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"You heard it someplace, not here."
They aren't all bad, but I've noticed a disturbing trend in recent months - that being bloggers who work harder to stir up controversy rather than cover the "home" team objectively. It seems to me that bloggers with their own site to promote are playing a game inside the game to generate reaction. Howard Berger for the Leafs is one example.
Most recently, "Howie" posted a blog about Leaf's prospect Nik Kulemin....the unfortunate blog offered very little insight into what to expect, and instead quoted some email forwarded to Howard from an unnamed friend who copied something posted a while back on some hockey discussion. This proved a premise(excuse) to lay once again into Leaf fans for expecting too much from a young player. The bulk of the blog in fact seemed to be a repeat of a regular theme for `Howie` - who regularly paints Leafs fans as dim and deluded. As predicted and played out a hundred times before, he had over 400 comments before you know it. Most simply refuting the premise.
This seems to me to have become a regular little game that offers little to the fans, but gives `Howie` a claim to large readership. You know that a Howard Berger blog is rarely going to offer up any news, but instead will likely contain a slight on Leaf fans that will generate comments.
I try not to read these blogs, and others like it, but every now and then, curiosity and a dearth of options tempts me to click the link.
I think it is time that we start making a conscious effort to stop commenting on these lazy blogs or blogs that really aren`t offering up the fans any sort of respectful reporting. Howard Berger can be a solid reporter - he does good work with his radio job, but when it comes to blogging, his style is completely different. Make no mistake, it takes a smart person to walk this line and pass off this sort of form-letter blog as information - but it is time that intelligent readers recognize when a blogger seeks to take advantage of the system and `play` us for our loyalties.
Maybe some added Team Bloggers in the system for Hockey Buzz would make things more competitive and keep the big names honest.
Filed Under:   Toronto   Ottawa   Montreal   Vancouver   Rangers   Pittsburgh  
August 7, 2008 4:33 PM ET | Delete
Garth makes hilarious trade proposals.
August 7, 2008 5:27 PM ET | Delete
Agreed. If people start ignoring him, maybe he will just go away. then he can get back to his true calling - making appearances as a John Holmes lookalike.
August 7, 2008 5:41 PM ET | Delete
I find that during the season, way too many of the bloggers go out of their way to grab a sensational headline and bait the fans of another team. This greatly inflates their thread numbers and you rarely see them post in their own threads. They just sit back an watch the animals fight. It'd disgraceful.
August 7, 2008 5:44 PM ET | Delete
Our petition got deleted, no real surprise there. I didn't expect it would survive for another day. Oh well, we can live with it....I suppose.However, I am trying to keep people from reading Berger's blog, but it too will probably be a futile attempt.Anyway a forum thread has been created for people who do want to avoid Berger's blog. Hopefully it takes off and maybe it can send a message.Here is the link. http://www.hockeybuzz.com/boards/thread.php?thread_id=45547
August 7, 2008 5:45 PM ET | Delete
[url]http://www.hockeybuzz.com/boards/thread.php?thread_id=45547[/url]
August 7, 2008 5:46 PM ET | Delete
Ok, didn't know tags didn't work on myhockeybuzz
August 7, 2008 10:24 PM ET | Delete
Hey, Berger's not alone, but certainly if we start pushing for extra exposure for other bloggers, we may start to see the cream rising to the surface - rather than the foam and the scummy stuff.
August 8, 2008 12:13 AM ET | Delete
Funny...this blog suggested changes were due for many of the team's bloggers but it was just a direct attack (or return of fire) on Howard Berger...
August 8, 2008 7:33 AM ET | Delete
Makes one appreciate Bill Meltzer all the more.
August 8, 2008 9:02 AM ET | Delete
Uh oh, this blog is about to get deleted. You went an eye for an eye with Berger, so clearly that's not fair.Here come the censorship police...
August 8, 2008 12:41 PM ET | Delete
is someone looking for a job??lol
August 8, 2008 12:43 PM ET | Delete
In some cases there is serious time gaps between blog posts too for different "offical" hockeybuzz bloggers, it'd be nice to see consistant effort.
August 9, 2008 1:22 AM ET | Delete
Once again, Berger's most recent post was given as an example, and I hope that I've clearly indicated that he's not to be seen as anything more than an example of something that could be corrected by giving readers a bit more choice in terms of front-page bloggers. Just focusing on the Leafs, as that's the team I know best, I feel that fans are still waiting for a void to be filled from the departure of Kevin Gibson. With his keen hockey observations and obvious love of the game and his team, he made fans feel like we had something in common with him. He was also prolific and able to find a genuine story where others might have missed it. Perhaps there are not any individual bloggers of that quality available, but certainly our hockey buzz friends should be able to find a few more people who "get being a fan"...and thus make it tougher for the ol' "one-trick-pony" school of blogger.
August 9, 2008 8:30 AM ET | Delete
To play devil's advocate, August is a very dry month for all things hockey.
August 9, 2008 3:06 PM ET | Delete
Atleast Leafs get something to read, Our Sens blogger Kevin Lee almost never writes and when he does its either been completely wrong or something most die hard Sens fans know. Ek needs to take the time to re-hash the Blogger contest, or atleast find people who will actually take time to blog regularly and actually follow "thier" team more often.
August 9, 2008 8:09 PM ET | Delete
Berger=views...welcome to the bizz of the buzz. More hits, more money. Don't like it? Well there are two leafs bloggers.
August 9, 2008 9:57 PM ET | Delete
Hey, why not 3 or 4 or 9 team bloggers...just add team links to the menu and list All team blogs together. It would be a quick reference and allow fans to check out their team news and views first. By the way, Berger was at it again today, trying to create controversy on McCabe and the Leafs again, despite reports that Fletcher and McCabe are seeing some potential for agreement. Guess he doesn't read the papers.
August 11, 2008 2:30 PM ET | Delete
Good Job DoktorDave nailed it buddy, all howie looks for is a reaction, so he dumps on the fans and offers very little in terms of hockey knowledge. I read on TSN today as well that Fletcher and McCabe have been talking and getting along and that Cliff will leave bryan alone until he has a decision in a couple of weeks....would never know they are working together based on Howards pitiful attempt to make it look like yet another smear campaign on Cliffs behalf.
August 11, 2008 4:28 PM ET | Delete
Well I can Say Eric Smith the Blogger for the Bluejackets does a fantastic job. The only issues that Eric faces day to day is trying to find good things to write about. But he always seems to bring a lot of good solid hockey info to the casual and hard core hockey fan. I just hope the CBJ give Eric plenty of quality things to write about this season. But if they dont I know Eric will work hard to bring us something...
August 12, 2008 1:18 AM ET | Delete
I think Columbus will have a much better team this year as long as they get sound goaltending. The new schedule should be easier.
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