So Bobby Butler signs a two-year deal in Ottawa. Mark Parrish signs. Sweatt. Conboy. Everyone goes crazy trying to be the first to break it on Twitter or on their blogs and in the end, no one really cares one way or the other about the actual information, but only the way it's delivered and who delivered it.
Twitter sounds like an interesting phenomenon, only I can never understand anybody's tweets. Filled with acronyms, abbreviated words, misspellings and outright jibberish, these tweets have somehow become the standard for breaking hockey news. I tried reading both Bob McKenzie's and Darren Dreger's feeds every day and it nearly shattered my sanity.
But I'm not bitching about it. I can still find out what happens on TSN or ESPN or THN (Christ, more acronyms), but that usually makes me the last guy to know.
I could turn to the guy next to me in the office and say "Hey, Bobby Butler signed for two years – one way" and he'd look at me like I was a complete asshole. "Uh, yah dude. That was like ten minutes ago. Do you even follow hockey? Your blog must suck."
And he'd be correct of course, if the measure of a good blog is breathlessly parroting the details of a minor RFA signing (acronym hell) two seconds before everyone else. In that regard, then yes, this blog should be eradicated back to the hole it came out of in 2007.
Meanwhile, the summer rolls along quite peacefully for us non-Twitter users (all seven of us). I'm the only guy on the bus reading a paper book while everyone around me reads from a hand-held flat screen. Sometimes when I get off the bus, I can hear them all laughing at me, "Did you see that guy? What an asshole!" and I shake my fist at them in the rain. I'm the only guy on my block who noticed the mailman was on strike.
Anyhoo, wake me when training camps starts or when one of Ottawa's defenseman steps on the ice for the first time in September and immediately breaks his leg like Filip Kuba did last year. Now that's news worth getting worked up about. Then again, he'd already be healed by the time I find out utilizing my ancient methods of research….
9 comments:
Don't worry brother. Yours is the best Senators blog by a country mile.
Also, as far as I can tell, you are the only writer in the Ottawa Valley who can spell.
cough*senstown*cough
Wow, you mean there are six other people like me (with respect to twitter that is)?
This is the first hockey blog I stumbled my way onto and I've been a loyal reader. I've also used the links you provide to hook up with a couple of other blogs. I enjoy your efforts and I had a couple of good chuckles in this one. I better check my spelling though.
Whatever you do, do NOT stop blogging.
Twitter is (apparently) good for three things:
1. Traffic updates;
2. Makeing a name for yourself if you're a 4th line plugger with a lowbrow sense of humour; and
3. Overthrowing authoritarian regimes.
Enjoy your summer not thinking Sens. Read you in October.
Meh, Twitter isn't the antichrist. It's just another in a long line of tools people use, and although I agree the war to get 'the scoop' is ridiculous, it seems to be the nature of today's 24-hour news cycle. Sports are no exception.
I think there's room for blogs like yours, and for blogs like mine (www.silversevensens.com). Neither are better or worse, they're just different. I read every one of your posts and enjoy each one, but I do the same on my blog.
It all depends what approach you prefer, really.
Haha, a healthy Kuba.
I don't use Twitter myself, but I can see the appeal of McKenzie and Dreger breaking news like trades and signings quickly through it. As for blogs desperately retweeting it so they can be "first"... silly.
Thanks for the kind comments folks. But I didn't mean to turn this into a sympathy-fest for poor old me. I have no intentions of stopping the blog and will likely carry on for years if I can.
Peter, I agree completely with what you said. Enjoy visiting Silver Sevens daily for news. Your reputation is pristine in my books.
I agree with a lot of the comments.
For me, Twitter's just another tool. It has a lot of noise, but every once in a while, you get a nugget. I'm not big on crowning the news breakers. It makes no difference to me whether I get the news at 12:00pm or 12:30pm.
To me, what separates the different media is the analysis. I live for that stuff.
That's what makes your blog great. You win hands down at that game. Even when I disagree with you (which I'm starting to do more and more), I like the way you break it down and let the discussion flow.
Keep up the great work.
Who doesn't like Titter? In fact, I usually enjoy two titters. What's the big deal?
Post a Comment