On Frozen Blog

If I’ve learned nothing else from Homer Simpson (and I haven’t), it’s that any idiot can attempt to use the Internet for personal gain. Case in point: the Edmonton Oilers. The only problem is that they don’t seem to understand exactly what’s out there on the Internet. We’ve already covered this topic, and I don’t want to beat a dead horse, but the reaction from the Oilers’ PR staff couldn’t be more enlightening. And when I say “enlightening,” I mean “seriously misguided.”
David Staples’ recent interview with media relations director J.J. Hebert and VP of communications Allan Watt showed how it’s all one big misunderstanding, according to the Oilers. Hebert said:

“It’s not the Oilers against the bloggers, and that’s what it seemed to turn into. It’s just us trying to manage our business.”

Sounds reasonable enough. Who can fault an organization for wanting to manage their business?

Watt says many of the blogs are trying to get increased traffic so they can make money, but the Oilers don’t want to give up that traffic. “We spend $100 million a year to create NHL hockey in Edmonton and there are some things that we think we own. This is one of them (the live blogging rights).”

Oh, right. Blogging is all about making money. No surprise here: it all comes down to cold, hard cash. Watch out for those greedy bloggers, trying to take a piece of the pie!

Perhaps some blog company will come along with $10 million a year for the exclusive rights to live blogging, then the Oilers would look at that. “That’s the business we are in,” Watt says.

Really? $10 million a year? Do they understand what liveblogging is?

Neither Hebert nor Watt read the numerous Oilers blogs very much.
“I don’t get too caught up in the blog world,” Hebert says.

Well, that’s patently obvious.
Of course, this was my favorite quote from the interview, courtesy of Watt:

“There are a lot people out there who are gathered in threesomes in a basement somewhere, and you have to read that for awhile and then skip over it, and you might have to go to two or three more before you get anything that’s any good.”

I’ll ignore the whole “threesomes” comment; it’s just too easy. However, the idea that bloggers are unwashed, underwear-clad fat guys in their basements is so 2003. I wonder what they think about bloggers like Scott Hartnell, Steve Stamkos, or the Nashville Predators Dancers and Ice Girls; they’re obviously socially awkward degenerates like the rest of us bloggers. Nevertheless, it’s pretty clear that the Oilers just don’t get it.
Staples has an updated post that’s worth reading for a good take on the issue.