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*Ricer13* · 02-21-2023, 04:16 PM

I am human and ofcourse the negativity over time can get to me. I am very active on social media and love to read what the media is spreading about our time and myself. The best part is the comment sections where you can read through all the love and hate from the fans. I use Twitter more than any social media application because the fans are psychotic and I love it. When it comes to having bad games or going on a losing streak the criticism can be a lot to handle but it’s important to take a step back from social media to get your head right. I love the fans and respect their opinions but the sport of hockey can be so unpredictable. We work as hard as we can and get paid well for doing it. I’ll always try to prove the doubters wrong. At the end of the day it’s a balance between what’s going on in the now and what’s online and trying to manage that.

Valpix · 02-21-2023, 04:53 PM

Hockey Prompt

I do agree that hockey players are generally boring, but I don't just think it's a social media issue. There's very few NHLers that use social media, sure, but there's also very few that have shown even an iota of personality in interviews and such. Connor McDavid is the best player on the planet and on the ice he is truly electrifying. But I could not tell you anything about McDavid as a person, as a human being. Not even his interviews are particularly engaging. I think it's a big part of why Ovechkin was so endearing for years before the political ties came to light - it felt like he always had a smile on his face and some semblance of personality, especially after he won his 2018 Cup. Compare that to a Crosby, or a Toews, or a McDavid et cetera...And I do think it's a part of why hockey struggles to get out of niche territory in the US sports landscape. Sports tell a story and when the characters are so uninteresting it falls apart.

***yosh*** · 02-21-2023, 05:21 PM

Player Prompt:

Vaseline Podcalzone has faced his fair share of criticsm from the media and from internet fans. At this point, he has learned how to block out all of that unnecessary noise. He has a social media manager so that he doesn't really pay attention to the actual stuff going on. In terms of media reporters, Podz recognizes the fact that they are simply doing what their job is expected to be: reporting on the circumstances of the Seattle Argonauts, and the hockey that they play. If the team really does not perform well, and if a player does not perform well, then that is certainly room for criticism. However, there certainly is a line that has to be drawn. Namely, media reporters should not be reporting heavily on players and their personal lives. I mean, that's just unnecessary. Don't criticize a player for things off of the ice, it's as simple as that.

**RomanesEuntDomus** · 02-21-2023, 09:27 PM

The answer to this question depends a lot on the specific game we are talking about. Because let's face it, hockey seasons are so long these days and have so many games, that a sinular loss, even a blowout, hardly matters in the grand scheme of things and even the best teams can have them from time to time. It only becomes a problem when a trend is established where this sort of thing starts to happen with consistency. In this case, it would definitely eat away at me, losses and poor performances can definitely frustrate me even during times when otherwise everything is going all right. I don't think I would let this out on the journalists in either way because they are only doing their job and the few shitty wants who try to intentionally stir up drama don't deserve my attention anyway. But I would probably get loud in our next practice and or game to let my team know that this is unacceptable, while being somewhat grumpy at home in the meantime.

***boom*** · 02-21-2023, 11:16 PM

Sophie is active on social media, particularly when it comes to issues surrounding queer people, so she's been in a couple scrums related to things that she interacted with on her account. She does have a PR person who can help her with interacting with certain matters, but Sophie generally likes to be able to speak out on things when she feels it's the right thing to do. She'll be more muted about questions related to things on the ice, as she believes that as long as people aren't getting hurt and everyone's comfortable there's an expectation of privacy within the locker room that she tries to set. With this past season for the San Francisco Pride being a tough one with all the losses, Sophie knew she would have to take her letter seriously and so far she has done that. As she gets more experience in the SHL, she knows that every word will mean more to the media and she'll need to represent her team the best she knows how.

Wheels · 02-22-2023, 10:28 AM

Philip Fry was a rising star in professional hockey, known for his impeccable skills and outstanding performances on the ice. However, his success also attracted negative attention on social media, where he was frequently targeted by trolls and online bullies.

At first, Fry tried to ignore the negative comments and focus on his game. But as the online abuse intensified, he found it increasingly difficult to brush off the hurtful words.

One day, Fry decided to take action. He reached out to a mental health professional who helped him develop coping mechanisms for dealing with negative attention on social media. Fry also began using his platform to speak out against online bullying and encourage others to seek help if they were struggling.

As time went on, Fry found that the support from his fans and teammates far outweighed the negativity of online trolls. He continued to excel on the ice and used his voice to spread positivity and kindness online, becoming a role model for others in the hockey community.

(170 Words)

scudmuffin19 · 02-22-2023, 11:56 AM

PBE Affiliate

karlssens · 02-22-2023, 01:01 PM

Code:
Written Task:  How do you feel about hockey's social media culture? Specifically with regards to top players in the world. A common complaint is that the NHL does not have the star power of a league like the NBA, and that the players are much more boring. Do you think this ties in to social media, and the unwillingness many players to engage beyond the officially sanctioned opportunities? Is it unrelated? If so, how do you think the league should go about making their stars more marketable and exciting? Does it even matter? (150+ words)

Cool topic! I will admit I do enjoy how the top players in the NBA speak out when they're upset or angry or excited and by comparison NHL players are boring and keep their opinions pretty close to their chest, but over the last few seasons the NHL does appear to be trending in that direction little by little. Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby are speaking out more and more post game including their recent comment about playoff formats, and many players are posting their raw opinions on social media platforms more regularly. Ultimately I think the top end management of the league has gotten way past stale and needs a significant shake up. Bettman is ok and has done some great things for the league, but he is old and his style is dated. He non-answer delivery to every question has been adopted by everyone in the league and has become annoying and devoid of excitement. I think a younger and hungrier commissioner would elicit more rapid change. Slowly but surely we'll get there, but there's definitely things the league could do to expedite that improvement.

sulovilen · 02-22-2023, 01:49 PM

PLAYER PROMPT

Walton Stromberg is a chill guy and does not worry about fan or journalist opinions too much. He likes to read stuff, but does not let it ever get under his skin. If he notices something ridiculous being said about him on social media, he might reply, mut it will be something overly polite, yet uninspiring. Almost like a customer service reply from a big corporation, that makes you feel like it would have been better to just not reply anything. These replies are a known trademark of his, and his fans love these. He is the same way with reporters. If he feels that someone is trying to make him get a bit mad or to say something controversial, he will just take a deep breath and answer as politely and make sure the reporter is not getting the juicy quotes they were hoping for. But Stromberg isn't completely keeping from giving honest answers: he has a few trusted reporters, for whom he gives a couple of interviews every season.

CrazyMojito · 02-22-2023, 02:08 PM

Player Prompt

Upfront, my player absolutely has no time or patience for hack journalists. If the media or fans want to turn on Jack St. Clair for what they consider a poor performance then let them. St. Clair isn't the type to engage fans on social media or any other platform, and when the media questions his level of play he just shrugs the question off and gives them a generic response because that's all they deserve. However, on the inside the guy uses it as fuel to light his fire the next game and really turn up his game to another level. As captain he takes losses very personal and even though he knows he did his best, he still carries the weight of the loss on his shoulders. Sometimes its just not the teams night, no team wins every game and St Clair knows this. But he absolutely has to go out on the ice and crank it up another notch to prove everyone wrong.

DarkCanuck29 · 02-22-2023, 02:24 PM

Duncan Mackenzie knows not to play with the fools on social media. The frustration of having a bad game is handled through one thing: ANGRY GYM SESSIONS. DMack will work out like a maniac after a bad game. The endorphins from this fuel his anger and he comes out the next game as a beast. There is a reason his game rating is so consistently high as he reaches his prime years. He loves playing well and hates to lose. He hates it. But ultimately, it is all about what happens on the ice. When the local media asks him tough questions after a bad game, he will not shy away from being honest and owning his bad play. Some might find him blunt or awkward, but this has never bothered him. The only thing that matters is winning the cup for the great and wonderful people of Calgary and to parade it down the street in front of thousands of screaming fans.

Winnipeg Aurora Aurora

Z-Whiz · 02-22-2023, 02:32 PM

I definitely deal with the negativity a lot better than when I used to. In my younger days, it was always fistacuffs at the drop of a hat. You diss me, I'll make sure you don't do it again. It was fun and stopped a lot of the hate coming my way cuz I never lost the fight. It was also easier to get away with a little ground and pound because there was no social media. Nothing was recorded and it was all word of mouth. Now, I ignore the majority of the negativity. Somewhat because I want to be a role model, but mostly because it's all recorded and I don't want to get fined or end up in prison. Although, if I did get sent to prison, I would just fly out of there and never look back. I've got places all over the southern hemisphere that I could hide. They'd never find me.

FaraDian · 02-22-2023, 04:58 PM

hockey prompt

I think I only follow a single hockey player social media account (on twitter) though I follow the teams I support. I'm not big into social media in general, so that particular lack of presence by NHL players doesn't bother me. Hockey is always going to struggle to be a personality driven sport, regardless of social media. Just wearing helmets makes them stand out less during a game (though goalies get the opportunity to show personality with theirs, of course).

Also, an individual hockey player is just less impactful on a team's success. The NHL can and should do more to promote faces of the game, but McDavid, Eichel, Zegras, and whoever simply don't impact quite like LeBron, Curry, etc. Star NBA players can literally be on the floor for an entire game, but barely anyone except goalies plays even a full third of a hockey game. And in football and baseball, you tend to get "fame" for the star positions (quarterback, receiver, running back, pitcher, designated hitter) but the more role players don't break through as often. So I guess I'm a little surprised that more goalies haven't become well known?

But, ultimately, a lot of famous athletes have questionable personalities and we know hockey players are no exception. So the players I do enjoy are ones like Justin Abdelkader who started a reading program for kids and Zach Hyman who actually writes children's books.

steveoiscool · 02-22-2023, 05:32 PM

After a real stinker of a game, it's no surprise that the media is looking for a scapegoat, something or someone to blame. Part of being the best Sven is stepping up in these situations, and he's more than happy to take all the bad press. He always tell his fans "if you can't be first best, be first worst". After all, everyone knows that the first step to being sort of good at something is sucking at it. Over the course of a 66 game season it's natural to lay some eggs here and there, but Sven takes all the bad press so his teammates can focus on moving on to the next one. It will be quite evident as the times that Manhattan has lost back to back games has been very few and far between this season. Besides, we all know that the regular season doesn't matter...the playoffs is when the Rage come alive.

***JKortesi81*** · 02-22-2023, 05:59 PM

ISFL PT

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