A "New Room"

Goalies have made the difference

We all know I’m not “on the beat” anymore traveling with the Avs and being with them in the dressing room. A lot of people have asked me: “Do you miss it?” The honest answer is: No.

The last few years of being a beat writer weren’t fun for me anymore. All the years of nonstop travel, being away from family, the insomnia, the occasional high anxiety about flying, the boredom on the road, the increasing distance between media and the players and stage-managed PR, the increasingly lousy economics of the sports media business, some bad bosses - it all took a toll.

I miss the older days, when everything was new and fun and the relationships between media and players/team was much better, and when newspapers mattered. But today? Honestly, I feel sympathy for those still slogging away in the business. Obviously, I’m in touch with many in the business still, and rarely do I hear that they are truly happy doing the job. Like, really doing the everyday job. Sure, being at games for free is fun. Sure, having people read your work can be fulfilling.

But the business simply is not the same as it once was, especially for those of us who, more than anything, just want to write and tell good stories.

Anyway, now to the point of this column: Just because I’m not on the road anymore or in the room doesn’t mean my phone is on the fritz. I am still in touch with “Avs people who would know stuff” and after some conversation lately with a couple of them I can report: