On the Forecheck: Back in my day, we didn’t call ‘em “Bloggers…”

On the Forecheck: Back in my day, we didn’t call ‘em “Bloggers…”:

Then I remembered the Internet Archive Wayback Machine, a handy way of peeking back through the curtain of time to see websites as they used to be. Sure enough, In the Crease is in there, and in one of the oldest issues they have captured there, is a piece I wrote after getting my first press pass to an NHL game. This wasn’t just any old game, however, it was March 26, 1997, when the Colorado Avalanche came to Detroit to face the Red Wings, in Claude Lemiuex’s first visit to Hockeytown after the infamous Kris Draper hit.

We should probably remember that there was a time before the web, also. Laurie and I ran the first San Jose Sharks list (and at the max, about 35 hockey mailing lists), which came into existence before San Jose actually played a game. Early on there were a number of writers doing very detailed write-ups of games (most notably Nelson Lu, who was effectively the list’s “beat writer” for years). We’ve had a quiet and mostly positive relationship with the Sharks for years (more active when Matt Levine was with the team, but we still keep in touch, so to speak). It was in 1994, I think, that we first showed this interesting new thing to the sharks called a browser and a web page and suggested that the team that lived in silicon valley could use it to reach out to fans. They did (not through us….), and I believe they were the first NHL team with any kind of web site.

When Laurie and I ran the web site for the Spiders (1995-96), and hosted the Icedog’s web site (written and maintained by a friend down in LA), we both had full access press passes and photo passes, and Laurie also did some photo work down in Long Beach for the dog’s web site.

So this stuff’s been going on for a long time. It’s great to see bloggers hitting the mainstream and being taken seriously by teams; I still think that both teams and bloggers need to be realistic and understand that simply hanging out a shingle on a blog doesn’t make you qualified or worthy for getting special privileges, but there are definitely some writers on the net doing a much better job than many of the hockey “writers” that happen to get paychecks.

Me, part of me kinda wishes it was 10 or 15 years ago, when we were younger and more motivated to try to make things happen. today, honestly, I much prefer enjoying hockey games than working them, and our seats are a damn sight better than the ones in the press box. (this is one reason I don’t do the in-depth referee critiques I used to do; I got tired of taking notes at games and doing the research to make the critiques worth reading; be wary of turning your points of joy into jobs, boys and girls….)

I still have one project I’d like to do some day, At one point, Matt Levine approved it, if I could get the book contract, but I decided to focus on my computer work again. Now that I’m moving back into my writing again, maybe it’s time to dust it off and see if it’s worth doing. Hell, these days, it’d make a really fun set of articles for the Sharks web site instead of (or as well as) a book…. THAT might be fun….

You might also want to read:

  1. On the Forecheck: Back in the saddle again – NHL Stats, Analysis, and Opinion On the forecheck on Del Biaggio: Back to the Del Biaggio story; there are many out there jumping on Gary Bettman and the NHL for...
  2. bloggers vs. journalists… a reasoned view Red Wings Corner: Blogs are fine by me: My peers look at bloggers as non-journalists … and believe it or not, that’s a slam. They...
  3. On the Forecheck: Bouncing Balls – NHL Statistics, Analysis, and Opinion On the Forecheck: Bouncing Balls – NHL Statistics, Analysis, and Opinion: Thanks again to Richard Lawson at the Nashville Post, we have word that Jim...
  4. On the Forecheck: Stanley Cup Finals: A few thoughts On the Forecheck: Stanley Cup Finals: A few thoughts: One intermission appearance by Don Cherry won’t do anything to build a nation-wide American TV audience...
  5. On the Forecheck: NHLPA spying details come out On the Forecheck: NHLPA spying details come out: There are so many bombshells here it’s hard to tell where to start – obviously monitoring the...