Stand Up for Your Love of Hockey

Above is an example of why the hockey fan should embrace the Web, love the Web, think of new ways to use the Web.

The National Hockey League's radio show "NHL Live" is streamed on the Web via the league's site. The clip, which looks at Finland's Olympic team, is another example of what you do not get on ESPN or in many major newspapers or sports magazines.

Where LeBron James will play next season is a subject that any number or newspapers, magazines or television programs in the United States will tackle, rehash and replay from now until the man retires.

Fine, more power to them, just don't expect any money out of my pocket. By narrowing their attentions, those media outlets have said you don't count if you are not in that crowd. The sports radio stations and even ESPN's city Web pages can be considered part of that our size fits you or get out of the way format. ESPN Los Angeles? What a joke, unless you want coverage of the Lakers, Southern California football, the Dodgers and, did I say the Lakers already? Yes, well, OK, I just wanted you to know that ESPN LAkers page is up and running.

Hard to believe that the ESPN, with all its resources, can put out a city Web page that offers even LESS than the much beleagured Los Angeles Times and the Los Angeles Daily News sports section.

But it reminds me of an article that ran in the Calendar section of the Los Angeles Times back in the early 1990s. Jeff Katzenberg, then just one step below Michael Eisner at Disney, talked about how Disney enjoyed a certain magical formula when it came to movies. The studio made mad money off their extended run of animated features. Katzenberg reminded his interviewer that there was money to be made off cartoon characters, all of whom worked overtime, if need be, and for no money.

Recycle story lines, characters and, if all else, be cheap. Pretty much sums up the early years of the NHL's Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. And as for cartoon characters, that pretty much sums up some of the afternoon television fare that involves newspaper columnists yelling, screaming, promoting themselves, and pretty much everything else except reporting stories.

But on the Web, you can get everything. You can get pod casts, hear junior hockey games, read columns from Europe, study the assortment of NHL bloggers, etc. It's all there, you just have to look for it. So I urge you to use your computer to try it all. Think of this time as a chance to experiment with your computer to find out all there is about hockey.

Save your quarters or dollars spent at the newsstand until they respect that there is more out there, and actually work at covering those sports or angles in their publications. Newspapers' Web sites? For the most part, their sports sections are just rewarmed, repackaged stories from the morning edition. For breaking news, you will have to go to blogs or sports sites like TSN, Sportsnet or even the league sites.

Whatever, do what you have to do on the Web, but do it for free until somebody proves worthy of your money.

That's the message and that's the mission here in the Lounge when it comes to sports journalism. I want to hear your thoughts on this issue. Go to the bottom of the scoreboard, click on the comment link and fire away. Consider it your Howard Beale moment. A great movie, by the way, and it captures the feeling I have right now regarding the mainstream news media and how they take people like me for granted.



THE SCOREBOARD
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
At Minnesota 5, Vancouver 2
Washington 5, at Florida 4 SO
Pittsburgh 3, at Calgary 1
At Anaheim 4, Boston 3
The standings are here.
Recap by Sportsnet.
Three stars by Puck Daddy.

AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE
At Chicago 7, Milwaukee 2
At Adirondack 3, Bridgeport 2 SO
Syracuse 3, at Lowell 2
Springfield 4, at Worcester 3 OT
At Norfolk 4, Hershey 3
Lake Erie 5, at Hamilton 3
At Rockford 3, Houston 2
Manitoba 3, at Abbotsford 0
The standings are here.
The roundup is here.

EAST COAST HOCKEY LEAGUE
At Charlotte 9, Gwinnett 4
At Trenton 4, Johnstown 2
Florida 2, at Reading 1 SO
At Cincinnati 3, Kalamazoo 1
At Idaho 4, Utah 3 SO
Bakersfield 2, at Ontario 1 SO
At Victoria 6, Las Vegas 4
The standings are here.

QUEBEC MAJOR JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
At Cape Breton 4, Chicoutimi 2
Shawinigan 4, at Quebec 1
At Rouyn-Noranda 1, at Lewiston 0
The standings are here.
The roundup is here.

WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Kootenay 4, at Edmonton 2
At Regina 4, Brandon 2
At Saskatoon 4, Calgary 1
Lethbridge 2, at Swift Current 1
Spokane 4, at Medicine Hat 2
At Kamloops 5, Portland 4
Red Deer 2, at Prince George 1
At Tri-City 2, Seattle 1 OT
The standings are here.
The roundup is here.