Thanks, everyone
Yes, the rumors are true... I'm leaving the Kings beat to try out for a spot on the roster as a goalie. I figure if they paid Roman Cechmanek a couple million, I might be worth $500,000 or so. I need to improve my rebound control.
Actually, I have gone corporate. For those of you who have to deal with early-morning alarm clocks and idiots on the freeway, I now completely sympathize. For those of you who ARE the idiots on the freeway, please don't take it personally when I curse loudly in the direction of your car.
As Matt said, I'm now deputy sports editor of the Daily News. And while that sounds a bit too Barney Fife-like for my tastes, it's actually an honor, one that I was humbled to accept. It was something that was neither planned nor expected, and it's a great opportunity, a chance to have a bigger impact on the Daily News ``organ-eye-zation.'' In myself and sports editor Gene Warnick, you have two big proponents of hockey at the Daily News. In fact, one of my first acts on the job was to ask Matt to write a Kings feature for the front page next week.
I won't be leaving completely. My new job title comes with the mandate to improve online content, and the Kings blog is certainly a major part of that. My challenge is now not to cover the team on a day-to-day basis but to bring better content in all areas. Hopefully, with luck and cooperation, that will mean more things like Q&As, videos and more interactive things. I'll be working on that, and everyone is encouraged to e-mail me with thoughts and suggestions.
But it's time to officially hand over the blog to Matt. I will miss covering the Kings greatly. I've covered everything, and there's nothing better than hockey. Matt will do a fine job with the blog. I know you have high standards, and you should. But Matt is well ahead of where I was this time last year, and he has a couple company-enforced disadvantages that I didn't have to deal with. Even so, I have every confidence that Matt will continue to give you the best Kings coverage of any reporter in the area. Those of you who were here for the humble beginnings of this blog remember how awful it once was. Ask Gann Matsuda, for instance. It was rarely updated and not very useful. It found its stride, and it was the encouragement of all you readers that made me want to do more and more. I ask you to continue giving Matt that same encouragement.
I just looked it up. I had my first Kings story published on April 17, 2000. The headline: ``Fiset will remain as starter.'' Well, the more things change... Those (almost) eight years went by really fast and forgive me for the sappy nostalgia but I feel like I need to thank some people. Communications managers Michael Altieri and Jeff Moeller have fielded more calls from me than they probably want to remember. They've always been highly professional and, more importantly, good friends and good people. Same goes for Mike Kalinowski, Stephanie Krauss, Lee Callans and Jeremy Zager, who have provided invaluable help at different times over the years. Thanks to Dean Lombardi, Dave Taylor, Marc Crawford and Andy Murray, and all of their staffs, for always being so accessible and helpful...to Bob Miller, Jim Fox, Nick Nickson, Daryl Evans and Bob Borgen for all the great conversation and insight...to Luc Robitaille, who always returns calls and always has something fun and interesting to say...to the players, all of them, for being so easy to deal with. They're far and away the most down-to-earth pro athletes in the world...to the behind-the-scenes staff, guys like Pete Demers, Peter Millar, Bill Gurney and Dana Bryson, just to name four of many, have made coming to the rink fun. I'm sure I forgot some people. it's early.
Most importantly, thanks to you, the readers. In the office, our online people still reference ``The Jack Johnson Day,'' the day Johnson signed, I blogged about it extensively and thousands of you read it. Since then, it's been a wild ride. Your support has been astounding and I'll never be able to thank you enough. I'll be around. In fact, I'll be at Thursday's game, so yell up to the press box if you happen to see me. But this is enough babbling for now. I'll let Matt get back to talking about important things...
Way to go Rich. I still consider it a loss for us fans, though a great gain for you. You've been the best Kings reported I've known in the L.A. market. Hopefully you prove our sorrows wrong and bring the Daily News' hockey coverage up to a respectable level that even Toronto would want to emulate. Maybe that's shooting a little too high.
I'll continue to read this blog from the State of Hockey up here in the frozen north. I'm sure Matt will do a fine job, especially with us fans and you breathing down his neck.
My question to you is this: how can the fans best support you in your new role? I'm sure your bosses will be looking for some tangible evidence that giving hockey greater prominence in your paper makes good 'cents.' Are they looking for more subscriptions, more online clicks, or what?
Best of luck to you in your new position.
- Minnesota's Biggest Kings Fan (Catcherman)
Best of luck with the new job Rich.
You should be commended for bringing Kings hockey talk to the web.
Your hard work did not go unnoticed.
Congratulations Rich! Thank you for your hard work and good luck in the future.
Rich, thanks very much for all your efforts on behalf of Kings fans. Your blog has always been informative, insightful and, above all, friendly. Matt is good and I will continue to visit and be grateful for the coverage. Now if only....
Best of luck in the future.
Congrats Rich. In the last few months, I've become a daily reader of the blog. I've found reading the blog much more memorable than reading either of the local paper's hockey coverage.
congrats Rich. Just wondering, will you still be covering the Kings for the Hockey News, or will Matt be doing that too. Thanks again
Congrats, Rich! You're leaving some big shoes to fill, but I have full confidence in Matt to rise to the occasion as well.
Bravo and congratulations Rich!! Keep up the great work in your new endeavors!
Here's hoping that you're still around to see the Kings hoist the Stanley Cup during your working career. We're starting to give the NY Rangers a run on their 54 years of futility (1940-1994). AEG needs to sell the franchise for that to happen.
Sorry to spoil all this well deserved sentiment, but since you have now "gone corporate" I'll direct my question to you. Are you going to push the other "Suits" to send Matt out on the road to cover the Kings? It will no longer be "terriblly frustrating" to you, as you once said, but it still is to us!
Congrats Rich. I've always enjoyed the Daily News sports section and now it gets even better!
Clearly they made a wise choice and it's only a matter of time before you get a run of the place!
Congratulations Rich on the amzaing job you did here and the very well-earned promotion. Likewise, thanks for all of your great work Matt for filling in so capably for the job Rich has done. This blog provides access to the coaches and managers at a level that you just don't see in professional sports. I hope Matt will continue to provide periodic interviews with Crawford and, especially, Lombardi. It helps fans to be more supportive of the rebuilding process when we hear their rationale (without giving away too much of course!) for the moves they do and don't make as well as the direction they see the team going.
Congratulations Rich! Best of luck in your new role. Thank you for your year's of service, and helping to keep hockey as a prime time sport in LA!
Best of luck, this website has become my new cnn.com (or gizmodo.com), i check it religiously like 5 times a day and for a kid who hasn't lived in Cali for about 8 years since college, it gives me a little home away from home... even if that home includes Anthony's occassional bouts with temporary insanity.
Keep the dream alive Matt!
Sincerely one of two Kings fans in NY, and the only diehard Indian hockey fan since that weird crook who bought Islanders for a while a coupla year ago,
- Shakes
Congrats, Rich. You are leaving big shoes to fill and, so far, Matt has done a commendable job.
Looking forward to hearing more from Matt as the trade deadline approaches.
Congratulations, Rich. We'll miss you here but it's great news about your promotion. Good luck!
Congrats man!!!
Congratulations Rich !
Thank you so much for all your hard work and excellent reporting while also being open to our comments and being right there with us. Like Ryan said you've left some big shoes for matt to try and fill, no offense to him but you've done the best job covering this team I've ever seen in my entire life.
So good luck and do your best to increase the hockey coverage like sending matt out on the road to cover the team, Ill start checking this thing like 100 times a day or as many as I can if it will help.
Adding my congrats to you Rich. Can't say anymore than the others have already said. Matt is doing a great job since you left and we'll all continue to read this wonderful blog for our best Kings info.
As you improve the overall sports coverage in the paper, let everyone know your foundation came from covering hockey and the Kings and interacting with the teams many, many very dedicated and knowledgeable fans. I believe a good sports page (print and online) really helps to attract and keep new fans. Maybe this kind of exposure and connection will help people not interested in the Kings or hockey appreciate what a fun and interesting team and sport it is to follow.
Thanks Rich, you will be missed.
i discovered this blog in the chaos of free agency, and i couldn't find anywhere else with kings news that was more up to date and of better quality. thanks for all the hard work rich, and thanks for making this blog what it is. and thank you for making an effort to increase hockey coverage! the rest of our state has NO idea what they're missing.
oh, and when we win a stanley cup, i expect to read the daily news the next day and have it be LOADED with coverage.
thanks for everything, good luck to you, and good luck to matt as he takes the wheel.
I typed something kinda mean spirited and then realized I wouldn't be serving anyone anything by doing so, so I will just say publicly that you are obviously quite the diplomat, and I am impressed with your ability to come to this point with your social skills in tact (grin.)
I do know you to be a fine journalist, and a gentleman. I know you'll do a great job as you rise through the ranks there. As for the freeway... carry a bat!
Thanks for putting up with me Rich.
You are truly fair and balanced.
Thanks again to everyone for the kind words...
Catcherman: Yes, the best way to improve things is by online clicks, both on the blog and on the game/practice stories that Matt writes. Of course, subscribing to the paper helps too, but most of you probably aren't in our coverage area. Those who are...please?
Ryan Oliver...I will still be doing Hockey News stuff, at least for the rest of this season. In fact, I'm writing their lead item this week for the trade-deadline coverage.
Army...not having a Kings writer on the road is STILL terribly frustrating to me. Unfortunately, it's a budget decision. It's something I will continue to push for, the best that I can.
Marc...thanks for the support, as always.
Congrats and thank you Rich for everything you have done for us! You and Matt have both made this my #1 source for behind the scene information all season long.
Thanks Rich for all your hard work. good luck at your new position!
To quote one of our all-time greatest comedians...
Thanks for the memories...
Thanks Rich, for all your hard work. And congratulations on the promotion. You've left us in great hands with Matt. We may be "bottom-dwellers" in the standings, but our internet and blog coverage is up there with the best. Best of luck...
Rich,
No one can duplicate the way you communicate with such ease. It's funny. Blogs are meant to be an easy form of communication because all that's needed is single-personal dialogue (if that makes sense) and you did it so well. I would constantly find myself cracking up with your jokes. I hope to see you around occasionally as we'll all miss pointing you out at Kings practices or at training camp. Thanks for the love. And when this team really comes into form, I hope you help push them into the forefront of the paper, something that "other paper" would never do. Much respect, Rich. You deserve what you've earned.
While we certainly congratulate you for your promotion, let me be the first to cry...
SELL OUT... ;-P
Rich,
Although I've only been here a year, I check the blog multiple times a day, and look forward to the great information/commets that are posted.
Matt will do a great job. Best of luck in your new adventure.
Thank you very much Rich for all you have done for sports press, hockey, and especially, Kings hockey. All the best in your promotion.
Hey Rich,
I'll never forget those dog days of summer being soothed by your Kings reports on free agency and the draft, let's hope Matt continues with the excellent coverage and you are guaranteed tons of hits on this website.
Don't forget about us from the ivory tower and comment on the blog every once in a while.
Cheers
As many have stated already, congrats!!! love the blog, its my 1st site i go to every morning. Good luck!
this should have happened long ago along with the removal of Lombardi, Blake, Modry, Crawford, Kobe, the ball boys, the fans, all waiters in the upper section, Dave Lewis's mo, Foxy's checkered jacket, Miller, N.Nickson, Willsie & Grady Little. There we go, I feel better now.
Thnx for the mamaries Rich.
Congratulations Rich, I am sure Matt will do well, but there is only one Rich. What about your weekly Hockey News Team Feature, I hope you will still be doing that.
Gene
Congrats on the promotion Rich! I was turned on to this blog last year, and now I check it everyday. The coverage is outstanding!!!
FYI, I'd do the same if there was a blog related to the local horse racing scene as well!
Jim
The best way for the Daily News to get a road reporter is - to get one. The info and the access will propell the DN sports page way beyond the LA Times (a paper so leftist that I no longer read anyway). This blog ranks with the best of anything sports realated on the web for its content and relevancy. I'm on it at least 4 times a day (when the Kings are in town) even though I rarely comment. Getting more Kings coverage will only help the paper.
Thanks for everything Rich. Good luck in your new position. It must be nice to have so many friends that are pulling for you (even though you don't know us personally).
The best way for the Daily News to get a road reporter is - to get one. The info and the access will propell the DN sports page way beyond the LA Times (a paper so leftist that I no longer read anyway). This blog ranks with the best of anything sports realated on the web for its content and relevancy. I'm on it at least 4 times a day (when the Kings are in town) even though I rarely comment. Getting more Kings coverage will only help the paper.
Thanks for everything Rich. Good luck in your new position. It must be nice to have so many friends that are pulling for you (even though you don't know us personally).
Best of luck, Rich. You've been an oasis of actual quality Kings reporting in a sea of hockey-less and knowledge-less LA sports coverage (Fred Roggin repeatedly asking Rob Niedermayer about moving west to play with Scott mere minutes after winning the Cup is a classic...). It'll be good to have a hockey guy higher up in the ranks, and the blog seems to be in good hands with Matthew- congrats to you, too; Rich will be a tough act to follow. Good on for both of you.
Congrats Rich! I work across the street from the Daily News. Bet you just loved that traffic on the 101 this morning eh? Idiot drivers.
Congrats and thanks for all the great content over the years...
Congrats and thanks for all the great content over the years...
Congratulations from Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
I have enjoyed reading your Kings articles over the years and will miss you.
Not only does Luc Robitaille return calls, I couldn't believe it when I emailed you a question and you actually answered. That doesn't happen all of the time at other newspapers.
Good Luck!
Thanks.... as a lifelong fan, discovering this blog last summer has been a lifeline. It was nice to know that SOME local news (print or broadcast) realized we have a pro hockey team here in LA.
Good luck, Matt, you have big shoes to follow.