What's happening with Kings Insider?

[LadyKing17]

I'd be quite OK with a fact-driven Kings Insider. I don't care too much for rumors and speculation, I want a site that provides the facts as they go down. The trades. The Roster Moves. The injuries. The expected lines based on scrimmages. Some quick interviews.

All the rumors, speculation and "almost news" I can find elsewhere if I want to. I want a go-to site that reports facts. Like Hammond provided.

I agree with this. One of my favorite things about Hammond's site was that you could trust that everything he put out was 100% true. Rumors and speculation are fun, but you have to have a source that you can completely trust to confirm/deny those rumors. He was that source, and hopefully the next guy will be as well.

Someone else mentioned they think they're looking for an up and comer for this position... from what I understand, they aren't. But I wish. As a recently graduated English major and a long-time Kings fan, that job's basically my dream job, so I absolutely would have applied for it if I was qualified, but I checked out the job listing and they want someone credible who already has a following. That in part is what made Rich so successful right away... he had already built a community, they just moved it to another site and put their logo on it.

 

[The Slap Shop]

I missed this one....do tell.

Matt has a very strong New York personality, and when he says what he thinking about a player it's usually off the cuff and could be very demeaning to players. Doughty did not take well to Matt's criticism. Now it was also decided by Mike Altieri and Matt that it would be best for him to do this as a "fan" and not a media member.

 

[Quattro]

I'd be quite OK with a fact-driven Kings Insider. I don't care too much for rumors and speculation, I want a site that provides the facts as they go down. The trades. The Roster Moves. The injuries. The expected lines based on scrimmages. Some quick interviews.

All the rumors, speculation and "almost news" I can find elsewhere if I want to. I want a go-to site that reports facts. Like Hammond provided.

I agree with this. One of my favorite things about Hammond's site was that you could trust that everything he put out was 100% true. Rumors and speculation are fun, but you have to have a source that you can completely trust to confirm/deny those rumors. He was that source, and hopefully the next guy will be as well.

Agree 100%. I have no desire for Kings Insider to be just another blogger spewing the kind of dumb rumors we see on internet boards. Just the facts ma'am.

 

[Shellz]

Agree 100%. I have no desire for Kings Insider to be just another blogger spewing the kind of dumb rumors we see on internet boards. Just the facts ma'am.

I was just about to say something like this. I know Hammond would bring up a rumor... but only if he were 99% sure it was going to happen. I want to go there for interviews and facts. Rumors and what not can be exciting, but, I don't want to go there for that. That's what HFboards is for.

I don't know what it is with bloggers, they always want to be the first one to get a rumor correct. Even the Mayor does it, it's quite annoying. I do enjoy his interviews though. I think it would be best to keep doing what he's doing. If he did become part of the LA Kings, I'm sure he would knock that off.

 

[CNS]

I'm free any time.

"Stoll, do you even KNOW where the net is?!?!?!"

 

[Mazokngstc]

John does a really great job as an alternate point of view, but Gann's been effectively doing the Insider job for a while, even before Hammond left. I'd rather see him pick up that particular title, he's already 90% of the way there. That said, I'm expecting them to fill the blog with existing news feeds from staff, with the occasional featured article from the public faces, instead of having just one "Insider".

 

[DryIslandBartender]

I agree about Gann, he does journalism the right way. I think he would be the perfect replacement for Rich.

 

[123slam]

As long as Gann gets rid of the verbose article titles, cool with me. Maybe.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

It's official, the new Kings' beat writer is Dickie Dunn.

I tried to capture the spirit of the thing.

 

[KingsFirstCup]

Matt has a very strong New York personality, and when he says what he thinking about a player it's usually off the cuff and could be very demeaning to players. Doughty did not take well to Matt's criticism. Now it was also decided by Mike Altieri and Matt that it would be best for him to do this as a "fan" and not a media member.

Matt Barry is nothing more than an internet troll and does nothing for the Kings or hockey. He's just a bitter fan that whines when things go wrong, criticizes the entire organization and thinks he can do a better job, and tries to be funny but falls flat every time. He starts fights on the internet with anyone that disagrees with him and is racist towards anyone who is not American, especially Canadians. He lies about the press pass thing and says "Oh I gave my pass back willingly because I'd rather sit lower down in my season ticket seats anyway". If he goes anywhere near that page no one will read it because I'm sure the Kings will frown on anyone associated with the team acting like a 5 year old the way he does.

 

[JureEe]

need to bumb this.. is there any names maybe? when can we expect new insider?

 

[Captain Mittens*]

He starts fights on the internet with anyone that disagrees with him and is racist towards anyone who is not American, especially Canadians.

The Canadian media is racist. Everyone knows this

 

[johnjm22]

Deadspin actually did a whole article on Rich Hammond and why he quit. Apparently Rich was technically an employee of the NHL, and the league tried to censor one of his articles during the lockout. Deadspin implies that he quit in protest.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Deadspin actually did a whole article on Rich Hammond and why he quit. Apparently Rich was technically an employee of the NHL, and the league tried to censor one of his articles during the lockout. Deadspin implies that he quit in protest.

That would be his Q&A with Kevin Westgarth which was removed from the site.

 

[Inner Turbulence]

Deadspin actually did a whole article on Rich Hammond and why he quit. Apparently Rich was technically an employee of the NHL, and the league tried to censor one of his articles during the lockout. Deadspin implies that he quit in protest.

I remember this, there was a bit of talk about it at the time. I think it was a Penner interview after the lockout had commenced, or was it Westgarth. If memory serves the Kings backed up Hammond strongly, reportedly.

The current version of the Insider with feature articles every few days is not what I want from the Insider. I want the Insider to be about the team, games etc. Pretty much end of story. The update on the season opener was quickly drowned out by the Lieweke feature.

Not that the feature/background/history articles aren't interesting - they're just not what I am looking for there. There should be another vehicle for the feature articles, like the Kings official website.

 

[tigermask48]

I remember this, there was a bit of talk about it at the time. I think it was a Penner interview after the lockout had commenced, or was it Westgarth. If memory serves the Kings backed up Hammond strongly, reportedly.

The current version of the Insider with feature articles every few days is not what I want from the Insider. I want the Insider to be about the team, games etc. Pretty much end of story. The update on the season opener was quickly drowned out by the Lieweke feature.

Not that the feature/background/history articles aren't interesting - they're just not what I am looking for there. There should be another vehicle for the feature articles, like the Kings official website.

It was Westgarth and yes, the Kings backed him and attempted to keep the article up citing that while he was an employee of an NHL team his job was still that of a memeber of the media and that he should be allowed to remain in contact with players during the lockout. The NHL disagreed forced the blog to remove the interview and Hammond quit rather than become basically nothing but a mouthpiece being told what to say...

 

[Whiskeypete]

It was Westgarth and yes, the Kings backed him and attempted to keep the article up citing that while he was an employee of an NHL team his job was still that of a memeber of the media and that he should be allowed to remain in contact with players during the lockout. The NHL disagreed forced the blog to remove the interview and Hammond quit rather than become basically nothing but a mouthpiece being told what to say...

bingo......and this is why i would prefer to have Gann take this role. let J Hoven continue as the Mayor and not possibly be told what/when to write. both guys are terrific, but for whatever reason John seems to get answers and have a great rapport with the players. i would hate to see this change, because it would ultimately mean a change in the news we get

 

[lumbergh]

Some one turn this into a poll. I vote Gann.

 

[The Tikkanen]

I just hope they don't hire a hockey outsider-then we'll have to read stories about Brad Doty and Anze Kopidor. It will probably be a guy with a very nice college degree, looks very good on the wall and he will know nothing about hockey or the Kings and he'll get shredded. Nothing worse than suits pretending to care about the Kings.

 

[Ron*]

I just hope they don't hire a hockey outsider-then we'll have to read stories about Brad Doty and Anze Kopidor. It will probably be a guy with a very nice college degree, looks very good on the wall and he will know nothing about hockey or the Kings and he'll get shredded. Nothing worse than suits pretending to care about the Kings.

I think after all that Brad Doty and Anze Kopidor stuff this anchor should have known better.

But then...



Let's see...

or

Hard to imagine getting those two mixed up.

 

[The Tikkanen]

And that's being read off of a teleprompter.

 

[The Butcher]

I just hope they don't hire a hockey outsider-then we'll have to read stories about Brad Doty and Anze Kopidor. It will probably be a guy with a very nice college degree, looks very good on the wall and he will know nothing about hockey or the Kings and he'll get shredded. Nothing worse than suits pretending to care about the Kings.

It's become absolutely insufferable.

 

[The Tikkanen]

If we had a suit with a nice college degree he would be writing a story about how the Kings are moving to Seattle.

 

[CNS]

Can't we just bribe Hammond to come back? Give him a raise and a tab at an all you can eat buffet at his choice so he won't be a god damn twig anymore!

 

[topliner967]

Is he even allowed back? Hopefully they'll fill the spot soon, I do miss having the daily updates from someone who is constantly close to the team.