The Islanders today announced media relations coordinator Corey Witt will write a personal blog for the club called NYI media blog while Islanders VP of communications Chris Botta has started his own NYI point blank blog.
Both blogs will provide inside information and many of the things the club is working on that the print media has not been covering:
Highlights on Mr Witt's blog:
* Jiggs McDonald will again be calling early season games if the Mets make playoffs.
* Wade Dubielewicz will keep his #34 and Berard will wear #4 in training camp.
* Andy Sutton will wear #25, Josef Vasicek will wear #63 and Sean Bergenheim will wear #20.
Highlights of Mr Botta's blog:
* Mostly Mr Botta's discussion of how players, Nolan or Mr Botta work or worked with media in some instances, his opinion on possible lineups.
NYI Fan Central Comments:
It's very interesting Mr Witt and Mr Botta reached out to the same service I did and started blogs as I have. No doubt they will both be a must read and very popular with Islander fans who want the inside information. Mr Botta given his past updates will pull no punches on media who goes over the line with the club.
This is all good on the surface but actually tells us how poorly the print media intends to cover New York Islander hockey (and New York Hockey in general) and what lengths the club must go to now for it's fans to follow along or get involved these days. Will Leon Carver even bother sending Peter Botte to Moncton? Seems no replacement was found for Evan Grossman at the Post unless Dan Martin will be back to do small articles of occasional home games. Not expecting anything but rare game coverage from Dave Caldwell at the Times.
Perhaps Mr Witt and Mr Botta should ask all the city sports editors why they cannot post and maintain Islander blogs which costs nothing in print space? The Post and News both have Ranger blogs (as does the Journal News) and then print Mr Carver's and Mr Gallo's responses? A little stop at the New York Sun and Kevin Greenstein's editor's office would not hurt either because his hockey coverage, infrequent as it is does a very good job and was one of the few to call it correct on the Islanders last summer.
Send Islanders television along with the camera's rolling with them so our fans can see what is said.
Sad but it seems like a million years from the days a regular season Islander game against an out of conference team could get the backpages of the Daily News or Post, while George Vecesy would do the greatest features on the club in the New York Times.
Now our organization is reduced to fan blog boxes, message forums at Isles TV and now apparently message boards this is what coverage of hockey in New York is reduced to for the Islanders these days?