Pat Quinn Speaks to Pension Plan Puppets

by PPP on Oct 27, 2008 5:32 AM EDT in News

A few weeks ago I received an e-mail with a subject line fit to make a Leafs fan's jaw hit the floor:

Pat Quinn - Interview Opportunity

After some back and forth with a PR company and Pat's agent the initial e-mail interview morphed into a phone interview. Like any good pretend journalist I purchased a digital recorder, the accompanying cords, and then saw the best laid plans of mice and men shattered. Luckily, I took tonnes of notes. I tried to copy down as many direct quotes as possible. As for the rest, I'll try to present the thoughts and issues that Pat Quinn raised less the "umms" and "uhhhs" and other nervy time-killers that I stammered out while trying not to gush out how much I loved his time with the Leafs and about what a raw deal he got from JFJ.

A special thanks to MF37, Down Goes Brown, and Chemmy for helping me formulate the original slate of questions. And of course a huge thank you to Pat Quinn for agreeing to speak to me even after confirming that I was a blogger and for doing the interview by phone so that I could stay in my pyjamas in my mother's basement.

The Leafs' former GM and Coach Pat Quinn and I talked about his health, work with Making The Connection, Luke Schenn, and, of course, the Maple Leafs. The interview is split into three parts. Without further ado, my conversation with Pat Quinn:

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Comments

Nicely done PPP

I really agree with the whole “questioning the locker room” thing, which the Toronto media is especially prone to doing. It’s quite rampant, lot of times during games you’re hear the commentator saying that they heard this person say this or that in the locker room so its a sign that there’s turmoil or unity or whatever in the team.

"God's in His heaven. All's right with the world." - Robert Browning (1812-1889)

by Winkle on Oct 27, 2008 8:47 AM EDT reply actions

Guys, click the “Buzz Up” link. It’ll help us promote this story and draw new members to the site. :)

Pension Plan Puppets*
* Blog contains less than 2% puppet content by weight.

by Chemmy on Oct 27, 2008 9:32 AM EDT reply actions

Done

and done.

"God's in His heaven. All's right with the world." - Robert Browning (1812-1889)

by Winkle on Oct 27, 2008 9:34 AM EDT up reply actions

Buzzed it

And great job PPP

Making stuff up since real Leafs news is far too depressing

by loser domi on Oct 27, 2008 10:09 AM EDT up reply actions

Also the add further...

I think Quinn would actually be a good fit coaching the World Juniors. For the last 5 years both Brent Sutter and Craig Hartsburg has shaped the Jr team into a very defensive-oriented one, and Quinn showed he was a very defensive-oriented coach in his last hurrah with the Leafs, so I can see that working out quite well for him.

I can’t wait till the Juniors again though, soon it will be time to break out that Team Canada jersey again and get it cleaned up.

"God's in His heaven. All's right with the world." - Robert Browning (1812-1889)

by Winkle on Oct 27, 2008 10:54 AM EDT reply actions

Buzzed up

Well done, PPP. Very excite!

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by eyebleaf on Oct 27, 2008 12:18 PM EDT reply actions

Buzzed and Rec’d…

did i mention i read it twice?

Anybody throws me against the boards I'm gonna piss all over myself.

by blurr1974 on Oct 27, 2008 12:23 PM EDT reply actions

Yes

You mentioned that twice now

"God's in His heaven. All's right with the world." - Robert Browning (1812-1889)

by Winkle on Oct 27, 2008 1:24 PM EDT up reply actions

two times

is twice as nice. like doublemint gum…

Anybody throws me against the boards I'm gonna piss all over myself.

by blurr1974 on Oct 27, 2008 1:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Or

Double bacon cheeseburger

"God's in His heaven. All's right with the world." - Robert Browning (1812-1889)

by Winkle on Oct 27, 2008 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions

I could go one of those right now.

by Drakenlot on Oct 27, 2008 4:10 PM EDT up reply actions

Congrats on the interview! Too bad about the equipment malfunction. That happened to me once when I forgot to check the batteries in my tape recorder and lost an entire two-hour interview – and this was for radio, so I couldn’t just work off my notes. (Now – that isn’t why I left j-school, but the timing is close….)

This interview, plus the post by Neil Smith on DGB, have me wondering whether we’ll be seeing more blogs doing primary reporting. It would certainly be a change, and might have something to do with why the Oilers have been as uptight as they were with that guy doing the liveblog.

Of course, having access puts the blogger in the same position as the traditional reporter, where instead of cold, remote analysis, you have to look at what you write in terms of how it might affect future interviews. Lots to think about.

Congrats again and good job. Interviews get easier with experience!

Leaf, the universe and everything.

by 1967ers on Oct 27, 2008 1:51 PM EDT reply actions

Thanks

Yeah, next time I’ll double and triple check instead of assuming that all phones that look alike are made equal!

Of course, having access puts the blogger in the same position as the traditional reporter, where instead of cold, remote analysis, you have to look at what you write in terms of how it might affect future interviews. Lots to think about.

I R Real Media? Oh Noes!

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Oct 27, 2008 2:10 PM EDT up reply actions