Steve Yzerman autographed photograph or the Sweden Gold 2006. This 16×20 photograph shows all 5 golden Swede Red Wings players right after receiving their gold medals and it’s signed by all 5 (Lidstrom, Zetterberg, Kronwall, Samuelsson, and Holmstrom). Sorry Jes Golbez, but gotta love the Swedes (the only bright spot of this season for some Wings players)!
Q.4 - What advice would you give to fellow bloggers, especially newcomers?
Blog for yourself. People won’t always agree with you, but they’re going to keep coming back to read about your opinions. For me, BtJ is an outlet and an expression of my passion for the game. If I’m busy, I don’t “force” myself to blog because then I’d lose the enjoyment factor. And have fun, it’ll show in your posts!
Q.5 - What do you hope to achieve with your blog over the next few years?
I’d obviously like to expand my readership and I’d really like to have readers who interact like Tom Benjamin’s readers. Otherwise, I’m pretty happy with my blog.
Q.6 - When did you become a Detroit Red Wings fan?
I’ve been a Wings fan ever since I can remember. I’ve always lived about a half hour outside Detroit so it’s in my blood. The earliest I can remember is back in the 1993-1994 season. I don’t remember events or details, but the players - Ray Sheppard, Paul Coffey, Vladimir Konstantinov, Steve Yzerman, Sergei Federov, and my favorite (at that point) Dino Cicarelli. I loved Dino and the force he was in front of the net. I actually recently purchased a 1993-1994 Wings Media Guide with 41 autographs including those individuals I just listed.
Unfortunately, I was only 10 when the Wings won in ‘97 so I don’t remember much of those victories aside from staying up late with my Dad watching the games. I never went to a game until I was 14 so I followed the team closely through the TV. The 2002 Cup win was a defining moment in my fanship. It was that season that I became an obsessed Wingnut and not just your typical fan. And as much as Hasek bothers me now, it was so amazing to have a sweet goaltender come playoff time. Plus, the 20 bazillion future Hall of Famers were pretty nice too.
Q.7 - What changes, if any, do you feel necessary for the Wings to become a Cup contender?
We need better goaltending. I won’t be surprised if they keep Manny Legace or Chris Osgood as a backup goalie, but we cannot keep the same tandem as this past season. I don’t know who Holland will get, but an Ozzie and Manny duo will not work again. We need grit and speed desperately. Our defense isn’t too shabby (minus Lilja) and our offense does fine in the regular season. We just need to inject some passion or fire into the players come playoff time - I don’t know how you go about fixing that unless you seriously redo the roster and have Hank, Datsyuk, and Kronwall as our building blocks.
Q.8 - When did you attend your first hockey game and who was playing?
I actually can’t remember my first game and that’s really sad. I know my first game was at the Joe and I want to say it was for my 14th birthday but I could totally be wrong. I think I’ve gone to less than 20 Wings games in my lifetime (7 this season). Since my 14th birthday, I’ve gone to every home game that the Wings have had on my birthday (January 26th).
Q.9 - What first attracted you to the sport of hockey?
At first, it was probably wanting to spend time with my Dad and he always followed the team especially come playoff time. I enjoyed the action of the game and you can’t beat the fighting. Especially when the blood is spilling at a Wings vs. Avs game. My first years as a fan were spent in the height of the rivalry - I don’t know hockey without it. For that, I hate the Avs and any current or past player of theirs (aside from Joe Sakic).
Q.10 - Who is your favorite hockey player (either current or retired player)? Why?
The Captain - Steve Yzerman. He’s an amazing player who doesn’t have the skills he did at the start of his career, but who seems to outplay the Wings every postseason with his passion and fervor for the sport. He’s a leader who is honorable, respectable, and dignified. He tries to keep his private life, well private. Plus, he is my role model when it comes to fighting through debilitating knee pain. I mean he’s the only professional athlete to return to their sport after an osteotomy, which is usually done to help the elderly walk. It’s freaking amazing! If, and when he retires, I will be truly saddened to seem him go. He was named captain in the 1986-87 season (I was born in ‘87) - I don’t know the Wings without him.
I loved this excerpt from a Mitch Albom column right at the start of this year’s playoffs about Yzie:
And now, with the younger Red Wings, I ask, do they see you that way?”Oh, it’s like I’m ancient, yeah. They don’t want to go for dinner where I go to dinner. They don’t want to see the movies I want to see. … Music. They’re all into hip-hop and I just don’t get it.”
What music are you into?
He laughs. “The same music you’re into.”
And that’s the thing about Yzerman, isn’t it? The young fans admire him because he’s The Captain. The older fans admire him because he handles it with dignity. And people his own age admire him because he listens to their music — yet he’s still out there, banging with the kids. I mean, how do you not like a guy who moans of his young teammates: “They don’t even know who Led Zeppelin is.”
Q.11 - What did you do to pass the time during the lockout last year?I blogged and that’s when I noticed people started reading my blog on a more consistent basis. It was so depressing when it looked like there might be a short season in Jan/Feb, but the negotiations fell apart. I was soo upset at that point in time - I still blame the silly owners. I also watched more TV and got addicted to a couple shows (namely House and Lost).
I was also my high school’s superfan, especially the guy’s soccer team, so that kept me busy. My class won 10 state titles in the four years we were there in women’s basketball (3 straight!), men’s soccer, men’s track, women’s tennis (back2back), men’s lax (twice), and women’s soccer. And we’ve won countless runner-up titles because Detroit Country Day owns all. 
Q.12 - Which team has surprised you the most this season? Disappointed you? Why?
The Oilers have probably surprised me the most. I wouldn’t have picked them to be close to the Conference finals at the start of the season. Now I was terrified of them before the start of the playoffs, but that fear certainly wasn’t there at the beginning of the season.
I don’t know which team has disappointed me the most. I’m bitter that the Wings lost in the first round and still feel that the Wings had a team to make it to the finals (but the Oilers played better, not denying that). I thought the Penguins wouldn’t have sucked as much as they did. I wasn’t expecting an amazing season, but they were just so awful.
Q.13 - Name a player who should be put in the Hockey Hall of Fame that is not currently a member.
Aside from the obvious big (I mean big) name players, I’d pick Igor Larionov. Aside from being an amazing player (he wasn’t called the Professor for nothing), he had a real impact on the game especially with helping to open the game up to fellow Russians.
Q. 14 - Aside from hockey, what other sporting events do you enjoy watching?
I watch the Detroit Pistons once in awhile during the regular season and then closely around the 2nd round of the playoffs (Deeetroit Basketballl). As much as the Lions suck, I religiously watch them play every Sunday and my fall weekends are spent at the Big House (cheering on my University of Michigan football team) and watching the NFL.
During the summer, I am glued to OLN watching the Tour de France. Lance Armstrong is my second favorite athlete (behind Yzerman) and I so enjoyed watching him race over the past few years. I expect a movie to be made of his trials and victories in the years to come. It’ll be interesting to see who takes it this year: Floyd Landis? George Hincappie? Ivan Basso? Jan Ullrich? Alexandre Vinokourov? Levi Leipheimer? I can’t wait until July!
Q.15 - Is there any hockey blogs or websites that you look to for inspiration?
When it comes to opinions and humor, I absolutley love Jeff & Alanah at Vancouver Canucks Op Ed, Jes Golbez @ Hockey Rants, and IwoCPO at Abel to Yzerman.
For the more newsy type (with opinions inserted), I enjoy reading James Mirtle and Off Wing.
And where would I be without Paul at Kukla’s Korner?
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