Among many things I really like about our blogger colleague Rob Yunich’s site, Storming the Crease, is that Rob takes an active interest in engaging hockey’s local storytellers, finding out from them what animates their interest in hockey. This preseason Rob has conceived a fun and thoughtful exercise by which his Caps’ blogger brethren could contribute guest-filings for his site: We are taking turns reflecting on why it is we blog about hockey in Washington. Rob asked me to contribute and I was more than happy to.
It’s an interesting time in hockey media to reflect a bit on the matter. Earlier this summer we learned that the New York Rangers and Edmonton Oilers led a bit of an uprising against welcoming new media (i.e. bloggers) into their coverage circles. Ted Leonsis, as you might imagine, is having none of that.
This will be my fourth season blogging about hockey here with robust support from the Capitals. I only wish I had started sooner. In my contribution for Rob, Inside the Blogosphere: On Frozen Blog, I write:
“I wish I could report to you that it’s wildly exciting being in the Caps’ locker room after games night after night, up close even to the world’s greatest hockey player. At first it was. I’m certainly appreciative of the access I’m granted, and I never take it for granted . . .
“But what excites me the most about being in our Chinatown rink on winter nights is being seated next to my fellow bloggers, every one of of whom “gets it” the way you and I do. We aren’t there “on assignment,” out of any professional obligation. We surrender our evenings and weekends to pursue our shared passion-hobby, and keeping their company I have forged friendships that will last a lifetime.”
On Frozen Blog 
All well and fine, but let’s never forget that those people who are there ‘on assignment’ are also there because they have to put food on their families’ tables.
Angela, that wasn’t meant as an insult to the pros — just to point out that ours is purely a labor of love, as we don’t earn a penny from OFB. Our food has to come from our day jobs. 🙂