HOLD THE PHONE: YOU'RE TRADED
Robin Brownlee
February 16 2012 10:04AM
Not so long ago, players around the NHL used to keep one eye on the phone as the trade deadline approached. They still do, but players in for a change of address are just as likely to find out about it by way of social media as they are in a phone call from the boss.
If Ales Hemsky is traded by the Edmonton Oilers between now and the deadline Feb. 27, will he find out from Steve Tambellini or is he as likely to get the news via Twitter in 140 characters or less from somebody like Darren Dreger, Bob McKenzie or Nick Kypreos? Maybe @FakeOilersGM?
General managers have to be increasingly quick on the draw to get the word out before somebody with an inside source Tweets the news. Chances are, by the time a player gets a tap on the shoulder, "Tamby wants to see you," he knows what the conversation is going to be about.
In 2012, Twitter is the information gateway of choice. Players, agents, scouts, general managers and reporters who aren't connected to the network don't stand a chance of staying ahead of the game.
"U are going 2 CBus. LOL."
FIRST IS FOREMOST
For example, when Mike Cammalleri was traded by the Montreal Canadiens to the Calgary Flames for Rene Bourque, the deal was all over Twitter long before there was any official word of the transaction.
At times in years past, players have found out they were traded by way of television or radio reports generated by plugged-in reporters or sources, but it's reached a whole new level. While many of the same people are breaking the news, they're thumb-typing like crazy and doing it in seconds rather than minutes or hours.
"There's so many people on Twitter," said Ryan Whitney, who goes by @ryanwhitney6 on Twitter. "Look at the Cammalleri trade. That was Twitter and that was the middle of the season. On the deadline, it's going to be Twitter for sure.
"Even guys who don't tweet, they all have Twitter on their phone. Every guy in this room who doesn't actually tweet, they still have Twitter and they're following McKenzie and all those guys. You just update your phone and, 'Oh, I've been traded.' I hope I never find out like that."
Whitney, traded by Pittsburgh to Anaheim and by the Ducks to the Oilers, got the news the old-fashioned way -- phone calls from GMs -- and is unlikely to "find out like that" in the next 12 days, but there will be a lot of sets of eyes in the Oilers dressing room on Twitter between now and then.
If you're a fan looking to stay in the know between now and the deadline, here's some of the hockey people (their number of followers as of 9:30 a.m. today are listed) you should be keeping tabs on:
Bob McKenzie of TSN (294,011) @TSNBobMcKenzie
Darren Dreger of TSN (229,240) @DarrenDreger
Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet (78,310) @RealKyper
Pierre LeBrun of ESPN ((106,160) @Real_ ESPNLeBrun
Jim Matheson of Edmonton Journal (11,068) @NHLbyMatty
Listen to Robin Brownlee Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the Jason Gregor Show on TEAM 1260.
I might have more followers, but I didn't sign up until a few months ago and I've since blocked 335,991 people who made fun of my glasses and haircut.
What? No Eklund? ;)
@Robin Brownlee
Saw a great poster the other day and I thought, I wonder if Brownlee has one like that. It said: Some people deserve a high five. In the face. With a brick.
@Nail Yakupov
Will you report to Edmonton if drafted by the Oilers?
Yeah, I must be a luddite because I have no interest in joining Twitter. I also don't have a cell phone that I carry everywhere, so perhaps I should look into that before excluding the former.
I still like to get my trade information the olf-fashioned way: the interwebs.
@Archaeologuy
Terry Jones blocked me after I made a negative comment about his take on trading for Ryan Smyth. Then he sent me a direct message saying that he was blocking me. It was a brush with a Hall of Famer that I'll never forget. *never forgets*
Good point.
I'm at @Robin_Brownlee
Pretty imaginative handle, eh? I'm a cutting edge guy.
i might have to check into this twitter thing,the price of stamps is getting ridicules.
I did it, too. And at the WORST possible time.
Our peewee rep team from Coquitlam, B.C. got picked to play in a mini-game of 20 minutes as part of show at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver in 1969 or 70.
It was an annual two-hour fun deal -- might have been hosted by the local Shriners, if I recall correctly -- that featured a broomball game (remember that?) between local sports figures and celebrities etc and other stuff. Every minor hockey team in the Lower Mainland would try to get into it. We did.
Huge thrill. Big game. I'm 11 or 12 and there was 15,000 people in the seats. I come roaring through the gate for the game. Skateguards on. EPIC FAIL.
being kyle chase happened to kyle chase
You must be first.
You know who's a great read on twitter who I didnt expect? @sunterryjones
I honestly didnt see me liking his twitter account, but he's a funny guy. I doubt I'll get any breaking info, but still very humourous.
Also, that @Archaeologuy character is one excellent source for inappropriate humour and general nonsense
Tried it for a couple weeks but unless you're in the recent imformation business it's muchado bout nuthin really, just one more way to waste a couple hours a day. Facebook for media types.
As much fun as Twitter can be, I cannot stand when these guys jump the gun and announce unconfirmed trades like the Heatley trade. It can cause damage to players and ultimately the organization when they get it wrong. I know it is not intentional but there is such a rush to scoop the next guy that accountability can come second.
@yegCopywriter
Ouch. I dont follow Dan Tencer because I *KNOW* it will end in exactly the same way.
We can just avoid awkwardly passing each other in the hallway near Ms Kahanyshyn's English class pretending like everything is cool this way.*
*It's still awkward
Robin, just curious if you have any insight as to what might have happened to Kyle Chase in the mornings?
Hey Brownlee perfect chance to self plug your own twitter handle here.
What the hell Barker. In a game as exciting to watch as the one last night, it was just painful everytime he got the puck on his stick. The what the hell were the refs up to last night. They are supposed to ref an entire game not just the last 7 mins. If your not going to call stuff at the beginning of the game then don't call it at the end either.
yeah, what happened to Chase? He was a great fit with Dustin. i go on holidays for a couple of weeks and come back and poof he is gone.
At times, Barker looked like the kid who'd dashed onto the ice during a class skating trip without remembering to take off his skate guards.
Kyle Chase? I hope he lands on his feet...a shame that he met his end...you'd never quit a gig like that ...wouldya?
Does anybody know where a guy can get text alerts for the deadline, sportsnet used to do them but can't find a link on their website and tsn just has 1 for iphones not Androids.
I don't like Twitter myself
i thought twitter was a great way for me to be the smart and in touch one of my group of friends. i could break the trades to them before they found out the old ways. turns out i was wrong i am neither smarter or more in touch. i just happen to own an iphone. so do alot of people apparently.
twitter is a great tool for the news and sports. for us ADD types that is.
If it's called Twitter, and the posts are called Tweets, does that mean that those who use it are called Twits?
@Robin Brownlee
That happened to both my brothers on their first days of organized hockey practice. Embarrassing.
@RexLibris
I remember Mike Brophy explaining on Sportsnet that Twitterers were twits once. While presumably he still dislikes the medium, it's part of the job at this point: @sportsnetbroph has 15,000-odd followers.
Most Oilers Nation writers have Twitter, btw.
@Robin_Brownlee
@JasonGregor
@Lowetide_
@WanyeGretz
@JonathanWillis
Actually his son@realshanejones is pretty witty
Yes excellent time waster
Honestly the guys that have something simple are the best.
Nothing from Bob Stauffer on Twitter about this (EDIT: Now I'm seeing he has posted something) but he's strongly suggesting the Oilers will make a move for an AHL-level defenseman in the next couple of days. He said so about 1:30 today on Oilers Now.
I'd wager that's going to be Tambellini's first move leading into the deadline. Just sayin' . . .
Dan Tencer blocked me because I asked him if he was a type of guy who gets excited by soft porn... It was an assumption I know many of us have asked ourselves.
Didn't they already do that with the Potter signing? ;)
Brownlee,
How do trades make it to twitter (or pick your medium) before a player can be called by the team to tell him he's been traded? GM, assistant GM, whatever confirms the trade on the phone....someone in one of those rooms then must leak the trade pretty quick, n'est-ce pas? You would think the player gets the call immediately before any reporters etc. (respect thing) ??
o'marra to the ducks for bryan rodney. rodney was an ahl all-star in 2010 and 2011
Omarra has been traded to the ducks for Bryan Rodney.
Just curious...
What's an Bryan Rodney?
Bye O'Marra, last of the Ryan Smyth Trade!
Sure would be nice if they could make a trade for an NHL defenseman.
Well I`ve always thought the Twitter thing was dumn, but since your on Brownlee, your one guy I`d read. So when I sign up later today you`ll be my first, Bob Mckenzie my second, and the third is toss up between Gregor and Ecklund.
Keep up the No BS straight talk writing gig. You really should get some TSN or Sportnet love. I`ve wondered why those guys don`t get you on. People like no BS straight talk...
@Robin Brownlee
Do you think getting a defenseman means a defenseman is heading out? I know he will play AHL but might he be a guy they might use as a call up
Are you forgetting about Alex Plante?
Used Rugs,
said...What's an Bryan Rodney?
I think he was a kick ass offensive junior defencemen. Did he play on the Memorial Cup team with Sugar Tits, and Perry.
Kinda liked O`Marra, we should of played him on the third or fourth line instead of Belanger. He can win faceoffs, kill penalties and hes got a physical dimension Belanger lacks. Anyways, was there an injury in OKC, or is this a move to get room for another player down OKC. I thought that there was alot of defencemen down there.
On a separate note, I wish we could watch the OKC playoffs at Rexall, thats a special team down there.
Kyle Chase is gone. I use to despise him, but he was growing on me. Fraser kinda was providing the glue to that group, and I thought Neilson and Chase was bla, but three in the morning was very good. Wish Kyle well. You won some of us over the last while, hope you land somewhere.
Will Alex Plante ever be a NHL player? Not counting on it.
Kyle Chase fired? or left?
Good News if that is the case. Talk about annoying radio personality... or lack there of. LOL
If we were Flames fans we'd be talking about how the Rodney trade was setting things up for something larger.
Seriously, that is the one single recurring theme of every small Flames trade I have read about since 2008.
Maybe we flip Rodney to Buffalo for Taro Tsujimoto. I hear he's NHL ready and could be a good replacement for Barker.
Alex Plante wants to forget about Alex Plante, so you should really forgive everybody else for doing the same.
Is Plante any worse then Barker. Heck even with as bad a he skates he still faster then Barker.
Kind of a bummer to hear that Chase is gone; he was growing on me too. Listen to them every a.m. when I walk the dog and drive to work. Chase was a bit bombastic and "hockey-parent" for me, but like I say, he was growing on me. One thing I did notice though, he couldn't keep up an argument with Neilson - seems like he got destroyed every time without any real ability to come back with a legitimate point of his own.
Hope the departure was his choice and for positive reasons.
As an aside - I recognize I'm not perfect, but take a quick proof-read of your posts, folks. There is a difference between your, you're and yore.
Why do you think Twitter is dumb?
I'm curious because I'm giving a talk to the Manitoba Association of Insurance Professionals that's decidedly pro-Twitter, and your opinion might be relevant.