Picking up where William left off….I recently had a nice little conversation with one of my old buddies from back East….who used to go back and forth with me about the tri-state rivals and hockey in general. So without further adieu…here is my interview with Derek of Hitting Back.
What was the one thing that really interested you about blogging?
Initially Chris, it sounded intriguing last summer when Joe McDonald from NY Sportsday asked me if I would be interested in moving my blog to his site. I had also contributed articles to his site and teamed up for our New York Hockey Report show. So it made some sense. Considering that I had blogged on and off or a couple of years off blogspot, I figured it would be better because more people would have access to my site.
Before I moved to Sportsday, I had begun making daily entries over at my Hitting Back site over at blogspot.com. So it made perfect sense to make the switch. Being able to breakdown sports stuff and have more people read my insights was fun. It always has been.
When was your first big break?
Well, I wouldn’t really say I’ve gotten the big one yet. Being on SportsDay is good though because there’s a lot more traffic. And I do get occasional emails from people about potential opportunities/advertising campaigns to boost my site. I guess I’m in the process of trying to figure out what’s the best way to go. I’ve been at this for a while. It’s a lot of hard work and dedication.
What avenues have opened up from your blogging experiences?
This is a tough question to answer because I’m still working to get there. Just getting interest from someone like yourself definitely helps. Being told that my articles helped someone is always nice. It makes me feel pretty good about what I’ve been able to contribute.
I also received interest from Steve of Battle of New York and have made entries over there. Lately, I’ve been more focused on my site. Everyday is a battle.
Which form of media do you enjoy more….blog or podcast?
I think both are a lot of fun because they play to my strengths. I love being able to write stuff and express myself. Whether it be an article, analysis or rant, I always enjoy what I do.
Podcasts are great. Being a part of the NY Hockey Report has been terrific and broadcasting has always been a passion of mine. I definitely have worked hard at it and enjoy teaming up with Joe Mac and Gary Harding every Wednesday. Our show can be heard in its usual time slot between 8:05 and 9 PM.
I’d definitely like to expand on doing more broadcasts. I’ve done a few over at blogtalk radio hosting my Hard Hits show. It’s been a while since my last one. I might start up again. We’ll see.
With a journalism and radio background, what else do you see doing in the future?
Tough to say. Obviously, being able to work for a newspaper, magazine or for a radio station would be great. It’s all about getting that big break. I guess I’ll just have to keep plugging away.
What would you say to a hockey blogger just starting out?
My first advice would be to just have fun. It’s good to be serious and goal oriented. But at the same time, blogging is supposed to be fun as well. Just put together some nice entries and see how it goes. I also would say that whatever you put down is your own opinions/ideas. So you’re doing something right.
It’s not always about making a name for yourself. Though it would be nice to believe that. If others read what you say and have opinions pro or con, then you’ve accomplished something. I know first hand. Haha.
What is your ultimate goal or dream job?
Definitely would be play by play radio for a hockey team. I sometimes wonder why I didn’t just go to broadcast school. Oh well. For another day I guess.
Finally, what will the Rangers do in the offseason vs. what they should do??
Well Chris, what they do and what they should do are two entirely different things. I have two schools of thought on this:
1.They’ll re-sign Nylander probably for two years so he can center Jagr until his contract runs out and he retires. If Shanahan wants to return for one more year and all indications are that he will, expect him to be back. I see them going hard for Drury but I also believe he’ll re-up with Buffalo. I know you won’t like this too much but I got this funny feeling Scott Gomez could be a Ranger. I’m thinking either five or six years at around six per. If Nylander is back centering the top line, a guy like Gomez with his speed and playmaking abilities would be perfect for the second line. I could really see this happening for some odd reason. Though I was told he will sign with the Kings and play closer to family and friends.
2.What would I do? It’s really not all that much different from what I said. Give Nylander two years. Figure it to be between 7.5 and 8 million. He works really well with Jagr. I’m 50/50 on bringing back Shanny. He wasn’t the same player after his concussion and was a couple of steps slow. I really believe Callahan can move up to the second line. But also, Cally worked extremely well with Cullen and Prucha. So we’ll see. I might also look into moving Prucha for a physical defenseman. Dawes is ready and deserves a real shot on the second or third line. To myself, Callahan passed Prucha on the depth chart. He’s just a better player.
Petr tries hard but isn’t as polished overall. I think maybe he tapped his potential already. So maybe they’ll look to deal him. It really depends on what they do with the rest of the blueline. Figure Rachunek not to be back as Pock was re-signed. And it also could depend on Marc Staal. I look for him to start in Hartford. Malik, Rozsival, Tyutin and Mara are all signed. I’m not certain about Girardi’s contract status. Obviously, he deserves to stay. He was one of our best defensemen when he came up. That doesn’t leave a lot of room.
Locking up Lundqvist makes sense. He has proven he will be a great goalie. Giving him a longterm deal between four or five years would work. As far as the backup, Weekes won’t be back. Valiquette and Montoya will battle it out in camp.
Did I break it down enough here for ya or what?
Thank you for the interview and look forward to more interesting discussions in the future.
Derek
