OT: The Athletic

justaoilersfan

Registered User
Jan 13, 2018
6
4
For those of you that subscribe to the Athletic, do you think its worth it for Oilers Content? Just wondering peoples opinions before I subscribe. I could see myself subscribing if I was a fan of other teams as they have some good reporters in other cities. Just not in Edmonton. what your thoughts?
 

joestevens29

Registered User
Apr 30, 2009
54,050
17,175
Not just Oilers for me, but any other content worth while? Really don't want to pay for bloggers.
 
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FlameChampion

Registered User
Jul 13, 2011
14,722
17,318
I do think theres pretty good content there. I do like the extra info when it comes to things like the prospects and drafts.

The Oilers content did consist primarily of Lowetide and Jonathan Willis. They have started adding more oilers bloggers/writers though. I havent really read enough from the other people to get a good handle on them. I do like Lowetide and Willis for the most part. I do have to say though that articles in the summer just tend to be a bit dry, and thats the freshest thing on the brain. It will get better once the games start going I think.

I forget what the subscription amount is? $50? I think at the end of the day it really just depends on how much you value $50. For some people its a lot of money. For others its just $50.

I think it is worth it for me but I can also see why others might not think so.
 

justaoilersfan

Registered User
Jan 13, 2018
6
4
Not a huge fan of lowtide or willis. I'm not big into the analytics of the game. If I was a wild fan I would purchase just to read Russo. Who else is Writing for the Oilers?
 

SourOil

Registered User
Oct 3, 2008
1,420
873
Honestly think you're paying for exclusivity more than quality content.
 

joestevens29

Registered User
Apr 30, 2009
54,050
17,175
Not a huge fan of lowtide or willis. I'm not big into the analytics of the game. If I was a wild fan I would purchase just to read Russo. Who else is Writing for the Oilers?
Lowetide is on the radio everyday, not sure I'd pay to see his writing.

If they had insiders I think it would be worth it. Not sure if there is any though
 

Drivesaitl

Finding Hemingway
Oct 8, 2017
49,702
64,112
Islands in the stream.
Paying for content about hockey or any other sport online? No, just no, why would I do that?

I don't listen to sports radio, don't watch sports programs other than the actual sports and have encountered few if any present bloggers that capture the game better than what could typically be found here.
 
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Drivesaitl

Finding Hemingway
Oct 8, 2017
49,702
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Islands in the stream.
It really shows how lacking sports journalists are in Edmonton if Lowetide and Willis are the best guys The Athletic could find.

By default people are better writers than Jones and Matheson who have been mailing it in for decades but in general today there are not brilliant sports writers. Give me days of Peter Gzowski, Ken Dryden, Red Fisher. Those people could write about hockey.

Has there been a good hockey book in this millennium? Is there a strong hockey writer presently? In the Athletic?
 

joestevens29

Registered User
Apr 30, 2009
54,050
17,175
It really shows how lacking sports journalists are in Edmonton if Lowetide and Willis are the best guys The Athletic could find.
Oilersnation kind of has a lot of guys. You then have the Journal still having their guys.

Not sure how many writers we can really expect for one fan base.

Only guys really missing are Rishaug, Debrusk, Principe, Remenda. Who knows if they can even write anyway.
 
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joestevens29

Registered User
Apr 30, 2009
54,050
17,175
By default people are better writers than Jones and Matheson who have been mailing it in for decades but in general today there are not brilliant sports writers. Give me days of Peter Gzowski, Ken Dryden, Red Fisher. Those people could write about hockey.

Has there been a good hockey book in this millennium? Is there a strong hockey writer presently? In the Athletic?
What are you looking for is the question? If it's guys that can write a book I have no idea.

I do see Lebrun is there and he's a guy I like, but that's because of what he knows.

I could careless about guys who tell me their opinions. I come here for that. Others want that
 

Lacaar

Registered User
Jan 25, 2012
4,226
1,430
Edmonton
It really goes to show how negative the internet is. Bunch of guys bitching about every sports caster is all this turns into.... bitch fest
 

AM

Registered User
Nov 22, 2004
8,696
2,734
Edmonton
By default people are better writers than Jones and Matheson who have been mailing it in for decades but in general today there are not brilliant sports writers. Give me days of Peter Gzowski, Ken Dryden, Red Fisher. Those people could write about hockey.

Has there been a good hockey book in this millennium? Is there a strong hockey writer presently? In the Athletic?

I agree, sports writing has been in decline since Hazlitt:
Wm. Hazlitt - "The Fight" (1822).
 

Drivesaitl

Finding Hemingway
Oct 8, 2017
49,702
64,112
Islands in the stream.
It really goes to show how negative the internet is. Bunch of guys *****ing about every sports caster is all this turns into.... ***** fest

Not really. The sign of the times is the internet, correct, but its what has destroyed true journalism, and twitter and social media have destroyed true writing. We're removing both the audience and source for critical writing, and then wonder why critical writing is not commonly seen in present times. Its a race to the bottom for literature. With the day being owned by Novellas written to twitterverse audiences. Not exactly classics. The times don't demand classics, they demand filler. Even graphic novellas will do, apparently.

Great literature of the millennium would be a course with a limited but insufferable reading list.
 

StevenF1919

Registered User
Oct 9, 2017
4,312
5,235
Edmonton
They've got by far the best Oilers content. Whether that's worth the subscription fee is up to you I guess. There's a free trial so I'd definitely check it out if you're interested. Oilers stuff gets posted daily (as well as general NHL stuff which includes a good amount of Oilers content).

It's a hell of a deal if you're interested in their national coverage, local stuff from other markets, and writing from other sports. I signed up when they announced Dellow as a writer and his stuff alone has been worth the price. I read 10+ articles on the site a day so it's been great value. If you're looking for game recaps and other fluff, you're probably better off sticking to the free websites however.

On a related note, Katie Strang is hands down the best sports journalist out there right now. The stuff she's been putting out this summer is incredible.
 

guymez

The Seldom Seen Kid
Mar 3, 2004
34,588
15,166
I do think theres pretty good content there. I do like the extra info when it comes to things like the prospects and drafts.

The Oilers content did consist primarily of Lowetide and Jonathan Willis. They have started adding more oilers bloggers/writers though. I havent really read enough from the other people to get a good handle on them. I do like Lowetide and Willis for the most part. I do have to say though that articles in the summer just tend to be a bit dry, and thats the freshest thing on the brain. It will get better once the games start going I think.

I forget what the subscription amount is? $50? I think at the end of the day it really just depends on how much you value $50. For some people its a lot of money. For others its just $50.

I think it is worth it for me but I can also see why others might not think so.

I agree. For a cup of coffee a month its well worth it. There are some excellent articles on there...much better than the free material IMO. Much more in depth.

Of course some people will drive to the other side of town to save a couple of dollars (and then complain about it) so this probably isnt for them.
 
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StevenF1919

Registered User
Oct 9, 2017
4,312
5,235
Edmonton
I agree. For a cup of coffee a month its well worth it. There are some excellent articles on there...much better than the free material IMO. Much more in depth.
Of course some people will drive to the other side of town to save a dollar (and then complain about it) so this probably isnt for them.
A lot of people seem to think that they're entitled to access to the work of others. Apparently it's perfectly fine to expect writers to work for free.
 

guymez

The Seldom Seen Kid
Mar 3, 2004
34,588
15,166
A lot of people seem to think that they're entitled to access to the work of others. Apparently it's perfectly fine to expect writers to work for free.

I agree with this.
The Internet in some respects has created a sense of entitlement just because access is so easy and convenient.
 

Drivesaitl

Finding Hemingway
Oct 8, 2017
49,702
64,112
Islands in the stream.
I agree with this.
The Internet in some respects has created a sense of entitlement just because access is so easy and convenient.
Public libraries that provide any content for free have provided "entitlement" and a free dispersal of knowledge. Many would think this is even a good idea. Nor did the advent of Free Libraries kill literature, it enlivened and instilled it for all to see and thus creating authors and readers. Again, a good thing.

Access to knowledge has been free, and easily available, long before the internet.
 

Aerrol

༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ
Sep 18, 2014
6,574
3,298
Public libraries that provide any content for free have provided "entitlement" and a free dispersal of knowledge. Many would think this is even a good idea. Nor did the advent of Free Libraries kill literature, it enlivened and instilled it for all to see and thus creating authors and readers. Again, a good thing.

Access to knowledge has been free, and easily available, long before the internet.

This is a false equivalence. And I'm a huge supporter of open source software and free sharing of information on the Internet, who thinks anti piracy laws are misguided at best.

Libraries paid for books, and required effort to access. It's an economy of scale issue. Libraries can and could only exist because enough other people paid for the convenience/luxury of permanently owning the books and/or having the news delivered to your home.

On the Internet, everyone has access to information from anywhere they have a phone, so suddenly said economies of scale don't work. It's not a majority of the buying public essentially subsidizing libraries, it's the majority of the public no longer paying for news. Which leads to advertising being the only source of revenue, specifically shitty web ads dependent on clicks. Thus click bait becomes the only sustainable way for these sites to continue to pay their staff.

I'm not certain I'd use the Athletic enough to want to pay for it, but I strongly support paying direct subscriptions for well written news. It's the only viable way I see that good news survives, other than state subsidies.

Honestly I think I might have just convinced myself to give the Athletic a go by writing this out, lol.
 

Drivesaitl

Finding Hemingway
Oct 8, 2017
49,702
64,112
Islands in the stream.
This is a false equivalence. And I'm a huge supporter of open source software and free sharing of information on the Internet, who thinks anti piracy laws are misguided at best.

Libraries paid for books, and required effort to access. It's an economy of scale issue. Libraries can and could only exist because enough other people paid for the convenience/luxury of permanently owning the books and/or having the news delivered to your home.

On the Internet, everyone has access to information from anywhere they have a phone, so suddenly said economies of scale don't work. It's not a majority of the buying public essentially subsidizing libraries, it's the majority of the public no longer paying for news. Which leads to advertising being the only source of revenue, specifically ****ty web ads dependent on clicks. Thus click bait becomes the only sustainable way for these sites to continue to pay their staff.

I'm not certain I'd use the Athletic enough to want to pay for it, but I strongly support paying direct subscriptions for well written news. It's the only viable way I see that good news survives, other than state subsidies.

Honestly I think I might have just convinced myself to give the Athletic a go by writing this out, lol.

My response was to the mistaken impression that internet had created entitlement to literature. That was false.

My statement was not specific to Athletic, just that free access had already occurred for the public. Indeed this has been a massive blessing for society and one of the most egalitarian advances that has occurred anywhere. Free access to literature was a game changer, as were the concept of public libraries that moved this access.

The thing that is true is that internet killed journalism. Not free access.

So we're left with a blogging industry trying to make some kind of buck but with the best devised platform thus far being advertising and hits.
 
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backhandsauce

Registered User
Oct 19, 2009
4,763
1,563
I subscribe. Oilers content is nor very good. Gregor posts better stuff.

On the other hand Lebrun has great stuff as well as other teams and leagues. It's worth it in my opinion. If you travel lots you ca nsave articles and read them when no data or wifi is around.

PP
 

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