Today, James Mirtle wrote a piece on the special report Hockey Night in Canada ran about hockey blogging. One particular comment in the conversation that followed the post really got us thinking — beingbobbyorr wrote, “The whole idea of ‘live blogging / blogging in real-time’ is a gimmick that does not serve the blogosphere’s higher purpose of subjective, passionate opinion pieces. The fan-blogger should pay attention to the game, absorb it, go home and think about it in a big-picture kind of way, and then write their essay.” Whoa, whoa, whoa, there! We didn’t know there was a higher purpose we were supposed to be working toward. That’s something that probably should have come with the “So You Started A Hockey Blog” handbook. Well, after getting over our initial “who is he to dictate what the purpose of hockey blogging is?” apoplexy, we decided the time has finally come to get serious for a moment and explore what the hell it is we’re doing here (not that we didn’t mean each and every one of those 95 Theses). In the manner of fancy-pantsy, responsible journalisty types, we came up with a questionnaire to explore our reasons and meanings as bloggers, and our answers, composed individually, are below. (This is a topic that is endlessly fascinating to us, so if you want to answer this questionnaire yourself, Gentle Reader, whether you blog or whether you just have opinions on blogging, please do! If you’d like to answer and be featured as a kick-ass questionnaire answerer in this space, email us your response at interchangeablepartsblog[at]gmail[dot]com, and we’ll post what you’ve said in its entirety.)
UPDATE: We’ve received a bunch of responses to this questionnaire; links follow this post.
1. What was your motivation for starting blogging? Has that changed at all in the time you’ve been blogging?
Schnookie: Pookie wanted to start a blog and didn’t want to start it alone. And I like to listen to myself talk, I really, really like the act of writing (most specifically about hockey), and there was not a very potent Devils presence in the hockey blogosphere. After a little pep-talking from Pookie, I agreed that it would be fun to write about the Devils. That was it — a really simple motivation, based on the fact that I’d put exactly zero thinking into what the hockey blogosphere is doing. In the six months since we started, my motivation has changed dramatically. IPB turned into a forum of sorts (something I never expected) and I’ve been excited to tailor the way I write about the Devils and the NHL at large to start conversation. I want my blog to be about participation and community, and I want the experience for the people who read my blog to be one where they can find common ground between fans of all teams. Yes, it’s a Devils blog, but it’s one that has attracted fans from all corners of the league, and I love that.
Speaking specifically, my motivation when I write posts is for them to be funny above all else. IPB is a platform for me to share my experiences as a fan, whether it’s what I’m saying and thinking during games, or what I’m doing when I’m on a road trip, or my thoughts about the big hockey news of the day. I love to laugh, I love hockey and I love to write. That’s what motivates me.
Pookie: My motivation to start blogging was born out of having no outlet for my fandom other than talking to Schnookie. During the years that I had season tickets to the Devils there were always people to talk to at games or on the way to and from Manhattan and the Meadowlands. But as soon as I had to give up going to 41+ games a year, the circle of people to talk to shrank dramatically, particularly since I was operating in a distinctly 1.0 social scene — all my social activity was built on geographic foundations; my friends were my friends because we went to grad school together, not because we had much in common. As soon as it became clear that they had zero interest at all in hearing about hockey, I had to face that it was just going to be me and Schnookie sitting on a park bench in our old age rehashing the same hockey commentary over and over. Starting a blog seemed the perfect solution to finding a new outlet for that hockey commentary. At no point did I think anyone would actually read it. Readership was never a motivating factor at all, nor was joining in a broader conversation. (Before we started IPB I had very little experience with the established blogosphere other than reading Kukla and On the Forecheck; I had left one comment on Kukla but when I realized that not only was the NHL not going to promise, on the strength of my argument, to never mess with RailCam again, but that no one else had responded to me at all, I never left another.) I just figured we both wanted to have more of an opportunity to write more often — ever since writing a fantasy-fantasy hockey season to fill the dull days of the lockout, we’d both been itching to be more creative than our jobs were letting us be.
My motivation has most definitely changed in the time that I’ve been blogging. Thanks to the community that’s grown in the comment threads on IPB, I’ve realized that I’m finding a 2.0 social scene, where my interactions can be based on common interests regardless of where the various parties are geographically. Physically, we’re all on benches in different parks, but metaphysically, we’re all on one giant bench, having a grand old time rehashing the same old hockey commentary but with 10 people, or 20 people, or 50 people, or maybe someday, an infinite number of passionate, intelligent, witty and funny hockey-minded people. And that’s what motivates me now.
2. What do you think your blog contributes to the hockey conversation?
Schnookie: Truth and beauty.
Just kidding! IPB contributes me to the hockey conversation. I’m never going to break some big story, nor am I ever going to introduce some new and dazzling form of statbit analysis. But I am a serious fan who has been ardently devoted to NHL hockey for over a decade. I’m smart (ish), reasonably well-spoken, and I spend almost every minute of every day thinking about hockey; when I publish something on my blog, I’m contributing the opinion of a fan to the public record. Ever since the NHL’s ratings have ebbed from their high-water mark in 1994, the league and hockey media have spent all their time wringing their hands about what to do to fix the NHL’s popularity problems. For the last 13 years the powers that be in the NHL have tinkered with the product, and they keep justifying changes by explaining they’re what “the fans” want to see. Well, in all that time, no one’s ever asked me what I want to see — and that’s what my blog contributes. It’s the voice of a fan, out there for anyone who wants to hear it.
Pookie: I think my blog contributes the idea that the conversation is key. My blogging education was based entirely on professional research I did for my job as a public librarian. Librarians are a remarkably tech savvy lot, and blogging has been a big part of the profession for quite some time. In leading up to starting IPB I did a ton of reading and attended a handful of conferences and training sessions about how blogs can be used to promote library services and reach new audiences. One of the common choruses was “enable comments and make sure you respond to them in a timely and meaningful manner”. To me, this made perfect sense. So when our first Gentle Reader left a comment about something we wrote about Canadian pizza commercials, my reaction was, “Quick, quick, we have to respond!” So we did. And the Gentle Reader (the one and only Hockeygirl) responded back. And soon we weren’t just writing about watching hockey on a Canadian satellite feed, we were talking with someone in Canada who had knowledge to share about the ins and outs of Canadian pizza (just as we suspected, Panago? Disgusting.).
It wasn’t until months and months and some 50,000 comments later that I realized that when those speakers and journals wrote about it being imperative to respond to comments, they meant it simply in an “if you’re the library director, and some taxpayer leaves a comment asking you why the new branch construction has been delayed, make sure you respond so that people don’t start thinking funding your library is a bad idea”. They didn’t mean, “If someone leaves a comment saying they don’t like Panago, you’d better make sure they know you care”. I’m so very glad I misunderstood, though, because who doesn’t like having their contribution to a conversation acknowledged? And why, when blogging makes it so easy, shouldn’t conversation be encouraged, particularly when the topic at hand is something as communal as hockey fandom? This aspect of hockey blogging is overlooked far too often in discussions about what hockey blogging can accomplish; I am proud that here at IPB we make conversation amongst fans a priority.
3. What do you want to get out of the blogs you read?
Schnookie: Aside from Kukla’s Korner (everyone’s favorite media aggregator), I pretty much look for tone when I’m reading blogs. The blogs I read are all well-written, and most often funny. I look for whimsy, sarcasm, wit and silliness in the hockey commentary I read, as well as vibrant comment threads. I like a blog that has a lively give-and-take between the blogger and readers. I will read about teams I don’t otherwise care about as long as the blog is smart, thought-provoking, well-written and makes me laugh.
Pookie: I want, first and foremost, to be engaged by good writing, and, preferably, by funny writing. I can’t stand the Islanders or the Kings, but to me no day is complete without stops to SportSquee and Battle of California. I don’t care if Margee and RudyKelly are writing about teams, games or players I don’t like or don’t know; the fact is, they consistently make me laugh so hard my sides hurt. Somewhere along the way during my 12 or so years as a fan, I ceased to care about stats and serious editorializing. For the most part, I got my fill of that by watching 5 hours of Center Ice a night, why did I need to spend my time reading about it in the newspaper? I’d much rather read how my fellow fans think and feel about their teams than read about which coaches have tweaked which d-men on the point, or which players are likely to be sent down, or which are rumored to be thinking about being rumored to be returning to Sweden sometime in the next five to ten years.
4. What determines which blogs you read and which you don’t?
Schnookie: Quality of writing. I’ll read just about anything if it’s well-written, but if a blog is shoddily-written or boring, I’m not going to bother.
Pookie: I will read blogs that are well-written, and won’t read ones that aren’t. Quality of writing is 100% the determining factor for me. And, for the most part, I’m drawn to writing that is humorous, sarcastic and self-deprecating. I will also be more inclined to read a blog that has lively, respectful and engaging readers who are encouraged to participate.
5. How important is the issue of gaining press access to you as a blogger?
Schnookie: Considering my reason for blogging is that I’m a fan, a press pass offers very little value to me. I wouldn’t say no if someone offered me the chance to experience a game from either the press box or with a modified credential, but I would never in a million years use it to write some sort of journalistic report. I’d just end up writing about my day with media credentials from a fan’s perspective — I think that would be fun, but probably totally beside the point of getting a press pass.
Pookie: Not. At. All. Contrary to how this debate is being framed by the MSM, by Ted Leonsis, and by many established bloggers, it is not the primary goal of all bloggers to become “legitimate” and to gain the same rights, access and glory that the traditional hockey writers get. While I would certainly welcome getting the opportunity to see some aspects of how a hockey team operates (if the travel secretary for the Devils is reading this, how about an IPB exclusive?), I have no delusions about what I have to offer as a hockey writer that would make me think giving me access to the dressing room wouldn’t be a waste of a lot of people’s time.
6. To what extent do you feel accountable for the content of your blog? How concerned do you think readers should be about the authority and accountability of your blog?
Schnookie: I feel tremendously accountable for every word written on my blog. Of course, it’s a small-picture, opinions-and-yuks blog, so if anyone’s coming to IPB and taking the silly or satirical content at face value, then I guess that’s a problem. But I hold myself to a high standard for everything I write, and don’t ever hit “publish” unless I know I’m being the best fan blogger I can possibly be.
Pookie: I blog anonymously which would suggest to some that I’m trying to find a way out of being accountable (in truth, I just don’t want my boss to see how much time I spend blogging), but the fact remains at the end of the day, I answer to myself. I have enough pride that I won’t accept knowing I published something that wasn’t the best product I thought it could be (except that one time we totally phoned it in and then discovered that Fan House linked to us; that’ll learn us!). No, I’m not answering to an editor. I’m answering to my own sense of honor. I think readers should definitely consider authority and accountability when reading blogs, but I also believe strongly in the wisdom of crowds. If someone makes a habit of routinely reporting unfounded rumors, readers will figure out that there’s no substance to the reports and they will either demand truthful reporting, or they’ll move on to other blogs.
7. How concerned are you about the authority and accountability of the blogs you read? Do you find it difficult to judge the authority and accountability of the blogs you read?
Schnookie: I am almost never concerned about the authority and accountability of the blogs I read, because I find this is something that’s phenomenally easy to judge. Once you spend a little time acquainting yourself with the hockey blogosphere, it becomes abundantly clear which blogs are the biggies, which ones have reliable authority, which ones are well-respected, and which ones are spouting lies, damned lies. I take a hugely analytical approach to how I consume information on the internet, though, so maybe this is a thornier issue for other people. I don’t know, really, but for me the authority of a blogger is a lot easier to ascertain than it is to figure out how legit the reports written by some members of the MSM are.
Pookie: For the most part I read blogs that don’t report facts often enough that I’m overly concerned about authority and accountability, but when I do turn to the blogosphere for news, I use the tried and true patterns of the blogosphere to determine who to trust. By following links from trusted sources and by exploring blogrolls, I’ve been able to, without much effort, piece together a lengthy collection of reliable sites. By reading the sites and passively fact-checking them (if Mirtle says Pat Kane is good, and then two weeks later I see he’s leading rookies in scoring, that’s usually enough for me) I’m able to confirm my suspicions about who’s usually right and who’s usually wrong. Moreover, and perhaps more importantly, I’m not finding any traditionally authoritative sources (i.e. newspapers) writing enough about hockey to fully satisfy my information needs. At a certain point, I’m forced to turn to “alternative” media and at some point I have to just let go and let blog.
8. What value, if any, do you think blogging brings to the NHL?
Schnookie: First and foremost, blogging gives the fan a voice. This, to me, is far and away the greatest power of the blogosphere, and presents the most significant change to the status quo of the hockey world. As more and more fans are turning to the blogosphere for opinions, analysis, conversation and news, bloggers are gaining more and more of an ability to influence how their fellow fans are seeing the hockey world. Because of the two-way, conversational nature of the medium, bloggers and their readers are able to directly exchange ideas any time, any place. In the debate going on right now about the “legitimacy” of blogging, there is a lot of focus on the threat bloggers pose to the established media, but that seems to me to be missing the bigger picture. The real revolution happening thanks to blogging is the enfranchisement of the fan. Fans have traditionally been just the saps who open their wallets at the bottom of the professional sports food chain, but blogging gives us a chance now to make ourselves heard, and to find the other fans with whom we agree. The value blogging brings to the NHL is the ability look at what the customer is really thinking; considering the NHL is in the business of providing entertainment, that should be worth quite a bit.
Pookie: Blogging can bring the voice of the fans to the NHL. Whether the players and traditional media like it or not, we’re the reason the league exists at all. The NHL can only make a better, more appealing product if they take a listen to us every now and then. To me, this should be invaluable. Elliotte Friedman spoke in the HNIC clip about how he turns to blogs to make sure he isn’t missing anything. The NHL should consider doing the same. The levels of dissatisfaction among fans over the unbalanced schedule, the new uniforms, the television landscape, the shoot-out, and the way players are marketed (among many other issues) suggests that the NHL is most definitely missing something. The NHL is missing the fans, but we’re here, and now we have a way to make our voices heard.
UPDATE: We asked our fellow bloggers to complete this questionnaire. We’ve gotten the following wonderful responses:
1. Katebits of The Willful Caboose
2. Amy of Shots Off The Crossbar
3. Heather of Top Shelf
4. Nadine of Flyers Femme
5. CapsChick of A Veiw From The Cheapseats
6. Patty of Penalty Killing
7. Gambler of Desperation Hockey
8. Pensblog Staff at Pensblog
9. Hockeygirl of double d(ion)
10. DMG of Caps Blue Line
11. Cat of Untypical Girls
12. Tracy of True Coyote Love
13. Margee of SportSquee
14. Mags of Mags’s Live Journal
15. Finny of Girl With a Puck
16. Z4Dfense of Coyotes Hip Check
17. Kevin of BfloBlog
18. HabsFan29 of Four Habs Fans
19. Earl of Battle of California
20. Sherry of Scarlett Ice
21. Forechecker of On the Forecheck
22. John Fischer at In Lou We Trust
23. Steve Lepore of Eye On The Media (at Kukla’s Korner) and Battle of NY
24. Josh of 2 Man Advantage
25. Mike P of Mike’s Blawg
Thank you SO MUCH for this post! I am getting increasingly aggravated by the way this conversation is being framed. To me, the presumption that blogging is just another approach to journalism really negates the validity of the entire conversation. I feel like everyone is arguing about the wrong thing.
What I do is not like journalism, but because of the internet I have access to the same readership as The New York Times. THAT’S the interesting story here. Me! (Juuuust kidding.)
I guess all I’m trying to say is that I think fixating on bloggers and their ability to behave like journalist in the press box is missing the forest through the trees. There is something much, much more revolutionary going on here.
That’s so great! Should I copy the questions and answer them over on my blog?
[Can I copy your answers, too?]
To me, the presumption that blogging is just another approach to journalism really negates the validity of the entire conversation.
Exactly!
And another thing is, the reason I like blogs is because they’re NOT journalism. I’m sick of “journalists”. I can get journalism on Yahoo. I don’t need it 50 other places.
Patty, have at it! And let us know the instant you post it, because I really want to hear your answers! (Seriously, this is the way conversation plays out at IPB Manor, 100% of the time:
-Ookie: “Man, I love the Devils.”
Other -Oookie: “Me too.”
-Ookie: “So, back to the role of bloggers…”)
What I do is not like journalism, but because of the internet I have access to the same readership as The New York Times. THAT’S the interesting story here.
Whaaaaa? No, the interesting story here is whether your reputation is tarnished if some blogger you’ve never heard of wears a sweater into the press box on Long Island. Please, Katebits. An information and communications revolution is a minor issue by comparison.
There is something much, much more revolutionary going on here.
EXACTLY.
I admire Ted Leonsis a great deal for the impact he’s had on brining blogging into the limelight, but the fact is, his plan for the DC blogs is entirely built on strengthening the economic success of his NHL franchise. And he’s encouraged the MSM to look to his team’s bloggers when they want to explore that which they are most afraid of (“ooh, blogging, that seems spicy!”). And for some reason, the rest of the hockey blogosphere has sat back and said, “Yeah, there are two sides to this issue — the media and the blogs who want to be the media”. There are not two sides — this is, thanks to the innate versatility of the blog as concept, an almost infinitely faceted issue.
But there are just so many reasons why this debate is dissatisfying me, I never know where to start! But that the revolutionary aspect of blogging as conversation and democratizer is really the most important aspect that’s being ignored (as we wrote about on HLOG a little while ago) is a good place to start.
Should I copy the questions and answer them over on my blog?
Absolutely, but I’d also love to cross-post it here (with a link back to the fabulous and wonderful PK, of course) just so we can have any answers collected in one place, if that’s cool with you. I can’t wait to hear what you have to say!
I’m sick of “journalists”. I can get journalism on Yahoo. I don’t need it 50 other places.
That’s something I meant to touch on but got distracted by myself (my thoughts get really fractured when I get into this topic), and you’re so, so, so, so right. We have access to the AP reports immediately online, for all teams. So what value does some sportsdesk flunky at your local paper bring to the equation if he’s just tossing a bit of grammatical tweaking into the same story and posting it on the paper’s website? The internet brings this information directly to us, and over the last five years, I’ve seen less and less need for the traditional media sources I used to rely on. Patty, I know you watch a lot of the games on Center Ice, too, so you see as much of this stuff first-hand as we do, so I figure you’re in much the same boat I am when you sit down for your daily online hockey rounds — the newspapers are all just rehashing what I already know. Blogs give me a taste of the opinions of all kinds of fans all over the league. That’s what I want now.
And a blogger can say something like “I hate Ryan Smyth” if he damn well pleases!
My answers won’t be all that pithy. And probably very similar to yours. But I’ll think and work on it tomorrow.
My answers won’t be all that pithy. And probably very similar to yours. But I’ll think and work on it tomorrow.
Did we mention that you will be graded on the quality of your answers? Because you will. :P
RudyKelly’s post about Ryan Smyth was BRILLIANT. He really raised the bar on that one.
I’d also love to cross-post it here (with a link back to the fabulous and wonderful PK, of course) just so we can have any answers collected in one place, if that’s cool with you.
Feel free! Should I just write it up for y’all? I don’t mind that, either, but I think it’d be a good chain-post kind of thing. (Which I think is what y’all were suggesting.)
Did we mention that you will be graded on the quality of your answers? Because you will. :P
Not explicitly, but certainly implicitly.
And a blogger can say something like “I hate Ryan Smyth” if he damn well pleases!
Can you imagine how great a world it would be if the stuffiest members of the MSM would take a moment to write something like, “There is not a person on Earth I care less about than Brad Stuart”?
As for the cross-posting, I was thinking that it would be nice to have your full post on both PK and IPB (like the way we cross-post to HLOG).
Not explicitly, but certainly implicitly.
Well, the official motto at stately IPB Manor is “It’s always a competition”, so I’m glad that’s conveying onto our blog.
Oh, and Patty? Your answers must be typed. On a computer. Using Times New Roman, not Courier New. We do not accept rocks.
Oh, and Patty? Your answers must be typed. On a computer. Using Times New Roman, not Courier New. We do not accept rocks.
:^::::::::::::::::::
I think I’ve been fairly oblivious to this debate, and every time I notice it, I can’t help think, “dudes, chill out, why can’t blogging just be fun” Which I realize isn’t the most intellectual of responses, but I figure that’s ok. Because for me, that’s the reason I pay attention to hockey in the first place . . . because it’s fun. And likewise, I read hockey blogs because they entertain me and because, in the case of a few, most particularly IPB, they give me a place to chat about hockey. Something no one I see in my day-to-day life is interested in doing. I’m not even a hockey blogger, just a reader/commentor, and reading hockey blogs has made me feel like I’m part of a hockey-loving community, which in turn has made me a bigger fan. Also, as someone who has only been a serious hockey fan for a very few years, I’ve learned a great deal from the online community.
Now that doesn’t mean I’m not interested in news or subjective analysis; I think of Mirtle’s site, for example, as a particularly good editorial column on the internet. And I actually kind of love reading statistical analysis because it gives me a different perspective on a game I love, although I do need it to be put in layman’s terms. But I have no interest in hockey blogs that merely seek to replicate the work of mainstream media. I’d much rather read about why you ladies love hockey, or a Katebits expose on the Sabres’ chew toy girlfriends, or RudyKelly ranting about why he hates Smyth. Or even, horror, a liveblog. Reading liveblogs shows me how other fans thing and react when they watch the game–how we’re the same and how we’re different. And the fact that the good ones make me laugh is a delightful bonus. That seems to me to be a worthwhile endeavor.
I would just like to note that I typed the bit about RudyKelly’s Smyth post prior to seeing all those comments on it.
Oh, and Patty? Your answers must be typed. On a computer. Using Times New Roman, not Courier New. We do not accept rocks.
Haha! Can my computer have burnt-stick fingerprints on it?
Oooh, I’m gonna play too, I think. Like Patty, most of my answers will resemble yours but I’ve been thinking about doing a “reasons for being” kind of post for a while now.
Brava, Meg! Very eloquently put! I think it’s awesome to get your perspective as a read/commentor, because so much of this conversation quickly gets stuck in hysterical chest-beating when it’s just bloggers talking amongst themselves (and I include myself as an hysterical chest-beater), because we’re all convinced our approach and our goals are the right ones. I think it’s important (and calming) to hear from someone with less of a vested interest in it all. And I totally believe you that you were thinking of the Smyth post before everyone else brought it up. :D
Can my computer have burnt-stick fingerprints on it?
*Sigh* Patty, you’re never going to get a press pass with that lack of professionalism.
Oooh, I’m gonna play too, I think. Like Patty, most of my answers will resemble yours but I’ve been thinking about doing a “reasons for being” kind of post for a while now.
Please do play! And we’d love to cross-post your answers here, too, if you’d be cool with that. It was very refreshing to do this post, because it really clarified for me my sense of purpose. (So, uh, sorry, anyone who was bored by this, but I totally needed to engage in this exercise in self-regard in public. :D) I highly recommend it!
Reading liveblogs shows me how other fans thing and react when they watch the game–how we’re the same and how we’re different. And the fact that the good ones make me laugh is a delightful bonus. That seems to me to be a worthwhile endeavor.
Oh, and Meg, you read the comment — liveblogs are eroding the very foundation of blogging. When are you going to learn?
Meg, *clapclapclapclapclap*, great response! You’re so right that this is all supposed to be fun, which I guess is why I get so mad when the debate gets framed in such a way that dismisses the fun element right off the bat.
I’m not even a hockey blogger, just a reader/commentor, and reading hockey blogs has made me feel like I’m part of a hockey-loving community, which in turn has made me a bigger fan.
See? This is what the debate is missing — the idea that blogging’s true power isn’t to give a select group of “legitimate” bloggers greater access to the individual teams, but that it gives a wide group of people more opportunity to be fans. I was saying to Schnookie earlier that Rudy Kelly is actually a really great example of this. I know a number of people here read his posts avidly because we like his writing style. As a result, I think more than a few of us have come to the realization that we like the Kings. Not that we just like the blogger, but that he makes us like the TEAM. A team we would otherwise not care one lick about. How is this not something the NHL would want to harness? I mean, look at us Irregulars here. I didn’t think twice about the Stars before the season started. But between Patty, Cat and Caitlin, I feel like I’m getting to know the players and tenor of the team; when the Stars scores come up on the bottom line, I don’t think, “Well that doesn’t matter to me, I don’t like the Stars”, I think, “Gosh, those bloggers I love talking to are happy/sad tonight!” Being a part of a community of hockey fans has made so much more of the league relevant to me. This has nothing to do with NHL marketing, or individual teams doing anything different. It’s 100% through blogging interactivity that my interest and fandom has grown.
I think it’s important (and calming) to hear from someone with less of a vested interest in it all.
Hey, I have a vested interest in being entertained! :D
And on the note of community I think it all comes back to just what the internet does. Imagine, we all talk to people all over the continent on a regular basis about hockey. Hell, through various means I end up talking to people all over the world from a whole variety of backgrounds and with so many different perspectives. And we all come together to talk about our common interests. Imagine doing that 20 years ago. It’s this grand social experiment of sorts that hockey blogging is a part of. I think it’s pretty fabulous.
*Sigh* Patty, you’re never going to get a press pass with that lack of professionalism.
Dammit!
I mean, Darn it!
I mean… oh, crap.
I just put a pie in the oven, thinking it was about 10:30. Um, it’s 11:45. So don’t everybody go to bed yet. :D
Mmmmm, pie.
I’m still finding my blog voice, I think, so I’m not even ready to answer these questions fully. But I liked reading yours Ookies. And I’m looking forward to reading Heather’s and Patty’s.
But between Patty, Cat and Caitlin, I feel like I’m getting to know the players and tenor of the team; when the Stars scores come up on the bottom line, I don’t think, “Well that doesn’t matter to me, I don’t like the Stars”, I think, “Gosh, those bloggers I love talking to are happy/sad tonight!”
Awww, guys!! I’m totally sad I don’t have Center Ice this year to enjoy the Devils magic. I want to see Parise in action! I miss Langenbrunner! Even Gionta and Pando have captured me!
…Damn my lack of Center Ice! You’ve gotten me to care about the Devils!
liveblogs are eroding the very foundation of blogging.
Good Lord. I might totally be out to destroy the very blogosphere then, huh?
liveblogs are eroding the very foundation of blogging.
Ooh! I wanna try one! Can I erode some foundation? Can I? Please?
Ooh! I wanna try one! Can I erode some foundation? Can I? Please?
You know, I’ve been wishing for a Patty liveblog for Christmas, so now you have to do one.
Seriously – I would love to read one of yours.
I’ve missed everyone, as usual, but I can’t pass up my chance to chime in. Ookies, you make me want to be a better blogger. This post is fabulous!
I’ll probably be answering these questions on my blog as well–because, you know, I never miss an opportunity to talk about myself–and you’re welcome to cross post it here if you like. (Inside I’m pommerdoodling about the prospect of being featured on IPB!) But I just want to say for the record that if you’re looking for proof of the tremendous power and influence of hockey blogging, look no further than IPB. You guys (all of you, Ookies and Irregulars alike) in the past few months have made me into a better, smarter, and more interested fan. And that’s something Bucky Gleason or the Buffalo News could never do. Y’all rock!
I have to say as another reader/commenter, blogging is what you make of it. What I value most about the blogs I read is, like Pookie said, a sense that there are other people out there to talk hockey with. In a sense, the comments I make serve as my own hockey blog and put my voice out there – because of that, I prefer blogs where I feel those comments will be read and (hopefully) appreciated.
I read my paper’s game wrapup mainly to see what the players and coaches had to say afterwards, since what I don’t have access to as an out-of-market fan is pre-and post-game shows. I read it to see who is hurt, who is in the doghouse, what my te is saying. But the paper adds no life to my fan experience.
And that’s where blogs come in. I look to blogs to reflect how I’m feeling, or to start a conversation based on differing feelings. And I want to be entertained. Ultimately, blogs help me to be a more passionate fan all while reminding me that this isn’t serious. They make me feel a part of something and give me an outlet to express myself. They help me have fun even when watching my team isn’t. And yes, they’ve given me an awareness of and interest in teams across the league that I previously ignored.
No essays required.
I wanna play too! I’ll be working on my answers today in between actual work and a dog and pony show for a client that I have to participate in. I only wish real dogs and ponies were involved.
Ultimately, blogs help me to be a more passionate fan all while reminding me that this isn’t serious.
Amen. While we all share in our team’s ups and downs, it is just a game after all. If I want serious, I’ll watch CNN or read a newspaper.
I can’t wait to read what you other actual bloggers have to say. Even if you do make some of the same points, it’s about having your own voice, and each one is distinct.
what my te is saying
Uh, that should be “team.” I guess that’s what I get for pecking out a comment on my phone instead of waiting ’til I get to work.
They help me have fun even when watching my team isn’t.
That’s a really great point that I hadn’t really been thinking about much. Blogging about hockey mankes my fandom about more than just whether my team wins or losees. The experience is broadened considerably.
I wanna play too!
Yay! I’m sorry there aren’t realy dogs and ponies at work, but I’m looking forward to reading what you and Gambler have to say, Amy!
Ookies, you make me want to be a better blogger.
Awwwww! That’s the nicest comment EVER! But didn’t you mean, “you make me want to be the best non-professional blogger I can be”? :)
I think what I like best about the Ookies blogging, and good bloggers in general is the way their readers and commenters are engaged and responded to. This is the main divergent point between a blogger and a journalist (to me it is at least). The journalist “tells” you something. The blogger shares something of themselves with you. Good bloogers let the readers share back, and the whole process grows from there. I find the give and take in blogging refreshing, provided the blogger has a low “jerk factor” of readers. I have found IPB to be a jerk free zone (JFZ).
The journalist “tells” you something. The blogger shares something of themselves with you.
Ooh, great distinction! Again and again, the topic of blogging is being presented in this way that only focuses on how bloggers can or can’t get access in order to “tell” more — where’s the discussion about how we’re already sharing a lot?
I have found IPB to be a jerk free zone (JFZ)
If IPB had business cards, they would totally read “IPB – JFZ since March, 07″!
I have found IPB to be a jerk free zone (JFZ).
Awwwww! See, THAT’S the nicest thing I’ve ever heard! :D It’s really true, though, that the quality of my life has improved dramatically since finding so many other fans to talk to who aren’t jerks.
And I agree Morgan, it’s the give-and-take that makes blogging matter to me, otherwise blogs are just another source for op-eds by another faceless writer somewhere in the interwebs.
Can I play? I don’t hockey-blog, but I blog…
I don’t really have anything to add. Y’all already covered most of it…
Mags, we want everyone to play! (I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — this is my single favorite topic of conversation. The more people I can hear from about this, the happier I am!)
Ok thanks, then I’ll just answer the questions that apply to me :)
Bravissimo! Wonderful post, Ookies! Being one of the few non-blogging Irregulars, I don’t really have a ton of insight to add, but I will say that everyone here has touched on the general awesomeness of IPB and it’s community.
Seriously, I can’t even imagine another blog/site where I could visit, every single day, the blogs of every single commenter in every single thread. It’s really, truly unbelievable.
This is only sort of on-topic, but I’ve been wondering whether the entire “internet presence” of hockey in general is greater than for other sports.
By “presence” I mean the total package, including official (team and league), independent media, “personal” (blogs and fansites), forums, and whatever other categories might be out there.
Hockey has an incredibly comprehensive, deep, and diverse internet presence, at (and this is key) all levels. Basically anything above Bantam house leagues has a website. It’s almost as easy to follow a junior team from another city as it is to follow a far-off NHL team.
Major league baseball seems to have a comparable presence to the NHL, but I just don’t see the minor leagues “out here” on the web as much. Some barely have a website, let alone a blogroll. I’ve tried to follow players as they play in the minors, but it’s difficult-to-impossible. Often, a bare stat report is all you can find.
As for other sports, I don’t follow football except to check on how my alma mater is doing, and I hate basketball and soccer and do my best to pretend they don’t exist at all, so I can’t speak with any authority at all on them.
Assuming that I’m not totally off-base with my central premise, I have a bunch of questions as to why it’s so:
The Elitist Argument: Are hockey fans more tech-savvy, or more likely to be willing/able/eager to seek and contribute information online?
The Sport: Is there something about the actual sport of hockey that lends itself to being covered so well online?
Location, Location, Location: Are hockey fans more likely to be remote fans, and thus in need of non-local information sources?
The Poor Alienated Hockey Fan Argument: Is it a reaction to hockey being largely ignored (or covered minimally) by the major print and electronic media?
(I just got to work and would rather be in bed, so please excuse any inadequacies of writing in this mess.)
Oh hell, sorry about the HTML. Much less of that should have been italic.
I think those are good questions, Mara. Based on my experience I’m inclined to think it’s probably mostly a function of the “Poor Alienated Hockey Fan Argument”. I’ve known a lot of serious sports fans over the years, and while my baseball, football and basketball fans have been as hardcore, the hockey fans have, almost to a man, had this extra edge of feeling like they need to go the extra mile. I’ve always chalked it up to feeling slightly put-upon by the major media outlets not giving our sport the attention we think it’s due. I’m wondering if this will change in the next few years. As Schnookie pointed out on Friday, the entire sports landscape is changing and because we all have so much opportunity to just pick and choose what we what to see and only what we want to see, I think more and more entertainment choices are going to become niche interests.
Seriously, I can’t even imagine another blog/site where I could visit, every single day, the blogs of every single commenter in every single thread. It’s really, truly unbelievable.
It’s true, andrew! I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, and to get some huge influx of idiots and dullards, but for some reason, this is just a community of super-smart overachievers! We rock!
Mara, I think the HNIC piece actually touched on your question a bit, where they discussed the idea of hockey having lost the TV war, and necessarily having to shift its attentions to the internet. I think Bettman doesn’t get enough credit for making the NHL one of the most tech-savvy of the major sports, and I can only assume that’s trickling down to the lower levels of the game. But yeah, another HUGE factor in this that not many people probably want to consider is that hockey’s demographics are, for the most part, comfortably on the “have” side of the digital divide.
Based on my experience I’m inclined to think it’s probably mostly a function of the “Poor Alienated Hockey Fan Argument”.
I concur.
Cat’s really the evil genius behind Untypical Girls and I’m really just a henchman in the scheme of things, but one of the reasons we do what we do is because we’re hockey fans that live in Texas.
Mike Modano’s had a lot of influence around here, but there’s no ripping Texans/Southerners from football. The coverage here is minimal, but good. We felt so alone!
Imagine our joy and wonder at discovering Patty! And IPB! We nearly cried, I think.
Cat’s really the evil genius behind Untypical Girls and I’m really just a henchman in the scheme of things
As the henchman of IPB, I love that you put it that way, Caitlin! HEE! (And in a Mythbusters quote moment, I can’t resist saying it… “I wouldn’t say Pookie’s an evil genius…”)
As the henchman of IPB, I love that you put it that way, Caitlin!
Schnookie, we can be super awesome henchmen together! Sweet!
Have you ever heard the Jonathan Coulton song “Skullcrusher Mountain”? If not, you need to. It’s off-topic but every time I think about henchmen, I think about that song.
Have you ever heard the Jonathan Coulton song “Skullcrusher Mountain”?
I haven’t, but one of my coworkers invoked, this morning, a song called “There Ain’t Never Been a Gaucho Named Klaus”, which might just be the best song title ever.
Based on my experience I’m inclined to think it’s probably mostly a function of the “Poor Alienated Hockey Fan Argument”.
I reckon that’s what it is too.
Imagine our joy and wonder at discovering Patty! And IPB! We nearly cried, I think.
That’s the way it was when I found NPI, then HLOG back in February. I about cried at finding out there were Devils blogs. Holland is a hockeyless wasteland. Seriously, the sports pages in my newspaper are 4 in total, 3 are devoted to soccer and 1 to miscellanea. It’s always ironic to me, since the Dutch hockey, volleyball, baseball and God knows what else, teams tend to actually win shit, whereas none the football teams have achieved anything since 1988. Then again, that is saying like jumping on another team’s bandwagon because they’re winning a lot.
Jonathan Coulton song “Skullcrusher Mountain”
O wow. It’s on the mix CD I’m making for Christmas. I love that song.
By the way, I would soooo say Pookie’s an evil genius.
By the way, I would soooo say Pookie’s an evil genius.
Yes Pookie, you are. But please don’t make a half monkey/half pony monster.
But please don’t make a half monkey/half pony monster.
A mad scientist? A deserted island? A vivisected puma? What could it all mean?!?
(Best. Book. Quote. EVER!)
But yeah, another HUGE factor in this that not many people probably want to consider is that hockey’s demographics are, for the most part, comfortably on the “have” side of the digital divide.
This is certainly one of the big elephants in the room in this whole discussion, isn’t it? :) Of course, most people engaged in this debate most likely fall into the camp that believes the Digitial Divide no longer exists. Those people are wrong, wrong, wrong!
Ookies great post! The Pens released some info earlier this year, and I can’t recall if it was their own survey or the league’s, but hockey fans are younger, more tech savvy, have a better education and more money than the average fan in other sports. I can’t recall if it addressed gender. If Bettman has responded to the market research then good for him – it is one thing he has done right.
Blogs appeal to a different audience than traditional media. The blogger Teacher Wordsmith Madman said on his blog today (he’s a writing/communication prof at Carnegie Mellon U) that he thinks newspapers can compete with superior writing. I think he misses the point. Blogs are accessible to ANYONE, regardless of location anywhere in the world, allow instant communication, and relationships can be formed. While creative writing is an aspect it ain’t the be all and end all. It doesn’t have to be “art.” Conversely with papers your average fan can’t have a relationship with a paper’s masthead, a reporter, etc. Their opinion also cannot always be expressed (letters don’t get published) or with cable you are left to yell at the talking head on TV.
Also, the Post Gazette reported a short time ago that women actually have an internet presence in the blogosphere. (*gasps*)
http://postgazette.com/pg/07304/829747-51.stm
Imagine! Women! Where we are still largely relegated to the A&E or lifestyle sections of newspapers, and need blond hair and big boobs on TV, in the blogosphere we have a voice. You can admire Sid’s caboose or tell “beingbobbyorr” he’s a jagoff. Journalists shoudl just get over themselves and join the revolution.
Personally, I like blurking when I can’t participate simply because I enjoy the wit, humor, intelligence, creativity, opinions and information that can’t be had otherwise. It’s amusing.
And sometimes you just need someone to talk to, or have someone to hear to your 2 cents.
But yeah, another HUGE factor in this that not many people probably want to consider is that hockey’s demographics are, for the most part, comfortably on the “have” side of the digital divide.
This is certainly one of the big elephants in the room in this whole discussion, isn’t it? :)
Big elephant indeed. With little/no national media attention, you’re stuck with the local coverage (if you have any), or paying lord-knows-how-much for digital this and satellite that and broadband internet. Not to mention that the demographics who grow up watching it probably match the demographics who grow up playing it–i.e. middle to upper class. It’s a damn expensive sport to play.
Totally, utterly off-topic: I’m ordering myself an authentic PARISE jersey before the REAL jerseys are no longer available and all I can get is EDGE crap. (Some stores still have a few real jerseys left). Basically the only site I’ve found with an authentic white Devils jersey does the nameplates wrong. :P The Devils trim the nameplates to the length of the name, but this store doesn’t. Stupid. I’ve emailed them to inquire about the possibility of them fixing it, but care to guess on my odds of success?
I can’t recall if it was their own survey or the league’s, but hockey fans are younger, more tech savvy, have a better education and more money than the average fan in other sports. I can’t recall if it addressed gender.
This is something that I remember being widely reported when we first came on board with hockey back in 1996. I seem to recall that other than NASCAR, the NHL also had the largest percentage of female fans among the other major pro sports. So yeah, over 10 years ago the NHL had the most desired demographics, albeit small ones, but they still spent all their time screeching about how the sky was falling. Anyway, one of the things that has bugged me about the female fan thing is that I see the other sports (especially the NFL) doing amazingly good work in marketing themselves to the serious, money-spending and legitimate female fan (the NFL did a study a few years ago that discovered that the vast majority of their merchandise is bought by women, whether it’s for themselves or for sons/husbands/boyfriends/whatever. So they geared their marketing commensurately. Consequently, I find that NFL advertising is generally a lot more gender-neutral than the other sports’, but in very subtle ways), but the NHL? Nah, we just get pink sweaters. Anyway, that’s my tangent about female fans. :D
MOPG, you definitely bring up a GREAT point that the great democratizer that is the internet allows female fans to have way more of a voice and way more respectability than is traditionally available. And that is, needless to say, super awesome.
I think Bettman doesn’t get enough credit for making the NHL one of the most tech-savvy of the major sports, and I can only assume that’s trickling down to the lower levels of the game. But yeah, another HUGE factor in this that not many people probably want to consider is that hockey’s demographics are, for the most part, comfortably on the “have” side of the digital divide.
I think this pretty much sums it up. Using the ‘net is one of the things Bettman has done right because of losing the TV war. His intent was to reach a broader audience, but in fact what he’s done is help provide what’s lacking to the existing audience. Maybe that was part of his intent and I’m shortchanging him there, but either way we’ve benefitted and I’m grateful for that.
The other side of the coin is that yes, hockey fans tend to be better-educated and make more money, so we can afford the equipment necessary to participate in the online activities. By and large, we started filling our own void – for information, for community, whatever – but a big part of the reason for that is because we could.
Mara, have you checked ebay and overstock and the like? They might have old authentic ones, and they’d probably be cheaper.
Mara, if you find someplace could you pass it along? I’m pretty sure I want a Clarkson sweater.
Mara, have you checked ebay and overstock and the like? They might have old authentic ones, and they’d probably be cheaper.
Yeah, I’ve checked around pretty thoroughly. Oddly, you can find most other teams more easily. NHL.com even still has the old jerseys for most teams, just not Devils. And when you do find a rare Devils jersey still in stock, it’s usually red (I want the white one).
This site I found has the jersey with name and numbers for $199, which is a pretty good price, considering that getting a blank one personalized will run $50-60 by itself. I just have the one gripe about the dumb nameplate.
I don’t fit the age demographic for either hockey or blogging but I am more tech savvy than either fellow engineers of my generation. Just look at many papers and TV today and not much has changed for women in reality. With blogging we have not so much a female point of view (whatever that is) but a different tone and a different outlook. IPB is a great mix of cross league rivalries in good natured fun, sexual objectification and a lot of other -isms but it’s also light hearted AND knowledgeable. And it doesn’t necessarilly even need to be the latter-it just is a bonus. And it’s mainly WOMEN and a few good men. “Real journalists” take it adn themselves all SO seriously (see MSNBC’s columnist on the Steeler’s field last week on MNF.) For Gawd’s sake you’d think Jesus himself was set to walk across it in such condition. It’s all games, boys!
Mags, the site (actually an ebay “Buy it now” store) I found only has Parise, Brodeur and Gionta in Devils jerseys, but their main site has a form to request a jersey. http://www.pro-jerseys.com. Maybe they’d be better about replying to a request than to my question about the nameplates.
Thanks Mara. I’ll email and ask them and include a question about the nameplates. We’ll see what happens eh?
Anyway, one of the things that has bugged me about the female fan thing is that I see the other sports (especially the NFL) doing amazingly good work in marketing themselves to the serious, money-spending and legitimate female fan (the NFL did a study a few years ago that discovered that the vast majority of their merchandise is bought by women, whether it’s for themselves or for sons/husbands/boyfriends/whatever. So they geared their marketing commensurately. Consequently, I find that NFL advertising is generally a lot more gender-neutral than the other sports’, but in very subtle ways), but the NHL? Nah, we just get pink sweaters. Anyway, that’s my tangent about female fans. :D
I actually feel the opposite. The NHL took a wrong turn with pink sweaters, but I really find that NFL advertising and games are fraught with objectification in a way that NHL ones are just not (despite Ice Girls, which I think were borne out of NFL “cheerleaders” as a way to appeal to the “typical” male sports fan). Watching a hockey game does not involve beer commercials implying sex with twin sisters, or cuts to the sideline where a coach is wrapped up in a big ol’ coat while scantily-clad women dance around behind him in 30-degree weather. The NHL, from what I can tell, does not seem to be surprised that it has female fans, but I feel as though if I ran into Goodell and said “I’m a Steeler fan” he would fall down on the floor in utter shock. This is also true of the overall fanbases. I’ve met very few hockey-fan males who eye me suspicously when I say I’m a fan, whereas just about every dude I run across talking football looks at me like I can’t possibly be one. I have always felt as though the NFL’s back is firmly in my face, whereas the NHL has opened its door like family, even if it is the goofy great aunt who gets me a totally weird gift for Christmas. Probably another reason I watch less and less football each year.
Nah, we just get pink sweaters
Which is kind of insulting, considering that more and more girls / women are starting to play hockey.
it’s also light hearted AND knowledgeable. And it doesn’t necessarilly even need to be the latter-it just is a bonus.
Hm, this has me thinking. I’m not as sure that the latter isn’t necessary. I think this addressed a bit about what Schnookie, Katebits and I all touched on a bit in discussing the MSM’s concern about authority and accountability in the blogosphere. For the most part, the blogs that are going to succeed are the ones that have a foundation of hockey smarts. Rudy Kelly can get away with writing what he did about Ryan Smyth becuase he’s established for his readers that he can discuss hockey seriously, he has the knowledge, he just chooses to take a more humorous approach. If he didn’t have that knowledge backing him up, we’d all be more inclined to dismiss him and with him, his writing. Does that make any sense?
Pookie, you make sense, but I think in Katebits’ post on her site she touches on this peripherally. As a newer fan, she can’t be as knowledgeable, but we’re along for her ride as she learns more and more. So her genuine analysis is by definition going to be more superficial, but her insight is still worth having.
It’s not “knowledge” that’s necessary as much as “a lack of boneheadedness,” I think. :)
“Which is kind of insulting, considering that more and more girls / women are starting to play hockey.”
Let’s not forget, it’s also just plain asthetically insulting. Boy, do those things look awful.
This is also true of the overall fanbases. I’ve met very few hockey-fan males who eye me suspicously when I say I’m a fan, whereas just about every dude I run across talking football looks at me like I can’t possibly be one.
I have had the exact opposite experience!
And as for hockey marketing, I think the only reason we don’t see as many scantily clad women in beer commercials is because the beer companies don’t want to waste their money advertizing to such small audiences. I doubt, if Coors bought advertizing during the NBC game, the NHL would say, “No wait, don’t give our female fans the wrong idea!” They’d say, “Great, now give us the cash.” (Also, let’s not overlook the Mystery Mansion Molson commercials.)
And the cheerleaders, I think the Ice Girls are just as insulting and unneccessary. I don’t think the NHL is on any high ground there anymore! (Although the cheerleaders in Carolina did lead to my favorite hockey quote of the season so far. That weird TSN rapid fire interview thingie show featured Mike Commodore. When asked to rate the cheerleaders on a scale of 1 to 10 he enthused, “I’d give them a HARD 9.5 out of 10. Oh wait, that sounded all wrong.”)
Oh, and I meant to add, has anyone seen the NFL Merchandise commercial advertizing the women’s apparel line? The one that featured 4 women, all presented as fans in their own right — not as girlfriends, mothers, or sisters of male fans — enjoying a game day? They were wearing clothes that were all team color appropriate, and without any sparkles, fluff or non-football-appropriate shapes or designs (i.e. there were no hoodies with as many butterflies as Penguins logos). That is what Schnookie meant when she said the NFL knows what it’s doing. Show me the NHL merchandise that’s geared towards women’s sizes and cuts, but that also acknowledges that we can and are fans in our own rights, and fans that live and die by our team’s colors — not pink.
Let’s not forget, it’s also just plain asthetically insulting. Boy, do those things look awful.
Seriously! It goes so far beyond just being a question of them missing the mark about what female fans are looking for — they are just flat-out ugly, ugly, ugly jerseys. You really have to wonder what kind of market research was involved in those things. I hope whatever consulting firm was brought in on that project lost their NHL account.
Pookie, as long as I don’t have to put up with that crap I’m not so much concerned with why. But here’s what I think is the good news: the NHL already knows we’re here, and it’s desperate.
Its market research is highly likely to include information on the female fanbase. If the league wouldn’t lose money by allowing advertisers to appeal to the male fanbase’s, well, baser instincts, then we’re screwed. But if it would, I do think the league would tell advertisers to “mind the ladies.” It really all comes down to how key we are to the bottom line, and our likelihood to stick around if we start getting spat upon.
If the NFL market research is any indication, we may well be screwed. If women are buying NFL crap despite the way we’re treated, then I have little hope that we would, as a group, abandon hockey if advertisers started in on us here.
Let’s just hope we stay under the advertisers’ radar so it doesn’t become an issue.
Let’s not forget, it’s also just plain asthetically insulting. Boy, do those things look awful.
I have to admit I was really thinking the pink jersey thing was a total non-issue. CapsChick kept going on and on about how awful they were and I was like, “Meh, so they suck and they’re insulting. What’s the big deal?” Then I saw one in person. And I immediately emailed CC to say, “You were SO right.” I happen to be a fan of the color pink. I think it compliments my complexion. But this pink? In person it’s like nucleur pink. It glows for how awful it is. It’s like if cotton candy were a radioactive subtance that can kill you by just looking at it. So not only is it insulting to female hockey fans, it’s insulting to the color pink.
As for the whole, “and more and more girls and women are playing” thing, I have to add that I’m also digusted by the pink hockey equpiment thing! They showed a girls mites-on-ice thing on the Rangers feed last night and 1/2 the players had pink gloves. Come on, girls, show some self-respect! :)
Show me the NHL merchandise that’s geared towards women’s sizes and cuts, but that also acknowledges that we can and are fans in our own rights, and fans that live and die by our team’s colors — not pink.
I had to laugh at the pink Ryan Miller shirt that I saw the other day. It even had sparklies on the name and number. I know when I think of Ryan Miller, I think of sparklies.
It was borderline ridiculous.
Oh, and I meant to add, has anyone seen the NFL Merchandise commercial advertizing the women’s apparel line? The one that featured 4 women, all presented as fans in their own right — not as girlfriends, mothers, or sisters of male fans — enjoying a game day? They were wearing clothes that were all team color appropriate, and without any sparkles, fluff or non-football-appropriate shapes or designs (i.e. there were no hoodies with as many butterflies as Penguins logos). That is what Schnookie meant when she said the NFL knows what it’s doing. Show me the NHL merchandise that’s geared towards women’s sizes and cuts, but that also acknowledges that we can and are fans in our own rights, and fans that live and die by our team’s colors — not pink.
See, when I saw that, my reaction was to think it was appealing to a male fantasy – look at the hot models in football gear slapping each other on the ass! I didn’t feel that it was aimed at me at all.
But if it would, I do think the league would tell advertisers to “mind the ladies.”
And in four words, “I think you’re wrong”. :P
If women are buying NFL crap despite the way we’re treated, then I have little hope that we would, as a group, abandon hockey if advertisers started in on us here.
Seriously. Beacuse based on your theory, we women wouldn’t be watching a) any prime time televison, b) any Hollywood movies, or c) reading any magazines or d) listening to most pop music.
I know when I think of Ryan Miller, I think of sparklies.
I do too!
Oh, you were being sarcastic.
:P
Personally, I adore pink. I have pink hockey socks, have worn pink skate laces, occasionally tape my stick with pink tape, have a pink skate lace in the neck of my favorite grey Easton hoody, wear a pink bandana under my helmet, and have a pink practice jersey. (Obviously I use these things one or 2 at a time, otherwise it would look like I bathed in pepto bismol.)
I would love the pink jerseys IF THEY WERE REAL JERSEYS. They’re not jerseys, they’re weird fitted shirts for women. THAT’S what I find insulting and sexist–the FIT. I want a JERSEY, dammit, not a tight shirt! I hate the properly team-colored women’s jerseys, too. If it doesn’t fit over shoulder pads, it flat-out IS NOT A JERSEY.
Incidentally, I know men who will wear the pink stuff once in a while, for fun. I know a guy who wears pink laces in his skates when he’s playing on a co-ed team with his sister, to match her laces. My co-ed tournament team had a total of 3 pairs of pink socks that we traded around so 6 people (4 of them men) were wearing one pink sock each. I know a goalie who always tapes his stick with pink, and my dad has pink skate blade covers.
Crunchy’s just trying to be the sparkliest sparklie he can be. He’s… not trying very hard.
Why not start an IPB hockey gear and apparel line aimed at NHL female fans?
THAT’S what I find insulting and sexist–the FIT. I want a JERSEY, dammit, not a tight shirt!
But the whole point is that they’re not jerseys. The point is that some women complained that buying a real sweater meant wearing a garment that was not sized in any way, shape or form like the average female body. The point is for them to wear team apparel TO WATCH THE GAMES. The NHL and the merchandizers were NEVER at any point advertizing these as replacements for real or replica sweaters. So the one thing I will say for the sweaters is that the fit is not the problem. (This topic came up on HLOG earleir this summer or last year; many of the women there — smart, knowledge hockey fans — agreed that buying even the smallest replica/real sweater [for spectator purposes] meant getting a garment that was just too big and unflattering. The problem is purely that the design is insulting.)
“Incidentally, I know men who will wear the pink stuff once in a while, for fun.”
It’s a gentleman’s color.
A whole bunch of the guys I used to work with would wear pink ties, pink polos on biz casual days, etc. Then again, I worked with a bunch of frat boy douchebag salesmen, so that may be a bad example.
And in four words, “I think you’re wrong”. :P
It wouldn’t be about us, but about money.
Seriously. Beacuse based on your theory, we women wouldn’t be watching a) any prime time televison, b) any Hollywood movies, or c) reading any magazines or d) listening to most pop music.
Which is why I’m ultimately pessimistic about our chances if the NHL ever did get those advertisers. We don’t speak with our wallets.
Advertisers are very quick to react when they think that they’ll lose money. The problem with the way women are dealt with is that because everybody does it, we pretty much just take it. Our desires are ignored because we don’t voice our opinions with our money.
O wow. It’s on the mix CD I’m making for Christmas. I love that song.
Mags, seriously. You = awesome. Cat jokes that song will be her wedding song.
If he didn’t have that knowledge backing him up, we’d all be more inclined to dismiss him and with him, his writing. Does that make any sense?
Perfect sense. It’s harder to dismiss someone when you have proof that they understand information being thrown at them and furthermore, understand the subject matter at hand and synthesize it properly. Therefore, when Rudy writes something like that, to use your example, you know he has other things he can discuss besides just why he hates Ryan Smyth (albeit in a very funny way). In essence, he understands the game of hockey and his understanding validates his reasons for hating Ryan Smyth, in a way.
I’m pretty discombobulated from work, so I hope that makes sense.
Why not start an IPB hockey gear and apparel line aimed at NHL female fans?
Considering my preferred wardrobe is pajama pants and mens’-sizes t-shirts, and I never had a problem wearing a regular old sweater that fits me like a polyester tarp, I’m definitely not the person to be looking to for woman-friendly NHL apparel. :D
I’m definitely not the person to be looking to for woman-friendly NHL apparel.
I own a women’s jersey – not the pink kind, but the standard home design for the Stars. I really wanted a jersey but couldn’t afford the “standard” jersey, so I figured I’d get the women’s as a placeholder.
There’s things I’d wish they’d improve – the customization for the women’s jerseys is not so awesome.
I like my jersey, but I’m looking forward to buying my standard, regular jersey and paying the extra money to have it nicely customized.
“I never had a problem wearing a regular old sweater that fits me like a polyester tarp,”
Or a tent….perhaps a “Pando Tent”
Hey, not to break off topic (sort of) but since we’re on the discussion of womens fashion, and I have exactly squat to add to the conversation, check out the laptop case I’m getting the little lady for x-mas! I think she’ll dig it.
http://www.luggageonline.com/product.cfm?product_ID=9453
There is nothing wrong with making some things fashionable but is that the only way to market to women fans and players? Well I was thinking stuff not just in pink, but lavender, Carribean blue, puce and mango. The corset look with nude skin inserts might work for the sweaters. Hockey pants trimmed in lace, helmets with sequined logos and colored face masks and sticks that come with changeable slip cover to individualize the look. Not to mention the options for skates. That’s just me.
Is there still no checking in women’s hockey?
The point is that some women complained that buying a real sweater meant wearing a garment that was not sized in any way, shape or form like the average female body.
Just my opinion, but the women’s “jerseys” aren’t cut for real women’s bodies. If you have one ounce of flab or have a large chest, the ladies “jersey” isn’t going to fit you. It’s like putting ten pounds of something into a 5 pound bag.
I found that a men’s small jersey fits me just fine, and manges to be big enough to fit a sweater or long sleeve shirt underneath so I’m not freezing my arse off at the arena.
wow my post jumped mara’s somehow…
I hate the properly team-colored women’s jerseys, too. If it doesn’t fit over shoulder pads, it flat-out IS NOT A JERSEY.
Now see, I hate to swim in my clothes, and I see jerseys as just another item of clothing. I’m not trying to be a player, I just want to represent my team. So I prefer the smaller cuts. The “fitted” cut where it comes in at the waist is fine, but I don’t have to have it either.
I love the jersey I got when I was 14 because it has the look of a regular one but is overall smaller than today’s regular jerseys. So you can see ME under there, but I don’t look like I’m wearing anything cutesy.
Here are my beefs with the women’s (regular color) jerseys:
They are screenprinted, not stitched. Why are we not good enough for higher quality product in our team colors?
The sizing chart reflects men’s sizes. Both the women’s-cut and regular jerseys should have women’s size charts so that women can easily determine what size to get. I don’t want to do calculus to buy a shirt.
check out the laptop case I’m getting the little lady for x-mas! I think she’ll dig it.
Silly Andrew, don’t you know that women don’t use computers? We’re too intimidated by all that scary electronic technology.
(but seriously. the bag is fun.)
They are screenprinted, not stitched. Why are we not good enough for higher quality product in our team colors?
Ah, you said it better than I did. This is true! It’s cheaper, but…I was expecting more.
Wow, posts are hopping all over the place.
The point is that some women complained that buying a real sweater meant wearing a garment that was not sized in any way, shape or form like the average female body.
They’re not sized in any way to fit the male body, either. They’re sized to fit a large male body wearing extensive padding and armor. The point is not to look svelte, the point is to wear what your boys on the ice are are wearing.
Even when I’m buying a jersey that I know I will never play in, I buy it big enough to fit over pads. They are supposed to be wildly oversized. Otherwise it’s just an ugly shirt. Who cares if it doesn’t fit like that super cute clubbing top you got at Forever 21 and totally flatter your boobs? IT’S NOT A CLUBBING TOP.
Oh, one more comment about pink hockey gear… here’s what I tell any guys who give me grief about it: “It’s how I assert my femininity while I’m kicking your ass.”
So far I’ve only needed to use the line in jest, because I play with pretty cool guys.
“Silly Andrew, don’t you know that women don’t use computers?”
I’m all jealous, ’cause she’s getting this nice laptop (she’s got a tax business on the side), and I get to “have” our old desktop. Ah well, it’s not like I use it for much anyway.
“(but seriously. the bag is fun.)”
I thought so! It has a little bit of style.
On the pink subject: I wouldn’t but a pink jersey, not because I’m insulted but because I really don’t wear pink. I think I own one pink item of clothing. And it’s a pair of underpants so nobody sees it anyway.
For the record, I do tend to agree with Pensgirl that the level of objectification of women is worse in NFL advertising than NHL advertising.
Andrew – those bags are great! Sure beats the super heavy hand-me-down black leather one that I have.
andrew, that laptop bag is AWESOME. I’m so jealous!
Or a tent….perhaps a “Pando Tent”
Oh, Pando Tent… I love you so! :D
They are supposed to be wildly oversized. Otherwise it’s just an ugly shirt. Who cares if it doesn’t fit like that super cute clubbing top you got at Forever 21 and totally flatter your boobs? IT’S NOT A CLUBBING TOP.
There’s an awfully big difference between fitting like a clubbing top and fitting a woman’s body. Now I don’t own a jersey nor do I want one–I really don’t wear anything with logos or brand names–but if I did I would want something sized for women. Why? Because I am not a particularly big person. If I’m buying a shirt it’s pretty much going to be a women’s size small at most. And that’s not because I want something that looks like a clubbing top or flatters my boobs but because that’s what size I am. I don’t want to walk around looking like a little kid playing dress-up. It just looks silly on me.
I think what we’re finding here is that women are all over the map when it comes to what we want from team merchandise (no surprise – people are *gasp* different!). We really need to tell our teams, because all they see is the number of women’s versus men’s jerseys sold and that is clearly not representative of who is buying what. We are a market; we should speak up!
Cool! glad you guys approve. I’m going to be ordering it today. I think she’ll appreciate it.
Maybe I should get it in pink? Just kidding.
For the record, I do tend to agree with Pensgirl that the level of objectification of women is worse in NFL advertising than NHL advertising.
I actually wasn’t talking about what kind of advertising gets aired during football games. I was talking about how the league markets itself. The fact is that the NFL has, for years, made a point of specifically marketing itself to women alongside its standard marketing approach, and with a regard for the female fan that goes beyond just “You’re a girl? Here are some sparkles and some pink crap. Now go sit in the corner and be pretty while your boyfriend enjoys the game.”
She’s allowed to like pink, andrew! My objection to those jerseys is that my team colors don’t include pink. I don’t know if it’s still this way, but for a while there was this fad where team gear for all sports was provided in colors outside the team spectrum. I thought that whole thing was stupid. No, I don’t want a green Hokies hat or a red Penguins shirt: those aren’t the team colors!
I actually wasn’t talking about what kind of advertising gets aired during football games. I was talking about how the league markets itself.
I wasn’t really talking about the advertising that gets aired during the games either. I don’t watch football, and since I have a tivo I refuse to watch commercials. What I meant is the advertising for the leagues themselves. It seems to me that the NHL doesn’t target women but it doesn’t usually objectify them either (outside ice girls, which the Sabres happily don’t have). The only NHL commercials I can think of that involve women are the My NHL ones which featured the families of some of the players.
“She’s allowed to like pink, andrew! My objection to those jerseys is that my team colors don’t include pink.”
I know, I was just playing. She likes pink more in spirit than in practice. Just to clarify, she wears her grey Sharks sweatshirt to the games. I have to rock the Curtis Brown jersey (which might as well be a frickin’ pink jersey, considering the odd looks I get. Brown? Her?)
I can’t even remember if I saw this myself or if I just heard about it, but apparently someone out there has been seen sporting a German Titov jersey, so who knows, andrew!
I did see a Hrdina one in October, but I don’t know if it was for Jan or Jiri (Jan wore the number Jiri had on purpose). I hope Jiri.
Why? Because I am not a particularly big person. If I’m buying a shirt it’s pretty much going to be a women’s size small at most.
In my universe, “women’s size small at most” isn’t “not particularly big,” it’s tiny, on the way left end of the bell curve.
Seems like a tiny person wouldn’t have much trouble these days, what with all the clothes made for middle-schoolers who want to dress like they’re 25 or 30.
I have to rock the Curtis Brown jersey (which might as well be a frickin’ pink jersey, considering the odd looks I get. Brown? Her?)
Nothing wrong with Curtis Brown. :o)
Seems like a tiny person wouldn’t have much trouble these days, what with all the clothes made for middle-schoolers who want to dress like they’re 25 or 30.
Yeah, Meg — quit your bellyachin’ and go shop in the children’s section. (*Eye roll*)
Andrew, that laptop case is AWESOME! I would totally want one if I wasn’t scared to bring my laptop to work. You’ll have to report back on how she flips out over it!
In my universe, “women’s size small at most” isn’t “not particularly big,” it’s tiny, on the way left end of the bell curve.
I don’t know. I mean, I realize it’s smaller than average but I know a lot of people my size. I’m hardly elfin or anything and I’m average height. I wore a larger size back when I played sports and had actual muscle. :)
Seems like a tiny person wouldn’t have much trouble these days, what with all the clothes made for middle-schoolers who want to dress like they’re 25 or 30.
Oh, I don’t have trouble finding clothes that fit. But I also don’t wear clothes that are made for middle schoolers who want to dress like they’re older. They make plenty of adult clothes in my size. I do know people who have trouble finding clothes small enough though. Middle schoolers tend to be shaped a bit differently than adult women after all. And shorter.
On a totally unrelated aside, it smells overwhelmingly like stale beer here in my office. Are my scientists having parties in the labs and no one’s telling me about it?
“Nothing wrong with Curtis Brown.”
Word.
I actually got it worse when he left the Sharks for the Blackhawks. Now that he’s back, it’s much better.
Like the Buffet song “Warm beer and bread they said could raise the dead, it reminds me of the menu at a Holday Inn.”
Just to jump in on the women’s clothes topic real quick:
If I were to buy a jersey, say a Boucher jersey, I’d probably want to buy the same one that he wears. I wouldn’t mind if it’s way oversized. I’d want it to represent his very jersey. But I can’t really complain too much because I don’t buy jerseys. But I do buy t-shirts and hoodies and long-sleeved tees and I like a women’s shirt in team colors. Not pink.
I actually like pink, like Pookie, but those shirts are way over-the-top girlie for me. And too hot-pink for my tastes. Maybe for a 12-year-old girl, but not for me.
But I’m fairly indifferent to whether they should sell them or not. If they don’t sell, they’ll stop. And if they do sell, then who am I to tell them to stop?
“Andrew, that laptop case is AWESOME!”
I know, right!?
“You’ll have to report back on how she flips out over it!”
Will do.
I have to rock the Curtis Brown jersey
Wait. What? Brown jerseys? I’m so lost. ;)
I love that laptop case! See? They know what we mean when we say we want one for girls!
I actually got it worse when he left the Sharks for the Blackhawks. Now that he’s back, it’s much better.
Just wait until ten years from now. When I get out of the car and take off my coat to reveal my 16-year-old Kevin Stevens jersey, invariably the fans I encounter (who check every jersey for signs of True Believers) nod in reverent appreciation of both my old-school stylings and my choice of player.
Not that I need the approval, but it’s pretty cool to cause all that head bobbing as I make my way from my car to my seat!
By the way, you know what’s making me really happy today? Knowing that yesterday Stan Fischler had a column in which he proclaimed that after the Rangers easily dispatched the Hurricanes at the Garden, they would be indisputably the “creme de la creme” of the EC. Aaaaand… the Rangers suffered their worst loss of the season to the Hurricanes at the Garden last night. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That game was awesome.
When I get out of the car and take off my coat to reveal my 16-year-old Kevin Stevens jersey, invariably the fans I encounter (who check every jersey for signs of True Believers) nod in reverent appreciation of both my old-school stylings and my choice of player.
Hee! I always check out people’s jerseys, and most of the people who wear Zubov’s jersey are 55 year old men, from what I can see. So it’s me and the eighteen 55 year old guys on the concourse like, “Yeah, he’s awesome. Uh huh.”
And speaking of hockey, what do you think of Recchi being on waivers, Pensgirl?
…yesterday Stan Fischler had a column in which he proclaimed that after the Rangers easily dispatched the Hurricanes at the Garden, they would be indisputably the “creme de la creme” of the EC.
haha! We need him to write columns like that every day!
So it’s me and the eighteen 55 year old guys on the concourse like, “Yeah, he’s awesome. Uh huh.”
:^:::::::::::::::::
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!
According to a story on Kukla, DirecTV is adding MSG and FSN NY in HD to the regional sports package!
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now the real test is going to be whether our beloved maple tree will block our reception of this, the way it blocks ESPN2 and our networks (seriously diminishing my enjoyment of the last World Cup, might I add). It would be a tough call which I cherish more dearly — the tree that made us impulse-buy our house, or the Devils in HD. (Watch we end up getting MSG without a problem, but no FSN NY.)
“…yesterday Stan Fischler had a column in which he proclaimed that after the Rangers easily dispatched the Hurricanes at the Garden, they would be indisputably the “creme de la creme” of the EC.”
That dude is so irrelevant to hockey, it’s not even funny anymore. It’s just sad. Every time I read his column, I wonder aloud, “Why do people pay this man to write down his thoughts?”
“invariably the fans I encounter (who check every jersey for signs of True Believers) nod in reverent appreciation of both my old-school stylings and my choice of player.”
That is cool. Yeah, you can always spot the REAL Sharks fans at the tank from their ugly ass electric teal sweaters with “Gaetz” or “Irbe” on the back. I love it!
I saw a guy with a regular Stars #56 jersey with “Zubov” on the back in Cyrillian. Extra cook.
Now the real test is going to be whether our beloved maple tree will block our reception of this
Maybe Comcast will follow suit soon?
*pause*
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAhAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Whew, that was funny!
Sigh.
That dude is so irrelevant to hockey, it’s not even funny anymore.
And yet, there he is, every Devils game, serving as my team’s resident pundit and Ranger tongue-bather. I guess that’s the price we pay for getting the Good Doc calling all our games — we have to deal with Stan in return.
If I were to buy a jersey, say a Boucher jersey, I’d probably want to buy the same one that he wears.
That’s the thing. Around here I’m not terribly tall or big and get loads of comments from guys over the size of my Brodeur jersey. All I ever say is “It’s sized for the guy on the back” and ignore whatever the rest they have to say in reply.
As for pink hockey gear, I like wearing my pink gloves when I coach the mighty mites. But those gloves are a whole ‘nother story.
yesterday Stan Fischler had a column in which he proclaimed that after the Rangers easily dispatched the Hurricanes at the Garden, they would be indisputably the “creme de la creme” of the EC.
*gigglesnort*
Dang it. I meant Cyrillic.
Meg, Recchs is on Waivers? I hadn’t heard. Recchs was always one of Pensfamily’s favs. Especially Pensgirl, who may be in a meeting, and when he was traded in 92 she lay on the couch for 3 days crying.
I can’t speak for PG of course, but I think she has seen the reality of the situation as we all have. He lost it late last season and never regained it.
Wow LeClair last year, now Recchs. An era is gone. He lives in the Burgh cause he has been married to a local girl for along long time and always liked it there. Time marches on and so do the Penguins…
Dang it. I meant Cyrillic.
It would have been way cooker if it had been in Cyrillian. :P
What is Cyrillian, Schnookie?
Is that, like, what you see in illuminated Bibles?
Yup, Recchi on waivers. Damn, that’s sad, I liked him. He’s kinda awesome.
And speaking of hockey, what do you think of Recchi being on waivers, Pensgirl?
The girl who fell in love with a Penguin Cup team that included Recchi, and who has always been a fan of his, and who knows he married a Pittsburgher and kept his permanent home in Pittsburgh and wanted to end his career with Pittsburgh and called all these other players to get them to sign with Pittsburgh: she’s devastated.
The woman who has watched him underperform this year and not live up to the expectations set based on his solid performance last year: she understands, and is even almost in agreement. She at least agreed that something had to be done.
But she, unlike so many others (*cough*Pensblog*cough*) seem to do, takes no enjoyment in it. She feels for the Recchin’ Ball, and she really, really wishes it hadn’t come to this.
truthiness, PG and I mean that sincerely.
“Dang it. I meant Cyrillic.”
We knew what ya meant, Patty.
Cyrillian was good though. I was instantly reminded of “American Psycho.” When they’re at the conference table, comparing business cards.
“That’s ‘bone’. The writing is cyrillian blue.”
Now the real test is going to be whether our beloved maple tree will block our reception of this, the way it blocks ESPN2 and our networks (seriously diminishing my enjoyment of the last World Cup, might I add).
That is exciting news! I won’t have any reception problems, so feel free to run out to Dallas any time you want and watch with me!
um I also believe TSN got it wrong did they not? he only got ONE cup with us. They brought Tocchet (*gags*) in to toughen things up after Cup 1 and Recchs got traded to Filthydelphia.
I saw a guy with a regular Stars #56 jersey with “Zubov” on the back in Cyrillian. Extra cook.
Seriously? That’s so rad! I’ve wanted one of Zubov’s Red Army hockey jerseys for a while now, which has his name on the back in Cyrillic. I saw a girl wearing one at a game and I was SO ENVIOUS.
“That’s ‘bone’. The writing is cyrillian blue.”
It would have been way cooker if it had been in Cyrillian. :P
Wait. I thought we established that non-team colors are verboten! :D
Actually, that was Pensgirl.
“That’s ‘bone’. The writing is cyrillian blue.”
Nice one, andrew!
I won’t have any reception problems, so feel free to run out to Dallas any time you want and watch with me!
If this actually comes true, and they do add the channels, and it turns out we can’t get them thanks to our tree, I will hire an army of DirecTV engineers to find a way to reposition my dish ANYWHERE IN MY YARD (yes, even the front) so I can get my Devils in HD.
MOPG, I emailed them about it, no reply so far.
Oh, I maintain that if you put every player in the same outfit, adjusted to hide size differences, and made it so you could only see his feet, the first player I would be able to pick out is Mark Recchi – based on skating style – and it would be immediate recognition.
Do you get Versus HD? Did you watch any of the Stars game last night?
The HD was utilized to its fullest as we got to see Mike Modano’s 2-inch, stitched-up, bloody, surrounded-by-stubble, chin gash. You can see the little thread-tails of his stitches and tell them apart from the whiskers. HD. Is. AWESOME.
Of course, Eddie Olczyk couldn’t see any of this. He was convinced Mo had been benched by the coach for being a crappy player.
Yeah, he only got one Cup with us. He, the Doctor, and Johnny Cullen should each get an honorary ring. $#%$%#!$%^%&*@$%@$%&^^%*^$ Tocchet.
I would like to point out that I loathed him with a fiery passion before it was cool to dislike him.
Mags, you are on the ball..or puck or whatever…
“So I threw his watered-down drink in his fat face! So they barred me for being too good of a player.”
Anyone?
…even more than I disliked Keith Acton.
Cyrillian was good though. I was instantly reminded of “American Psycho.” When they’re at the conference table, comparing business cards.
Awesome reference, andrew! That’s one of my favorite scenes in all of film history.
Oh, HD. I think I heard of that once upon a time… Actually when I went home for Thanksgiving and got to watch the Sabres in HD I thought my head would explode. I was so used to squinting at the crappy video quality of a Slingbox feed on my computer. Everyone around me was like “Wow, you can even see the skate marks on the ice!” and I was like “Wow, you can even read the players numbers!”
But if it weren’t for that Slinbox I’d be listening blindly over internet radio, so I’m not going to complain.
Totally off topic: But ESPN has voted Marty as one of their 10 most underappreciated athletes. And there’s a Q&A to go along with it. :D
[/off topic-ness]
I would like to point out that I loathed him with a fiery passion before it was cool to dislike him.
You’re way hip Pensgirl.
Anyone?
Beuller?
(Sorry, I had to)
Patty, our first ever HD hockey game featured Zach Parise getting one tooth knocked clean out and one getting chipped in half. And the camera kept panning in closer and closer until we could see, like, nerve-endings flapping in the wind. It was AWFUL! But, for the first time ever I was able to really appreciate why it was so cool that he went right back out for the next shift. Because seeing the injury in such detail made me realize that were I in his place, I’d call out sick from work for at least two weeks and wouldn’t stop wimpering for a full month.
But ESPN has voted Marty as one of their 10 most underappreciated athletes. And there’s a Q&A to go along with it. :D
I saw that! I haven’t read it yet because I only just got home from practice. Is it any good?
Pookie then you’d be a major league baseball player with a hangnail or spider bite.
Actually when I went home for Thanksgiving and got to watch the Sabres in HD I thought my head would explode.
That is pretty much my reaction too whenever I go home and watch things on my parents’ tv.
I actually don’t know myself. I’m just about to read it.
Do you get Versus HD? Did you watch any of the Stars game last night?
The HD was utilized to its fullest as we got to see Mike Modano’s 2-inch, stitched-up, bloody, surrounded-by-stubble, chin gash. You can see the little thread-tails of his stitches and tell them apart from the whiskers. HD. Is. AWESOME.
We do get VS in HD (although only sometimes on DirecTV, and somewhat less infrequently, but still not consistently, on our Comcast. I have no idea why COMCAST — who owns VS — doesn’t have a full-time, dedicated VS HD channel that always shows their HD hockey feeds, but since when does logic come into play with cable companies?), but we weren’t watching the Stars much last night (and strangely, what bit we did see wasn’t in HD. WTH?). But one of the very few Devils games I’ve ever seen in HD involved Zach getting high-sticked in the mouth and having a tooth or two smashed in half. We got this huge, prolonged closeup of the wound as he stood there on the ice immediately after the infraction, and you could almost taste in your own mouth the welling blood, and feel the terrible pain of the exposed dental nerves as you stared at the jagged little edges of what had, just moments before, been Zach’s teeth. Pookie and I were horrified, and realized in that moment that sometimes there is such a thing as definition that is too high.
The HD was utilized to its fullest as we got to see Mike Modano’s 2-inch, stitched-up, bloody, surrounded-by-stubble, chin gash. You can see the little thread-tails of his stitches and tell them apart from the whiskers. HD. Is. AWESOME.
Malone had a gash from the Philly game that I thought was kinda cool. That would have been fun in HD. Which, alas, I don’t have. I can’t quite afford the full hockey-watching experience I’d like to have. This is the second reason I need to find a husband (the number one reason is to afford a damn house in this part of the country).
Of course, Eddie Olczyk couldn’t see any of this. He was convinced Mo had been benched by the coach for being a crappy player.
I don’t know what it is with Versus. Edzo was an amazing commentator when he was with the Pens. His analysis was in-depth but easy to understand. I really thought he’d make a great coach (in general, not necessarily of the Pens when he was hired – but I understood why he impressed Patrick all the same). He’s just not the same anymore.
Sorry, Pookie and I just told the same story. AGAIN.
Sorry, Pookie and I just told the same story. AGAIN.
Only my version was more tinged with “evil genius”.
“Awesome reference, andrew! That’s one of my favorite scenes in all of film history.”
It is pretty damn good. That whole movie is so awesome, yet so brutal.
Schnookie, that is why you ARE IPB…
Nonetheless, it was a story worth hearing twice.
our first ever HD hockey game featured Zach Parise getting one tooth knocked clean out and one getting chipped in half. [...] he went right back out for the next shift.
Cool. Irresponsible, but cool. Also, you probably saw some periodontal ligament. The nerve was probably deeper in the socket.
Only my version was more tinged with “evil genius”.
It’s true. Mine was very henchoystery.
Of course, if his tooth was knocked in half there would be nerve endings if it was far enough toward the pulpa…
Nevermind me.
You’re way hip Pensgirl.
Aren’t I though? :P
Pookie and I were horrified, and realized in that moment that sometimes there is such a thing as definition that is too high.
It’s like that Seinfeld where he has the girlfriend who likes to walk around naked all the time, and then he learns there are some activities that are just not meant to be performed (or, rather, seen) sans clothes.
Man, I can’t get squat in HD. VS even has a dedicated, full time HD channel for hockey on my cable package…but the feed itself sucks. It’s so full of feedback, that I’d rather watch the game in PD (Plain Definition). CI doesn’t have a single HD channel for the out of town feeds, so even though most of the Sabres games are broadcast in HD, I can’t watch ‘em. The only thing I do get is FSN HD. So, I can watch most of my Sharks games in HD….which is awesome.
Last time we were in the Sabres store there was a mother and daughter, the daughter maybe around 7 or 8, and the mom was obviously teasing the little girl with, “I’m gonna buy you one of these and one of these and one of these,” as she pointed out all the pink clothing. The little girl said, “Ewww, disgusting.” A bystander said, “Not a pink girl, huh?” and she said to him, “Thomas Vanek doesn’t wear pink and neither do I!” I wanted to hug her, she was so cute and spunky!
andrew, my mother-in-law stills rocks a Curtis Brown jersey.
“andrew, my mother-in-law stills rocks a Curtis Brown jersey.”
That’s the shit right there! We CuBro fans are a dedicated bunch.
That whole movie is so awesome, yet so brutal.
Have you ever read the book? It’s like that, but about ten million times heavier on the brutal. It made me physically ill to read it, but it was totally worth it.
“Thomas Vanek doesn’t wear pink and neither do I!”
Ha! Nice one, random little girl!
A bystander said, “Not a pink girl, huh?” and she said to him, “Thomas Vanek doesn’t wear pink and neither do I!
Rock on little girl. Rock on.
“Have you ever read the book? It’s like that, but about ten million times heavier on the brutal.”
No, I haven’t. Sounds rough! Maybe I’ll check it out, after I get through the 5 books that I have in line!
That’s the shit right there! We CuBro fans are a dedicated bunch.
Every couple years she talks about buying a new one, but she has a hard time getting attached to players. Anyone who scores is her favorite for a few seconds – thus last week’s phone call declaring Mike Ryan her favorite. Vanek seems to be sticking with her some though so maybe one day Curtis will be replaced. I don’t know though. The whole B. family loved him when he was here.
“Thomas Vanek doesn’t wear pink and neither do I!”
Hee! But wouldn’t it just shake her to the core if she saw him sporting a pink tie or something?
Of course, if his tooth was knocked in half there would be nerve endings if it was far enough toward the pulpa…
No offense, but you’re making me a little queasy.
It’s probably good we didn’t see Mo’s actual injury, just the sewn-up part of it.
Hee! But wouldn’t it just shake her to the core if she saw him sporting a pink tie or something?
Well, that’s why she was careful not to say, “Ryan Miller doesn’t wear pink…” Smart girl. (Also, Vanek totally does wear pink, I’m sure of it.)
“Anyone who scores is her favorite for a few seconds – thus last week’s phone call declaring Mike Ryan her favorite.”
That’s hilarious. Look out if Andrew Peters ever scores a goal!
No offense, but you’re making me a little queasy.
But it’s just dentist talk. But ok, I’ll never do it again.
Look out if Andrew Peters ever scores a goal!
Cold day in hell.
No offense, but you’re making me a little queasy.
But it’s just dentist talk. But ok, I’ll never do it again.
I was just kiddin’ ya! :D
Guys, I think she meant on the ice! Honestly! :-)
Gambler, I’m pretty sure I have seen Vanek in a pink dress shirt now that you mention it.
Suddenly I’m really glad I didn’t have HD while Toni had that upper lip injury going on. That thing was disgusting in regular grainy quality television.
Cold day in hell.
Hey, it happened! You know… once.
“Cold day in hell.”
His goal last year was actually (surprisingly) pretty. Looked like a natural out there. Of course, when I say “his goal” I mean just that. His one goal last season.
I was just kiddin’ ya! :D
Oh good. I was all worried I’d made someone sick like the last time I accidentally mentioned facial reconstruction…
Hey, it happened! You know… once.
And I bet it was very cold down there when it did!
Actually, the real problem is that my mother-in-law is very hard on her players. If they screw anything up at all she gives them a really hard time. She’s particularly tough on Crunchy. She’s always complaining about “that goalie” and pointing out how well Marty is (was) doing in Philly.
Wow, I’m really behind.
1) Word on the jersey thing. They really must be stopped. I love pink too, but not on my team’s sweater.
2) IPB is so awesome and smart, and my hockey knowledge has improved drastically just by hanging out here and having fun.
3) That laptop case is SO cook! I want one. Who said guys don’t know how to shop for their wives.
His goal last year really was very pretty. He looked like a goal scorer! (For the record, he has three career goals and one assist? Can that be right? Man, he’s worse than I thought!)
Can that be right? Man, he’s worse than I thought!
It’s really impressive how useless he is, isn’t it?
And on that not, I have a company holiday party to go to. Except their referring to it as a year end celebration–how politically correct is that? Anyway, I’m ever so excited. Really. Hopefully the food will at least be good. Chat with you all later.
Have fun Meg!
What an adorable random child. I would have one if she turned out like that :p
See ya, Meg!
“That laptop case is SO cook! I want one. Who said guys don’t know how to shop for their wives.”
I know! I tells ya, we get no respect. (By the way, I have since found the exact same bag [in 3 different colors, no less] for $50 at ebags.com if anyone really does want one.)
“His goal last year really was very pretty. He looked like a goal scorer!”
He did! He took a pass in the slot, KICKED it up to his stick, and roofed it on the goalie. what.the.fuck?
Later Meg, don’t get drunk and hit on a supervisor! They tend to frown on that sort of thing!
He did! He took a pass in the slot, KICKED it up to his stick, and roofed it on the goalie. what.the.fuck?
There was some serious soul-selling going on there.
I always say it takes a real man to wear pink. It’s all about confidence. WHL players, especially the older ones, love to wear pink or lavender ties or shirts with their suits and they look great. My ex would make fun of it with the typical “god, I’d never wear pink, it’s so gay” but I just told him he wasn’t man enough to pull it off anyway. (Hm. Could be that’s part of why he’s an ex.)
Oh, and I meant to add my thoughts on poor Rex on waivers. That’s so sad. I love that guy.
Plus he’s totally on my Over-35 Hotass List. Ahem.
WHL players, especially the older ones, love to wear pink or lavender ties or shirts with their suits and they look great.
Reekie was practically edible in that pink shirt/tie combo.
Crap, did I say that out loud?
Awww, Mags. Hee hee.
I read an article with Karl Alzner last year, about how he had been planning his draft day suit for months, and he had special ordered shoes and stuff. It was so cute and awesome.
Crap, did I say that out loud?
I have a lot of moments like that. Our current backup goalie has beautiful shiny blonde curls that make me do involuntary *grabbyhands*. So Very Wrong.
current backup goalie has beautiful shiny blonde curls
*joins with the grabbyhands* me wants.
I always say it takes a real man to wear pink. It’s all about confidence. WHL players, especially the older ones, love to wear pink or lavender ties or shirts with their suits and they look great.
Earlier this season, Nathan Paetsch had a pink tie coordinated to match the pink pinstripes in his pants. That was a look that took some effort and confidence to pull off.
Awww, that is so cute about Alzner! Seriously, I thought only the girls on my team did that. Hehehehehe.
Unfortunately for him he chose to say this right after we were agreeing on how unattractive Andrew Peters is,
Huh. I won’t argue that Peters is more or less useless, but I think he’s kind of adorable.
Unfortunately for him he chose to say this right after we were agreeing on how unattractive Andrew Peters is
That is just such an unfortunate coincidence :P
I do think Peters is sort of amusing. But not in any way useful on the ice, at least not at NHL level.
*joins with the grabbyhands* me wants.
Half the time I can’t even remember his name without thought. I just call him Curly Blondie. (er, not to his face.)
–
Earlier this season, Nathan Paetsch had a pink tie coordinated to match the pink pinstripes in his pants.
That’s all kinds of awesome!
Intriguing. Gambler, how did you get 3 minutes into the future?
It’s really impressive how useless he is, isn’t it?
Over Thanksgiving I was really enjoying watching the game with my sister for a change, as we analyzed every player for his hotness that night. (And got in more than one argument. Mike Ryan is not hot!) My uncle, who’s not a Sabres fan, but watches with us on occasion got kind of annoyed and finally said, “Why does it always have to be about how hot he is? Why can’t it just be about how talented he is?” Unfortunately for him he chose to say this right after we were agreeing on how unattractive Andrew Peters is, so we were all, “Okay, Uncle Roy, you’re right. Andrew Peters is so good at…” And then we burst out laughing. He really is useless at everything.
Half the time I can’t even remember his name without thought. I just call him Curly Blondie.
Hehehe, nice. Please tell him never to cut it short a la Hemsky. I’d be sad.
By the way, I would have thought andrew would know that movie quote from a little while back. andrew?
Hint: he was talking about a trip to a casino.
“By the way, I would have thought andrew would know that movie quote from a little while back. andrew?”
Wait, what? I’m sorry Patty, I must have either spaced out, or missed the comment completely.
Hit me again! I’m ready this time!!
Care for some more curls, Mags?
The posts are really hopping around in time today. That’s the 2nd or 3rd time so far in this thread.
I went back and looked for it….
Is it Rounders?
Care for some more curls, Mags?
I wanna take him hoooooome.
I wanna take him hoooooome.
How does one mail things to Holland? I’ll get you a signed photo. :)
(And got in more than one argument. Mike Ryan is not hot!)
A couple family gatherings ago, I had a debate with my 17-year old cousin about whether Staffy’s surname was Stafford or Stadford. Same thing about whether Sid’s name was spelled with a second y (Syd). It was not fun.
And Mike Ryan is a little hot. The Boston accent does it for me.
How does one mail things to Holland? I’ll get you a signed photo. :)
One puts it in an envelope, writes the correct address on it (for which you can email me at magses at gmail dot com) and sticks it in the mail. And I would owe you big.
I’m sitting here looking at his player profile and freaking out just a little. Dude and I nearly share our birthday.
Intriguing. Gambler, how did you get 3 minutes into the future?
Flux Capacitor.
Huh. I won’t argue that Peters is more or less useless, but I think he’s kind of adorable.
I call him Gund, since he reminds me of a plush teddy bear. (Not because he’s cute, but because he’s unintimidating.) But there are apparently all sorts of women in Buffalo who think he is hot hot hot. And that’s just wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Adorable is about as close as he can get. Maybe.
I do think Peters is sort of amusing.
You want him, Mags? You can totally have him.
The Boston accent does it for me.
Oh, he totally wins me over once he opens his mouth, but from aesthetics standpoint, all I see when I look at him is the giant letter T. I think it’s the unfortunate interaction of his eight-mile-long nose with his Peter Gallagher brows.
Is it Rounders?
No, it’s much older than that. It was from Night Shift.
Michael Keaton’s genius at work.
I was thinking you had quoted that one before.
One puts it in an envelope, writes the correct address on it (for which you can email me at magses at gmail dot com) and sticks it in the mail. And I would owe you big.
I’m sitting here looking at his player profile and freaking out just a little. Dude and I nearly share our birthday.
Might take me a little while to acquire a proper photo from one of the photographers, but I shall do this for you! Because I love to share my baby goalies. :)
Flux Capacitor.
Dude, you own the De Lorean? Too cool.
You want him, Mags? You can totally have him.
Meh, I think I’ll pass on that one.
all I see when I look at him is the giant letter T
I forgot to add that now I call him Sesame Street, since he’s brought to me by the letter T.
Mara now owns a little bit of my life.
I forgot to add that now I call him Sesame Street, since he’s brought to me by the letter T.
:^:::::::::::::::::
Mara now owns a little bit of my life.
MUAHAHAHAA! Mine is an evil laugh!
I forgot to add that now I call him Sesame Street, since he’s brought to me by the letter T.
And if you ever actually have to speak to him, you’ll just start stuttering t-t-t-t—-
Well, after a surprisingly busy afternoon at the office, I’m outta here. Pookie and I are being sociable tonight, so we’ll be back quite a bit later. Have a great evening, everyone!
Dude, you own the De Lorean? Too cool.
One of my parent’s friends owned a De Lorean. I think a car made of aluminum foil might have been safer, but it sure was cool looking.
“I was thinking you had quoted that one before.”
Nah, I haven’t seen Night Shift in YEARS. Awesome movie though, it’s got Henry Winkler in it…you can’t go wrong with the Fonz.
One of my parent’s friends owned a De Lorean. I think a car made of aluminum foil might have been safer, but it sure was cool looking.
No way!
Also, I thought it was made of aluminum foil! :D
One of my parent’s friends
D’oh! And my parent’s friend lived in the Devil’s Locker Room.
Bye Schnookie! You and Pookie have fun!
One of my parent’s friends owned a De Lorean. I think a car made of aluminum foil might have been safer, but it sure was cool looking.
O heck yeah.
Awesome movie though, it’s got Henry Winkler in it…you can’t go wrong with the Fonz.
It is. It’s infinitely quotable, too.
My family and I still quote a certain line. When you’re showing somebody your new gewgaw and you’re bragging about its cool features, somebody will say, can you do such-and-such? And we, invariably, say, “Sure! You can turn it down! You can turn up! You can turn it from the front speakers to the back speakers!” :D
See ya, Ookies. Have a grand evening!
Have fun tonight Ookies!
“When you’re showing somebody your new gewgaw and you’re bragging about its cool features, somebody will say, can you do such-and-such? And we, invariably, say, “Sure! You can turn it down! You can turn up! You can turn it from the front speakers to the back speakers!””
We (me and my friends. Family isn’t into movies all that much) always deafult to Boogie Nights in that situation: “See this system here? This is Hi-Fi… high fidelity. What that means is that it’s the highest quality fidelity.”
Then, invariably someone will always say, “It’s pumping out sound at four quads per channel. But you can’t get that unless you upgrade with the TK-426.”
We (me and my friends. Family isn’t into movies all that much) always deafult to Boogie Nights in that situation:
A friend of mine likes to use the “11″ speech from Spinal Tap. Even when I know it’s coming, it still cracks me up.
A friend of mine likes to use the “11″ speech from Spinal Tap. Even when I know it’s coming, it still cracks me up.
I do that all the time. No one here seems to know where it’s from though, and Reinout likes to say my age is showing. Bastard.
“A friend of mine likes to use the “11″ speech from Spinal Tap. Even when I know it’s coming, it still cracks me up.”
I think I’ve seen that movie a thousand times. No exaggeration. It never gets old. My favorite:
“It’s part of a trilogy, a musical trilogy I’m working on in D minor which is the saddest of all keys, I find. People weep instantly when they hear it, and I don’t know why.”
“It’s very nice.”
“You know, just simple lines intertwining, you know, very much like – I’m really influenced by Mozart and Bach, and it’s sort of in between those, really. It’s like a Mach piece, really.”
“What do you call it?”
“Well, this piece is called “Lick My Love Pump”.”
What a genius movie.
Has anyone seen Fear of a Black Hat? It’s Spinal Tap for rap. and it’s hilarious whether or not the rap genre appeals to you or not…follows a group called “NWH.” The “H” is for “hats.” And there’s a female group that makes an appearance…Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme. Hee!
Never heard of that one, Pensgirl, but it sounds funny!
Has anyone seen Fear of a Black Hat?
I must see if I can find this. It sounds funny.
No one here seems to know where it’s from though, and Reinout likes to say my age is showing. Bastard.
If being young means I don’t know a Spinal Tap reference when I hear it, then I don’t want it.
andrew, the “Lick My Love Pump” part is one of my favorites. There are so many lines from that movie that my family quotes in all situations.
Never seen it, Pensgirl. I’ll have to be on the lookout for it.
“andrew, the “Lick My Love Pump” part is one of my favorites. There are so many lines from that movie that my family quotes in all situations.”
Y’know, dozens of people spontaneously combust every year. It’s just not that widely reoprted.
I should mention that it’s NC-17, which might be why no one has seen it on the shelf! So worth seeing though. All the 90s rap stereotypes conveniently located in one great package!
Y’know, dozens of people spontaneously combust every year. It’s just not that widely reoprted.
It’s not like you can dust for vomit.
A little OT, but did you see that the Fylers have called somebody up to cover for Cote? Can you guess who?
Downie.
They just never learn. I have an idea, though. I think the next time one of their 5-minute-a-game thugs gets a suspension, Briere or Biron or Jason Smith should have to go, too.
I think the next time one of their 5-minute-a-game thugs gets a suspension, Briere or Biron or Jason Smith should have to go, too.
Good god, this is all so ridiciulous.
Also, I am loving me some Spinal Tap.
did you see that the Fylers have called somebody up to cover for Cote? Can you guess who?
Downie.
What. The. Fuck.
Caitlin, we really need to write that Hatcher note.
Well, now that’s just nitpicking isn’t it?
I’m off to go pick out a Christmas tree! Woo hoo!
See y’all later.
See ya Patty. Have a good time!
It begs the question: On which day did God create Spinal Tap, and couldn’t he have rested on that day too?
(Seriously, I could go all day.)
It’s like, how much more black could this be? And the answer is none. None more black.
(Me too!)
Caitlin, we really need to write that Hatcher note.
True! I’ll be out most of this evening though – a high school friend is flying out from Seattle and Cat and I are gonna have dinner with her.
I’m so stumped, Mags! I feel functionally retarded right now.
Ooh, and I need to add you on LJ – is that kosher with you?
Bye Patty!
Caitlin, adding me on LJ is totally cool. I’m going to start on this note before Tom discovers I bought beer.
I’m going to start on this note before Tom discovers I bought beer.
Hee!
I can (vaguely) see it now:
Dear Derian,
Currently being held for you by us is $50.00 and a case of beer. Your receipt of these items, of course, is dependent upon you taking one small action for the betterment of humanity…
What kind of beer did you settle on, Mags?
Andrew, I ended up getting Grolsch. I asked Tom and he said he’d be unwilling to drink anything else and considering I’m definitely not going to drink it I figured I’d get something that would actually be consumed.
Dear Derian,
Currently being held for you by us is $50.00 and a case of beer. Your receipt of these items, of course, is dependent upon you taking one small action for the betterment of humanity…
Good start! I’m wondering if it should start “Dear Derian” but “Dear Mr. Hatcher” sounds too formal.
“I ended up getting Grolsch”
Mmmm…Grolsch.
When I started homebrewing beer, I bought a case of Grolsch pints. The ones with the resealable swivel tops. Drinking them all, in order to empty them out, was half the fun!
Drinking them all, in order to empty them out, was half the fun!
I’ll bet it was :D
“… and the National Hockey League.
As you may be aware, your current hockey team spent a significant amount of money this off season to acquire one Daniel Briere, henceworth known as the Slag-Faced Whore…”
Okay, guys, it’s been fun hanging out here this afternoon (I don’t get to do that often enough anymore), but I have to go sit down in the lobby and wait for the limo. (andrew, that’s a favorite reference of my dad’s. I think he uses it just about every time he says goodbye to me on the phone.)
“See” everyone later!
See you later Gambler!
“(andrew, that’s a favorite reference of my dad’s. I think he uses it just about every time he says goodbye to me on the phone.)”
Awesome. I wish my dad was cool enough to quote Spinal Tap!
See ya Gambler!
Dear Derian,
Currently being held for you by us is $50.00 and a case of beer. Your receipt of these items, of course, is dependent upon you taking one small action for the betterment of humanity…
As you may be aware, your current hockey team spent a significant amount of money this off season to acquire one Daniel Briere, henceworth known as the Slag-Faced Whore…”
I’m choking on my sponge candy here. This letter is brilliant.
What on earth is sponge candy?
“… and the National Hockey League.
As you may be aware, your current hockey team spent a significant amount of money this off season to acquire one Daniel Briere, henceworth known as the Slag-Faced Whore…”
Hee!
To continue:
As you have undoubtedly noticed, Briere is an affront to everything good and pure about the game of hockey, the National Hockey League and human existence as we know it.
We’ve come to you, Derian, because we know you’re the kind of guy who gets things done. You follow through on your commitments like you followed through with your elbow on Jeremy Roenick’s jaw. All we ask is one small favor; a small favor that hurts one person but helps many.
In essence, we are asking for you to hit Mr. Briere straight into oblivion.
Some of those words are way too long for Hatcher.
What on earth is sponge candy?
Its chocolate with a foamy-sponge-like filling. It sounds gross, but it’s sooo good.
What on earth is sponge candy?
In a word, heaven.
Sponge candy….is amazing.
What on earth is sponge candy?
Its chocolate with a foamy-sponge-like filling.
Boy, that does sound gross.
I agree, Patty. That makes me want to take the candy and play out that scene from “Walking and Talking”. This candy smells like a hot-dog… and I can’t stop smelling it!
Hehe. Hockey has so entered my brain and is just staying there 24/7. There was banana cream pie at dinner tonight, and I immediatly thought of Pretty Ricky and his mask eating.
Oh man, I will never, ever be able to see or hear about a banana cream pie without thinking of Pretty Ricky. It’s the signature pie that’s going to make him famous.
Sponge candy sounds disgusting and I’ll be honest, it doesn’t even look very good. But it. is. awesome.
http://www.spongecandy.com/
Well, next time IPB ventures to the Land o’ Crunchy, we must sample some of this soi disant sponge candy. (I’m still going to say it smells like a hot dog.)
OK, sponge candy sounds delicious. And I bet it doesn’t smell like a hot dog. A few summers ago we passed part of the off-season by reading “Candyfreak” out loud. As a result, Schnookie and I are both mildly obsessed with wanting to try Valomilks. But, of course, we can’t find them here. So, if anyone’s trying to think of something to give us for Christmas…
Oh wow. Valomillks sound delicious.
Just finished reading your post on Langer. I meant to mention earlier that Fan House had a very nice post on him. But you’ve probably seen it by now… I love it when players just creep up on you like that.
Maybe someone should fly to Ontario and make sure Sherry is still alive. The Sens have lost 7 in a row?!? Craziness.
You didn’t read very carefully, did you alix? Because WE LINKED TO THAT POST! :P (Just kidding. I mean, we did link to it, but I’m kidding that I’m miffed you didn’t notice.)
Hee. The Sponge Candy site is WordPress.
I loved Candyfreak. I found all that stuff about the oh-so-secretive factories and processes to be completely fascinating.
Ha ha! I’M miffed I didn’t notice! I adore your posts and I assure you I read them very carefully :D I think my eyes got hazy when I saw the word Bucci or something.
Totally understandable, alix. We should have taken the inevitable Bucci-Eye into consideration!
Heather, I agree, the secret factory stuff in Candyfreak was so fascinating! Plus it introduced me to the term “nutmeats”, and frankly, my life is much better for having that word in my vocabulary.
I think my eyes got hazy when I saw the word Bucci or something.
Mine got hazy when I typed it, so I totally understand! (And yes, I fully put forth that our links are hard to see. Sorry about that.)
I was also very excited that I was, at the time, living in an area where you could get one of the local, limited production candies (Goo Goo Clusters) the book kept mentioning. For some reason that gave me quite a thrill.
Apparently Peanut Butter Chews, also mentioned in the book, are a Philly staple. I think we’ve driven by the factory. But they sound nasty. Still, like you said, I did feel sort of special for living near them! Now if only Valomilks were a Philly staple. (Why do I think the Goo Goo Clusters were the ones that invoked the word “nutmeats”? They have coconut in them, right? Blech.)
Some of those words are way too long for Hatcher.
Oh, don’t worry. I won’t let Hatcher’s limited vocabulary ruin my awesome letter.
That’s what footnotes and dictionaries are for.
ruin my awesome letter.
Apparently I cannot read my own typing, so I fail.
I meant to put “I won’t let Hatcher’s limited vocabulary ruin my & Mags’ awesome letter.”
I’m having some special moments today. God.
You have no objection to cross-posting, right?
Oh no, not at all! Sorry, I meant to mention that.
Oops, I’m time-traveling again. Pookie, in case you miss it, no, I have no problem with cross-posting.
Why do I think the Goo Goo Clusters were the ones that invoked the word “nutmeats”? They have coconut in them, right? Blech.
No, no coconut. I believe they’re peanuts, caramel, and marshmallow. I don’t like peanuts so I’ve never actually eaten one. My grandmother loves them though. We used to ship her a couple boxes for Christmas every year.
FYI, I’ve now completed my questionnaire. I pretty much said what everyone else did but hey, I tried.
One more time in case you miss the time-traveling comments: Pookie, no, I have no problem at all with cross-posting. Have at it!
I have no idea why WordPress won’t quit it with the time-travel thing Gambler mentioned earlier!
Great post, Heather! I’ll cross-post it now.
FYI, I’ve now completed my questionnaire. I pretty much said what everyone else did but hey, I tried.
Yay! I can’t wait to see it! (You have no objection to cross-posting, right?) I’m fairly confident we’re all going to end up saying the same thing, but that’s sort of the point — there are a bunch of us who think the debate’s being framed incompletely, and that there are a bunch of us who get more out of blogging than the MSM and mainstream bloggers think is possible.
Well, that was better. WordPress is trying to piss me off, I just know it.
Posted! Thanks again, Heather, for responding!
I finally posted mine, too, Pookie. Feel free to cross-post it, if you have room.
I need to hire an editor: This whole section? We don’t need that. Or this part here. Or this. :D
(I didn’t read anybody else’s yet, just because I knew I’d want to copy yours, so if I did anyway, sorry about that.)
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