Elliotte Friedman's HNIC Inside Hockey feature examining bloggers NHL coverage

JR mentioned this on the running hockey thread, and after watching the clip I thought it was deserving of its own thread.

The Caps are among a small number of teams which allow bloggers to cover games. Yet there are real questions about their standards--are they fans? are they journalists?--and at least one player isn't exactly comfortable with their presence.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/player/?maven_playerId=sportsportalplayer&maven_referralPlaylistId=a685f99f7262aa92e01c6885f87eba8b2827a704&maven_referralObject=602396854

 

I don't think that's the right link.

 

Re: Elliotte Friedman's HNIC Inside Hockey feature examining bloggers NHL covera

It isn't -- goes to "Coach's Corner." To find the story in question, click on "Hockey Night In Canada" on the left-hand side, then click "Inside Hockey." (It's the Dec. 1 link.) Since it's Flash-enabled, not sure if a direct link is possible.

Good piece. The comments by Allen and Pothier echo many of the sentiments expressed in the "Sports Bloggers in the Press Box" thread from last spring; no accountability, plus a sketchy grasp of how to actually do the job, makes for a bad combination.

I might be on the list if the Bills ever decided to do something similar (not likely, knowing how the organization feels about uncontrolled "negative voices"), but I'm certainly not delusional enough to think I belong there.

 

Re: Elliotte Friedman's HNIC Inside Hockey feature examining bloggers NHL covera

My apologies. I thought I had the right link.

Here's a YouTube link:

http://mirtle.blogspot.com/

I thought the feature was interesting, but I worry about the objectivity of the three Caps bloggers who had their trip paid for by Leonsis. Aren't they now just house organs for the Capitals?

And Leonsis' statement about a blog surpassing The Hockey News as the-must go for information. Brand names still and always will sell. The Hockey News is a brand name. Between the newly re-designed magazine and the website, they own coverage of the hockey world.

 

Re: Elliotte Friedman's HNIC Inside Hockey feature examining bloggers NHL covera

I would beg to differ quite strongly with that statement. Might be true where you live, but in other parts of the country (NHL cities), they are barely read at all.

The Hockey News is very Canada-centric, and a lot of Americans don't want to read that. I don't see that changing either, because that's where their bread is buttered.