Oilersnation is the best, I think. It has statistical analysis, which IS important at times, It has media members, and it has a good range of viewpoints.
I find lowetide is good at bridging the gaps between observation and stats, and exceptional in placing those findings in a historic perspective, but sometimes I'm looking for a bit more substance. Dellow and Staples are too statistically guided, though they both offer important insights at times. Most of the guys at Coppernblue offer great statistical insight but are wayyyy too reactionary most of the time.
I personally think Jonathan Willis is the best writer out there though. He clearly understands the game, is intelligent about his use of stats, is critical but not a shrieking banshee, and writes very well.
Dan Barnes was far and away the best media member til he moved upstairs at the journal. Was very tough on incompetence but toed a nice line between the rational fan and the rational but sometimes unpopular organizational moves of the oil and esks. And he really "got" what his role was, as a member of the media, and how he needed to represent both reader and organizational interests and relay them back and forth. Hid replacement, MacKinnon is just god awful though. He's an Oil-trained parrot.
MacKinnon is just god awful though. He's an Oil-trained parrot.
Oh Lord, MacKinnon is probably the worst sports writer in the entire city. I've never seen a guy that hates his readers while spouting complete bollocks more than he does. Last week he tried to defend the Oilers' poor season by saying that "at least nobody died." Like that's his measurement for success now. He's gotten into a couple of pissing matches in the comments over at Tyler Dellow's site before, and it's clear that when he's not running his work through an editorial board, he has the writing ability and intellect of a 3rd grader.
In a completely off-topic thread I had admitted to being pretty arachnophobic, and not too long after I got a PM with the subject line "Draft Question" or somesuch. I opened it up to see a macro of a tarantula staring me. After screaming like a little girl and changing my pants, I had a good laugh about it afterwards.
Ah, the joys of reporting on an consistently horrible hockey team. How long can you wallow in the pathetic while enjoying your job? How long can you focus on the pathetic while keeping a decent sized audience?
I come here and discuss things with people and I make my own inferences watching the games.
I dislike Oilers media and try to avoid it.
same,
if there is oilers news it will show up here within minutes. Form there i can form my own opinions of what is going on and there are 7-9 posters here that i find objective and reasonable with thier assumptions.
In a completely off-topic thread I had admitted to being pretty arachnophobic, and not too long after I got a PM with the subject line "Draft Question" or somesuch. I opened it up to see a macro of a tarantula staring me. After screaming like a little girl and changing my pants, I had a good laugh about it afterwards.
hahahahahaha
someone made an ecard for a girl at work and when she clicked on it it was giant rats knawing at each other, she was deathly afraid of mice and had to go home from work. I got the initial blame because i couldnt stop laughing.
In a completely off-topic thread I had admitted to being pretty arachnophobic, and not too long after I got a PM with the subject line "Draft Question" or somesuch. I opened it up to see a macro of a tarantula staring me. After screaming like a little girl and changing my pants, I had a good laugh about it afterwards.
I myself have arachnophobia as well. So maybe, I wasn't even joking when I said Mr Bugg is an ******* for doing that!
Dan Barnes was far and away the best media member til he moved upstairs at the journal. Was very tough on incompetence but toed a nice line between the rational fan and the rational but sometimes unpopular organizational moves of the oil and esks. And he really "got" what his role was, as a member of the media, and how he needed to represent both reader and organizational interests and relay them back and forth.
Yeah I miss Barnes too.
Oilersnation highlights the problem with the MSM imo. I used to like Brownlee as a writer but it was mostly because of the inside perspective/scoop they would have on the team. I don't find any of them to know any more about the game than the alot of the fans so now that they aren't under the thumb of an editor it gets a bit tiring to constantly hear about their '25 years on the beat' or Gregor's 'guarantees'. Especially when some of them seem a bit thin skinned when being questioned.
They should just give the inside dope and leave it at that, I don't need them to tell me what I see or how I should view the game.
99% of the bloggers aren't even worth commenting on. The only one I still read or pay attention to is Lowetide but that is because I appreciate his style of writing more than him offering anything really enlightening. It's like reading some of the good posters you find on this message board.
I like seeing the stats so I'll check out a lot of sites. I dont like the constant negative narrative a lot of those place try and put out though, like copperandblue(the site). No balance no objectivity no realization that stats are a long view or that getting from here to there isnt as simple as getting someone with nice fenwick numbers.
Males who have Sex with Males. Atleast, that's the medical community's use of that acronym.
I am surprised by all the negativity in this thread. There's a plethora of options that did not exist 15 years ago.
It isn't specific negativity, but there are two camps for info. When you read a lot of the blogosphere, they seem like they are Jay Feasters love children, and the Main Stream Media seem like they are Darryl Katz hand picked servants (Sorry Stauff )
I just like to have information that is balanced, and just for discussion, wondered if others felt like I do.
I would agree that people like Willis, Staples, Brownlee, Gregor and LT are probably the best.
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DD only signs in Edmonton if he is a big fan of losing. The image that the Oilers are an up and coming team is dead. - WingedWheel1987
It isn't specific negativity, but there are two camps for info. When you read a lot of the blogosphere, they seem like they are Jay Feasters love children, and the Main Stream Media seem like they are Darryl Katz hand picked servants (Sorry Stauff )
I just like to have information that is balanced, and just for discussion, wondered if others felt like I do.
I would agree that people like Willis, Staples, Brownlee, Gregor and LT are probably the best.
I suppose people must like Brownlee's viewpoint and attitude, because personally I think in terms of pure writing he is the worst blogger of any degree of notoriety. It's like he doesn't understand that blogging is more casual but can still be high quality writing--Brownlee treats blogging as if he doesn't have to write properly and can just vent.
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