An Open Letter to Toronto Maple Leafs Fans
by PPP on Oct 31, 2008 11:00 AM EDT
Email
PrintDear Most Valuable Losers,
Yesterday, continuing a long-standing trend, another Toronto reporter took his shot at Leaf fans. This time it was Howard Berger calling us "losers" (screenshot: one two) but we've seen the same cookie-cutter article before from virtually everyone who covers the team.
Quite frankly, we've had enough.
As fans, we believe that those most deserving of our praise and our scorn are directly inolved in the game, whether it's on the ice, in the press box or in the executive corridors. Fans don't pencil in the starting five, make bad trades, or write the headlines of the day and shouldn't be blamed (or praised) for the totals in the wins and loss column.
Hockey may be just a game but it's also a passion. If you're looking for passionate hockey coverage that offers insight and humour and you're sick of being blamed for supporting a team you're passionate about, you have a better option.
It's time to leave the media superstars behind. There's compelling, timely, wide-ranging content waiting just for you online in the Barilkosphere.
Many have found this better way of following the Leafs, but not every Leafs fan has been so lucky. Please send this message to your fellow Leaf fans via e-mail or postings on message boards and let them know that they do have a choice.
We hope you'll join us here in the Barilkosphere and become regular readers, writers, and commenters.
- Pension Plan Puppets
- Battle of Ontario
- Big Smoke Sports
- Bitter Leaf Fan
- Cox Bloc
- Die Hard Blue and White
- Down Goes Brown
- He Score! He Shoot!
- Heroes in Rehab
- The Hockey News: Maple Leafs Blog
- Just Your Usual General Borschevsky
- Leafs at Hockey Analysis
- Maple Leafs Hot Stove
- The Meatriarchy
- Old Guys in Blue and White
- The Passion That Frustrates Us All
- Repressed Optimism
- Sports and the City
- Toronto Sports Media
- Wonderful World of Loser Domi
Update: If anyone looks at this list and thinks "Hmmm I write about the Leafs and I am not included!" or "Hey, I took part in the Barilkosphere Blogolution and am not included!" please put your post in the comments so I can add you to our Google Reader and update this list. If we missed you, it was purely by accident!
105 comments
|
3 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
monoton zombie voice
Join us!
Because Taking The Leafs Seriously Is Not An Option
by JaredFromLondon on Oct 31, 2008 11:02 AM EDT reply actions
gabba gabba...
we accept you, we accept you
Anybody throws me against the boards I'm gonna piss all over myself.
by blurr1974 on Oct 31, 2008 2:02 PM EDT up reply actions
Our own
Rise up, my friends.
A Toronto sports blog, where we unequivocally and unapologetically support the home team...
viva la blogolution!
Because Taking The Leafs Seriously Is Not An Option
by JaredFromLondon on Oct 31, 2008 11:04 AM EDT reply actions
anyone post this over on howie’s hockeybuzz blog in the comments yet?
Anybody throws me against the boards I'm gonna piss all over myself.
by blurr1974 on Oct 31, 2008 11:05 AM EDT reply actions
anyone have an account there?
hell I may create one JUST for this
Making stuff up since real Leafs news is far too depressing
i've got one...
should i?
Anybody throws me against the boards I'm gonna piss all over myself.
by blurr1974 on Oct 31, 2008 11:08 AM EDT up reply actions
Everyone should. Repeatedly because it’ll get deleted.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
do it please!
A Toronto sports blog, where we unequivocally and unapologetically support the home team...
on it right now...
i’m posting it in howie’s comments and as my own post on their site…
Anybody throws me against the boards I'm gonna piss all over myself.
by blurr1974 on Oct 31, 2008 11:09 AM EDT up reply actions
It won;t let me unless I “buy a season ticket”
fuck that. I’m not paying money just for this
Making stuff up since real Leafs news is far too depressing
here’s my post…
http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=6563&user_id=46784
Anybody throws me against the boards I'm gonna piss all over myself.
by blurr1974 on Oct 31, 2008 11:11 AM EDT up reply actions
and here it is in howie's comments
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/boards/thread.php?thread_id=55933&page=last#2313790
Anybody throws me against the boards I'm gonna piss all over myself.
by blurr1974 on Oct 31, 2008 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions
you should
screenshoot it, just to be safe
Making stuff up since real Leafs news is far too depressing
just an FYI
someone else has reposted my comment, saying everyone should just post that in Howie’s comments over and over until he gets bounced from hockeybuzz…
viva la blogolution! – JfromL 10/31/08
Anybody throws me against the boards I'm gonna piss all over myself.
by blurr1974 on Oct 31, 2008 12:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Nice!
Definitely encourage that action :)
Although from what I hear, Workin Class Howard can’t get bumped because he has Eklund by the short and curlies.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
that's a distrubing visual
in so many ways…still, howie having photos of Ek and a leather clad gimp or not, it’s nice to know it’s catching on…
Anybody throws me against the boards I'm gonna piss all over myself.
by blurr1974 on Oct 31, 2008 12:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Double check your HTML :)
But great work!
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
crap...
it was a quick copy and paste job from CoxBloc, pre-formatting.
i didn’t get the email, maybe i’ll have to start one o ’dem der blawgs…
Anybody throws me against the boards I'm gonna piss all over myself.
by blurr1974 on Oct 31, 2008 11:26 AM EDT up reply actions
i never paid...
i think you’re trying to sign up for his “season ticket” crap, whatever that is…
if any of you do have accounts, go to the post and drop some comments in there so it’ll shoot up the ladder and get moved to their main page.
Anybody throws me against the boards I'm gonna piss all over myself.
by blurr1974 on Oct 31, 2008 11:16 AM EDT up reply actions
it was either that or sing up through a mobile device (which I don’t have)
Making stuff up since real Leafs news is far too depressing
i love to sing through cell phones...
:P
Anybody throws me against the boards I'm gonna piss all over myself.
by blurr1974 on Oct 31, 2008 11:25 AM EDT up reply actions
Buzz, Digg, Facebook share, and e-mail the shit out of these posts guys!
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
PensionPlanPuppets.com? Who would read that terrible blog.
Pension Plan Puppets*
* Blog contains less than 2% puppet content by weight.
it really went downhill when they got that Chemmy guy there
Making stuff up since real Leafs news is far too depressing
I tuned out after that mistake.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
I come for hawt PPP action
But I stay for the NFSW links
"God's in His heaven. All's right with the world." - Robert Browning (1812-1889)
of course you do.
Tlusty’s irresistible like that
Making stuff up since real Leafs news is far too depressing
damnit LD
I read Tlusty and completely forgot what I was doing
now where was I on this report?
"God's in His heaven. All's right with the world." - Robert Browning (1812-1889)
I could have been worse
could have posted a picture of Stajan’s eyes. then you’d never leave
Making stuff up since real Leafs news is far too depressing
Posted on French for Grapefruit
For all of my zero readers to enjoy.
But hey, gotta support the cause!
Unable to actually speak French since 1980.
by Pamplemousse on Oct 31, 2008 11:17 AM EDT reply actions
Toronto Mike
will be writing about this after lunch.
A Toronto sports blog, where we unequivocally and unapologetically support the home team...
5 more minutes!
I’ve been munching on halloween chocolates for the last half hour
"God's in His heaven. All's right with the world." - Robert Browning (1812-1889)
Barilkosphere
It’s an honour to be included. This is a great group with really high standards. Exactly the right kind of peer pressure.
The Toronto Maple Leafs News Ticket is another new blog. I really like the Player of the Week feature.
by general borschevsky on Oct 31, 2008 11:55 AM EDT reply actions
Thanks
I’ll add him to Google Reader.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
I wonder..
what the chances are some mainstream media (cbc, ctv globemedia/tsn) might pick this up as a full scale blogger revolt?
Or will it pass by completely ignored by the media. It would be pretty cool if the cbc had a little blurb on it, being the HNIC mama corp and all..
Some of us are actually working on trying to get some media to cover it.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
I sent in a story tip to the Search Engine show on cbc radio/podcast. They do some stories along these lines too so it could be a great fit!
New Media in Hockey
Recently, the hockey “Blogosphere” has been undergoing some significant growing pains. You probably heard about the recent furor between a fellow doing unauthorized liveblogging while watching the Oilers play (http://coveredinoil.blogspot.com/2008/10/it-ends.html) and you may or not have heard about the full-scale blogger revolt going on in the “Barilkosphere” – Leaf fan bloggers. Lately the “professional” sports writers have been writing columns blaming the fan base for the dire performance of the Leafs over the past few seasons. Read the open letter from the bloggers to their fellow fans here: http://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/2008/10/31/650741/an-open-letter-to-toronto
It seems to me that an interesting shift is underway away from mainstream media to the blogs. I know I personally get more insight and information from the hockey blogs I read than any of the journalists writing in the paper, if only because of the sheer volume of opinions and amount of passion there is out there. I’d love to hear a segment perhaps interviewing a sports blogger or two along with some mainstream media folks.
Thanks muchly!
by LeafFanInVan on Oct 31, 2008 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions
The odds of getting actual mainstream media coverage is close to zero. It can’t hurt to try, but those guys look out for their own. Whether they like him or not, Berger is part of their club and they’re not going to throw him under the bus just because a bunch of bloggers are angry.
Our best bet to get some attention for this is from other blogs and larger online sites. They’ll understand the bigger issue — thin-skinned old-media dinosaur throws a tantrum over some criticism, goes off the deep end.
Down Goes Brown - Because it's technically possible that things may get better before we all die.
by Down Goes Brown on Oct 31, 2008 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions
the key is...
don’t stop. I think we post this open letter any and everywhere we think it will generate the most appropriate response.
every day, keep posting it.
Anybody throws me against the boards I'm gonna piss all over myself.
by blurr1974 on Oct 31, 2008 12:30 PM EDT up reply actions
and that, essentially is the problem
the MSM look out for their own as you say.
There is no accoutability. They can do and say as they please because the masses that look for info turn to the radio and to papers for their daily dose. And they all know this. If they all preach the same, how could they do a story on something like this, when they all effectively write the same nonsense? It would be like being critical of themselves.
As long as the ‘blogger’ world has the stigma of guy in mom’s basement, it’s going to be tough for us to break out and actually attract a larger, more diversified audience.
Things like this are a great start, and PPP.com is a fantastic hub for the activity.
by RepressedOptimism on Oct 31, 2008 12:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Yup
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
Puck Daddy
Has brought it up in today’s headlines here
So even though he stinks, he’s doing his part
Also
Is it a new feature on SBN to click on the subject of a comment and it collapses/expands the comment? Or did I just never notice that before?
You just never noticed it before ;)
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
i had
no idea of this feature either.
The more you know.
A Toronto sports blog, where we unequivocally and unapologetically support the home team...
Posted...
…on my own blog, which I like to think of as more of a career minor-leaguer, a part-time contributor to the Barilkosphere. ( I think my site could better be described as (all?) part of the Goddensphere). Happy to spread the word as I am able. Howard, Cox and the rest of the mittenstringers are really the ones who take us for dimwits; they are the ones who continuously try to sell us garbage.
jrwendelman
The Artist Formerly Known as "Junior"
Cheers!
I’ll add you too!
p.s. you’re not around much anymore!
/scolding mother’s face
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
...ummm...
Sorry, ’bout that…
…(shuffles feet, stares at floor a bit, hands behind back) I been meanin’ to fix that, but real life keeps getting in the way. Stupid real life…
jrwendelman
The Artist Formerly Known as "Junior"
by jrwendelman on Oct 31, 2008 12:35 PM EDT up reply actions
That is the cutest dog picture in history.
Yeah, real life can stink sometimes.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
Yeah. Stolen from teh Intarwebs, of course, but cute as all get out.
jrwendelman
The Artist Formerly Known as "Junior"
by jrwendelman on Oct 31, 2008 12:47 PM EDT up reply actions
We made
Wysh’s link dump.
A Toronto sports blog, where we unequivocally and unapologetically support the home team...
Wyshynski Notices, No Longer Stinks…as much.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
Fantastic Work.
Well done. I’m honoured to even be mentioned in this post.
Long live the barilkosphere!!
Big Smoke Sports - We Burn The Buds, Roll The Raps, and Smoke The Jays
PPP and Chemmy are like William Wallace in Braveheart…leaders of men.
“FREEDOMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1”
A Toronto sports blog, where we unequivocally and unapologetically support the home team...
the MSM
may take our money, but they’ll never take our keyboards!
For those who suffer the Toronto sports scene, and more: ThePassionThatFrustratesUsAll
by TorontoPassion on Oct 31, 2008 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions
Wow
nice read, that one…. I wonder how Paul does it though, seeing as he blogs directly for the NHL? No trouble brewing there?
by Karina on Oct 31, 2008 2:05 PM EDT up reply actions
Yardbarker
If anyone has a yardbarker account, feel free to “bark up” the Berger story:
http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/Leaf_beat_reporter_calls_fans_losers_fans_finally_fight_back/361270
Down Goes Brown - Because it's technically possible that things may get better before we all die.
by Down Goes Brown on Oct 31, 2008 2:13 PM EDT reply actions
barked
Anybody throws me against the boards I'm gonna piss all over myself.
by blurr1974 on Oct 31, 2008 2:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Shame
It’s really a shame that it has to come down to this … but it’s becoming more and more clear that the MSM – despite having it’s day in the sun – is slowly (quickly) losing it’s grip on the everyday ‘reporting’ and comitting to a level of professionalism.
Now, all they constitute as a ‘professional’ is finding the negative angle and watching papers sell, or hits on a website, simply due to outrage.
It’s like driving by a car fire, and wondering what happened, people will flock to these blogs just to see what the ‘professional journalists’ are writing.
Then it’s up to the non-pros to actually do some rebuttal.
This is becoming tiring and there should actually be a melding moving forwards, especially if the Leafs are to make headway in the future …
Good job to PPP and Chemmy here. It’s disemination of information from multiple sources that makes for good coverage.
Not jumping all over the worst to sell a paper…
Amen
The battle that seems to be brewing between MSM and blogs, which shouldn’t be a battle at all, appears to, at least for us that follow the Leafs, either A) be exposing the Leaf MSM for their shoddiness over the years, or B) causing them to be shoddy in order to try to gain the upper hand. I don’t know which situation I’d prefer.
Thanks
For everyone’s efforts.
It was a massive team effort. Most kudos should overwhelmingly go to MF37 for his communications help and DGB for helping frame the argument.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
Viva La Revolution
Ah, I feel like a French peasant in 1789.
"God's in His heaven. All's right with the world." - Robert Browning (1812-1889)
agreed...
i was inspired to take up arms…
Anybody throws me against the boards I'm gonna piss all over myself.
by blurr1974 on Oct 31, 2008 2:51 PM EDT up reply actions
And I realized that the only purpose to revolution is to be able to love who you want, how you want, when you want and where you want…
- Dan Bern, “True Revolutionaries”, Smartie Mine (1999)
P.S. Props to LD for hooking me up with Wikiquote, I heart everything Wiki
"God's in His heaven. All's right with the world." - Robert Browning (1812-1889)
ah, wiki, you learn all sorts of things there, like this bit I learned today about “Another One Bites the Dust”:
During the administration of chest compressions during CPR, it can be difficult to achieve and maintain the recommended rate of 100 compressions per minute4. The bass line of this song is at such a rate; thus it is frequently recommended to think or hum this song during CPR, to maintain the correct rate5.
Making stuff up since real Leafs news is far too depressing
Really?
100 per minute? That’s 1.67 per second, that’s pretty fast. They never told me what rate to do it in during First Aid training but they just say very fast and very hard, it’s 2 breaths followed by 30 compressions and repeat.
"God's in His heaven. All's right with the world." - Robert Browning (1812-1889)
I don’t know CPR, so I can’t vouch for validity. I just like the idea of EMTs singing “another one bites the dust” whenever they have to use CPR
Making stuff up since real Leafs news is far too depressing
Also works for “Stayin’ Alive” too:
According to Reuters, U.S. doctors have found “Stayin’ Alive” provides an ideal beat to follow while performing chest compressions as part of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on a heart attack victim. The American Heart Association calls for chest compressions to be given at a rate of 100 per minute in CPR. “Stayin’ Alive” almost perfectly matches that, with 103 beats per minute.
Which also seems more fitting than Another One Bites the Dust!
by LeafFanInVan on Oct 31, 2008 5:16 PM EDT up reply actions
it’s the same tempo 100 bpm
but Stayin Alive sounds more like what you want. AND it’s still funny to imagine EMTs doing it
Making stuff up since real Leafs news is far too depressing
true story
during first aid training my trainer actually told me to sing stayen alive in my head during chest compressions
Because Taking The Leafs Seriously Is Not An Option
by JaredFromLondon on Oct 31, 2008 6:50 PM EDT up reply actions
naturally I did it out loud, I also started singing Fat bottomed girls, but it didnt have the right rhythm
Because Taking The Leafs Seriously Is Not An Option
by JaredFromLondon on Oct 31, 2008 7:05 PM EDT up reply actions
"We believe in self-criticism. We believe it’s a major way in which the revolution moves forward. We have a responsibility to have a strategy that takes into account the ups and downs that it’s going to go through, and doesn’t see only in the down an endless down, or only in the up an endless up. It’s doing to be a struggle that peaks, and then rests, and gathers back its strength, and learns from violence that’s embedded in the system. So the mistake was not taking into account the long road—the whole thing—and understanding how much work was going to have to go into organizing the people through every form of struggle, and every form of resistance, and every form of fighting back—and focusing in on the one means of the struggle…"
- Bernadine Dohrn
Pension Plan Puppets*
* Blog contains less than 2% puppet content by weight.
Good Speeches
American Rhetoric has some great ones as well as good movie speeches.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
What is so cool to me
is watching this random group of people – who otherwise wouldn’t know each other from Adam – come together and pick up arms over this. We constantly hear about the internet’s ability to bring disparate people together during political campaigns (ahem, vote obama, ahem!), but its very impressive to be on the inside and witness that happen in real time.
Kudos again to those who played an important role in getting this thing done.
For those who suffer the Toronto sports scene, and more: ThePassionThatFrustratesUsAll
by TorontoPassion on Oct 31, 2008 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions
And the head of the torch wielding mob...
Godd Till!
I’ll actually have a post up because Passion actually has a good point about how it’s an interesting story.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
I also sent it over to The Big Lead. Doubtful he’ll cover it, but this kind of MSM v. blogger thing is right up his alley. Will let you know if I hear back.
For those who suffer the Toronto sports scene, and more: ThePassionThatFrustratesUsAll
by TorontoPassion on Oct 31, 2008 3:43 PM EDT up reply actions
any one
try Sports by Brooks? I don’t really read him all that often, but as the alpha sports blogger in MSM’s eyes…
Anybody throws me against the boards I'm gonna piss all over myself.
by blurr1974 on Oct 31, 2008 6:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Another Link
Out of Left Field, a great Canadian blog, picked up the story too.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
Sager is good people.
A Toronto sports blog, where we unequivocally and unapologetically support the home team...
And a Queen's Grad
Doubly good people.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
Yeah
There are a few we should make permanent.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
Basically every time I write a post or comment it should probably not only be permalinked but bound into a hardcover book.
Just saying.
Pension Plan Puppets*
* Blog contains less than 2% puppet content by weight.
Is it to late for me to grab a pitchfork and torch and join the mob? Everyone loves a bit of vigilante justice!
The Maple Leafs News Ticket. Yes, its another Leafs blog.
The Mob always wants new people.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
by PPP on Nov 1, 2008 9:35 AM EDT up reply actions
Great! Count me in then! My blog is in my post, and I just recently found out about this site! You guys are doing good work here.
The Maple Leafs News Ticket. Yes, its another Leafs blog.
Shameless Plug
In addition to posting the letter, I’ve written a bit about being a fan. I don’t think Berger and anyone who makes his “sheep/kool-aid” argument understands what it means to be a fan.
jrwendelman
The Artist Formerly Known as "Junior"
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Pension Plan Puppets
Related FanShots on Pension Plan Puppets
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Latest Puck Daddy - NHL from Yahoo! Sports
- Fight Video: Ilya Kovalchuk KOs Flyers’ Brayden Schenn with nasty right hook
- Penguins’ Brooks Orpik launches Daniel Paille with massive hit (Video)
- Penguins, Bruins face their challenges in Eastern Conference showdown
- Olli Jokinen’s slump-buster is a Big Mac meal from McDonalds (Video)
- Friday’s Three Stars: Brassard wins it for Blue Jackets in overtime; Halak blanks Kings
SBNation.com Recent Stories
StatCounter
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
