Jerseys and Hockey Love

XM Radio Picks for Playoffs, and the Mainstream Media Pisses Me Off

James “Boomer” Gordon picked the playoff teams for the season. I missed the Eastern picks, and could care less about the East. Here is the West

Columbus first in the Central

Minnesota first in the Northwest

Ducks first in the Pacific

Detroit, Nashville, Edmonton, Calgary, San Jose finish off the list.

Huh. You know, some days, I wonder what these people are doing, reporting and giving opinions, or just being shift-disturbers. Columbus over Nashville? Minnesota over Calgary? Come on. I understand the Conference has gotten a lot better for most teams, but this seems silly to me.

I have my serious issues with the list, but I keep remembering that it is just one list, from a source that needs to sell me a list. I’ll tell you, I’m getting sick of some of the mainstream media batting around thoughts and garbage just to get a rise out of the audience. Ever get the sense they don’t even believe what they say? The Hockey News is one that has gotten under my skin lately. It seams like every other week, they decide to bash on the NHL in America and the American fan for no good reason. Frankly, I’m not sure why I keep buying it. I get better hockey news and views from Kukla’s Korner than anywhere else. From there, I can pick what interests me as far a columnists go. I used to go to TSN and ESPN.com a couple of times a day. Now I use an RSS Reader, look to the blogs for opinions and news, and get better information with more options than ever. Most of the hockey news I want comes to me, rather than having to look for it. My RSS feeds include google and yahoo news searches for “NHL” and “Colorado Avalanche.” I get updates every five minutes, then read what I want. And I get updates from my favorite bloggers automatically (who are independent writers, doing a real craft).

And most of it doesn’t piss me off like some of the mainstream outlets. The people I read daily are there to provide information and an honest opinion. I know they don’t need me, as much as I need them. They would still do the job without me reading. Not so with the mainstream. If you don’t buy (or buy in to) their product, they have no purpose. They might like hockey, or whatever else they like, but if they don’t sell it to us, they cease to exist. Even an independent blog who relies on advertising to get by started on it’s own, and continues under it’s own steam. John Buccigross is a good columnist, and a fun read. But do you think ESPN would let him swear in his column if he wanted to? I, on the other hand, get to tell you that he is a shitty hockey player (I saw him at the UHL AllStar game in 2005). I’m not saying that he doesn’t get to write what he wants, and he is a good writer, just that he doesn’t fly under his own flag. And, sometimes, that makes a big difference. The Hockey News doesn’t get to tell me about the mainstream media’s problems, just like the Red Hot Chili Peppers do not get to tell me about being an alternative band.

So I listened to the picks on XM Radio, and then used my power as a consumer, and turned them off. Then I wrote this little rant. And, since you decide to read something other than what is easy, you get to sit through it.

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James Gralian

4 responses to “XM Radio Picks for Playoffs, and the Mainstream Media Pisses Me Off”

  1. I want whatever that guy is smoking. Even I (blatant Columbus homer) don’t have the guts to even say that the Blue Jackets will even make the playoffs, let alone jump the Preds and Wings to finish first in the Central. I’ve got them finishing 10th in the conference. If goaltending ends up not being a question mark (as it is now) and injuries can be kept to a minimum, they could sneak into the last spot, but not top 3 by any stretch.

  2. I find their picks to be insightful and dead-on correct. Seriously, though, the Wild are a playoff team but not close to a division winner.

  3. Ah well, since the other two teams’ bloggers are being humble, I’ll chime in and call “baloney” on the Ducks pick also.

    I still say SJ is the class of the Pacific, and Dallas is a regular season monster as well.

    The division could go to the Ducks, but I don’t think we have the forward threat depth to pull it off. Slate us for fifth seed and watch out. This team should be a better playoff team than a regular season one.

  4. I think the Ducks could make it happen. Calgary didn’t have the forward depth (in my opinion) last year but still took a tough division. I’ve got them first in the West in my predictions.

    Of course, as a Montreal fan already pointed out, I’m loony for leaving the Habs out of the playoffs. So we’ll see what happens.