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Old 07-14-2018, 07:59 AM   #41
kermitology
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I canceled my subscription, but if you hired Darren Haynes, I’d resubscribe.

Tell more stories. My biggest issue with writers like Kent is that it’s like a masters thesis. I’m inundated with numbers, but the actual writing is lacking. No story telling. Hopefully he can learn some things from Eric. D’Arcy actually does a good job of mixing the two.

I’d apply myself if it wasn’t for the two little people I take care of and the fact the Flames organization at the moment has kind of lost me as a fan.
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Old 07-14-2018, 08:23 AM   #42
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I fully agree with all of the praise for Darren Haynes. He is an outstanding writer and certainly deserves the opportunity.
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Old 07-14-2018, 08:29 AM   #43
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Another thing I think would be interesting is to hire someone who has actually worked as a video coach in the NHL to write articles that break down the last game on a very technical basis. Really get into a few key plays and show where a player let their gap get too big which led to a seam opening up or their partner needing to move too far to cover up for th which then led to a breakdown, etc.

I’ve watched some of the World Cup post game analysis where they break down video and it’s really good. I’m not a big soccer fan, so they cover a lot of stuff I’m not really familiar with, but they do it in such a way that I learn a lot and it’s really interesting. Something similar for post game hockey analysis would be great. Or similar articles analysing power play/ penalty kill styles would also be good.
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Old 07-14-2018, 08:43 AM   #44
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I also put in a vote for Darren Haynes. He has great articles, and it's a shame he has lost his sponsorship. I also like the more in depth coverage, but have to admit I sometimes get lost in the volume of stats, in Athletic articles. I do subscribe, and would reup if someone like Darren came on board.
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Old 07-14-2018, 08:49 AM   #45
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I personally love the depth of Darren’s article and the lengths he goes to in order to explain and justify the intial statement or opinion he carries to begin his articles. His latest on the lack of a true right handed centerman since Craig Conroy and how the Flames have addressed this issue finally this year was a very good read with great insight from Treliving and Conroy on the players we brought in and key situations last year where the additions from this year would have proved to have been invaluable weapons for the coaching staff last year.
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Old 07-14-2018, 08:57 AM   #46
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kermitology View Post
I canceled my subscription, but if you hired Darren Haynes, I’d resubscribe.

Tell more stories. My biggest issue with writers like Kent is that it’s like a masters thesis. I’m inundated with numbers, but the actual writing is lacking. No story telling. Hopefully he can learn some things from Eric. D’Arcy actually does a good job of mixing the two.

I’d apply myself if it wasn’t for the two little people I take care of and the fact the Flames organization at the moment has kind of lost me as a fan.
Yes. Stats should be used to support an argument, they shouldn't be the argument.

There is far too much grey matter in hockey for stats to be definitive. Yet so many articles today are simply a collection of stats that are attempting to create the argument: player/team A is better than player/team B because X. Not only are the conclusions drawn from those arguments unjustifiable on their own (see grey matter), but, as kermitology mentioned, the writing style is boring and one dimensional.

The trend to this 'analytics' style of writing does nothing for me, and I am sure as hell not going to pay for it. I want to see more articles about the players, more insight, more breakdown of video on set plays and strategies, and more behind the scenes stuff. I can get stats myself.

Oh, I would like to add one more point: never make the mistake that Sportsnet makes and have a guy like Spector providing Flame content. I would rather have no content than a thinly veiled piece from an Oiler homer, pretending to be an insider, and pretending to be unbiased. Integrity matters.
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Old 07-14-2018, 09:04 AM   #47
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Subscriber as well and love it. Duhatschek and Bourne are worth the price of admission. I appreciate Wilson but am not a big fan of the stats heavy pieces.

Haynes would a great addition.

I doubt they would be interested, but a weekly Boomer and Rhett piece would be great. Something a little lighthearted focused on Rhett’s experiences throughout his career including his junior days. I have no idea if Boomer can write though. Or read.
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Old 07-14-2018, 09:11 AM   #48
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+1 here for Haynes


-100000000 if you have anything to do with Francis
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Old 07-14-2018, 09:12 AM   #49
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Any promo codes? I haven't pulled the trigger but Ism pulled back in with all the Flames off-season moves.
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Old 07-14-2018, 09:13 AM   #50
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I'd like to read about some grassroots sports or just reviews/walkthroughs of local sporting activities. Pro sports have their place but it would make a subscription more interesting if, for instance, there were a random article interspersed about mountain-biking for beginners, or even just an article about when sign-ups for entering kids into soccer are. You know, things you'd otherwise have to look up, just being presented to you on your phone at the right time, the way the pro sports articles are.

This town needs to grow its grassroots team sports too, I strongly believe that, and more coverage would be a great first step.

Quote:
Originally Posted by mikephoen View Post
Another thing I think would be interesting is to hire someone who has actually worked as a video coach in the NHL to write articles that break down the last game on a very technical basis. Really get into a few key plays and show where a player let their gap get too big which led to a seam opening up or their partner needing to move too far to cover up for th which then led to a breakdown, etc.

I’ve watched some of the World Cup post game analysis where they break down video and it’s really good. I’m not a big soccer fan, so they cover a lot of stuff I’m not really familiar with, but they do it in such a way that I learn a lot and it’s really interesting. Something similar for post game hockey analysis would be great. Or similar articles analysing power play/ penalty kill styles would also be good.
FWIW, Tyler Dellow has already been doing this to an extent for The Athletic.
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Old 07-14-2018, 09:27 AM   #51
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I'll add my 2bits here as well. Recent subscriber as I finally took the plunge. Was too tempted by the headlines tweeted by guys like Lebrun and Duha. Was also tired of reading the "free" articles and finding factual errors or omissions, spelling mistakes, and grammar issues.

Love what I've seen so far. Really digging Justin Bourne's stuff.

I'll also push for Darren Haynes. Miss the Flames at 80 Feet articles.
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Old 07-14-2018, 09:46 AM   #52
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I subscribed last summer and Eric Duhatschek has been worth the subscription price by himself.

I would love to see some more coverage of the Stamps and the WHL. Stockton would be nice as well.
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Old 07-14-2018, 10:06 AM   #53
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Hi everyone. I hope this is okay with the mods.

I run the Canadian operations of The Athletic, the new sports site which at this point includes coverage of the seven NHL teams in this country and 25 of the 31 teams overall. We're hiring more writers in Calgary and Edmonton for coverage of the Flames and Oilers for the 2018-19 season.

Here's the job post.

I know CP is the home for diehard Flames fans. This is a great community, one I used to lurk on ages ago before I joined the media. So I wanted to post here quickly and ask what folks think we could do to provide next level coverage of the team and win you over enough that you would subscribe? (Subscriptions typically cost about $48 for the year.) How do we become the best sports media outlet in the city?

I know a lot of you feel you may never pay for a site like ours, and that's totally fine. I get it. But, theoretically, what would it take to give you a product good enough that made it worthwhile, for around $4 a month?

(For those unaware, we currently have Eric Duhatschek, Kent Wilson and Scott Cruickshank writing out of Calgary, as well as our group of national writers led by Pierre LeBrun who weigh in on the Flames once in a while.)

Thanks for the feedback
Thanks for doing this, James.

I'd like to see a more technical analysis of team systems and play. For example, I want to understand how the Flames are setting up on the power play, the role of each individual player, and how it compares to other teams in the league. Gaskal has made a few fantastic posts of this type (example).

This sort of long-form analysis does more to help understand the game, having never played hockey at a competitive level. The majority of all content covering the Flames right now is either a written summary of the game scoresheet or some hot take of moves being made. The best articles are an analysis of team performance in some way, usually involving advanced stats nowadays. I rarely see content explaining in detail how the game was actually played.

I've considered paying for the Athletic in the past. I would pull the trigger if the articles could help me understand the game itself at a higher level.
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Old 07-14-2018, 10:18 AM   #54
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wireframe View Post
Thanks for doing this, James.

I'd like to see a more technical analysis of team systems and play. For example, I want to understand how the Flames are setting up on the power play, the role of each individual player, and how it compares to other teams in the league. Gaskal has made a few fantastic posts of this type (example).

This sort of long-form analysis does more to help understand the game, having never played hockey at a competitive level. The majority of all content covering the Flames right now is either a written summary of the game scoresheet or some hot take of moves being made. The best articles are an analysis of team performance in some way, usually involving advanced stats nowadays. I rarely see content explaining in detail how the game was actually played.

I've considered paying for the Athletic in the past. I would pull the trigger if the articles could help me understand the game itself at a higher level.
You do get those from Dellow or Bourne occasionally, as they touch on all the NHL teams. It would be really nice to get more frequency from the next Flames writer however, I really enjoy those articles as someone who did not play hockey growing up and doesn't really understand the nuances of system play.
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Old 07-14-2018, 10:26 AM   #55
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You do get those from Dellow or Bourne occasionally, as they touch on all the NHL teams. It would be really nice to get more frequency from the next Flames writer however, I really enjoy those articles as someone who did not play hockey growing up and doesn't really understand the nuances of system play.
Agreed on that point. The stuff that Dellow and Bourne right are intriguing and have great points supported by video evidence and I would also be interested in seeing more of that for the Flames.
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Old 07-14-2018, 10:31 AM   #56
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I'm surprised no one has mentioned this but you should really hire Darren Haynes.

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Old 07-14-2018, 10:35 AM   #57
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I would love to read more Haynes.

I'm mostly excited to hear this is expanding. I tentatively signed up and was happy I did. The articles were the depth I was missing everywhere else.

I would also love if the app had live sports scores!
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Old 07-14-2018, 10:38 AM   #58
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darren haynes
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Old 07-14-2018, 10:41 AM   #59
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Old 07-14-2018, 11:04 AM   #60
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I would love to read more Haynes.

I'm mostly excited to hear this is expanding. I tentatively signed up and was happy I did. The articles were the depth I was missing everywhere else.

I would also love if the app had live sports scores!
The live scores should be in place by next season.
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