FIRE ZOOM INTO THE SUN
It would be extremely difficult to try and “cover” the Olympics from half a world away, especially if organizers stick to their currently plans and don’t host Zoom calls for media not in attendance at the venues in Beijing.
To be honest, I have zero problem with that.
Zoom can be fired into the sun, from my perspective. It simply isn’t a positive forum at all for developing unique, compelling stories and building the kind of relationships that are so valuable on any beat, including sports.
A necessary evil? Yes. And we’re back to using it again, albeit temporarily, with the Jets and most other NHL teams right now due to COVID outbreaks.
But between one or two question limits, an inability to properly follow up, no real back and forth with your subject matter, poor Internet connections, an absurd amount of background noise and all kinds of other petty little things, it offers nothing more than some degree of convenience in the spirit of limiting close contact.
And I can’t wait to see it disappear.
Most importantly, it would be a sign we’re making progress in this seemingly never-ending pandemic. Every day we have to fire up the laptop to do an interview is another vivid reminder of the sorry state of the world. I look forward to finally leaving that behind, for good.
From a purely selfish journalistic perspective, Zoom unfortunately feeds into the pack mentality that we all hate and try to avoid.
Let’s say I have a specific angle I want to ask a player about for a story I’m working on. The only way to do it right now is in full earshot of absolutely everyone else on the call, who not only hears my question, but the answer provided. Which they are free to use, of course. (The soundbites often appearing on social media within seconds.)
In a non-Zoom world, this would be where you get the player one-on-one to the side, not only to build whatever you have in mind, but also connect on a personal basis that simply gets lost through a computer screen.
This is why there is still tremendous value in covering the Jets on the road, which we at the Free Press continue to do. On their last road trip through Vegas, Phoenix and Denver, I got Jets coach Dave Lowry for a one-on-one, and Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon for a great solo chat as well.
Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele, left, and center Paul Stastny (25) celebrate after Stastny scored a goal against the Vegas Golden Knights during the third period Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt / The Associated Press)
It led to a pair of quality reads you wouldn’t find anywhere else. As a columnist, I have the added flexibility of opining on anything and everything that crosses my path, whether it’s at a morning skate, a practice, the game itself or simply getting from Point A to Point B.
(And faithful readers of this newsletter can attest to that last point, what with all the talk of robots and Uber drivers and bizarre airplane scenes that filled your email inbox a week ago.)
I’m back on the road next week, flying out to Washington on Monday — my 47th birthday! — as the Jets begin a four-game road trip. Or, more accurately, continue an eight-game road trip that began Jan. 2 in Sin City.
I’ll also make stops in Nashville (where I’ll file this newsletter from next Thursday), Boston and Pittsburgh. Four terrific U.S. cities, and four really strong hockey teams. And, no doubt, plenty more interesting stories to share with you.
No, it’s not Beijing, But it’s a lot closer to home, and a pretty solid Plan B from my perspective.
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