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Post by dogman on Jun 29, 2007 17:44:10 GMT -5
I have followed the OHL for many years now attending games in various cities. To keep me up-to-date on the OHL, I regularly read a number of newspapers on-line in cities that have an OHL team. When it was announced that the Ice Dogs were coming to St. Catharines, I was happy that I could now read my local paper to keep me up-to-date on Ice Dogs news as well as OHL news. Well that has not happened. I still find myself reading other on-line papers for both my Ice Dogs and OHL news. Why is the Standard's coverage of the Ice Dogs so dismal. After the announced move of the Ice Dogs to St. Catharines but before the move became official, I had to read the Missisauga News to keep me up-to-date on what was going on. The Standard largely ignored the whole ordeal, save for a few articles here and there. When the move became official, I thought the Standard would get on board and begin covering the Ice Dogs like most local papers cover their OHL team. Boy was I wrong. On Tuesday, the OHL held their import draft where each team drafts overseas players for the coming year. (Each team is allowed 2 overseas players on their roster). There has not been one mention in the Standard about the draft or who the Ice Dogs selected. I checked a number of newspapers that cover OHL teams, and everyone I checked had an article about the teams import picks. Some of the newspapers had a pre-draft article and a post draft article as well. Here are a few examples of the post draft articles in some of the other local papers: Wolves draft Swiss centre - Sudbury Star Spirit trade away import selection - Saginaw News With stacked roster, Bulls don’t need import help - Belleville Intelligencer Vincour top pick in import draft - London Free Press Czech heavyweight may be a knockout - Ottawa SunColts select Czech in Import Draft - Barrie Advance Hounds pick German forward in import draft - Soo Today Otters import Slovakian goalie - Erie Daily Times/Morning News Rangers hope they’ve found great Dane - Waterloo Record Storm picks Swiss import - Guelph Mercury Obviously, the import draft is news worthy. So why does the Standard continue to give the Ice Dogs sub-par coverage. I sure hope this will not be the norm throughout the season. So far their coverage has been very disappointing to the point where I am considering cancelling my subscription. |
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Post by coldpooch on Jun 29, 2007 18:09:24 GMT -5
I would cancel. What have they reported even on the NHL draft?  I will never buy this newspaper. |
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Post by Schtick on Jun 29, 2007 20:01:11 GMT -5
I couldn't agree with you more dogman!
I live in Welland but work in St. Catharines and I'll tell ya, both of these newspapers (Standard & Tribune) are really ticking me off and I will stop purchasing these two papers for the lack of local sports news.
I only bring up Welland as an example because as a neighbouring city and part of Niagara, we also should have lots of Ice Dogs news/info to help promote the team as much as possible to all Niagara residents, not to mention the Tribune serves all of South Niagara and is the main newspaper for Port Colborne also, so here is two citys that are lacking OHL news from a new team that is just a short drive up the 406, we all need to support this team to make it work in Niagara and they should be reported in all of Niagara's newspapers.
Smarten up Niagara!!
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Post by 2manystripes on Jun 30, 2007 18:49:50 GMT -5
Guys take it easy... St. Catharines team are the Falcons. The ICE DOGS are a regional team and there is enough exposure on the our OHL team.
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Post by blackhawkfan on Jun 30, 2007 19:51:06 GMT -5
Have you seen any of their staff in Welland, Niagara Falls, Fort Erie, Thorold or Port Colborne??? Did you see them at the Rose Festival last week? Their own staff were giving ten different stories when it came to Season Ticket packages!!! Until they get their own house in order, don't talk about them not getting support from anywhere else!!!!
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Post by back2back on Jun 30, 2007 21:36:28 GMT -5
Have you seen any of their staff in Welland, Niagara Falls, Fort Erie, Thorold or Port Colborne??? Did you see them at the Rose Festival last week? Their own staff were giving ten different stories when it came to Season Ticket packages!!! Until they get their own house in order, don't talk about them not getting support from anywhere else!!!! Sure the IceDogs may be struggling a little right now, but what team wouldn't be. Burke only got approval less than 4 weeks ago. In that time, they have opened an office, sold 500 or more season tickets, hired a staff, found some billets, had an autograph session at their store, etc. How difficult would it have been for the Standard to have covered the import draft. There was an article on this website about it. So this website is able to post an article but the Standard can't because the IceDogs are not as organized as they could be. Give me a break. The Standard has done a lousy job at covering new sports franchises. The Niagara Stars and the Niagara Gamblers barely had any coverage in the Standard. The Niagara Daredevils got some, but most of the time the writers just complained about the way the team was operated. Now I fear the IceDogs will either be ripped to shreds by the writers, or will be barely mentioned at all. |
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Post by ltb on Jun 30, 2007 23:00:48 GMT -5
Everyone brings up some very valid points, but the biggest difference in today's world as opposed to the world of the old Thunder and Blackhawks era. Is that we now have this sports medium ie.. internet to get our points across and fast to the media who write or don't write about our local teams. This is in our own hands if we want to fight for it, and to make a point to those who doubt this will work is what we need to be doing. If they cover the Falcons then they have to cover the Dogs.
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Post by excanucksfan on Jun 30, 2007 23:18:51 GMT -5
The Niagara Falls Review did a great job covering the proposed OHL team when Capital Sports made their proposal. The Review probably had articles every day for a week or so. I think the Review had more OHL articles in the 2 week period that the proposal was being debated by NF city hall, than the Standard has had in the last 3 months. But the Review really got behind the Niagara Falls OHL proposal while the Standard has not really done much to show their support for a St. Catharines OHL team. Schtick, I don't think the Review or Tribune will have their own reporters cover the IceDogs much. Instead, they will most likely copy the articles that the Standard writes. No articles in the Standard will mean no articles in the Review or Tribune. Niagara this Week however seems to be in full support of an OHL franchise here. In this article ( www.niagarathisweek.com/opinions/article/103167) they state that "our Niagara this Week team will certainly do everything in our power to make that franchise (the Icedogs) a winner." |
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Post by puckhound on Jul 4, 2007 12:27:00 GMT -5
It appears as if the assignment to cover the Icedogs at the Standard hasn't been established yet. Potrecz does the Falcons and Thorold Black Hawks and most other city sports reports. Thursdays are Thorolds night, so it would be tough for him to be at the OHL Thursday games. And yes as someone mentioned, since the Review and Tribune are also both Osprey papers, one reporter will do the games. Burke hired a Mississauga reporter. What role will he play? Some sorting out to do.
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Post by IcaDogArmy on Sept 1, 2007 13:19:41 GMT -5
they did a good job covering the icedogs this week, and sept 19 there will be a special icedogs section. does anyone know if the NF review and the welland tribune cover training camp.
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Post by fishfan51 on Sept 1, 2007 13:43:35 GMT -5
It seems like fans are giving the IceDogs more coverage then the newspapers. My friends just launched their fan site today check it out at www.niagaradoghouse.com I haven't seen much original material in the Review but being part of the Osprey network they just pass stories back and forth. There was an add for the preseason games yesterday though. |
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Post by coldpooch on Sept 1, 2007 19:28:37 GMT -5
they did a good job covering the icedogs this week, and sept 19 there will be a special icedogs section. does anyone know if the NF review and the welland tribune cover training camp. They had an article on one of the IceDogs/Sabres draft pick player, Drew Schiestel |
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Post by excanucksfan on Sept 1, 2007 21:21:03 GMT -5
The Review had an article in the paper each day since training camp began, usually the same article that was in the Standard. However the Standard had 2 or 3 articles each day. They really seem to be doing an excellent job now covering the IceDogs. Hopefully the Standard keeps it up. I would be nice to see the Review have all the Standard articles but they are not doing a bad job either.
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Post by hockeyobserver on Sept 13, 2007 20:23:51 GMT -5
standard has picked it up since training camp.. a number of stories each day
good to see the support..
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I will never buy this newspaper.