As if anyone was wondering or cares, I agree with what Brendan Savage said in his column 100 percent, and I told him so. He was dead on and I wish I had written it.
As if anyone was wondering or cares, I agree with what Brendan Savage said in his column 100 percent, and I told him so. He was dead on and I wish I had written it.
Comments
What are you talking about?
Link?
I bet this is the link:
http://www.mlive.com/sports/fljournal/brendan_savage/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1137515087257090.xml&coll=5
Or, I tinurled it:
http://tinyurl.com/7sa4q
Great article, and I happen to agree with his opinion. It's OK to be passionate, but be passionate with reason and logic.
I wish we could edit. I'd go back and strike that last sentence...
I do think the article is good and I do agree with PARTS of what he said...
What I don't agree with is the stance that it seems that he is questioning people's rights to have an opinion on someone or something and then change that opinion when something (like Potvin's untimely death) happens.
These guys play a game for a living. You have to take the good with the bad. If you don't want to get criticized on a blog then go be a factory worker. I don't recall ever reading "Boy, Jones really isn't doing a good job of sweeping the floor. I think his boss should be fired." anywhere. I also haven't seen 8,000 people go watch a guy at GM screw lugnuts on a tire. While the players here are not getting rich, they are being paid well to play a game a few months out of the year. Every job has ups and downs. In reality, every situation has ups and downs. If you don't like the cold you can move to Florida. The weather will be great. However, your house may get blown away by a hurricane. I'm not saying people don't go a little overboard on occasion, but the 1st ammendment gives them that right.
Good article.
Certainly has some truth to it as some people here bash away and use several made up names, other people's names, or bogus e-mails....not that it really matters in the end.
The internet is the only difference I see between the past and present. People have been critical of professional athletes, coaches, owners, and teams forever so I disagree with his assessment that "this is what sports has become now".
While some people go above and beyond what is within reason, being cheered and jeered is all part of the game and most people know that going into a profession that is in the public eye. Even UHL Joe making $800 a week.
I'll tell you what I've heard from the players, and you can take it or leave it. When asked recently where his favorite place to play was, a current Komet said, "Fort Wayne used to be.''
The players look at the boards and see that anyone can say anything, anything, and they can do it from complete anonymity. They also wonder if these "fans'' would say the same things if they had to sign their own names to it and there was some accountability. They feel like targets and that just makes it harder to play. They have no respect for the boards, but they still read them because it's human nature to want to know what people are saying about it. I've had one former player tell me he could care less what gets said about him, but when his kids read it, that's another matter.
It's probably just like anything else in life, you remember the bad things 10 times easier than you remember the good things, right?
blake did you read my mind, not just 20 sec. ago i was to ask you this very ? thank you
You didn't know I was psychic? LOL. As my friend Kent H. says, even blind squirrels find acorns once in a while.
OK, here's something to consider, and I'm not trying to be a know-it-all or judge or anything like that. Did you ever wonder how often the people who post on boards might be getting set up by some of their "informants?''
Hey Blake - what do you mean by "getting set up?
Feeding false information just to see what shows up on the web.
You'll notice whenever I hear something, I almost always quote it directly from the person, that way there's no ifs, ands or buts. That's not always possible on the web so they aren't the ones hanging out to dry, you are. You have to be careful because that's not their credibility, it's yours, which as a reporter is one of the most precious things you have. If people can't trust you or believe you, you're dead.
I agree with alot of what Mr. Savage has to say in his article. I would like to add that without this insane passion for sports we wouldnt see the boom in the sports industry that these players reap the benefits from every day. You wouldnt see 300 million dollar stadiums or multiple levels in each sport where every level of talent can be displayed and still collect a check. Fans pump billions of dollars into sports every year and then are asked to pay 10 bucks for an autograph. Coaches and players are for the most part inaccessable and often rude when approached. Now I realize that the players in the uhl are not breaking the bank and they do sign autographs for free every nite after games; but all athletes need to realize that fans drive the sports industry and without all these "crazy" fans they might just have to join us in the real world and work somewhere were no one is chearing them on.
I can agree with you to a point, JR, but that's certainly not the case at the UHL level. The UHL guys would see "reaping the benefit'' and wonder how they are missing that. Maybe we all need to reevaluate how we treat guys at a lower level compared to the major league level. I guess I'm saying don't necessarily tar the minors with the same brush as the majors. What do you think?
blake i agree with you about the players, my biggest beef is with our cardboard coach.
I think he's a lot less cardboard than you may think, he just doesn't choose to show his emotions in public. He just waits to unload in practice. LOL. Monday's practice was no fun, and look what's happening tonight. Believe me, he's not shy about letting it loose when he believes it needs to happen.
it's not about him unloading on the players,it's about not showing any emotions(good or bad) with whats going on in the game.
Different coaches just have different styles. You've got to ask yourself, who would feel better if he unloaded? Then the key question is, would his players? No way, and I think he understands that. That's something I've seen coaches like Al Sims, John Torchetti and Dave Allison learn as well. You have to inspire your players during games, not embarass them. Who do you think you'd rather play for?
Puhalski has an incredible passion to win, but he just doesn't show it publicly. They lose this game tonight, and I guarantee he won't sleep all the way home or all day tomorrow. He has to have that kind of passion to win as much as he has. He has it, he just doesn't show it publicly.
Colin Chin taught me the key to leadership is not letting them get too high during the good times or too low during the rough times. I think that's really true, and something Puhalski believes in. The season is too d--- long to be on a roller coaster all the time.
Careful, Blake.
You'll have all the "Puh-Crapski" haters turning on you in no time.
You'll lose your membership card to the "Fire Puhalski Club".
And what a tragedy that would be!
I just tell it like I see it and sometimes I'm blessed to have a little closer perspective. Sometimes that's also a curse when I get hit as you guys start throwing stuff!
If I thought firing coach Puhalski was the thing that was needed, I'd write it. I've done it in the past. It's not enjoyable for anyone and part of the job I hate, but it is part of the job.
Did you happen to see the Poll that Justin did on his blog?
The question was "Who is the UHL's best coach?"
The last time I saw it... Greg Puhalski was tied for first with Reeds from Kalamazoo in voting.
I thought it was fairly funny that happened on a Komet-based website when apparently based on things that I have read on-line... you'd be hard-pressed to find any Komet fans that actually liked Puhalski.
Irony anyone?
I think I can guarantee you there's some emotion being shown by Puhalski to his team right... about... now.
Blake - that is what I thought you meant but I still don't see what your trying to say. The only post that comes up in resent memory that someone was "feeding" the fire is some guy saying Galbraith wanted Worlton out of town which I think is a total load of crap. Even if I was Galbraith I would of laughed at that comment.
I'll come out of left field and ask if you meant possibly "players" come on here and say something just to see what gets said afterwards? That is where I thought you were going with your statement.
Alot of the posts here are from armchair quarterbacks posting what we see, don't see, wish we seen, who we should have, trade, and so on. Unless it starts getting abusive and personal, what is the harm in that?
That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about someone feeding a rumor to someone they know will post it online. I think they might like to get you guys stirred up as well, though I know for a fact that some players have come on-line and posted statements that we were meant as "in'' jokes just for the locker room.
Just an observation. If these players are that sensitive about what 20-25 fans on this blog blow-off about each day, they need to ask themselves why the heck are they reading this blog? The majority of the comments posted on here are by people who do not account for what they say by not leaving a legitimate e-mail address (abc@msn.com?) And I would venture to guess that you probably have 1 or 2 guys that write crap with 5 to 6 different screen names and post bogus e-mail addresses so they can stir up things and bolster their opinion several of times, some seem to even argue with themselves I've noticed. Not to mention the number of times my own E-mail address has been used when I didn't even turn on my computer. If I were one of the players spending any time on here reading these comments, I think I would question why, maybe they are feeling guilty about the way they are playing and just maybe need to concentrate their time on Hockey and their families. My advice to the Komet players is: This is a great town to play Hockey in, don't let 5 or 6 jerks ruin your perception of 7,000 to 8,000 fans strong at the MC each game. Where else are you going to play in front of a crowd that big that cares so much about their local team?
Thanks Blake. I wouldn't at all surprised if the poster who claims to be Ryan Jorde's ex was actually a player. That was a little off the wall.
You know I think it is great that players may look at this blog to see what is being said or not said about them or the team in general. The komets have a long and strong tradition in hockey and these guys playing have a responsibility to live up to that tradition. Franke has a responsibility to live up to that tradition, after all he is a part of that tradition he help write starting with bring hockey back to Fort Wayne. I will be the first one to admit that I have posted negative points of view on here. Let's face it, it has been a frustrating season thus far and when you are not competitive against Rockford, Muskegon, Kzoo it just adds fuel to the fire. We have been spoiled over the years with winning, guys who played aggressive and fought..that is what we have come to expect from the K's. This year that has not been the case.
Blake you are off of your rocker if you support what this crackhead in Flint wrote. Who is he to tell fans how to cheer and who to cheer for. And then at the end he tries to twist the fans into being somewhat responsible for Potvin's death through bashing him on their message board? And this hack has a reputation for bashing the Generals thoughout his illustrious writing career! Can you say HYPOCRITE!