I agree that you have to spend and make trades, especially when you haven't developed enough of your own talent. What I don't agree with is weaping and tearing my hair out every time a player is acquired by another team. Simply because a player has a pulse and has scored 20 goals does not mean he's a fit financially or hockey-wise for this organization.
That's fine, but the fact is there aren't many centers or puckmoving d-men to be had. The more that don't go here, the fewer opportunities we have to acquire one. Heck, I was surprised to see Steve Eminger grabbed so early on in the off-season--that shows you even a team like Philly is aware that the pool is a bit shallow this year.
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This manufactured drama is getting ridiculous around here.
Not so much you Cap, as I think you mix in legit points with your indignation, but others here never met a transaction (or non-transaction for that matter) that they couldn't waste a day *****ing about.
You'll notice I largely stayed out of the Umberger carping. Its a move. He's a center. He fits the system that we play. Again, when you have a need for 2 centers and 2 defensemen and the pool is as shallow as it is this year, you've got to make whatever moves you can to improve. Which is why I think there is some legitimacy in noting the moves we passed up although you're never going to know with any certainty what the other side was asking for.
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I say save the *****ing for when there's actually something to ***** about.
There's going to be hundreds of NHLers we DON'T acquire in about a weeks time, so there's going to be ample ammunition by then.
Enough of this old line. The Rangers made the playoffs, which you have to do if you want to win the Stanley Cup. They lost to the team that represented their conference in the SCF. As did the other team that went out and made a major off-season acquisition last year--the Philadelphia Flyers, a team that was at the bottom of the standings the year before.
The team they lost to has managed to acquire 2 generational talents via the draft lottery. We have not.
The players have to come from somewhere. Unless someone has some magic beans that turn into puckmoving defensemen.
This is the thing that makes me the most frustrated with the CBJ. We keep hearing about how we have too many holes to fill for a couple "big-name" acquisitions to make a difference. Were the CBJ more disfunctional and did they have more holes than Philly did? Philly added depth AND skill. They made good acquisitions, both big and not-so-big names, and presto, they're in the conference finals. I don't think they mortgaged their future doing it, either. At the same time, the CBJ took a year for appraisal, but the path to wellness is still fuzzy, and the player options less attractive. I'm not making assumptions about where we'll be in a few weeks, much less next April, but I am disappointed that we couldn't match the success of a team like Philly that was worse off than we were.
I want the turnaround now. If Philly could do it, why not the CBJ?
This is the thing that makes me the most frustrated with the CBJ. We keep hearing about how we have too many holes to fill for a couple "big-name" acquisitions to make a difference. Were the CBJ more disfunctional and did they have more holes than Philly did? Philly added depth AND skill. They made good acquisitions, both big and not-so-big names, and presto, they're in the conference finals. I don't think they mortgaged their future doing it, either. At the same time, the CBJ took a year for appraisal, but the path to wellness is still fuzzy, and the player options less attractive. I'm not making assumptions about where we'll be in a few weeks, much less next April, but I am disappointed that we couldn't match the success of a team like Philly that was worse off than we were.
I want the turnaround now. If Philly could do it, why not the CBJ?
Flyers were willing to spend the money to improve, the CBJ, we don't know how much they'll spend yet.
The decline of journalism continues. Portzline and Co. are getting to sound like posters on HFBoards more than professional journalists.
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But I'll remind you, those numbers are not coming from the club. President Mike Priest has said all along that Howson will not have a hard cap, that the club will spend according to what's available.
So, basically, the folks at Puckrakers are further blurring real journalism and speculation by inventing stories about how much the Jackets are going to spend with no real basis for them. Brilliant.
So, Aaron, when you speculated about acquiring Kubina and Lombardi, were those names you just pulled out of your head as well or was there a source for the speculation?
Sadly they are playing right into my comment the other day about the shrinking difference between true journalism and blogging. I found it especially amusing that he felt the need to call out a reader on a mistake regarding the availability of Schenn. If I didn't know better, I would have thought I was reading HF and not the Dispatch.
The decline of journalism continues. Portzline and Co. are getting to sound like posters on HFBoards more than professional journalists.
So, basically, the folks at Puckrakers are further blurring real journalism and speculation by inventing stories about how much the Jackets are going to spend with no real basis for them. Brilliant.
So, Aaron, when you speculated about acquiring Kubina and Lombardi, were those names you just pulled out of your head as well or was there a source for the speculation?
Sadly they are playing right into my comment the other day about the shrinking difference between true journalism and blogging. I found it especially amusing that he felt the need to call out a reader on a mistake regarding the availability of Schenn. If I didn't know better, I would have thought I was reading HF and not the Dispatch.
Were talking about a blog, correct? Blogs are not sources of real journalism. Blogs are for people's thoughts. Hell, I have a blog, doesn't make me a journalist. Just like HF, it's another outlet of free speech. I don't have a problem with Portzy and Co. expressing their opinions. It sort of shows that they are fans just like us. Now if they print the information in the Dispatch and don't have sources to back it up, that would be a problem that should be addressed with Ray Stein, the Dispatch Sports editor. I think that the Dispatch set up those blogs to attract more readership. Apparently that is working, because you're still reading the blogs. If you're so put off by the journalistic integrity, don't read it.
I would like to see the content in the blog clearly labeled and tagged.
Examples: COMMENTARY, ANALYSIS, NEWS & NOTES, BREAKING NEWS, etc.
I agree. If they are going to take off their objective journalist hat and put on their fanboy speculator hat, the least they can do is make it clear which hat they are wearing.
Last edited by CapnCornelius: 06-24-2008 at 11:13 AM.
I would like to see the content in the blog clearly labeled and tagged.
Examples: COMMENTARY, ANALYSIS, NEWS & NOTES, BREAKING NEWS, etc.
That's what I've been thinking. The way the trade rumors/free agent boards are set up here work very nicely.
They don't have these follow-up conversations if the blog post starts with "speculation" or "rumor".
I think what they fail to realize is that to many, what they report is "inside info". Blogs in particular are still in an awkward growing phase. The guys at the Dispatch see it as sharing a conversation with the fans. The average fan sees it as a different source of the Columbus Dispatch.
When Portzline posts the names Lombardi and Kubina, he's just giving his opinion. But he shouldn't blame us for assuming there's more reasoning behind those names than just his thoughts.
I would like to see the content in the blog clearly labeled and tagged.
Examples: COMMENTARY, ANALYSIS, NEWS & NOTES, BREAKING NEWS, etc.
I disagree. A blog is a blog and should be considered as such regardless of who is publishing it. If you'd like to debate whether or not the Dispatch should have a blog that discuss rumors and speculation on its site, fine. A satellite site may be a more appropriate location for Puck Rakers.
Regardless, these are people with incite to the Blue Jackets that few have. I, for one, have greatly enjoyed reading their speculation and opinions that they are unable to print over the past year.
I disagree. A blog is a blog and should be considered as such regardless of who is publishing it. If you'd like to debate whether or not the Dispatch should have a blog that discuss rumors and speculation on its site, fine. A satellite site may be a more appropriate location for Puck Rakers.
Regardless, these are people with incite to the Blue Jackets that few have. I, for one, have greatly enjoyed reading their speculation and opinions that they are unable to print over the past year.
I get what you're saying, but the catch is that they've worked breaking news and quoted info from sources into the blog as well. I can see where one could get tripped up over what is coming from sources and what is just writer speculation.
Truth be told, we should probably take everything there with a grain of salt regardless of how its presented. Not because there is an agenda or any sort of conspiracy at work, but because of the nature of the subject we're dealing with.
We're never going to get the "full story" on any decisions until after they happen, not before, and even then probably not all the info. And the situation around sports teams and acquisitions, for example, is fluid. What is true yesterday might not be true today and that certainly isn't the writer's fault. Don't shoot the messenger.
Add to that the relative infancy of blogs as an information delivery system and the even greater infancy of professional journalists venturing into this territory and its just confusion soup.
Not sure why we're arguing about this though. We tend to believe what we want to believe and bash what we don't want to believe regardless of whether the info is sourced or speculated.
For the CBJ writer's own sake though, it'd probably be best if they drew a better line between news and speculation.
He'll likely be going to one of Montreal, New York, or Detroit.
Apparently all of the free agents this year will be signing with New York, Montreal or Boston if the rumors are to be believed. Again, I make a push for Mats. He's a veteran, character guy, and that's something our young team is missing. I'd have Freddy Modin give him the soft sell and then have Howson give him the hard sell if that doesn't work ($$).
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Originally Posted by Neal
I disagree. A blog is a blog and should be considered as such regardless of who is publishing it. If you'd like to debate whether or not the Dispatch should have a blog that discuss rumors and speculation on its site, fine. A satellite site may be a more appropriate location for Puck Rakers.
Regardless, these are people with incite to the Blue Jackets that few have. I, for one, have greatly enjoyed reading their speculation and opinions that they are unable to print over the past year.
When professional journalists are running a blog it should be judged by journalistic standards. We're not talking about Aaron Portzline's personal blog--we're talking about writing he does as part of his job for the Columbus Dispatch and it should be held to the same standards as the other electronic articles written for that publication. Newspapers take great pains to delineate between commentary pieces and objective reporting. Blogs run by newspapers should do the same, particularly when they are linked to from the news or sports sections of the paper.
Apparently all of the free agents this year will be signing with New York, Montreal or Boston if the rumors are to be believed. Again, I make a push for Mats. He's a veteran, character guy, and that's something our young team is missing. I'd have Freddy Modin give him the soft sell and then have Howson give him the hard sell if that doesn't work ($$).
I'm not saying not to go after Sundin, I'm just saying I think he will likely end up with one of those teams. But then again, If Eklund gives the (e4) next to those teams then he won't be going there
Again, I make a push for Mats. He's a veteran, character guy, and that's something our young team is missing. I'd have Freddy Modin give him the soft sell and then have Howson give him the hard sell if that doesn't work ($$).
