� Frosinn Blog

�essi var the tilfinning tj� vi� einn af okkar lesendah�pur snemma s��astur kv�ld, og �a� vir�ast til okkur til handtaka Fimmtudagur’ villtur fer�ast � og samf�lag- gagntakandi s�lutilfinning fremur fullkomlega og d�samlegur.

Annar vegur af characterizing the sameiginlegur vi�brag� hluti me� okkur: �beisla�ur, algj�r gle�i. Fimmtudagur’ fr�ttir fyrir Paprika’ fans var, �a� vir�ast til okkur, svo mikill fleiri en st��uvatn or� gu�s the �shokk� Allur Stjarna me� tilv�sun til- hrokafullur.

Vi� � HockeyWashington hafa a sanngjarn hluti af t�mi this �shokk� �rst�� varanlegur �sk�r frambur�ur og hir�a ekki um fr� fr�ttask�randi � st�r, fleiri fastur, og fleiri virtur marka�ur, hver fed � Alexander Ovechkins’ loftspeglun takmarka�ur frj�ls umbo�sskrifstofa eins og ��kve�inn greinir � ensku tilefni til gera l�ti� �r okkar b�r a� n�ju. Heilbrig�ur au�vita� hed’ vilja til elding D.C. � fyrstur t�kif�ri, �eir undirskilinn. Hann ver�skulda til vera � a alvarlegur �shokk� marka�ur! Did st�r- nafn fr�ttask�randi segja this af Joe �yrnir hven�r hann var flutningami�lari til San Jose? Engu a� s��ur, the H�fu�borg’ eigandi � g�r eftirmynd til the �sk�r frambur�ur, me�n�u- tala emphases) “n�ll j�? Fara � undan ) og semja me� okkar stjarna. . . � 2021.”

Fimmtudagur’ villtur fer�ast � raunverulega began fyrir okkur sumir m�nu�ur fyrir, hven�r SovetskySports’ Dmitry Chesnokov fyrstur �lfaldi til okkur me� s�rstakur snerta til samningager� � milli Ovechkin og the Paprika. Chesnokov, a l�gfr��ingur a� degi til, hefur fyrir sumir t�mi �ekktur the Ovechkin fj�lskylda. ��ru hvoru hann vildi segja fr� � tr�na�i mig ��ur � the samningager�, en � neitun benda did OFB alltaf �huga �tg�fa allir af �a�. Vi� r�ttl�tur var�lfur’ �hugasamur � ann�ll the gefa og taka vi� samningur samningager�. Hva�a’ nafnor� og afkastamikill ��ur � �essi? �G did segja Dmitry �essi Pers�nuskilr�ki’ vera �hugasamur � hans innanf�lagsma�ur’ reikningur ef hlutur heitur upp og hann had, segja,��kve�inn greinir � ensku yfirvofandi samningur til r��a.

Hver koma me� okkur til this fort�� Mi�vikudagur n�tt � Regin- Sent. �G var there, � minn venjulegur s�ti, minn laptop m�ttur upp. OFB lesendah�pur awoke Fimmtudagur morgunn g��an daginn til minn skr� � Fjara �t Skuldabr�f, en neitun efni snerta til a fr�b�r leikur � milli the Paprika og Colorado. �essi’ �v�, ��kk s� Dmitry, �G saga d�rm�tur l�till af �a�. Seint � t�mabil einn hann koma � �r�sta r��ur, � bak vi� mig, og byrja hva�a �G �� horfa � eins og fur�ulegur — og h�v�r — angra.

Hans augs�n var�lfur brei�ur, hans vopn var�lfur waving st�rlega � hvert skipti �G rennismi�ur til vi�urkenna hans kalla, og hann mynda� af would not’ v�gja. Me� R�ssi n�mi hann s�rb�na mig til leyfi minn s�ti til koma upp og spjall me� hann. Tvisvar sinnum, � me�an fas ��kve�inn greinir � ensku tj�ning af rei�i � smitandi hans stara, �G oddhvass � minn laptop skj�r til reyna og flytja til hann �essi �G var s�kkva � h�pur stu�ningsmanna a s�milega mikilv�gur �shokk� leikur. � s��astur hann vinstri hans s�ti og �lfaldi upp � bak vi� minn.

“�� ��rf til fylgja mig �ti” hann r��. “Now.”

N�l�gur the �r�sta lyfta og burt fr� allur fr� mi��ldum annar, hann dropateljari the sprengja � mig.

“hvernig hjartarskinn sex �r og fimmt�u fj�rir millj�n hlj�� til ��?” hann sk�hallur, bros.

“Ovechkin og hans fj�lskylda ert a� fara til Ketill � morgun s��degi, � 130:. �eir ert hr�fandi a l�gfr��ingur me� ��. �eir ert a� fara til skilti the samningur”

Eins og �G �tdr�ttur this r��abrugg �G hugsun bak til Dmitrys’ l�flegur �r�sta r��ur . �eir var�lfur, � eftirhyggja, stilltur. Var�lfur �G the handhafi af this fr�ttir, og var�lfur �G leita a� til hluti �a� me� hann, Pers�nuskilr�ki’ hafa �j�ta inn � �r�sta r��ur nakinn og me� minn h�r � eldur.

“This,” �G told Dmitry, “ �g geta use.”

�G vita Dmitry eins og a loka vinur og �G vir�a hans vinna eins og a bla�ama�ur svo mikill �essi �G aldrei spurning hans uppspretta. A� fr�t�ldum this t�mi.

uppspretta” �G sk�hallur.

Hans svar var fulln�gjandi, � a spj�trungur skilningarvit. Svo hva�a n�stur, �G sk�hallur?

“vi� gefa �t sameiginlega � 400: � morgun” hann told mig.

Fj�rir var hven�r Dmitry had been told til b�ast vi� the skilti veisla til skilja, og til b�ast vi� a klefi s�mi kalla fr� a mj�g au�ugur R�ssi innflytjandi fj�lskylda. There var einnig this: Fimmtudagur var the Paprika’ �rb�k hitta- og- fagna fyrir afsl�ttarkort handhafi og leikma�ur. Ef Pers�nuskilr�ki’ had allir p�ntun ��ur � the sanns�gli af Dmitrys’ krafa, the hugdetta af the li� eigandi sta�a ��ur ��sund af vi�skiptavinur og tilkynna the bestur fr�ttir the organization hefur alltaf �ekktur��, vir�ast til mig ��kve�inn greinir � ensku upphr�pun benda � fort�lur.

This �r�un tilefni a gaman n�r verkefni fyrir mig bak � minn laptop: setja saman a �grip en fr�ttn�mur email til minn bloggermates.

“muna �essi saga �G lei�beinandi vildi vera g��ur gaman fyrir okkur til brot?” �G began. “hvernig hjartarskinn � morgun � 400: hlj��?”

Me� leika a� fara � Regin- Sent �s ni�ri mig en mig n� a� �llu leyti oblivious of til �a�, �G einnig m�lsgrein email til Tim Lj�nslegur afthe F��urlandsvinur Fr�ttir: “vi� might hafa eitthva� til hressa vi� �inn Fimmtudagur s��degi”

N� s�ti n�stum �v� einn annar fyrir the afgangur af the leikur, Dmitry og �G byrja hva�a vildi koma til neyta n�nast s�rhver second af okkar b�peningur yfir the n�stur 18 �rat�mi: fjarskipti or�a-, raft�knilegur, klefi s�mi- vindskafinn, kvalafullur n�kv�mur, ekki minna en �a� sl� og p�ls- kapprei�ar. This var neitun Morgunn g��an daginn Bolli-a-Joe �G var sj�lfstj�rn til gefa �t.

“�merkingur annars vita” Dmitry kept minna � mig.

�G dont’ alveg vita hvernig til m�la magn einhvers the bindi af fjarskipti Dmitry og �G upptekinn � Mi�vikudagur n�tt og �t � gegn Fimmtudagur, a� fr�t�ldum til segja �essi a �haldssamur ma�ur stemma af email skilabo� einn might koma a�124 millj�n. Ive’ spara n�stum ekki minna en ��, eins og a mj�g pers�nulegur t�matalsfr��i og e- helgid�mur til okkar vin�tta �rautseigur og vaxa undir h�r- staur �vingun. Vi� hr�r�ur �fram me� okkar �tg�fa ��tlun � kvalafullur �thugsa�ur t�ska. Hugsa hva� sem �� vilja ��ur � n�r fr� mi��ldum � �shokk� og �ess uppreisn herfer� og �ess takm�rk, veikleiki, og varta; Dmitry og �G Fimmtudagur sem ekki myndar horn undir gamall fr� mi��ldum sta�all af vels�mi, si�areglur, og n�kv�mni — og af allur, a skilningarvit af a�ger� ��knun vi� a H�fu�borg’ organization sakam�lasaga’ skemmtun b��ir af okkur eins og ef vi� var�lfur �j��legur �r�sta Kl�bbur honorees s��an the 2006-07 �rst��.

� a mj�g raunverulegur skilningarvit Dmitry og �G glata�ur snerting me� hva�a gifta’ fyrr �ekktur eins og okkar d�miger�ur �vottur faglegur ver�ld a� degi til og �shokk� �str��a eftirf�r vi� morgunver�ur, h�degisver�ur klukkustund, og kv�ld. Vi� var�lfur the eftirlit af einn af the allst�r s�gufr�gur � SportsWashington. �a� var allur- gagntakandi, taug- lamandi, og s�rstaklega �raunverulegur. Minn bloggermates var�lfur �egar undir ginkefli v�gsla jafnvel fr� �eirra maki. Snemma Fimmtudagur Dmitry logndau�ur a hluti af OFBs’ e- innri- hringur, og �n sj�nleikur hann flj�tt fastur a KGB g��ur af agi og laumuspil til okkar kappkosta.

Seint Fimmtudagur morgunn g��an daginn Dmitrys’ ritstj�rnarstarf � Moskva — fullkomlega apprised af the fr�ttir — began jafn�r�sta hann til hlaupa me� the saga snemma. �eirra t�kni var til hafa OFB falla a bloggers’ sprengja stj�rnvitringur � me�an RDS ritstj�rnarstarf � Montreal, � annar pre- ra�a skrifletur, kveikja Kanadab�i. Dmitry var this fj�lleikaflokkur’ sirkuss�ningarstj�ri, coordinating real-time communications Thursday between Washington, Montreal, and Moscow. But Moscow’s demands, I pleaded to Dmitry, were too excessive for us to accommodate.

“What if the lawyer doesn’t like what he sees on contract page 56,” I wrote in email no. 7,209. “Or, what if Ovechkin simply wants to sleep another night on his proposed mega-deal?”

The full Ovechkin clan was in Washington for a big family event, Dmitry informed me, and it had nothing to do with the Colorado Avalanche.

Still I lobbied hard to stick by our original timeframe, 4:00, no matter how fait accompli this mega-matter was. To me it was metaphysically unethical to run a story pegged on an afternoon contract signing while afternoon was just commencing. I began to appreciate Russian journalism’s . . . fast and loose fatalism. And resent it. But there was no issue with Dmitry’s sense of propriety — he wanted to wait on the Ovechkin cell phone call. But his editors were bearing down on him. Canada, too, was getting squirmy.

“RDS,” Dmitry wrote me in email, “is going to run with it at any moment.”

Next we agonized over outreach to the Caps. New media insurrectionists, we didn’t want to tip our hand to the team’s media pros, who while being world leaders in supporting the New Media Cause, also are operating in the current media climate, and understandably would prefer to hear our news from, say, Michael Farber or Bob McKenzie. But there was no way we were going public without alerting Nate Ewell in advance.

Near 2:45, with Dmitry’s support, I made the call to reach out to my friend Mike Vogel. Mike had introduced me to Dmitry in May 2007, when he and I were writing for the Caps at the Worlds in Moscow. I had this hot tamale in my lap, and I desperately needed a pro’s guidance with its digestion. Problem was, the pro I always reach out to was in this instance a stakeholder in the matter. I wanted a great scoop, but there’s no scoop sexy enough for me to infringe upon or bruise a friendship over.

I laid it all out for Mike as we had it, term and dough, and I made a point of reminding him, as I always do, what my expectations are in bringing up business with a friend: I don’t place him in any awkward position and he in return reminds me how this hockey business is overpopulated with extraordinarily quality human beings. There was no expectation on my end of confirmation from him. I wanted his guidance in keeping harm from the blog, and I wanted anything else he’d offer as friendly advice. To no surprise, Mike gave me just what I needed — his sober, supportive thoughts.

“Call Nate,” he concluded.

A little before 3:00 I left voicemail for Nate, and over the course of the next 30 minutes Vogs took the lead in relaying messages his and Nate’s to me. There were, clearly, a lot of busy people in Caps’ Communications yesterday afternoon. Officially, the Caps instructed me “to sit on the story” a bit. It was an eminently reasonable request.

Which soon thereafter I ignored.

RDS went live, OFB did as well, Moscow sent us its link, and this off-day Thursday for the Caps became a bit more lively.