Behind the Blog: Army of Ohio
This is the second BtB after a long summer hiatus so I’m pleased to introduce you to Michael Turner, the blogger of Army of Ohio. He’s one of the few solid outlets for all Columbus Blue Jackets fans and I’ll try to not hold it against him that he’s transfering to OSU (Go Blue!).
Q.1 – According to your archives, you started Army of Ohio in May 2006. Why did you start a hockey blog?
I actually started blogging a little before that around mid-February, just as the Winter Olympics were about to start up. Back then I started blogging on the FoxSports Blog community, and was under the name The Aspiring Intern’s Impressions.
But I left about three months later because the whole site was just a total wreck. They really didn’t have their act together there, and there was just so little focus on hockey blogs, except for Spector’s blog. Last I checked you still couldn’t link out to non-FoxSports Blogs, either … so you had to rely on what you had in the community, which left a lot to be desired, and left you out of the blogosphere-at-large loop.
So I started Army of the Ohio! I’d wanted to focus more specifically on hockey and not feel like I was just being ignored by a community totally obsessed with the other sports. I love to write, and I want to use this as a stepping stool in to being more involved in sports, since I’m majoring in Sports & Leisure when I transfer to Ohio State University in January.
Q.2 – Due to the Columbus Blue Jackets being a newer team and not having the success as other franchises, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of coverage for the team. Would you agree with that statement? What areas do you believe need improvement to garner more attention and fans for the team?
I think that with a team that is only now starting to climb the top of the mountain, so to speak, you can only ask for so much. Even though the Blue Jackets have no professional sports team competition in Columbus (unless you want to count the MLS Crew or the AFL Destroyers), the OSU Buckeyes are always going to be the kings around here, in large part because they actually win regularly and have such high expectations attached to them.
But things are moving in the right direction! There’s a good few positive signs both locally and nationally that the Blue Jackets are starting to get recognition. For example, 5-6 of Columbus’ games weren’t aired by any television networks last season, and I believe they only had one stint on OLN. This season, though, all but one game is going to get television coverage, with three on NBC and three on Versus (the rest on FSN Ohio).
There’s still a ways to go, though. But I think you get what you give when it comes to coverage. If the Jackets can secure a playoff berth this year, it’ll put them on a faster track towards coverage on all levels.
Q.3 – What made you become an Blue Jackets fan?
If I say it’s because I love the color blue, will you laugh?
Haha, but really … a key part of it was that I was moving to Columbus last year in the first place. After the lock-out, and after being stranded in the middle of nowhere, Missouri (a failed stint at college at Mizzou), I just felt really disattached from hockey. I’d been a Devils’ fan for my whole life up until I went to Missouri for a few years, and I just sort of drifted away from the sport.
But then I came to Columbus, and it was like I was hit with this total drive to dive right back into hockey! And for some reason, I just found myself being drawn to the Blue Jackets. I didn’t really care that they didn’t have a storied history, Stanley Cups, or even a single playoff berth in their short history. Maybe it was because they were the proverbial doormats of the NHL at the time? Something about the team, though, excited me. It was different, having followed a winning and notable team in New Jersey for so long. But different in a fresh start of way.
So many of the Blue Jackets are just great guys, from what I’ve seen. I can’t get enough of the guys like Jason Chimera and Duvie Westcott when they’re being spoken with on FSN Ohio, and I’ve been very interested in Pascal Leclaire ever since he first got called up from Syracuse last season. Then you got energy guys like Jody Shelley, and the prerequisite stars like Rick Nash, and hopefully Sergei Fedorov can get back up to par this coming season. And don’t forget great stories such as Bryan Berard and his fight against an eye injury to become a respectable defensemen, and Adam Foote all but winning the team over as a Captain when he scored that OT goal early in the season that snapped Nashville’s winning streak.
Q.4 – What do you hope to achieve with your blog over the next few years?
Hell, I’ll be happy if I just make it to year one!
In all honesty, though, I’d like to continue making this blog better and better, in terms of the quality of the entries, the quality of the blog itself, and also draw more Blue Jackets fans to it as a way to keep up with the team from a fan’s perspective. I know there are plenty of Blue Jackets fans out there in pockets around the ‘net, such as message boards or LiveJournal communities. I’d like to do my best to be someone who can give to fellow fans of the team from a more personal perspective.
And like I mentioned in another answer, I also want to use this as a way for me to get my foot in the door as someone who is actually making the news in sports, and not just following it from the outside looking in. I hope to use this blog as a way to sharpen my skills as someone who covers hockey, and use this along with my future major to do something in the sport I love.
I mean … I don’t think I’ll be the next Theo Epstein, but you never know, right?
Q.5 – Who is your favorite hockey player (either current or retired player)? Why?
Claude Lemieux.
… yeah, just kidding.
Actually, one of my favorite hockey players that comes to mind is John Madden of the Devils. I remember that he was only a rookie with the Devils when they won their second of three Stanley Cups in a decade, and I always remember how excited I got when the Devils were on the Penalty Kill with him on the ice.
Yes, the Penalty Kill. If I recall, one of the big draws about him to me was that he had a pretty notable record for having the most shorthanded goals in a season back in college (it may’ve either been in the NCAA itself or just his team). I loved watching and waiting to see if he would break out of nowhere and go streaking down the rink on a breakaway with his speed. He actually reminds me of Jason Chimera a little bit, except more polished. They both have that blinding speed, but Madden does have the upper hand on puck control and knowing exactly when to use that speed.
Q.6 – What are your thoughts on the recent Anson Carter signing?
I want to say that I like it, but at the same time I also want to say I’m saddened that things with Nikolai Zherdev are at such a bad point that this signing had to happen in the first place. I have my reservations about Carter, but when put into perspective, one of the key positives is that Carter, who is a veteran, is a more polished player who has had more time in the NHL. Zherdev, meanwhile, still leaves a lot of questions when it comes to his play. Will he ever be able to realize that he needs to put more effort into playing defense when needed? And how about issues concerning selfishness with the puck?
Carter, meanwhile, is a more rounded player who can actually help on D when needed, and isn’t known for hogging the puck. He knows how to play well with others, and seems excited to be coming to Columbus (but then again, this was probably a last ditch deal since it was so close to training camp). If he can do with Nash, Fedorov, Modin or the others what he did with the Sedin Twins in Vancouver, he’ll fit in just fine.
And who knows. Maybe an early Christmas miracle will happen and Zherdev will sign with the Jackets before the season starts. Then we’ll have more top six forwards than we know what to do with, for once!
Q.7 – Which team do you think made the most improvements during the offseason whether it’s staff, signings, trades, etc?
I don’t know if I can really narrow it down to just one team. Some of the signings and trades that really stuck out to me were not just with a single team.
I liked what the Penguins have been doing over the offseason, finally aquiring Evgeni Malkin, and then getting back Mark Recchi, as well as drafting Jordan Staal with the 2nd pick of the 2006 Draft. I don’t know if they’re ready to get into the playoffs just yet, but they’re moving in the right direction. But then again they have nowhere to go but up, huh?
And then there was Anaheim’s trade for Chris Pronger. You can’t say enough about just how intimidating it is going to be for any team that has to deal with Pronger and Neidermeyer either one after the other, or at the same time. And with both Guigere and Bryzgalov behind them guarding the pipes, I’d be tempted to say their defense is about as rock solid as it can possibly get leading in to this coming season.
Q.8 – If you had to pick the worst signing or trade of the summer, which one would it be and why?
No one would blame me if I said the 15-year bombshell of a deal that the Islanders gave Rick DiPietro, right? There’s just no way I can even wrap my brain around what Charles Wang has done.
If that isn’t reason enough to consider it the worst signing this summer, all you need to do is hop on over to TSN and see the interview between Rod Smith and Garth Snow. Both me and Eric at Off Wing made almost the same commentary at how he looked as Smith asked him those questions. You know when your own General Manager looks like he wants to break down and cry, that it was just an awful, horrible deal.
I don’t like the Islanders, but even they don’t deserve this sort of fate. No hockey team does.
Q.9 – If you were in charge of marketing / advertising for the NHL, what would you showcase in print, radio, and TV ads?
Print) The recent sign of people in the NHL – both at the league level and team level – looking towards bloggers for coverage and getting in touch with the fans is the best thing I can think of when it comes to print marketing and advertising of the sport. The NHL needs to play to their strengths, and while it might be a little over the top for me to say this, I think that bloggers that cover hockey are much more well-spoken, active, and even knowledgeable when it comes to this sport, compared to the other pro sports in North America. If the NHL can use this to their advantage, they can aim for a younger, more tech. saavy audience.
TV ads) I would drop a hydrogren bomb on whoever made those impersonal, totally generic “MyNHL†commercials, first and foremost. You remember that YouTube video you put up a while ago on your blog showing a commercial with Shanahan and Fedorov, and the comedic feel to it? That is what I would bring back.
But there’s also a need for more serious and dramatic emphasis on the sport, too. The media department needs to find some sort of guy like the guy who does all those NFL Films and NFL commercial-based voice overs. A voice that you’ll recognize, and that’ll send shivers down your spine when they talk about the sport, even if you don’t even like it!
Q.10 - Is there any hockey blog or website that you look to for inspiration?
The very first blog that I ever started reading that was about hockey, which is Off Wing Opinion. When I was still using AOL, I saw his blog was at the bottom of AOL’s Top 10 Sport’s Blog list (probably just the typical “token hockey guy†choice), and I started reading it sometime around the start of last season, or a couple months in. Eric amazes me at how he’s been at this for quite some time, and the fact that he seems to be in contact with his local team, the Capitals. I got to say I’m pretty envious that he’s able to be that involved, especially now as he and several other bloggers (and even some people in the NHL) work on things such as the possibility of media credentials for bloggers.
Any additional comments?
I think this BtB is already long enough. So … good night, Internet!
Behind the Blog: Jerseys & Hockey Love
After a long summer hiatus, Behind the Blog is back for the season. Tapeleg at Jerseys and Hockey Love is going to start it off for us this year. JAHL is a new hockey blog dedicated to talking about hockey jerseys, minor league hockey fun, and the Colorado Avalanche. It’s a fun and always interesting read.
Q.1 – According to your archives, you started Jerseys and Hockey Love in May 2006. Why did you start a hockey blog?
I started JAHL to get into the conversation. Most of the people I am around on a daily basis are not hockey fans. Only one, in fact, so it’s kind of hard to talk hockey with people. I found a few really good blogs from all over the world, with people who had a lot of personality, and spoke their mind. I can do both, so I saw this as the perfect medium to get the conversation started..
Q.2 – Many of your posts are in regards to various hockey jerseys that you own. How many do you actually have? Which one is your favorite and why?
How many? Way too many. Around 40, on this count. That’s a lot of jerseys. A few are blank, a few signed, several game worn, and none of them are the new ‘Swift’ jerseys. I don’t really care for those.
Favorites: I can’t pick just one
David Aebischer 3rd. It’s kind of unique, with a black stripe through his name, following his trade (my little protest).
Dan Hinote Game Worn
Masow Dynamo Game Worn: Softest jersey ever
Cincinnati Cyclones Game Worn
Q.3 – What made you become an Avalanche fan?
The Stanley Cup win in 1996. Going towards the third overtime, I was biting my nails. No game had ever made me feel that way. And I had never been a ‘sports’ fan. Even now, I am a hockey fan, and could care less about other sports. The only other one that I enjoy is Lacrosse. That SCF game alone did it for me. I was sold.
But I will say this. I am a hockey fan first, and an Avs fan a very close second. I can go to a game anywhere and be entertained. I love going to games in the minors, juniors, or even high school tournements. I stay for the kid’s games between periods. I’m not turning my back on the Avs, but I am a Hockey Fan. I love the sport, not just my team.
Q.4 – What do you hope to achieve with your blog over the next few years?
Some of what I want is along the lines of the audience, and some are all about me. I would love to get some more readers from Colorado (but I love the readers from everywhere). I don’t know how Colorado sports fans react to the blogs. I’d also love to see more comments, if only to up the conversation factor. I love talking hockey with people, and the comments on the blogs is the outlet for that.
As for me, I hope to become a better writer. Sometimes, I struggle with what I want to say, or how to say it. Metephor eludes me too often. It gets better all the time, and hopefully won’t stop anytime soon. All of the writing I have ever done before has tanked quickly. I would either just give up, or hate what I was doing. A lot of writers hate to write, but love to have writen (to have the work done). This blog is fun for me to write, and to have writen. It’s the first time I have really, truly enjoyed facing the writing, and that makes it all easier.
Q.5 – Who is your favorite hockey player (either current or retired player)? Why?
You are either going to love this answer, or hate it. I’m going to give you two:
Current Player: David Aebischer. No longer an Av, and getting the short end of the trade, I feel like he was never given a real chance. Even before his slide last season, he was never mentioned as the goalie of the future for the Avs. He got traded after a strange year for every goaltender with the Avs. I would rather have Aebie back any day.
Former player: George Plimpton. (Wha?!?!?) Plimpton, for those who don’t know, played 5 minutes in goal for the Boston Bruins against the Broad Street Bullies in an exibition game. Then he went and wrote one of my favorite hockey books. He had the guts to do what most would shy away from, and he even ‘stopped’ a penalty shot against Reggie Leach (he fell down and got a toe on it). George, of course, played other sports, and wrote some great books about it, but Open Net is just a great book. Go read it.
Honorable Mention: Joe Sakic. Even if you hate the Avs, you have to love Super Joe. He is an amazing player while also being one of the nicest and most honorable out there. It’s hard not to like him.
Q.6 – Which team do you see making a lot of improvement this season and which one do you think will not be as successful as last year?
I think Nashville will be suprisingly good this year. Much like Calgary, they had some really good elements, but needed a few more players to go with their stars. They have that now. They also have some decent third and fourth lines. If Vokoun is healthy, they have a shot.
Minnesota will be interesting. They are being built different than they have been coached. Is the defensive style of play going to rub hard against the scoring talent they picked up? It’s going to be fun to watch.
I can’t see the Stars doing much this year. They haven’t done much to gain anything, and lost some players. Are they going to rely on Turco to get the job done for the rest of them? Hard to tell.
Q.7 – A lot of members of the media see the Avs going down in the Western Conference standings, do you agree? If not, why?
Confidence hasn’t been high lately. But now that the lineup looks to be solidified, a team may be coming together. The season of Kariya and Selanne was a bust for the Avs, mostly because there wasn’t enough room for that many stars on one team. They weren’t acting like a team. You could see it in the style of play, you could watch it happen. Now that we don’t have the stars, teamwork will have to get them through. It’s what made the Hurricanes so successful last year. Also, the team will live and die by Jose Theodore. If he makes a comeback, they can do well, but they lack in the goalie depth department should he disapoint.
Long and the short, I haven’t written them off, but they have been successful for too long not to fail at some point. If they have to go through a little pain to figure out how to exist in the post-cap era, this is the time to do it. And who better to do it around than Joe Sakic.
Q.8 – What do you think the NHL should do to reach out to potential fans?
There is so much work that can be done for new fans, it’s hard to pick out just a few. The NHL started to restore some of the fun and credibility to the game, and now they have to build on that.
Lowering ticket prices would be a huge step. It’s something that has been batted around a lot, and for good reason. Make the game accessable to the common man, and they will get more fans. Baseball doesn’t draw fans just because it’s baseball, but the tickets are really affordable. I hear stories about fans going to the game for five dollars, hanging out with friends, and having the time of their lives. Those days are gone. The NHL needs to make the game available, and the fans will write their own stories around it. This many games at these kind of prices are a recipe for disaster.
If the NHL and individual teams can get their egos out of the way, they will be able to see the path. Look at the minors. Those guys do nothing but try and reach fans. It shouldn’t be too hard.
Q.9 – What would your dream jersey consist of (team, player, autographs, etc)?
I’m so glad you asked. My dream jersey already exists. Ingmar W. Bergman of Ingmar Bergman Shoots…And Scores designed a Jerseys and Hockey Love jersey for me. He put a ton of thought into the design, from the colors to the font for the names. Talk about flattering. Frankly, it’s one of the best looking jerseys I’ve ever seen. Ingmar has an excellent site, with great analysis, humor, and he’s a bit of a photoshop genius. He has a lot of different jersey designs on his site. Any NHL team looking for a new third jersey should look him up. Now I just have to get a few JAHL jerseys made. And believe me, I will.
Q.10 - Is there any hockey blog or website that you look to for inspiration?
You bet there is. There are so many good blogs out there, I can’t read them all. But I have a few that inspire me everyday. Zanstorm and Hodge at Waiting For Stanley have really embraced me as a blogger. I get to bounce things off of them, and love their sense of humor. (My name is) Earl Sleek at the Battle of California is another. He has the only Battle site with only one person posting to it. Reality Check at Eyes On The Prize has some of the best storytelling in hockey blogging. He talks about hockey history with flair and excitement, without sounding pompus. Great stuff.
Alanah at VCOE was the blog who got me started. Reading what she had to say, and them bantering with her in the comments section, really got me thinking I had a few things worth saying. Frankly, she’s one of the best. She has also made a great foil.
Also, I want to mention American Hockey Fan. I wish I was half as funny as those guys. They bring more humor to the game, while having something real to say on top of it.
BTW: have I mentioned your blog? I read a lot of Behind the Blog before I started mine. And the fact that you bring a lot of yourself to the writing and perspectives make for a great read.
Any additional comments?
It shouldn’t be hard to become a hockey fan. It’s the greatest game ever. But, for a new fan, it can be daunting to get into. Not just understanding the rules, but also finding out about the game’s rich history. So often, when new fans talk hockey, they find out how much they don’t know rather than enjoying hearing the stories. Most of what I heard from people was how hockey was so much better in their day. We are looking at hockey with a new flair, a new excitement, maybe a better game then there was ever. If you have a new hockey fan in your life, get them to a game, and take them under your fandom wing.
Also, there is so much good writing about hockey on these blogs, people should be clicking around, checking out what is being said. Take in some personallity, chat with these people, let them know you are interested. The blogs out there are making me an even bigger fan of the game. With the season getting close, it’s only going to get better. Click around, look at who they like, read some of the archives. Don’t miss out on some of the best hockey writing out there. These people aren’t unreachable either. They are real fans, not just a reporter behind a desk. Post a comment yourself, let them know you are out there. Get in the conversation.
Behind the Blog: Casonblog
Today’s Behind the Blog features Scott at Casonblog. His blog is a great read for all that is the Carolina Hurricanes, especially this post-season. Hopefully for his sake, he’ll have a reason to celebrate tonight.
Oh, I will not be liveblogging tonight, but I’m sure Alanah will.
Q.1 – Your archives date Casonblog back to July 15, 2005. Why did you decide to start a blog dedicated to covering the Carolina Hurricanes?
The connection to the Hurricanes is one of the things I miss most since I moved to Tucson. CasonBlog was created to keep that connection going. I never thought it would amount to more than an outlet for my ravings, but folks seem to be listening in.
Q.2 – What are your thoughts / feelings / emotions heading into Game #7 of the Stanley Cup Finals after your team was up, 3-1, in the series?
Heading in I was still numb from the bad way game five ended. Got a momentary boost upon seeing Erik Cole return to the ice, but that feeling was quickly dashed. Last night was really not a painful as game five, because I guess down deep I sensed the tide was turning. Game five was the Hurricanes for the taking in OT.
Q.3 – What stereotype do you hate dealing with the most regarding your fellow Hurricane fans?
That’s a great question. Hockey fans are hockey fans. Every club has a cadre of bandwagon folks who show up when it’s the “in†thing to do. Every fan base needs time to develop. Some folks don’t want to give the Hurricane fan base that time. They believe by accident of birth in northern climes they assume some higher caste in hockey culture. The tide is changing, hundreds of thousands are leaving northern cities and migrating south and west, and many are hockey fans. Those émigrés will retain their Red Wing or Sabers, but their kids will embrace the new.
There are smart and passionate hockey fans in the Triangle, just as there are in Tampa and the ATL (much as I hate to admit the latter). I think regional media plays a major role in belittling the fan base, thereby fueling the derision of opposing fan bases. The News and Observer has run articles designed to “educate†the locals with simplistic rule breakdowns, lists of hockey buzz words and guidance on how to dress the part of a hockey fan. The put out the same drivel they put out in 2002. It’s more about their arrogance and ignorance than the fans.
Q.4 – What advice would you give to fellow bloggers, especially newcomers?
When I first started, I thought the role of the blogger was to recap or aggregate information. I thought it was about statistical breakdowns and rumor mongering. Then I went to a blog seminar last fall and one of the presenters listed what he called the “4 P’s of Blogging.†He said good blogs were all about passion, a clear point of view, perseverance, and they reflect the personality of the blogger. Right after that I discovered Jes Golbez’s Hockey Rants and realized it was Ok to tap into your darker side. So my advice would be, “to thine own self be true.â€
Q.5 – What do you hope your visitors get out of reading your blog? Do you have any “blog goals” for the next year or two?
I hope people have a laugh and want to keep visiting for an irreverent take on events, personalities, and hockey culture. I do it to have a seat at the bar and be part of a conversation I really enjoy, even though I live over two thousand miles from Raleigh.
As far as goals go, I’m torn. We had a saying in the Navy, if it’s not fun; you’re not doing it right. I want it to be fun and as long as it’s fun I’ll keep it up.
The marketeer in me thinks I should craft a business model for the blog and work to generate revenue. That might come at the expense of fun. Fun rules.
Q.6 - When did you become a Carolina Hurricanes fan?
I became a Caniac during the 2001 playoffs. The Hurricanes were down three games to none, and the Devils were beating them and beating them up (déjà vu all over again?). I remember listening to game two on the radio driving down from Manassas, Virginia to Raleigh. That was the game Scott Stevens knocked out Shane Willis. During the week, I watched game three, where Stevens knocked out Ron Francis. As a former Ranger fan, I was never a fan of the Devils, so I naturally took to the Hurricanes and the whole hockey south experiment.
Q.7 – Why did the Hurricanes make it to the Stanley Cup finals this year? What do the Canes need to do to win Game #7?
Jim Rutherford/Pete Karmanos built this team for the “New NHL.†They made a lot of cost effective acquisitions in preparation for this season, and saved enough cap space to bring in veteran players at the trade deadline. They hired a dynamite coach, got great clubhouse leadership from Rod Brind ‘Amour, Glen Wesley, Kevyn Adams and Cory Stillman, and enjoyed the fruits of breakout seasons from Justin Williams, Erik Cole and Eric Staal.
To win game seven, the Hurricanes need to skate like it’s game one of the season. Somehow, they need to find a reserve of energy to put some speed and killer instinct back into their game. They need to open the ice back up and play like they believe in themselves. Screw the last two games. Start over and come out of the tunnel with the swagger and guile that got them to the Stanley Cup Finals. If they allow themselves to get bullied and take bad penalties on Monday night, it’s close but no cigar time again.
Q.8 - When did you attend your first hockey game and who was playing?
My first hockey game was a WHA game around 1977. The Cincinnati Stingers were playing the Winnipeg Jets. Bobby Hull played for the Jets. My first hockey heroes were Rick Dudley and enforcer Dale Smedsmo of the Stingers. When we played pond or street hockey, my pards and I used to trade off being Duds and Smo-The goal scorer got to be Duds and the first guy to pound him got to be Smo. I don’t remember ever seeing Barry Melrose as a Stinger.
Q.9 – Which player, do you believe, has had the greatest impact on this SCF series whether it was an Oiler’s player or a Cane?
Chris Pronger. He is the constant calm in the storm and an absolute stopper on defense. They didn’t even need Jussi last night. Pronger has ice water in his veins and the reach and instinct of King Kong. Even when the Oil were down 3-1, Pronger had this look in his eyes like he had the Canes right where he wanted them.
Q.10 - Who is your favorite hockey player (either current or retired player)? Why?
My all-time favorite player is a guy named Helmut Balderis. He played for the Soviets in the 70’s and was a magician with the puck. He was the first guy I ever saw score a goal off a 360 with the puck on a breakaway. He got a sniff in the NHL with the North Stars, but was far beyond his prime.
Q.11 – What did you do to pass the time during the lockout last year?
I scanned Spector and the media outlets for a glint of hope every day. I also started playing hockey again here in Tucson.
Q.12 – What changes do you see the Hurricanes making in the offseason?
I think the Canes will let Gerber, Weight, Kaberle and Recchi go. Glen Wesley will probably retire. Hedican may as well. I think JR will try and move Oleg Tverdovsky.
I think the core of this squad in years to come will be Cam Ward, Staal (x2?), Cole, Stillman, Williams, Ladd, Commodore, Aaron Ward and Nic Wallin.
I hope the Canes make the move to shed Jack Johnson and pick up Jordan Staal with the second pick. I don’t think Johnson wants to play for Carolina, so good riddance bubba. Throw in Tverdovsky or Kaberle if they want the pot sweetened.
Q.13 – Where do you see the NHL in 5 years? Why? Is there some area that you’d like to see the NHL improve during that timespan?
In five years, I think the NHL will become more established in the south. I think the Lightning have some nice momentum going, the Capitals are building a solid team and starting to bring back fans, and the hated Thrash are going to be a consistent force in the league. I’m not sure about Nashville’s long term viability, but the lure for players to play in warmer climes, solid management running southern teams and growing fan bases will fuel this change.
Q. 14 - Which team surprised you the most this season? Disappointed you?
The Hurricanes and Sabers surprised me most. Nobody picked either to be contenders and both were top teams, wire-to-wire. I thought some of the teams that departed the playoffs without a whimper were disappointing-namely the Rangers and Avalanche.
Q.15 – Is there any hockey blog or website that you look to for inspiration?
Inspiration comes in many forms. I’m a total homer, so I really dig our little Caniac blog quinfecta. Red and Black Hockey, Sweet Tea…, Stormbringer, and the Penalty Killer are my first stops for inspiration.
I go to Hockey Rants, Covered in Oil, Japers’ Rink, Vancouver Canucks Op-Ed and Ingmar Bergman expecting to laugh. I go to Off Wing, James Mirtle, SISU and Kukla’s to be educated. When I’m looking for a little provocation, I go to Bfloblog and mudcrutch79. And I go to A2Y to see where this media is heading and to marvel at the machine IwoCPO has built in so little time.
Any additional comments?
The biggest thing CasonBlog has created for me is a connection to smart and passionate hockey fans. I really enjoy an ongoing dialog that crosses continents and perceptual and cultural barriers. I think our new media is going to change the way this sport is covered, promoted, and grown. We are an untapped resource that NHL media heads need to start paying attention to. Thanks Christy for this feature. You’ve done a lot to build this community. I’m honored to join the ranks.
Behind the Blog: Battle of Alberta
Today’s Behind the Blog features Matt and Sacamano, the guys who run Battle of Alberta. I apologize for not getting this up earlier today, but I had three appointments that kept me busy. This BtB is much longer than previous ones because there are two people answering each question.
Sacamano is the Edmonton Oilers fan who is looking forward to tonight’s game and hoping the Oilers can tie up the series. Matt is the Calgary Flames fan who wishes he was watching his team return to the Stanley Cup Finals. Both are entertaining writers who joke around with each other, analyze interesting statistics, and provide their postgame thoughts.
Q.1 – When did you create Battle of Alberta and what made you do so?
Matt: Mid-September of 2005, a few weeks before the season started. I had been blogging more about hockey at my old general blog more, and found that it was pretty much the only thing I was interested in writing about.
The anticipation was pretty high in both Calgary and Edmonton, so this format just seemed like a good idea. It was originally going to be a bigger group weblog, but it seemed to be going well early on with just the two of us. Plus, most other good candidates for contributing to our blog already have their own.
(Alternate, more mystical answer: it came to me while eating some Taco Bell.)
Sacamano: Matt gets all the credit/blame. We both came from the world of general purpose blogging; but, I tired of that pretty quickly, and I guess Matt did too. We went to high school together in Calgary and had a few jobs together after that, so we kept in touch even though he was living down in Lethbridge while I had moved up to Edmonton. He just emailed me up one day and suggested it. Given how good the two teams looked at the start of the season and how excited folks in the two cities were after the lockout, the timing seemed perfect.
Q.2 – Do you guys ever get annoyed with one another? Especially after one team loses in the playoffs and the other goes on to another round?
Matt: Nah. Sacamano is far too lovable, and we’ve been friends for too long. The only upside to the Oilers’ run has been how much fun he’s been having.
Sacamano: I haven’t yet been annoyed by Matt – well, no more than I ever was – but maybe that is because it was my team that made it through. Actually, I was most annoyed with the fact that Calgary lost and prevented a Battle of Alberta Western Conference Final. The stars were all aligned but . . . .
Q.3 – What makes Alberta such a hockey place?
Matt: Hard to say exactly. There is about 110 years of history behind the Battle of Alberta, and minor hockey participation is pretty good too. The population threshold for a small community in this province to have a hockey arena is probably around 1000. (For a curling rink, it’s about 500).
Sacamano: I’m not sure Alberta is any more of a hockey place than anywhere else in Canada (doesn’t Saskatchewan send more players per capita to the NHL than any other province?), I just think that we were fortunate to have had two amazing teams playing each other at the same time. The legacy of the 80’s Oilers and Flames has persisted in the fanbase, which makes it a pretty fun place to follow hockey—at least when the teams are doing well.
Q.4 – What advice would you give to fellow bloggers, especially newcomers?
Matt: Do whatever you want, whatever pleases and amuses you. If it feels like work, I don’t know why you’re bothering.
Sacamano: I’m not sure I’ve been in the game long enough to really give too much advice. Like everyone says, having fun is the most important. I think format really helps with this – I got bored pretty quickly of my first general issues blog, probably because the subject matter was just way too wide open and it seemed like everyone else was doing the same thing – only better. For me, The Battle of Alberta worked well for a few reasons. First, it provides a nice anchor to a pretty narrowly defined subject, while still allowing us the opportunity to talk about hockey more broadly. Second, the “adversarial†format made it really fun. I noticed that in your Behind the Blog feature with JP (Jon) from Japers Rink, he noted: “trash talking is such an integral part of hockey and being a third-party observer to buddies (I think) dishing it back and forth in a friendly manner is great fun.†That was exactly how the BofA started – two old high school buddies poking fun at each other. It’s basically what we would have been doing anyway, so, hey, why not let other people participate too?
Q.5 – What do you hope to achieve with your blog over the next few years?
Matt: I don’t even know what we’re trying to achieve next month. See Answer #4.
Sacamano: To be honest, I’m not entirely sure what the future holds, if anything. I’ll be moving out of the country soon, and I’m just not sure I’ll have the time to devote to it, especially without the ability to check out the Oilers first hand. On the other, a whole lot of the Oilers bloggers live outside of Edmonton, and they do a fantastic job, so maybe it is possible. Frankly, the fact that we helped phrases like “The Orbs of Power†enter the general lexicon is as good a legacy as we could probably ever hope to achieve.
Q.6 - When did you become an Edmonton Oilers fan? Calgary Flames fan?
Matt: The Flames came to Calgary the same season I started playing hockey myself, right before Grade 2. It came together nicely, as my Dad got half-season tickets as well.
It’s possible that if the Flames hadn’t come for another couple of years, I would have ended up an Oil fan (shudder). My Grandpa in Edmonton was the only guy I remember back then who had an interest in pro hockey, and he was a huge Oiler fan. It could have rubbed off, were it not for the timely arrival of the Flames in Calgary.
Sacamano: Given that I grew up in Calgary, I was obviously a Flames fan first. A big Flames fan. But, somewhere around the early 90’s I basically lost interest in watching the NHL. In 1996 I moved to Edmonton which was around the time that Edmonton started pulling some first round upsets (Colorado 1998, Dallas, etc.).
It wasn’t until January 17th, 1999, however, that I became a full blown Oilers fan after winning the “Canadian Tire/Edmonton Oilers Ultimate Fan Experience”: buffet dinner, stick signed by Bucky, t-shirt, cap, Oilers away sweater, $25 of certificates good for food or beer, and two lower bowl seats at this beauty of a game.
So, in short, my allegiances were purchased. I felt guilty about it for about 2 minutes. Edmonton is just a terrific sports town that it is a total blast to cheer for the local team along with everyone else.
Q.7 – Why did the Oilers make it to the Stanley Cup finals this year? And what about the Flames caused them to miss out on a repeat trip?
Matt: The Oilers are really good, I don’t know that there’s much more to say. They addressed their one brutal weakness at the trading deadline by picking up Roloson. They create a lot of scoring chances, and do a pretty decent job preventing them. Plus, they’ve been lucky: I don’t mean any particular individual bounces, just that you have to be to get this far.
In the same sense, the Flames were a bit unlucky. Also, I think the team system, or mindset, probably went too far in the Defensive direction. Their scoring was pretty good on the PP and when they got behind, but they were pretty conservative otherwise. I think they need to adjust their system to allow for more chances, odd man rushes, etc. both for and against. They have a terrific goalie and group of defensemen; I’d like to see their style of play rely a bit more on those guys making plays.
Sacamano: This one is easy. The Oilers are good, the Flames aren’t.
Q.8 - When did you attend your first hockey game and who was playing?
Matt: I went to the Flames’ 3rd ever home game at age 7, which IIRC was a 5-4 loss to the Leafs and certainly the latest I had ever stayed up in my life. Before that, I went once to a WHL game between the Calgary Wranglers (in goal: Michael Vernon) and the Billings Bighorns. I don’t remember who won, just that the snacks were good.
Sacamano: I actually have no idea. The First Oilers game I was ever at was the one that converted me. I honestly think that the first Flames game I was ever at was with Matt this season – and what a game it was! Before that, I remember going to see the Calgary Wranglers play the Brandon Wheat Kings. And I remember going to see one game with the Soviet team during the 1988 Olympics, although I can’t even remember who they were playing.
Q.9 – What first attracted you to the sport of hockey?
Matt: I was going to say that it’s way too long ago to remember, but that’s not quite right. I just was, and am: there was never anything resembling an evaluation or decision-making process. You might as well ask me why I’m heterosexual.
Sacamano: I’m not sure you really have a choice up here. I mean, of course you have a choice, but when you are introduced to hockey through a childhood of road hockey, Saturday meals around Hockey Night in Canada, and the 80’s Battle of Alberta, it would have been pretty difficult for any elementary school kid growing up in Alberta during the 70’s/80’s not to have developed some sort of attraction to the game. I’m actually one of those rare Canadian kids who didn’t ever play the game in an organized league. But I still maintain that I was one of the top street-hockey players of my generation.
Q.10 - Who is your favorite hockey player (either current or retired player)? Why?
Matt: Close call, but probably Al Macinnis. Honourable mentions go to Theo Fleury, Joe Nieuwendyk, Gary Roberts, and Jamie Macoun. My first ever favourite player was #25, Paraguay’s own Willi Plett.
Sacamano: I think the slot for favourite all-time hockey player gets filled pretty early in childhood, and it takes something pretty horrific to dislodge them. So – and this is going to get me into a whole world of trouble – I’m going to have to go with Lanny MacDonald. As a kid playing road hockey, though, I was always Guy Lafleur or Vladislav Tretiak. My Dad’s favourite team, before the Flames came to town, was always the Habs, so that is probably why.
Q.11 – What did you do to pass the time during the lockout last year?
Matt: Mainly fumed at the media. It still bothers me that so much of what the owners and Bettman said was basically taken at face value by hockey pundits. My big question to all professional hockey pundits remains: How will you evaluate whether the new CBA is successful? I don’t think many of them have given any consideration at all to this, which means next time, things won’t be different in the slightest. Even though the players surrendered unconditionally this time, whatever problems the NHL has next time negotiations begin will be laid on the players, and whatever the owners propose as a “solution†will be taken as the obvious and correct way to go by just about everyone. Again.
Sacamano: I was actually in the midst of writing a dissertation, so it was pretty good timing.
Q.12 –What are your predictions for the Stanley Cup finals?
Matt: I’m hoping for Canes in 6, but I have no idea. There’s no question that the Oil can still win even with Conkannen in net, but it’ll depend on their mindset, and again, how the bounces go.
Sacamano: I was pretty confident before the series started, and picked the Oilers in 6, but with the Oilers down two games and Roloson out, I don’t know. I’m still cautiously optimistic that they can pull it out . . .
Q.13 – Where do you see the NHL in 5 years? Why?
Matt: No idea. My fervent hope is that the NHL basically abandons their effort to gain a national presence in the U.S., and just OWNS AND LOVES their status as a power (to varying degrees) in 30 individual markets. The strength of the league is not the NHL brand per se, it’s the franchises. If there’s one thing that bugs me most about the CBA, it’s the disincentive for franchises to take risks in their own interest. Also, I expect that the quality of hockey will be excellent.
Sacamano: This is one that Matt will probably be able to address better than me because he spends more time than I do thinking and writing about the state of the game. I have a pretty short attention span and really don’t care about the behind the scenes mechanics of the game (contracts, bargaining agreements, etc.). As long as there is still a team in Edmonton I’m fine. Unlike some, I think that the NHL does a pretty good job at giving the fans quality entertainment for a reasonable price.
Q. 14 - Which team surprised you the most this season? Disappointed you?
Matt: Anaheim surprised me the most, and not just the playoff run: they were terrific for the last three-quarters of the season, and I expected them to be lousy. Disappointing, I guess the Wild. I’m glad the Flames got to punk on them over and over, but they ought to be more successful by this point. From the intensely personal, playoffs-included perspective, the answer to this question is the Oilers and the Flames.
Sacamano: The way that Vancouver ended up was pretty disappointing. Not for me, mind you. But it must have been pretty disappointing for Canucks fans. I think I’ll go with Dallas for biggest surprise, despite their early flame out in the playoffs. I really didn’t think they would rebound as well as they did this season. Having said that, I suspect that their regular season record was inflated by all of those Jussi Jokinen shootout wins, but still, they sure looked good for a while there and I was petrified of another Oilers first round loss to the Stars.
Q.15 – Is there any hockey blog or website that you look to for inspiration?
Matt: I don’t know about inspiration, and there’s about a dozen blogs that I’d rate as excellent, but I absolutely think that the two best sites are Covered in Oil (for the entertainment value) and mc79hockey (for the analysis). It’s a source of much frustration and shame for me that Oiler blogs are the best in the league (and that the Flames “blog presence†is zippo), but there you have it.
Sacamano: I think a huge part of what makes our site so fun for me has been all of the commentors from all of the other Oilers blogs. The “Oilogosphere†(as coined by Madcrutch) seems to have it all—excellent statistics oriented folks (e.g., Mudcrutch, IOF, “old†guys/gals who have seen it all (Lowetide, Cosh), “young†guys/gals who are reliving their 80’s childhood (CinO), Funny Obsessives (e.g., UIUFC), and some that have a bit of everything (BDHS, Sports Matters), etc. And they are all such terrific writers and funny people that it is hard to not be inspired by their passion. During the playoffs I’ve also been reading more of the other teams’ blogs, which has been great. The Wings fans were a tonne of fun during Round 1 (your site, Abel to Yzerman, On the Wings), Earl Sleek’s BofC is starting to bring together lots of fantastic material on the California teams. The Caniacs (e.g, Red and Black, Cason, Sweet Tea . . .) are great. During the regular season I also read a few of the Canucks blogs, which were pretty hilarious (Canucks OpEd, Canucks Hockey Blog). And then, of course, all the usual suspects that I check in on everyday like Mirtle, Razor, Off Wing Opinion, Hockey Rants, Japers’ Rink, Sisu, Sidearm Delivery — there are just so many good sites out there. I’m sure I’ve missed a bunch.
Any additional comments?
Matt: This is a great feature, Christy, and thanks for the invite. Also, if Sacamano’s answers above are particularly combative or trash-talk-y, I take back every nice and conciliatory word I said about the Oilers.
Sacamano: Thanks a lot for inviting us. Your Behind the Blog feature is one of my favourite things on the web.
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?
Behind the Blog: Tom Benjamin’s NHL Weblog
Today’s Behind the Blog will feature the writer of Tom Benjamin’s NHL Weblog. Tom is a very opinionated guy, which is pretty clear when you visit his blog. His readers are very passionate and love to leave comments, which are almost posts of their own.Q.1 – When did you create Tom Benjamin’s NHL Weblog and what made you do so?
I started it in September of 2003. I had been annoying people with my hockey opinions on various internet message boards since the early ’90s and so when blogging became big, it was a natural for me.
Q.2 – Have you always been connected with CanucksCorner.com and what made you join that webite?
Brian knew me because I’d played on the message board at Canucks Corner. About the time I decided to try a blog, Brian asked me to do some writing for him. It was a coincidence, but we both think it has turned out to be a good fit.
Q.3 – You seem to have the most involved readers who leave passionate comments regarding whatever topic you discuss. When did you first realize that you had developed a following of hockey fans who desired that interaction with the blogger?
My stuff has always drawn a fairly strong reaction in both directions. Some people really like my ideas about the sport, others really dislike them. It’s great that more than a few really smart people regularly contribute comments. They produce as much content for the blog as I do. As long as everybody plays nice, it works, and so far everybody has played nice. .
Q.4 – What advice would you give to fellow bloggers, especially newcomers?
First Find a voice and go for a different slant. I think blogs are popular because readers crave a diversity they can’t find in the mainstream media. It follows that we should be diverse.
Don’t take it personally. If you are going to start publishing your views - particularly ones that offer a different slant - at least some people will think you are an idiot and they will tell you so in no uncertain terms. (Sometimes, of course, at least some people will be right.) Disagreement is healthy and fun as long as nobody is mean spirited about it.
Q.5 – What do you hope to achieve with your blog over the next few years?
I don’t have any aspirations for it. I regularly resolve to give it up. I’ll be satisfied with the blog if it still exists in five years. If so, I’ll probably still be regularly resolving to give it up.
Q.6 - While you certainly discuss NHL issues in your blog, you are a Vancouver Canucks fan first and foremost. When did you become a Canucks fan?
When the Canucks first came into the league, I promised myself I would stay loyal to the Red Wings forever. The resolution didn’t last through the first season’s exhibition schedule.
Q.7 – What changes, if any, do you feel necessary for the Canucks to make the playoffs next year and become a Cup contender?
They have to become much better without the puck.
Q.8 - When did you attend your first hockey game and who was playing?
My Dad took me to an exhibition game at the old Forum in Vancouver. It was the Montreal Canadiens playing against the Western Hockey League Vancouver Canucks.
Q.9 – What first attracted you to the sport of hockey?
Again we can blame my Dad. Every Saturday night, it was Hockey Night in Canada. In those days, the game was picked up in progress about halfway through the first period. Dad watched Bugs Bunny with me until HNIC picked up the game and then I watched hockey with him. It was the only night of the week we got to eat in front of the TV. Mom always served burgers.
It was great.
Q.10 - Who is your favorite hockey player (either current or retired player)? Why?
Pavel Bure. I had more fun watching him play than any other single player.
Q.11 – What did you do to pass the time during the lockout last year?
I was blogging so I watched the labour dispute pretty closely. I watched more movies, read more books and I rekindled my relationship with baseball.
Q.12 –Which team has surprised you the most this season? Disappointed you? Why?
Carolina was the most positive surprise, Minnesota the most negative. I didn’t think the Hurricane would be good and I thought the Wild were going to take the next step.
Q.13 – Where do you see the NHL in 5 years? Why?
I’m not optimistic. I have zero faith in the people who own the league. I’d like to think that the game is good enough to thrive despite the greed and incompetence, but I doubt it.
Q. 14 - Of the teams left in the NHL Playoffs, who do you predict to win the Stanley Cup? Why?
Anaheim, almost entirley because I’m hoping for them. Any of the four teams left could win. Any of the 16 teams that made the playoffs could have won. I like the idea of Cinderella winning once in a while, but I also think we should be able to identify a favourite and be right once in a while.
Q.15 – Is there any hockey blog or website that you look to for inspiration?
I read most of the blogs. Jamie Fitzpatrick, Sisu Hockey, Mudcrutch and about a dozen other bloggers I feel guilty I’m not mentioning are favourites. James Mirtle is the most likely to get rich and famous
Behind the Blog: Japer’s Rink
Today’s Behind the Blog features Japers’ Rink, a blog run by Jon (more commonly known as JP) dedicated to covering the Washington Capitals and other NHL news. His daily roundups recap the previous night’s Caps game along with who would win the end of the year NHL awards if it was based solely on the previous night’s performances. Be sure to check out his blog if you don’t regularly read it already!Interested in answering 15 questions to be in next week’s Behind the Blog? Drop me an email or leave a comment to this post. Thanks guys!
Q.1 – What made you decide to create an online hockey blog and why did you name it Japers’ Rink?
I actually started writing the blog last summer while I was studying for the Maryland State Bar Exam. I needed to break up the monotony of studying (I’m sure you can relate) and thought a hockey blog would be a good way to do it, since I felt like I had some things to say on the subject and my fantasy hockey league was probably sick and tired of reading about it on our message board.
As for the name, “Japers†is sort of a spin on JP, but also a japer is “one who says or does something jokingly or mockingly†or “one who makes mocking fun of,†which is very fitting for me and this blog. Japers’ Rink sounded good, so I went with it, though if I had a nickel for every incorrect variation of it - Jasper’s Rink, Japer’s Rink, etc. - I’d have, well, a medium-sized handful of nickels.
Q.2 – What do you hope to accomplish with your blog over the next few years?
I don’t have any grandiose plans for The Rink, but from the start I’ve wanted to make my site sort of a homepage for Caps fans (and other hockey fans as well), somewhere fans would start their hockey-surfing day. I aim to aggregate all the Caps-related info out there, provide some analysis on it and other hockey issues, link to other hockey-related resources, and have a good amount of discussion on the team and the game, generally.
I also wouldn’t mind a co-contributor for the site, and would love to do a rivalry-type page a la the Battles of Alberta/Ontario, so if there are any Penguin (or similarly detestable team) fans interested, let me know. Of course, I’m not sure they have the internet in Western Pennsylvania yet, so that might be a problem.
Q.3 – When did you attend your first hockey game and who was playing?
It was back in 1982-83 against the Islanders in the playoffs (the first time the Caps had ever made the postseason). I was eight and remember going out to the old Capital Centre in Landover with my dad, though I can’t remember the game itself.
Q.4 - Why is the Washington Capitals your favorite team? Where do you see them in 5 years?
They’re my favorite team because I’m a masochist. And because I’m from the D.C. area and my dad’s had season tickets for the past 20 or so years. From the time I was eight until I was 22, the Caps made the playoffs every year and they’ve had some great teams with great players, including Rod Langway, Scott Stevens and Mike Gartner on through recent stars like Peter Bondra, Olie Kolzig and some new Russian kid. Until very recently they’ve always been both competitive and entertaining (now they’re only usually competitive and frequently entertaining), and I latched onto them.
In five years I see the Caps as an annual contender. With Alex Ovechkin, Alex Semin, Eric Fehr and whichever center they choose in this year’s draft, a stable of good forward prospects and a solid blueline of Steve Eminger, Shaone Morrisonn, Mike Green and Jeff Schultz (and who knows which other prospects will turn out to be the real deal), the only question mark may be in goal, and the ownership has shown that they are willing to open up the checkbook once the team is only a piece or two away from completing the puzzle.
Q.5 – Since you have seen him play throughout the season, what are your thoughts on rookie sensation Alexander Ovechkin?
He’s unreal. I’ve never seen a player that combines his speed, strength, scoring ability, physicality and, perhaps most importantly, love for the game. The rest of the world got to see some of that in Turin, but to see it night-in, night-out has been a real treat. If there’s a negative aspect to his game, he does try to do a little too much sometimes, but I chalk that up to being young, confident and not having the best supporting cast. As he gets older and the team gets better, he’ll become an even better player, as scary as that is to imagine.
Q.6 - Which team has surprised you with their performance thus far? Disappointed you?
Carolina has really surprised me. I looked at their roster on paper at the beginning of the year and didn’t see a playoff team. I’m still not sure how they’re getting it done, exactly, but there’s really no reason to think they’ll let up any time soon. As for disappointments, I thought San Jose would be a contender in the West - great goaltending, deep blueline, some talented forwards and an excellent coach. Similarly, I expected more out of the Bruins. And I’d say that the Penguins have been far worse than I expected, though that doesn’t disappoint me in the slightest.
Q.7 – If you had to predict two teams that will be in the Stanley Cup finals, which ones would you pick?
If I pick someone other than the Wings in the West, will you still post this? 
Actually, I think the Wings will come out of the West, but if Marty Turco somehow turns into a playoff goalie and Guerin remembers how to score, Dallas could be tough, as could Calgary or Nashville if their great goalies get hot. In the East, Ottawa needs Hasek back, but even with the Dominator, Carolina has shown that they can handle the Sens. I’ll make a surprise pick in the East, though - how about the Flyers? Once they get healthy and Bobby Clarke makes a move or two, they’re going to be tough to beat. You said predict seven teams, right?
Q.8 - Who is your favorite all time NHL player? Why?
I’ve had favorite players by era. As a young Caps fan, I loved Scott Stevens for his toughness and Bengt Gustafsson for his grit and offensive ability. Then in the early ‘90s I became a huge Peter Bondra fan - his speed and shot were so exciting to watch. Later in the ‘90s I became a big fan of Olie Kolzig because of all he has meant to the team both on and off the ice. Now, it’s hard not to love Alex Ovechkin. But my favorite of all-time is probably Rod Langway. When he came to D.C. he turned the franchise around and ushered in 15 or so years of (relative) success. Remember when the Norris Trophy was given to defensemen who played defense? That was Langway.
Q.9 - What are your thoughts on the 2006 Winter Olympics and its outcome concerning the Ice Hockey tournament?
I think the tournament is better in theory than in practice. Can you really expect great hockey when you basically have all-star teams flying across the ocean for one or two practices before playing 7 or 8 games in 11 days? But it was a bit of a coming out party for Alex Ovechkin, so to that end it made me happy. I think the elephant in the room that no one’s talking about is that early US and Canadian exits exposed the inability of the North American game to translate to the international ice surface. As much as the “new NHL†has opened up the ice, the game over here is still a relative clutchfest interrupted by all-too-frequent powerplay (not that I don’t love it).
Q.10 - Which division do you think has been the most competitive this season?
Probably the Northwest. You’ve got all five teams within 12 points with the top three separated by just two points. The last place team (Minnesota) is only five points out of the playoffs as I write this - pretty tight.
Q.11 – Aside from the many things you wrote in your blog, what did you enjoy most about your trip to the owner’s box with Ted Leonsis, owner of the Washington Capitals?
Winning. The night would have been much different had the Caps lost, but it was a good, hard-hitting game that the home team won, which put everyone in good spirits and provided us with the opportunity to go to the locker room afterwards to meet the team. Had the game gone the other way, it still would have been a nice night, but the win made it nearly perfect.
Q.12 – What did you do to pass time during the NHL lockout?
Graduated from law school and passed the Bar. But honestly, looking back on it, I have no idea how I made it through last winter. I mean, “Lost†wasn’t that compelling.
Q.13 - For your daily roundup posts, you post the winners of popular NHL awards if it had been based on the previous night’s performances. When and why did you start doing that feature?
I don’t recall when I started doing it, but it goes back to my desire to be part of people’s daily routine. By providing people with a quick recap of what went on the night before and acknowledging impressive performances without much editorializing, it’s a quick stop to start your hockey day. To be honest, I figured the feature would spark more discussion - people disagreeing over who was the best defenseman of the night, etc. - but I guess I’m always right.
Q.14 - What advice would you give to fellow hockey bloggers, especially newcomers?
Chickity-check yo self before you wreck yo self ‘cause shotgun bullets are bad for your health. Yeah, you know who you are. Just kidding. I’d say the key is focus. The most successful blogs, I find, are the most narrowly-tailored - there are tons of hockey blogs out there. The easy way to distinguish yourself is to do so by the subject matter you cover (the hard way to distinguish yourself, btw, is to be really really good at what you do). The more specific your blog is, the easier it is to find an audience and it also helps you to focus your writing.
Q.15 - Is there a hockey blog or website that you look up to for inspiration?
Eric at Off Wing has been tremendously helpful to me on more than a few occasions, and his blog is both informative and insightful. I love Jes Golbez’s blog - wicked sense of humor, appropriately snarky and condescending. As I alluded to above, I like the rivalry sites (Alberta/Ontario) a lot as well - trash talking is such an integral part of hockey and being a third-party observer to buddies (I think) dishing it back and forth in a friendly manner is great fun. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Capitol Punishment, a Washington Nationals blog that is probably the most comprehensive and entertaining team-specific blog I’ve ever seen.
Any additional comments?
If Esa Tikkanen didn’t miss that empty net in Game 2 of the 1998 Cup Finals, the series would’ve gone back to Washington tied 1-1 and anything could have happened from there. Sigh. On the plus side, I did get to meet the Wings at the White House the following January.
JP’s photos from the event:
Behind the Blog: Kukla’s Korner
Today’s Behind the Blog features Paul Kukla of the ever so popular Kukla’s Korner. After working on Breaking Sports over the lockout, Paul purchased a domain and went to work on it. One can always catch the latest news on his blog whether it’s Red Wings updates or NHL news. Numerous BtJ blog entries have originated from an article found by Paul and posted at Kukla’s Korner. I’d like to thank Paul for taking the time to participate in BtB!Q.1 – Why did you create Kukla’s Korner, specifically the hockey section? And why did you decide on its current format: reading like a Daily newspaper?
Kukla’s Korner was established by the success I had with a previous blog, called Breaking Sports. I was not getting the information I needed about the NHL lockout from my Detroit area newspapers and other media, so I would search and search for any information I could find regarding the lockout. I decided to share that information with other hockey fans and decided just to blog whatever I found.
Q.2 – How many hours a week do you spend working on KK because it seems that there is always a new post about the latest hockey news?
I don’t even want to know!!! Whenever hockey news breaks, I try to get it up as soon as possible. When not near my computer, I travel with a pocket pc which allows me to access the web from wherever I am. So basically I am “on” 24/7, give and take a few hours a night for sleep. I am blogging on a full-time basis, so I look at it as any new owner would, you have to put in a lot of hours for it to succeed.
Q.3 – Where do you see KK in the next couple of years?
Bought by Google for about $2 million or so!!! I have swayed back and forth about opening up a forum section and letting readers interact more. It is a lot of work to maintain and I want it to be top notch, but that is one of my goals. Another is to be on the cutting edge that software technology allows. I know little about the back office of a website, but learning as I go and always on the lookout for anything new an improved. I would hope by the next hockey season, Kukla’s Korner would by a ‘must stop’ for every hockey fan on a daily basis.
Q.4 – How are the Detroit Red Wings doing in comparison to your preseason predictions? Better? Worse? About the same?
I thought when the Wings were in training camp, they would be seeded 4th or 4th in the West. But after their 12-1 start, I upgraded that to a top 2 team in the West. Granted, their division is very weak, but Babcock has kept his team on their toes the whole year, and I am looking forward to a long playoff run.
Q.5 – How long have you been a Detroit Red Wings fan and where do you see the organization in five years? The NHL?
I have been following the Wings before they put the escalator in the old Olympia. I remember watching the Wings in black on white when Channel 50 would join the game in progress in the 2nd period..I see the Wings maintaining their level of play in the foreseeable future and the NHL will be enjoying a re-birth, although two or three teams will re-locate.
Q.6 – You recently interviewed Detroit’s national anthem singer, Karen Newman. What made you think to interview her?
Sometimes I like to throw a change of pace into the daily routine. I had to find a face hockey fans were familiar with and felt Karen was the perfect choice, plus Elisha Cuthbert wouldn’t answer my ten or so emails per day.
Q.7 – Which Wings’ Stanley Cup win did you enjoy the most? Why?
The cup in 1997. I had to be at the Joe and to be truthful with you, I snuck in. Went in the media door when it was busy and just floated in with the mass of people. I also enjoyed the 1998 victory because I was able to attend games 3 and 4 in Washington. It was Joe Louis south, the arena was filled with Wing fans and seeing Vladdy on the ice was something I will never forget.
Q.8 – Who is your favorite hockey player? Favorite Wings player? Why?
My favorite right now is Ovechkin. I think he may have the ability and charisma to help bring the NHL into the spotlight again. Wing player is Zetterberg. His game has improved steadily over the last few years, and is a threat on the ice every shift. His defense goes unnoticed but look for Selke talk in the next few years. All-time favorites in order, Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr and Jean Beliveau.
Q.9 – The NHL has had its fair share of ups and downs this season. What has been your most and least favorite event or moment to report on?
Least favorite has to be the Gretzky reports. I hated posting information about him, but readers were flocking to Kukla’s Korner to get as much information as they could. I tried to keep it fair and balanced, but reporting anything negative about him tore me apart.
The ups were the Malik shootout goal, AO’s goal on his back, and the report that Jiri Fischer had survived his heart problems and was out of danger.
Q.10 – What changes do you believe the Wings need to make in order to have a successful playoff run?
In my opinion, the Wings have lost faith in Chris Osgood and need to find a goaltender who can come through in case of an injury to Legace or take if Manny runs into a bad streak in the playoffs. A stay at home defenseman would be great too, but just about every playoff team is also in need of one too.
Q.11 - Where do you see the Detroit Red Wings finishing this season (ie. what seed in the conference, making it to the Stanley Cup finals, etc.)?
Wings will finish 1st or 2nd in the conference, and will face some stiff competition if they have to play Calgary in the West. If they can avoid them, I see the Joe filled in mid-June.
Q.12 – What did you do to pass the time during the NHL lockout?
See Breaking Sports. My first attempt at blogging, that kept me very busy.
Q.13 – When did you attend your first hockey game and who was playing?
My first game was 1962, but I have no idea who the Wings were playing. All I know is Gordie Howe was.
Q.14 – How do you think defenseman Niklas Kronwall’s return will affect the team and its performance?
It is funny, the rest of the league has yet to see or feel the affects of Kronwall. Many people don’t realize it, but he was the best defenseman in the World Championships last year and is under the radar. Kronwall’s game is one that will flourish in the coming months and he will be able to take some pressure off of Lidstrom. He is a future Norris candidate and will be the anchor of the Wings defense for many years. At this stage of his career, he is better than Lidstrom and that is saying alot. Staying healthy is something he must prove.
Q.15 – Is there a hockey blog or website that you look up to for inspiration?
Sharkspage, Hockey Rants and On the Wings gave me the inspiration to start KK. I visit numerous hockey blogs on a daily basis, and the majority of them are excellent. Each blogger has their own style and are very informative. The ones that draw my attention are updated on a regular basis, and contain information I want and a bit of the ‘off the wall’ stuff helps too.
Behind the Blog: Abel to Yzerman
Today’s Behind the Blog features Bill Houlihan who runs Abel to Yzerman (A2Y). A2Y is a pretty new blog, but already one of my favorite daily reads. He posts a “Fan Post of the Day” including Wings game summaries and thoughts on the latest NHL news. It’s always an entertaining and informative read.Q.1 - What made you decide to create a Red Wings blog and why did you name it A2Y?
As a fan, I’ve always wished I could go to one place on the internet and find everything packed in one site: all the day’s articles, articles from our opponents’ paper, fans viewpoints, stats, history…all of it in one place. So, I figured rather than keep whining about it I would go ahead and try it myself. Also, I love to write and the Red Wings are certainly something I feel passionate about so it was kind of natural for me.
As for the name…I had considered “Hockeytown South.†But, thankfully, it was pointed out I might run into copyright problems so I scrapped that. “Abel to Yzerman†came out of nowhere, really. I was thinking alphabetically, obviously. One of Kukla’s readers wondered why it’s not Abel to Zombo. Not sure that would attract the readers Yzerman would.
Q.2 - Abel to Yzerman just started in December 2005, yet you have over 11,000 hits in that period. What do you credit your popularity to?
I have no idea, really. I think it’s great, but it may be an indication of the frustration so many Wing fans have with the Michigan media, which is terrible where the Wings are concerned. I try to give Wings fans what I was looking for when I started…a central place for Wings news and maybe a little humor thrown in.
Q.3 - Since A2Y is so new, where would you like to see it a year from now?
I’d like it to be a little more visual, with some multi-media aspects to it that you don’t see now. But, believe me when I tell you I’m about as novice as you can get where site design and code are concerned. So, it’s going to be a slow process.
Q.4 - How long have you been a Detroit Red Wings fan and where do you see the organization in five year?
Well, I grew up in Michigan. I’ve been a Wing fan all my life. I think the future of the Wings is incredibly positive. There is so much young talent. Not just in Detroit where Zetterberg, Kronwall and Datsyuk lead a great core of youngsters. But there are players in Grand Rapids like Valteri Flippula, Jimmy Howard and Jiri Hudler. Igor Grigorenko is back to 85 percent of what he was before his ’03 car accident and he’s going to be great. I’d say that the Wings will be just as good in 5 years as they are today.
Q.5 – Which Wings’ Stanley Cup win did you enjoy the most? Why?
Wow…good question. The ’96-97 team was obviously special to all Wing fans because it ended the 42 year drought and the Wings had to go through Colorado to do it. And McCarty’s goal in Game 4 was unbelievable. The two Cups following that one were great for their own reasons. But to see Steve Yzerman get that monkey off his back…that was the best.
Q.6 – If you could change one thing about the Wings either as a team or organization (front office/owners), what would it be and why?
As a team, I’d like to see a little more grit. I think getting Niklas Kronwall back helps in that respect. But, if Ken Holland makes one deal on or around March 9th I hope it’s for a tough winger. One player I really disliked during the height of the rivalry with Colorado was Mike Keane. But, I think the Wings could use someone just like him right now. As for management…get the corporate types who buy out the lower sections to donate them to people who wouldn’t typically be able to afford those tickets. Get the vocal fans, the hard core fans, closer to the ice. That’s the definition of a pipe dream, right there.
Q.7 – How hard has it been for you to follow the Red Wings when you haven’t been back to Michigan for 15 years?
It was a lot tougher before the internet and before the Center Ice package. I remember watching the Wings lose to Colorado in ’96 from an aircraft carrier in the South China Sea. And I watched them win the Cup in ’02 from another ship in the Persian Gulf with the satellite cutting out with 7 minutes left in the clinching game. It’s been hard, but worthwhile.
Q.8 – When did you attend your first hockey game and who was playing?
Well, I can tell you that my first pro hockey experience was watching the Saginaw Gears in the late 70’s. I remember Dennis DeRosiers and Marcel Comeau. My first Wing game at the Joe wasn’t until 1990 against the Rangers.
Q.9 – How many hours a week do you spend working on A2Y? Do you find it hard to balance the blog and everything else going on in your life?
Aha…the big question. I usually get up at 5 and try to do a game recap and post whatever Wing-related articles I can find before I go to work. Then, I’ll usually try to post something at lunch time. I’ll spend an hour or so at night working on it, too. So, I’d say about three hours per day. It is hard some days, but it’s been fun so far. I can definitely see how some people can get burned out on it, though.
Q.10 – Why did you create and currently run a feature entitled “fan post of the day?†And which post has been your favorite thus far?
I’m glad you asked that. I was a message board guy for a long time, especially the MLive Wings Board. So, I guess I have a soft spot for the fans who post there and at some other boards. Plus, as hockey fans we are so passionate about our sport. I think it’s cool to demonstrate that however I can. My favorite fan post so far has been the one from LGW that included several links to historic Wing radio broadcasts.
Q.11 - Where do you see the Detroit Red Wings finishing this season (ie. what seed in the conference, making it to the Stanley Cup finals, etc.)?
Well, I see them earning the 1 seed in the West. The easy answer to that is that the Wings will go as far in the playoffs as Legace allows them to. I think it’s a bit more than that, though. If the Wings have trouble scoring like they have the last two playoff runs, it won’t matter how Legace plays. If Lang, Zetterberg and Datsyuk can play the way they’re capable, I see the Wings hoisting the Cup again in June. If the scoring drops again, we could lose to anyone.
Q.12 – What did you do to pass the time during the NHL lockout?
It’s kind of a blur, really. By the time it was over I was so tired of numbers and acronyms. I remember listening to The Score on my computer at work when they had those two or three days of extended negotiations last Jan or Feb. It looked like we would have a 30 game regular season. Then it all fell apart. Pretty depressing stuff to look back on. But, in hindsight, I’m glad they didn’t cheapen the Cup by playing an abbreviated season.
Q.13 – Who is your favorite hockey player? Favorite Wings player? Why?
I was a big McCarty fan. I really liked everything he brought to the table as a player and as a member of the Detroit community. It was obvious that he really loved playing for the Wings. Yes, Darren had some personal problems but who doesn’t? He brought a real human side to that team. With him gone…I’d say Chris Chelios is my favorite player. He’s fun to watch every shift. Steve Yzerman’s obviously a favorite too. I think an unspoken motivation among the players is to win one final Cup for the Captain.
Q.14 – How do you think the Tocchet gambling ring scandal will affect the NHL aside from just giving it a black eye?
The issue is Gretzky. As a coach, he allowed Tocchet to keep his job while heavily involved with illegal activity. That, in itself, is bad for hockey because of Gretzky’s stature. But, if that’s the extent of it…just that Wayne knew about it and didn’t stop it, then I think the damage could be minor. If it turns out that Janet Jones was betting on behalf of her husband, then that’s going to be bad.
Q.15 – Is there a hockey blog or website that you look up to for inspiration?
Definitely Kukla’s Korner. I’ve been reading his blog since the day it started and still do. Aside from being a fan of his site, Paul has been great in answering my blog-related questions. I also enjoy Cason’s Blog and The Battle of Alberta. Both make me laugh and offer some great writing. Acid Queen, when I can get past her hatred of my Wings (out of sheer jealousy….easy, AQ….just kidding), is a daily read, as well.
Behind the Blog: Boltsmag
For today’s Behind the Blog, BtJ heads south to the warm state of Florida to catch up with John Fontana at Boltsmag. This blog covers everything you need to know about the Tampa Bay Lightning including other local hockey teams. Always a great read.Whenever I have a free moment this week, I’ll be sending out my next batch of Behind the Blog email interviews out to various hockey bloggers. I have two in mind specifically, but if you’re interested in participating please drop me an email. I’m planning on sending out four total this batch so I need two more blogs. Thanks!
Q.1 – You’ve been blogging consistently since February 2004. Why did you create Boltsmag?
As a Lightning fan, I’d been active on the Internet in various places and in various amounts from 1999 onward, discussing the Bolts on FanHome.com, ESPN’s message boards, and the old Rivals.com network site named Boltsmag. I’d discuss the team with a clique of other fans who were optimistic despite the team’s dismal performance and held out hope that things would improve in the future. And over the course of the years – they did improve for the Lightning.
The Dot-com bubble burst and Rivals and Boltsmag disappeared. FanHome has become part of the Scout.com network and the few places I could talk about the Lightning, I was treated as an outcast because I wasn’t part of another clique of posters, or I wasn’t a fan who shared a certain opinion that the Lightning needed to do this-and-that in order to contend. It really started to bother me that my opinion amounted to nothing because I wasn’t agreeing with a certain message board member, or I wasn’t articulating my argument with certain information that another message board member seemed to make vital to all their posts. With a chorus of nay-sayers, I ducked out of the message board communities and started following things on my own, talking about the team with only a few close friends.
2003-04’s preseason rolled around and I got curious looking for Lightning fan site. I took a look at some web pages that were devoted to the Lightning and was taken aback by it all. Most sites were non-updated entities that were relics of years gone by and the glory period that was the 1995-96 season. I felt sorta ashamed because it looked like there were no fans for the Lightning on the Internet. What fans you could find were on wayward message boards like Sun Sports TV.com and were that closed clique group (aforementioned) that wouldn’t even address general hockey issues or opinions from certain NHL fans that the team doesn’t have a fan base and should relocate.
It was the constant misperception by closed-minded fans that suggested Tampa Bay didn’t really like the Lightning, that the Ice Palace / St. Pete Times Forum was a waste of money to build and so-on and so forth. There was no one defending the Lightning and the fan-base through all of this.
So I simply said “The heck with it†and decided to build my own blog to report on the Bolts, to show that there are fans in the south and in Tampa Bay. I might not be a season ticket holder, I might not be the most in-the-know guy on the Internet with regards to the team or the NHL but I do follow and support the Lightning.
Q.2 – What do you hope to achieve over the next few years with your blog?
I’m hoping to improve coverage of the Lightning organization and local hockey in general…I had tried to obtain media credentials earlier this year in an effort to expand coverage of the team and was shot down for it.
Q.3 – Do you have any advice for fellow hockey bloggers, especially the newcomers?
K.I.S.S. – keep it simple, stupid. There are a lot of great in depth blogs out there and sometimes less is more. There are several official NHL blogs at current that rarely post and when they do – they write long stuff that rambles in several areas before coming to a halt. These are looked at as “blogs†but they really are just columns with comments.
Shakespeare also had a good line which needs to be remembered by anyone writing daily – “This above all, to thine own self, be true.†You’ll hear other’s opinions and other’s comments and beliefs wherever you go on the Internet, just don’t get caught up in it.
Q.4 – When did you attend your first hockey game and who was playing?
This is sort of sad but I think it was 1998… I’ve been a fan for a while but it’s hard for me to get to the games or talk people into going to games with me. I don’t drive and the arena is a ways off – always has been. Tampa Bay also offers few or no mass transit options to get around – so I was at the mercy of family or friends to go to any sporting event. At any rate, it was the Lightning versus the Ottawa Senators. I think the thing that stands out most in that game is Cory Cross giving away a goal and me screaming “CROSS, YOU SUCK!†at the top of my lungs. To which I must say, thank you Toronto Maple Leafs for Fredrik Modin in exchange for Cory “Sieve†Cross.
Q.5 – Any final thoughts on Tampa Bay’s Stanley Cup win in 2003-2004?
James Mirtle had told me to savor the Cup – because it may be the only one the Lightning ever experience. That wasn’t James trying to discourage me or discredit the team – that was speaking with history in mind. How many teams in the NHL have won the Cup? How many years tend to pass between Cup wins? I mean, the Rangers had a 54-year drought, the Leafs haven’t won the cup since 1967, and there are teams that have NEVER won the cup.
I guess my final thought is that even if the Lightning never play for the right to hoist Lord Stanley’s cup again, the 2003-04 season will be mine to savor for the rest of my days – and that’s the same for Lightning fans everywhere. The Bolts might look like a fluke right now in certain people’s eyes, or they look nothing like thy did last season – but that doesn’t make the Ring’s any less shiny or the memory of the Players with the Cup any less sweet.
Q.6 – Which player has had the biggest impact on the Lightning this season?
John Grahame – and the impact hasn’t been for the better. I could also say “Jassen Cullimore†as someone having the biggest impact on the Lightning this season. Jassen departed the team for Chicago during the 2004 off-season before the strike. Without him on defense, things feel a lot weaker…But I believe Grahame has had a bigger (negative) impact on the team.
John’s Comment on 2/6/06: Just a sidenote, Christy sent me this interview request and I compiled my responses at the beginings of the Lightning’s current hot streak, if not before it. Grahame has become an entirely different animal in his last 4 starts (3 shut outs) and the entire team has found emotion again.
Q.7 – How long have you been a Lightning fan and where do you see the organization going over the next 5 years?
I’ve been a fan of the Bolts since their inception. I was a kid at the time and while hockey was a novelty at first to me, we had a hockey ref who owned a baseball card shop near where I lived and we would spend hours hanging out with this guy and talking about the team and hockey along with other sports.
As for where the Bolts go in five years – I haven’t a clue to be honest. If they get there bearings back, it’s possible they make another Cup run or more than one. If the team tries too hard to become competitive this season or next season – the next five years could be a mess.
Q.8 – Which Lightning player, if any, do you believe will win an end of the year NHL award like the Selke or Hart?
As of right now, Brad Richards for the Lady Byng…besides that, the Bolts don’t really boast anyone worthy of an award this season.
Q.9 – What did you do to pass the time during the lockout?
Channel surfed a lot more. Spent more time watching TV shows such as “House MDâ€, “The Daily Show†and stuff on the Discovery channel. I also – and please don’t laugh at me! – watched NASCAR races more than I used to…Meaning I went from never watching NASCAR to catching a race occasionally. It’s sad, really…
Q.10 – Who is your favorite hockey player? Why?
Brad Richards. He’s the most consistent player on the Lightning and has been since he joined the NHL roster. This was a guy who was overlooked at Rimouski Oceanic as being a by-product of teaming with Vincent Lecavalier. He went on and starred on his own after Vincent joined the Bolts… Still taking knocks from critics because he played in the softer QMJHL… He signs with the Lightning and ends up runner up to Evgeny Nabakov for the Calder and later goes on to win Conn Smyth. Vincent Lecavalier is the boy wonder but Richards is the Dynamo that makes this team go.
Q.11 – What are your thoughts on Tampa Bay’s slump of late and where do you see the team finishing this season (ie. what seed in the conference, making it to the Stanley Cup finals, etc.)?
In a word – blah. Things just haven’t gone the way they should and the team has not responded to “rule changes†(these are mostly subjective and interpreted differently by the officials – see above Referee thoughts). Then factor in the losses behind the blue line (Jassen Cullimore, Brad Lukowich) as well as the departure of their #1 goaltender and bestowing goalie duties on a career backup and you’ve got problems.
I’ve also made comments on Boltsmag that the Olympics may be a detrimental factor this year as players (league wide) aren’t focusing fully on the games at hand and are thinking of the forthcoming Olympic tournament… This affects the Lightning pretty well as Richards, Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, Fredrik Modin, Grahame, Vaclav Prospal and Pavel Kubina – the top 2 lines and a top D man.
If the Lightning turn it around – it’ll be after the Olympics and that gives them very little time to do it. I can see them making the Playoffs as a low seed – 7th or 8th – but it’s almost a stretch at this point.
Q. 12 – If you could change on thing about the NHL, what would it be?
The entire referee system. How rules are enforced, how refs are trained, disciplined and all the like. It’s been a long-standing complaint of mine that Referees need to call penalties and not just pick and choose which penalties to call. At the start fo the season – actually beginning during pre-season games – I thought that they were finally going to show that rules were meant to be enforced…. Then by mid November, the penalties stopped coming though infractions kept on occurring. Refs started to pick and chose what penalties to enforce and the league hasn’t stepped up and complained about this.
Systems of rules are there to be enforced, not selectively enforced. Power plays can disrupt the flow of the game – I realize that – but it’s not a refs fault for initializing a power play – it’s the fault of the player who committed the infraction that got him the penalty. You can blame definitions of penalties ro the refs themselves for their interpretations of what constitutes a penalty… Just don’t give me the “hindering the flow fo the game†crap that justifies a ref not calling a penalty.. A Referee’s job is not to manage flow fo the game specifically – it’s to enforce the rules.
Q.13 – Have you heard that the NHL is close to a deal with Apple regarding the iPod? If so, what are your thoughts on that?
The NHL? Trying to innovate? A pox on them! What’s next?! Glowing pucks?!?!?
Seriously – I think it’s good, especially if they can get into personal electronics faster than the other major sports.
Q. 14 – 61% of your readers who responded to your Boltsmag’s poll said they were not satisfied with OLN’s broadcasts of the NHL. What are your thoughts on the issue?
You know, it’s odd. I ran that poll the night before the last OLN broadcast (Tampa Bay versus The New York Islanders). I had written the poll thinking about how I had abhorred the OLN broadcasts early on.
I watched that game and enjoyed the broadcast more than the locally aired Lightning broadcasts on Sun Sports TV. It might have been camera positions at Nassau Coliseum or other technical issues with the building itself that made the broadcast better, or it could just very well be that OLN has improved that greatly over the first few months of the season.
Lightning fans also end up complaining with anyone besides Bobby Taylor and Rick Peckham calling Lightning games. That’s got to be a factor with some people voting against OLN’s broadcasts
Q. 15 – Is there a hockey blog or website that you look up to for inspiration?
Definitely Eric McErlain and Off Wing Opinion, PJ Swenson and Sharkspage. Eric covers the world of sports like no other and PJ is just an incredible hockey blogger. Others that I admire are James Mirtle and Tom Benjamin – play nice boys.
Any additional comments?
This season has been tough for me to blog at Boltsmag. My posts are coming less frequent as one can see… Part of it’s being taken aback by the team and not knowing how to articulate what I feel is a problem. There are other factors like hand surgery I had in November (which I am fully recovered from) that have just had me off the ball this season.
Yet Boltsmag will be around for a while. I have no plans to give it up any time soon.