This interview happened two years ago today. So why not celebrate it a bit. Steven Ovadia…take one.
Steven Ovadia is the author of PuckUpdate and is one of my personal favorite bloggers out there.
~ Why do you think the majority of members that make up the NHL blogosphere, do what they do?
I think a big factor is that before the bloggers, not a lot of people wrote much about the NHL. So if you wanted a hockey fix, you had to kind of generate your own. As the sports news hole gets smaller, I think more people are going to decide to blog, as a way to compensate for the absence in the traditional media. I think that’s why so many newspapers are pushing their content online, too. To make up for the lack of print space.
~ Do you think think the die-hard hockey fan is currently happy with the traditional media coverage of his/her sport?
It depends where you live. The Islanders have just one full-time beat writer following them. The LA Times doesn’t cover regular season away games. The NYC dailies cover the Rangers pretty hard, though, although not as hard as the Yankees. The nice thing about the Internet is that you have access to all of the Canadian coverage, and also to guys like Tim Panaccio from the Philly Inquirer, and Larry Brooks from the New York Post and Helene Elliott from the LA Times.
~ Would you say that it is harder for someone that actually covers the game of hockey, to be able to sit back and enjoy a typical game?
Watching as a fan is definitely different than watching as a reporter. It’s much less about what your team is doing and much more about what’s going on between the two teams.
~ When you created PuckUpdate, what was it that you wanted to get through to your readers?
I created PuckUpdate because there wasn’t any hockey writing that was fun. So I basically was trying to entertain myself. I really wanted to be the Creem magazine of hockey blogs. Since it launched in 2002, though, there are a lot more hockey blogs, which is great.
~ Where do you see PuckUpdate 5 years from now?
I’m hoping to get more interactive in terms of comments and stuff. I’d like it to be more of a community.
~ Do you find that the types of fans that would respond to a blog, are more respectful than fans let’s say… interact on NHL message boards?
Obviously, it’ll depend upon the person, but for the most part, hockey fans are good people. People on the boards can be quick on the draw, but I haven’t seen a ton of disrespect in either sphere.
~ What are some of the websites you are sure to check in on each day?
I’ve been reading a ton of Jim Kelley (http://www2.sportsnet.ca/blogs/jim_kelley/). I always check out Eric at OffWing (http://www.offwing.com). The Big Lead (http://www.thebiglead.com) is pretty great. I also read the Daily News, Newsday and Journal News Ranger blogs every day. And although it’s not hockey, I’m shocked how good Alyssa Milano’s baseball blog is (http://alyssa.mlblogs.com/).
~ Who would be your favorite columnist?
Larry Brooks from the Post is my all-time favorite. I really like Tim Pannaccio from the Inquirer. And as a hybrid column, I love Sam Weinman’s Rangers blog (http://rangers.lohudblogs.com/).
~ What are your thoughts on the ‘new NHL’?
For the most part, I like it. The shootout is exciting, if a bit random. I think goalies should be allowed to play the puck wherever they want. I think the officiating in the playoffs has been so bad across the board, it’s almost fair. Like everyone is consistently getting bad calls at bad times. I don’t think the cap has killed hockey the way I thought it would, but I think it’s still really tough for fans that a lot of teams make bad decisions and end up having to sacrifice popular players. I really wish the NHL had a Larry Bird rule, like the NBA.
~ Do you find that other NHL bloggers are generally happy or unhappy about the rule changes and the new CBA?
It depends on the blogger. Some bloggers aren’t happy about anything. I think for the most part, everyone is still really glad to have hockey back.
Thanks for thinking of me!
-Steve
