Information Wars

by Bob Wage on Sep 12, 2007 10:28 AM EDT

Sports coverage in the area is about to get very interesting. While 850 the Buzz and 620 the Bull have had virtual strangleholds for quite some time in the local radio sports talk market, a new contender is about to enter into the fray. According to a recent story in the News and Observer, former country station, WCMC 99.9FM will soon change formats to sports talk. Usually competition is good for consumers, so I look forward to seeing how this works out. Obviously, I prefer lots of Hurricanes and hockey coverage, the more the better. The Buzz and The Bull have done a pretty good job with hockey in the past, especially with their pre-game and post-game shows. While I never called into "The Aftermath", I always listened to it after each game while driving home. If anything, it seemed too short for me. Now that the games will be broadcast on 99.9, will "The Aftermath" still be on "850 The Buzz"? Will "The Buzz" and "The Bull" continue with their somewhat hardcore hockey coverage, or will they change to a different direction if 99.9 seems to focus in that area? This will be an interesting story to follow, and Canes Country will be right there watching, listening, and reporting as much as we can about it, as it unfolds.

The ongoing "information wars" are not just limited to radio land. Coverage on the information superhighway is expanding as well. Long time Carolina Hurricanes announcer, John Forslund is starting a new blog venture on WRAL's site called, "My EYE is Yours". Ron Francis blogged for these guys a couple of years ago during the Stanley Cup run as well. John is an experienced blogger who does a fine job, having blogged previously for the Canes on "Hey Hey What do you Say?". Obviously, he has the knowledge and inside information to make this an extremely popular blog. Will other local television stations sit idly by and do nothing while the WRAL website readership grows and grows? One would have to think that they will be looking for "hired gun" bloggers as well. "The Buzz" currently has a very popular blog, and I'm sure 99.9 has to be looking in that area too. (The 99.9 website is currently under construction). Soon, the Hurricanes blogoshere will become more crowded than ever. But this is a good thing for fans. The better the overall blogging community can become, the more information there will be for readers to absorb. This pertains to the amateur "regular Joe" bloggers as well as the highly paid "mercenaries". If the amateurs can keep their blogs updated regularly, then the "hired guns" will need to do the same. It should be a win-win for local hockey fans! Canes Country will be watching closely and linking the activity of any new worthwhile Hurricanes blog, amateur or professional, just like we always have done in the past. We have already set up a new RSS feed to track any new postings of Forslund's new blog. You can find it on the right sidebar and the direct link to the blog itself under "Other Canes Blogs" on the left.

While WRAL is gaining one new correspondent, they are losing another. Long time traffic reporter, Mark Roberts is leaving the station to start his own company. It's being reported in the News and Observer this morning that one of his new gigs will be to headline a Hurricanes pre-game and post-game show for 99.9. Mark has had ties with the old Raleigh IceCaps, is a hockey guy, and should do a fine job.Â Does that mean that there will now be two shows, one on 850 and one on 99.9? This gets more and more interesting each day!

Speaking of Forslund's new blog, he starts out by reporting that Bret Hedican is looking really good and also informs us how great the Matt Cullen acquisition is for the team. Finally, he closes by saying that David Tanabe might be attending camp on a try-out basis. Hello, a try-out? One might think that playing here all last year would be enough of a try-out. Didn't the coaches get enough of a chance to monitor this guy's skill last year? This makes no sense to me unless there is another factor involved. Perhaps they are concerned about a defensemen's health and want to see how training camp goes for that person? Maybe there is an impending trade and they want Tanabe around until it is completed? Who knows, but I can't see the logic in having DT here on a try-out just to evaluate his talent, which is typically what a try-out is. Either the Canes want to pay the money to add him to the roster, or they don't.

Happy hump day!

Jackson Browne

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hey bubba
is 99.9 going to transmit in greensboro and burlington?
i hope so, cause i hate not being able to listen on radio when i cant watch in fsn.

thanks
-chris

by cpjuenge on Sep 12, 2007 11:04 AM EDT reply actions

Sorry Chris, but from what I can tell it’s just on 99.9 and their signal is not the greatest. I’ll wait until their website comes back online and then maybe we will know for sure.

by Bubba on Sep 12, 2007 1:42 PM EDT reply actions

A tryout…that is wierd….he’s a first round pick for flips sake.

by HANRAHANFAN1 on Sep 12, 2007 4:49 PM EDT reply actions

Try out basis? JR needs to quit jerking this guy around!!! Tanabe has proven himself over the years, and I hope Hedican hits a wall, shatters whats left of his hip, and retires to whatever figure skating hell Kristy puts him in! Hedican is becoming more and more controversial, and I predict that after ten games at the most, he will be injured, and we will have another season of his sad ass stories all over the media. They will be asking the burning question" Will he be back, and when". The answer was already there! He should have never come back. I have never seen so much turmoil and discontent surrounding a player on an injury issue, that I have seen around this clown. Hey Brett…. get out, leave, hang up your skates, and let some youth and talent take a turn!Outside of Chris Pronger and Claude Lemieux (sp), I have never depised a player so much for his selfishness and self appeasing pride. I was really hoping that Tanabe was going to Traverse City for a try out with the Wings. At least Holland knows how to hold on to youth, and develop talent like no other. Shame on JR for baiting David so long, and kissing Hedicans ass (“Oh, we just found out he signed hid player option papers, a year after he filed them with us” What BS). I guess the next best thing that I can hope for is that this clown fails miserably at training camp, and JR has one more trick up his sleeve that he has planned to use all along…. he’ll cut him on the spot, and turn around with a fat contract for Tanabe. JR, the D is getting old and needs new blood! Man, this whole situation just p***es me off!!!!!! Somebody buy Hedican a horse, put him on it, and show him the way out of Raleigh!!!!! I am going to buy a jersey with his name and number and have a big black X sewn over the back this year!

Sean

by CaniacSean on Sep 12, 2007 9:35 PM EDT reply actions

Sean Sean Sean..say what’s on your mind! L You know we are buds, and I agree with you in a way. Hedican was a waste last year, why should we have confidence in him this year? But, let me play devil’s advocate for a minute. (you know if I always agreed with everything, this would be a boring blog..)

This organization doesn’t owe David Tanabe anything. He had a couple of decent months last year. He had a couple of bad months too. Bottom line, Rutherford signed him last year and gave him a chance when no one else in the NHL wanted him. It looks like he’s in that unenviable position again this year. Why should the Canes bail him out again? Something is weird when he can’t seem to get signed by anyone else.

While Hedican had a wasted year last year, he has had some excellent years prior to that. He led the defense in ice time during the Cup run. He played a very key role in helping to lead the team to the conference championship in 2002. (Tanabe was hurt in 2002 and played very little in those playoffs). I think you could say that this franchise owes more to Hedican than they do to Tanabe, it just sucks that Hedican’s health is such a question mark right now. But we could sign Tanabe, and his knee could blow out once again too, who knows? Tanabe is no “ironman” himself.

Tanabe coming here for a “try-out” still makes no sense to me, but if he’s got nothing else better to do, he might as well come I guess. I still can’t believe that he can’t get a contract from another team.

Cheers Sean!

by Bubba on Sep 13, 2007 1:09 AM EDT reply actions

Wow…comparing Bret Hedican to Pronger and Claude Lemieux…now that is a serious dis.

by John on Sep 13, 2007 11:40 AM EDT reply actions

Sean, just after I stood up for Hedican, Luke DeCock calls him “nominally healthy” in his N&O write up today. L Funny. I’m going to post about it in my next posting.

by Bubba on Sep 13, 2007 11:42 PM EDT reply actions

Bubba,
Differing opinions are what makes this one of the best sites on the net. I wouldn’t expect that most long time fans would agree with my opinions on Hedican (remember, I am a Detroit boy at heart, and only got here four years ago, but none the less love the Canes). And from a loyalty standpoint, I respect them. But I too saw the DeCock article today smiled, and bathed in “I told you so”. I will stand by my opinion and predictions. If what I say does not come to pass, I will treat you to a game, or donate one game (two seats) to a charity of your choice, on behalf of Canes Country!
Later Bud!

Sean

by CaniacSean on Sep 14, 2007 12:08 AM EDT reply actions