An Observation

by PPP on Apr 13, 2009 11:00 AM EDT

Rule number one of writing: consider your audience. You have to have some sort of expectation of the knowledge that your reader will possess. For example, I assume that if you are coming to a Leafs' blog that you likely already read the four Toronto dailies, TSN.ca, watch Sports Desk (yes, that's its proper name) at least one a day, and watch as many Leaf games as possible as a starting point. We run a big tent so if you don't fit that profile that's not a problem. We're glad to explain anything you don't understand.

Which brings me to something I noticed while writing the Negative Nancy Notebook today. Take a look at these images:

Toronto

Toronto Sun

Toronto Star

Ottawa

Ottawa Sun

Ottawa Citizen

I wonder what that says about what the Ottawa papers' perception of their readership? Do they think that they need to be reminded that the senators play hockey? Maybe they need to remind readers that the senators are the home team? What do you guys think?

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Meh.

Despite the hate-on I have for anything Senators, I actually wish more Toronto papers and web sites would have more direct links to everything Leafs, so I don’t think what they’re doing is really that lame. On RDS, they have a big section for Montreal, Ottawa, and then next to nothing on the rest of the league. Myself, i’d like to see that same kind of favoritism towards the Leafs more often, if anything. Even if it means that every other kind of fan is totally annoyed by it.

by JP Nikota on Apr 13, 2009 11:06 AM EDT reply actions

Apparently Ottawa Sun doesn’t even count senators as a part of hockey

Как хотел я

by sleza on Apr 13, 2009 11:11 AM EDT reply actions

Maybe they’re not as dumb as we thought that they were.

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

by PPP on Apr 13, 2009 11:21 AM EDT up reply actions

Compare to american coverage (sigh)

ESPN: * NFL * MLB * NBA * Soccer * College Football * NHL * NASCAR
Boston Globe: Red Sox Patriots Celtics Bruins Soccer

Sorry they are not pretty pretty pictures, but you get the idea

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by Cornelius Hardenbergh on Apr 13, 2009 11:14 AM EDT reply actions

insecurity that they wont get readers who want city specific sports info coming to them if the word isnt right in front of them

Because Taking The Leafs Seriously Is Not An Option

by JaredFromLondon on Apr 13, 2009 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions

The Toronto media doesn’t even really write about the Leafs though. So there isn’t really a point in having a Leafs subcategory.

by Clawson on Apr 13, 2009 12:27 PM EDT reply actions

The Toronto Star

If you were to scroll down a little further on their main sports splash page you would see “Hockey/Leafs”, and in fact would see the name of the home team beside the sports name for the four major North American sports.

Yes, it’s “below the fold” but I seem to recall a time when it was right up there at the top…

Unable to actually speak French since 1980.

by Pamplemousse on Apr 13, 2009 12:32 PM EDT reply actions

Yeah, I remember that too, and I liked it.

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

by Chemmy on Apr 13, 2009 12:41 PM EDT up reply actions

This is sort of like how the PA guy at Sens games has to constantly introduce the team as “your Ottawa Senators”, in case fans are confused as to which team to cheer for (which they might be, since the team wears a different jersey for every single game).

That said, I’m pretty sure the Star does this too, or at least they did until very recently. It always kind of annoyed me.

Down Goes Brown - Unapologetically nostalgic for the past. Brutally realistic about the present. Grudgingly optimistic about the future.

by Down Goes Brown on Apr 13, 2009 1:34 PM EDT reply actions

They did do it before and it seemed so provincial.

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

by PPP on Apr 13, 2009 1:54 PM EDT up reply actions

And like the way the Canucks’ home jerseys now have “Vancouver” spelled out on the front?

I've been looking at the sky

by Back In Black on Apr 13, 2009 2:35 PM EDT up reply actions

They obviously recognize

That the majority of hockey fans in Ottawa would select “other” in poll of team support. :) Either that, or Sens hockey news has been found to be detrimental to your health, and for the good of their city have quarantined it in it’s own section.

"We've had an ongoing problem with Grabovski this year." Bob Gainey, 4/04/09

by kidkawartha on Apr 13, 2009 2:10 PM EDT reply actions