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Bruce MacLeod: Hero To The Masses

by IwoCPO on 10/06/07 at 03:18 PM ET
Comments (7)

Bruce MacLeod has a blog. And he’s a beat writer who updates it frequently and uses it for its intended purpose: to give us up-to-the-minute information rather than making us wait until tomorrow morning.  For instance, today:

He gives us a few quotes from Brent Sopel regarding his abrupt departure from Detroit.

“There was a lot of miscommunication, a lot of missed phone calls, a lot of things that happened that obviously I didn’t want to happen,” said Sopel. “It was one of those circumstances. After we landed in Toronto, we tried to get ahold of Kenny Holland to discuss the situation that was going on. Couldn’t get ahold of him for a long time. Finally when we did, it was just before game time.”

But he doesn’t stop there.  Interested in tonite’s lineups? Of course you are.  Maybe you’re wondering if Aaron Downey cleared waivers? MacLeod tells us he did.

“I’ve been on waivers before, hoping someone would pick me up. This time, I was hoping someone wouldn’t. Such a great group of guys here. I love being a Red Wing.
“I’ve been living in the moment for 13 years now. The game’s not new to me, the role I play. When I first started (in the East Coast league), I was on 24-hour contracts. I’ll just take this day and enjoy it, be thankful that I’ve got a job.
“The Lord willing, they’ll keep me here all year.”

Three blog entries. Nothing artful about them, and definitely not difficult. Fire up the laptop, give the fans some info.  Done.  And that's why MacLeod isn't a deep digger.  It's why he's not the captain of the deep diggers.  Nope.  That would be Ansar Khan.  When's the last time the captain updated his blog?  2 October.  Why even have one?  Whatever.

St. James? Nope.  Kulfan? Good on ya Teddy.  Last night he spewed some nonsensical crap about Downey’s situation being a “bookkeeping kind of thing.”

New blood is needed at the News and the Free Press.  I won’t even mention Booth (MLive). It would appear Khan(!), the Wing puppet, is so ingrained there that he’s got a lifetime contract.  At least the News has John Niyo, who shows some fire whenever he’s given the chance.  And the Freep’s George Sipple impressed me with this today.

“Nobody wants to move, nobody wants to switch teams,” Lang said after Saturday’s morning skate at the United Center. “The nature of the business is a little bit different.

“It didn’t work out unfortunately; would have loved to play a lot more minutes in Detroit. …But that wasn’t the scenario, so you gotta move on.”

Did Lang have other issues with Babcock, other than the ice time?

“I’m not going to go there,” Lang said. “Let’s say it was just the minutes.”

Not bad. Capturing the Enigma in full whine mode.  Didn’t read that from Kulfan, St. James or Khan(!) did you?  Nope. Because he pressed a little harder, asked that additional question. 

MacLeod, Sipple, Niyo...good on ya.  Diggers?  You’re nothing but fodder.

Filed in: | Abel to Yzerman | Permalink
 Tags: Deep+Diggers, Lang, Sopel,

Comments

Not that I’m one to start conspiracy theories or make wildly inaccurate statements, but I know for a fact the Editorial staff at both the Booth and Gannett newspapers in Metro Detroit have forbidden the use of the ‘?’ on any note-taking device, going so far as to remove all such pernicious tools of depravity from all the smith-corona’s currently used by the writing staff.

When asked about this development Khan replied, between unsettling twitches: “What do you mean I’m not suppose to ask any qwuh… excuse me, any qwuuuuuuhuhuh… any qwuuuuhyayayayippee… any tools of conversation commonly employed in the acquisition of further detail and… hey, I have to go, I need to buy a copy of The Catcher in the Rye to make this headache go away.”

Unsettled, I offered him a napkin to staunch the sudden flow of blood from his nose and watched him totter away.

Then I read the 76th consecutive story about Jimmy Howard and threw up in my mouth a little.

Posted by HockeyinHD on 10/06/07 at 04:36 PM ET

I hate Lang… you just knew he was going to pull some crap out of his mullet tonight.

Posted by Hoser from Downer Peninsula, Michigan on 10/06/07 at 10:47 PM ET

It’s too early in the season for me to fret too much about wins and losses, even though losing is a bummer.  I just can’t find it in my heart to be too upset.  The Blackhawk fans have been so beaten down, and with Havlat out again with a shoulder injury, they needed a lift.  If a shootout win in their home opener with the winner scored by their number one draft pick will help them feel better about the upcoming season, I’m happy for them.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 10/07/07 at 06:20 AM ET

I thought their freshly-dead owner getting booed was a nice touch.

Posted by HockeyinHD on 10/07/07 at 07:56 AM ET

I hear ya Baroque, but it didn’t have to be The Enigma delivering the blow - did it?  Yeesh

Did anybody else happen to catch him unsnapping his helmet strap at the end of the second while waiting to head to the room?  His body was facing left, he turned his head toward the camera (he always knows were it is) and ripped the strap off with this fiery look in his eyes.  He exhibited more passion in that one act of removing his helmet strap in Chicago than he did his entire time in Detroit.  I get the feeling he’s going to have at least 8 good games this year.

Posted by Hoser from Downer Peninsula, Michigan on 10/07/07 at 08:36 AM ET

I hear ya Baroque, but it didn’t have to be The Enigma delivering the blow - did it?  Yeesh

I did wish it was another of their young kids, true.  Maybe it will buy him some time before the fans start ragging on him (again) for being lazy and costing the team $4 million a year this year and next.  He’s only delaying the inevitable.

I thought their freshly-dead owner getting booed was a nice touch.

No kidding?  Wow.

I hope the team is at least competitive this season.  I’ve always had a soft spot for the Blackhawks (my Mom’s family is from Chicago) and want them to do well.  Imagine if both Detroit and Chicago are consistently in the running for playoff spots season after season.  That will be some fun hockey!

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 10/07/07 at 08:48 AM ET

The best way I can put things diplomatically is as follows--from what I understand, the DD’s don’t think about the dissemination of information like we do.  When you only get X amount of information to write about, and you’ve got columns to fill with that limited amount of stuff, you’re more willing to sit on what you’ve got. 

The fact that the organization doesn’t believe that the internet is relevant as a place to spread that information doesn’t help--the organization really does still believe that fans should get their news by watching a TV broadcast or literally picking up a physical newspaper, so blogs are, to some extent, a threat to the Wings’ ability to control information. 

I don’t agree with any of this--it’s bizarre to be talking about a hockey team whose management is convinced that the mainstream media hasn’t evolved since since the mid 90’s--but the organization’s philosophy is reflected in the way the newspapers cover the team.

Posted by George James Malik from South Lyon, MI on 10/07/07 at 11:41 AM ET

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