Showing posts with label new jersey devils. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new jersey devils. Show all posts

Saturday, April 13, 2024

Behind the Hockey Scenes: Philadelphia Flyers Versus New Jersey Devils April 13, 2024

(Pregame - Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA - Sean O'Brien)

Introductions

The pregame retirement night ceremonies for Wayne Simmonds were low-key. He dropped the ceremonial first puck before the official faceoff. A video tribute was shown, with shots of many fans wearing his number 17 sweater in the stands. But he did not speak to the crowd, reinforcing his team-first, humble approach. Those who cheered for him during his career or had the opportunity to talk with him as part of the media were not surprised.

Simmonds signed a one-day contract this week to retire as a member of the organization. His eight-year career in Philadelphia began when he was acquired, along with Brayden Schenn, in June 2011 from the Los Angeles Kings for Mike Richards. He was traded to the Nashville Predators in February 2019.

On a personal note, I covered the Stadium Series at Lincoln Financial Field in February 2019. The Flyers hosted their cross-state rival that rainy night, the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jakub Voracek tied the game with twenty seconds remaining in the third, and Claude Giroux won the contest (4-3) in overtime.

As part of a media throng, we spoke with Wayne about the game and the anticipated end of his time in the organization. Days later, he was dealt to Nashville.

The Flyers (37-32-11, 85 points) are in their second-to-last game of the season. They will play the Devils (38-37-5, 81 points) in the late afternoon, and Philadelphia needs assists from various other teams to qualify for the playoffs.

The Flyers recent eight-game winless streak ended in New York earlier this week with a 4-1 win over the Rangers. The Devils beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-5 that same night, Thursday.

Starting goaltenders – Sam Ersson for the Flyers and Kaapo Kahkonen for the Devils.


First period

The video scoreboard noted the recent eighth anniversary of team founder Ed Snider's passing. With the risk he took, there is no way to know what hockey would look like in Philadelphia.


It was a back-and-forth period with little action. Around the halfway point, The Devils took two penalties in close proximity to each other.

But the Flyers' bottom-ranked power play did not come through. There were no high-danger chances. What expectations are reasonable without the personnel to do so?  Of course, the same could be said for the team this season.

Shots: Philadelphia – 11 New Jersey - 6

Score: Philadelphia – 0 New Jersey – 0

Intermission: The Mites on Ice show was, as always, entertaining. Many of us have great memories of playing hockey with family members and friends in our backyards or on the street. How great for the young kids to play a game, in between periods, of a National Hockey League game. Of course, if you fall onto the ice and score a fantastic goal, as one of the Mites did, that memory becomes indelible.

Second period

It is an understatement to classify the first half of this period as slow-moving. Credit to the Flyers for keeping New Jersey, the ninth-highest-scoring team, stymied.

A nifty backhand pass from Scott Laughton, who was cutting through center ice, was delivered to Travis Konecny (his 33rd overall goal of the season). He entered the zone and sent a wrist shot past Kahkonen at 10:50 into the period. It was also his sixth shorthanded goal of the season, with the magic he and Laughton produced reminding old-school fans of Dave Poulin and Brian Propp. Nick Seeler had the other assist.

Shots: Philadelphia – 6 New Jersey - 5

Score: Philadelphia – 1 New Jersey - 0

Intermission: The Mites again. This sequel did not include a fabulous goal, but it was entertaining.


Third period

A loud “Let's Go Flyers' chant surrounded the stadium with about four minutes to go.

As was true at points earlier, Simmonds' rough-and-tumble game continued during this period. This was fitting, as he scrapped with the best of them during his career. Cutaways to Simmer in his suite, cupping his ear to hear the crowd, upped the electric moment higher. 

Devils head coach Travis Green elected not to pull the goalie after a stop in the offensive zone with three minutes left. However, he did make the call with approximately two minutes left.

A third chant carried the team to victory with seconds left. The tight win kept hopes for a playoff berth alive.

Shots: Philadelphia - 4 (21total) – New Jersey 9 (20 total)

Score: Philadelphia – 1 New Jersey – 0

It was the Flyers' first shutout since Jan 13 when the Flyers shutout the Winnipeg Jets 2-0. Ersson was in goal that night during a five-game winning. The shutout was the team's fifth and his fourth of the season. 

After the horn sounded

Flyers head coach John Tortorella said he was pleased with the team's performance during the postgame presser. The head coach also said the goaltending situation impacted the team, and Ersson, who played his fiftieth game today, was not projected to play anywhere near that number of games.

Carter Hart's departure from the team changed the trajectory of the season. That explanation will be used and arguably valid if the team is knocked out of the playoff picture before Game 82 is played on Tuesday. The Flyers host the Washington Capitals that night.

On a personal note – I saw former NHL referee Kerry Fraser on the press level after the game ended. It was good to catch up. My interview with him in 2011 was a memorable, wide-ranging conversation. 

Wednesday, October 12, 2022

Philadelphia Flyers Prepare To Establish 2022-23 Baseline Standard

The Philadelphia Flyers appear to see the 2022-23 season as one that will establish a baseline standard. The team, led by new head coach, John Tortorella, is not stocked to contend or, realistically, be a .500 team. 

So, an establishment of a what it means to be a Flyer is partially what the upcoming campaign will be about. Tortorella will lead the evaluation of the players who he believes can be part of a future that goes beyond this season. 

President of Hockey Operations and General Manager, Chuck Fletcher, spoke to the media on Wednesday morning, with the season's first game being the next day, against the New Jersey Devils, on home ice in Philadelphia. 

The following is courtesy of the Philadelphia Flyers media relations department:

President of Hockey Operations & General Manager Chuck Fletcher


Couturier’s been skating off and on, do you have a timetable of when he’ll be able to get in the lineup?

No timetable yet. I think he’s skated six or seven times now, I believe he was going to skate again today. He feels great, he’s progressing. If anything, we’re trying to slow him down from time to time. He’s really anxious to get back, but this is the best he’s felt since pre-surgery last year so we’re cautiously optimistic and hopefully he’ll continue to progress.

 

Where do you think the strengths are for your roster and where do you think the weaknesses are for things you’re going to figure out throughout the year?

Well, the strengths – this is a young, fast team. There’s 12 players on the 23-man roster that are 25 and under, I think 9 of them are 24 and under, so they’re a little bit unproven. That’s something we’re going to have to work through that Torts has been addressing, I think with you guys as well. We have a lot of work to do, but there’s a lot of upside, so I think the youth, the speed, the depth – we have really good depth this year, much better than we have the last two years, so if we do run into injuries, which seem to happen through the course of the season, I think we have a lot of kids down in Lehigh Valley we can call up. We have 23 on our roster now, and even though we’re on LTI, we have $3.9 million in LTI space now, and we can create more, obviously, if we want to carry fewer than 23, so I think we’re set up pretty well from that standpoint. We have a lot of work to do. We know that, we’ve been saying that. The players have been working hard. I’m sure some things, some of the systems play, specialty teams even, early in the season we’re going to have to work through some things. There’s great energy down there right now. I think the players are recharged after last season and I think everyone’s just excited to get playing.

 

It was a little bit of a surprise to see both Ronnie Attard and Egor Zamula on the roster. John had said that you guys weren’t going to keep them if they weren’t playing. Do you expect them to be in the opening night lineup? Where do they fit right now?

That’s what we’re going to see the next few days. If young players are not getting regular ice time here, clearly we’ll get them to Lehigh Valley at the appropriate point. I still think John is looking at the different combinations. I believe Zamula in particular has a strong chance to play tomorrow night, but we’ll see what John does today. I haven’t had a long chat with him yet, but we’ll just see how things play out the first couple games the next few days.

 

When we spoke to you back in September you mentioned that Ryan Ellis hadn’t been progressing. You put him on LTIR, do you have any update on how he’s doing now?

He’s continuing to rehab every day. He’s been in the facility a lot, but there’s been no substantial or substantive change in his situation.

 

Is surgery an option for him? I know you said during the summer it wasn’t, has that changed at all?

At this point, we’re continuing the process that we started a while ago and that Ryan’s been working hard at. We’ll just continue to see how things evolve.

 

Felix has put in a couple practices in a row, he sounded optimistic to be able to start the season on time. Was starting him on Injured Non-Roster just precautionary or did he have a setback?

No set back at all. It’s a groin strain. If he was a skater he could probably play, but with goaltenders you always want to be a little bit more careful. In case he had to get into the game as a backup, you’d hate to have him aggravate something. He’s continuing to practice in full. He truly is day-to-day so we’ll see how that plays out, but for right now I believe Sam Ersson will be the backup tomorrow.

 

What would you say the expectations are, and, in your mind, what would make this a good season for you guys?

In terms of expectations, it’s exactly what John and I have been saying. We expect to work hard this season. We expect to work hard at establishing a standard to which we’re going to be held on and off the ice. We’re expecting to defend much better, play harder away from the puck, be a more competitive team. Clearly we got to reduce our goals against. That’s something that you can control through hard work and structure and attention to detail, and that’s an area that coaches have been focused on in camp and we’ve spoken about a lot internally. To me, I’d like to see significant improvement in our compete, in our details, keeping the puck out of our net, allowing our goaltenders to see the puck a little cleaner. If we can do that, we’ll be a pretty competitive team.

 

One thing that John Tortorella said at the start of camp is that one thing that he’s good at as a coach is determining which players fit the program that he’s trying to build. How important of an aspect of this season is that – trying to figure out which guys should be part of this team moving forward?

That’s clearly one of John’s greatest strengths. I think the other one is actually developing young players. There’s no question this season we got to see who’s part of the solution going forward. Whether you’re a veteran player, whether you’re a younger player that’s trying to push and make their way into becoming full time NHLers. There certainly are some question marks in some of these players, and that’s what happens when you have a lot of young players. Again, they’re a little bit unproven, so there could be some ups and downs, but, on the other hand, there’s also potential to improve. Whether it’s as individuals, these players, or even collectively as a team, we feel we will get better as the season goes along.

 

As a follow up on that, how patient do you think you guys are going to be? Specifically with the young players, but also with the veterans in terms of if guys aren’t necessarily buying into what John is selling.

I don’t think there’ll be a lot of patience at all if you’re not buying in. Now, if you’re buying in, playing hard, and the production isn’t quite there, the results aren’t quite there, but you’re doing what’s asked of you, there’ll be a lot of patience, but there won’t be any patience for not buying in.

 

Couple players said over the last year or two that pressure in the offensive zone, attacking the net more, is the key to cutting down on the goals allowed, because you’re spending less time in your own end. Is that something that you and John are in agreement on, that you have to be more proactive here than react so much?

If you look at John’s teams historically, they’re strong puck possession teams. They have the ability to hold the puck in the offensive zone, and when you have the puck, obviously you don’t have to defend. Clearly, we got to get better defending, we got to defend harder, we got to defend faster. And the other part of our game last year that really struggled was our transition game. We weren’t very good at – one of the bottom five teams in the league I think – at getting out of our zone successfully, and that’s where you hope players like Zamula and Tony DeAngelo can really help you get the puck, get going. Clearly if we can have the puck, hold onto the puck, it should improve your offense, but, just as importantly, help you reduce your goals against.

 

You mentioned that Samuel Ersson is going to be the backup for the time being as Sandstrom gets healthy. How do you see – once Sandstrom does get back, and he is healthy, and he returns to the lineup – how do you see that competition? Is it over, how does it play out?

I don’t think the competition’s ever over. Again, there could be moves you have to make short-term, but I think – whether it’s the first month, the first couple months, even the first half of the year – I think you’re going to see a lot of movement between Lehigh Valley and here.

 

John said the other day he expected Cam Atkinson to be on the ice today. How’s he doing, any update on him?

I haven’t seen Cam yet; he is back in the building. He is going to get on the ice today in some fashion, and we’ll just see where he’s at. I know he feels great, he feels much better than he did last week. He’s progressed, and I guess we’ll have to see what that means.

 

How concerned are you that he, Carter Hart, a couple of other guys didn’t play in any preseason games? Does that worry you at all?

It’s sort of the reality. I don’t think there’s much we can do about that now. You’re actually seeing that more and more in other sports as well. I think in the NFL, a lot of the vets don’t even get a snap in preseason anymore. Its probably not ideal, but these guys are professionals, they’re working hard, and I assume over a couple games they’ll get going.

 

How do you think that Ronnie Attard and Egor Zamula improved during the preseason with their decision making, and how did that factor into keeping them on the roster?

Zamula had a really tough first shift in the rookie camp game, and I thought from that point on he actually kept getting better and better. He has great poise with the puck, he sees the ice so well, he’s got great length and reach. He put on about 10 pounds of muscle this summer, he can still continue to get stronger, but for right now, after two years in the American league, I’m kind of excited to see what he can do up here. Let’s see if we can develop him more up here versus just another season in the American league. That’ll be up to him how he plays. Ronnie, similar, I thought he was trying to do a lot early, trying to impact the play all over the ice in every situation early in camp. I know John and Brad Shaw had some good conversations with him. I thought he settled down and still was getting a lot of shots, was still being aggressive, but being a little bit more controlled in his defensive play. He’s a player that’s very close to playing. Whether its right now or whether he needs a little bit of time, we’ll see, but I just love the energy he brings, I love the size he brings. He’s a little bit unpredictable which I think is great. Not a cookie cutter player, but he can impact the game in so many different ways. Again, whether he's ready right now, we’ll see, but he’s here for a reason, because he’s earned the right to be here.

 

We talked to John a few days before the roster was finalized about Hayden Hodgson and he said that his camp was OK. He didn’t seem terribly excited by what he’d seen, but he said that a lot of people in the organization are really high on him. What went into the decision to keep him and keep him on the roster given the fact that it doesn’t sound like he really blew the doors off in camp?

I don’t think he had a bad camp. I really liked his first game. I thought the other games he played he was probably a little bit too safe, maybe even a little bit in-between. He wasn’t bringing that physical nature that he has. He’s a big, heavy guy. He can impact the play on the forecheck. He’s got a great shot. He’s just a young man that essentially has been an ECHL player until last year. Even though he’s 27, I still think there’s some untapped potential there. I think playing at a higher level, as he continues to adjust to the pace here, that he can improve and can continue to round out his game. Clearly what we saw last year – whether it was Lappy, Brent, Danny, me – we had a lot of time, and we’re very impressed with what he did last season, so that certainly bought him the opportunity to be here now. He knows he has to step up a bit, and he’ll get that opportunity.

 

Just curious to see if you’ve had any discussions with Ivan Fedotov’s agent and is there any hope that he’ll be here at some point during the season, or is that something that you’re not even worried about now or thinking about?

There’s really been no change. He continues to be under contract to us. He continues to serve his time in the Russian Navy, and other than that there really hasn’t been any change or any update.

 

You’re going to start this season without a Captain. Were you heavily involved in that decision, and how important is it to get the right guys to wear the As, home and away?

I’ve had a few conversations with John on that, and I think even John mentioned it – we have a lot of priorities, that’s just probably not towards the top of the list right now. I think there is some very good leaders in this group, and guys that can certainly wear a letter and have a lot of experience. I think what he wants to do is, let’s just get into the season, let’s see how players adjust, let’s see how players buy-in, and let’s see where we’re at in a little bit of time. And when there’s a decision to be made, we’ll be ready to make it.

 

You got a 14-game look at Noah Cates last year, he had a very impressive camp. One of the areas that John, and before him, Mike Yeo, had said was an area of concern was the young players and the team as a whole wasn’t handling adversity in games. They’d play well when things were going well and then kind of blend in and play the way everybody did when things weren’t going so well. Is Noah, being an exception to that, is that something that other players can look at and think this is how we have to play?

The way he’s played so far, I think every player on our team can look at his habits, his work ethic – his hockey sense is off the charts. Can move him around different positions, move him up and down your lineup. He’s playing a big role right now. That’s, to me, kind of an exciting line for our franchise. With Farabee and Tippett, and right now you got JVR with Frost and Allison, so that’s five younger guys in your middle six group, if you will. I think, not even just Noah, but some of these players now, they’re young, but they’ve had some experience, players like Frost and Tippett for example. Even Allison and Laczynski are 25 now. At some point you got to grab that opportunity and you got to rise above what Mike Yeo spoke about last year, and you hope that with continued experience and getting these reps, that that’s something they can grow into, where their game doesn’t change regardless of the score, and they can continue to take steps forward, and I’d be surprised if many of them don’t. Again, most of them have had very good camps.

 

You mentioned the improvements of Ronnie Attard and Egor Zamula throughout the course of camp, we talked to John about this too, what kind of separated the two of them from Cam York, whether it was buy-in, execution, and ultimately what lead to York being sent down to the AHL?

Cam’s a really good young player and he’s going to be a big part of our future. I spoke to you guys about this earlier in the Summer, the things he does well are the things we need for our group going forward. But he’s 21. His camp was OK. We just felt at this stage, with his age and relative lack of experience, that the best place for him is in Lehigh Valley. Lappy’s going to give him a great chance to play in every situation. Again, it’s going to be a fluid situation, there’s going to be movement, but I think allowing Cam to get big minutes in Lehigh Valley right now is the best thing, not only for him, but for our team if we want him to be that player going forward.

 

John’s a coach that likes to have his input on players and decisions, he’s a pretty fiery guy, just curious as to what your relationship has been like with him and how’s it grown throughout the preseason?

It’s been great. If you see the show The Standard that we put out, I just saw a cut of it, the one that’s going out tonight, I think it’s pretty good, you’ll see a lot of that interaction. He’s been great. He, honestly, hasn’t come in and demanded anything, “you need to get this player, you need to get that”. He wants to work with young players, “whoever you give me I’ll work with”. Now, he has opinions on those players, and you guys will know it without him even saying it, you’ll know how he feels about a player, but I think that’s great. It’s brutal honesty. The players have embraced it, and he never holds a grudge. He could have a confrontation with a player in the morning and that afternoon he’s chatting with them in the lunchroom, and the next day it’s like nothing happened. Everything he does is about making a player better. It’s never personal. I’ve been really impressed with how he ran this camp, I thought it was a great camp, and I’m excited to see what he can do. Again, his track record of bringing along young players and helping veteran players get back to where they need to be is pretty much unparalleled, in my opinion.

 

You mentioned the Eagles and the Phillies at the start, the fact that their fanbase is excited right now, and your attendance was declining the last year or so, what’s your message to the fanbase? That this is a young team that’s going to be exciting to watch? What’s the selling point here?

We’re going to get better. I think we are an exciting young team. We’re going to be fast, we’re going to be aggressive. Right now, we’re working hard to come together as a group. Like everybody, you get your 20-odd days in camp, and you’re throwing line combinations together now, we’re still working on systems, but I see a lot of potential for this group to grow. I think we have some good young talent, and I think we’re going to be an improved team and a team that’s really fun to watch.

 

I know you’re always looking to improve your team in some way, but compared to what you have here, the young guys, what you have at your disposal in Lehigh as well, how active do you intend on being in terms of mining the waiver wire as teams get sorted out over these next couple weeks?

We were watching the waiver wire like everybody, but going back to what I said before, I think our depth is pretty good. You look at D, we’re ten, eleven deep that can play up here. Obviously, a lot of forwards that can play here. A lot of young players that I think need an opportunity. So, I think before we start looking outside the organization, let’s see what we have inside. And again, for the most part, you guys have watched most of camp, I think most of the young players have played pretty well and look like they’re improved. And I think right now, if they continue to work and do what John asks, we need to give them the opportunity to show what they are. Going back to Charlie’s question earlier, this is a year we got to find out who’s part of the solution going forward, and hopefully a lot of these players grab that opportunity.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Classic Post - Martin Brodeur - NHL Legend: Interview



I spoke with New Jersey Devils' goaltender Martin Brodeur after his team defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0 on April 18, 2013. 

Brodeur won his first National Hockey League game on March 26, 1992, when the Devils defeated the Boston Bruins 4-2. He initially wore number 29, before switching to his trademark number 30. During the past two-plus decades this 1990 first round draft choice (twentieth overall) recorded 121 shutouts, scored three goals, reached numerous other high marks and has redefined the art of goaltending. 

I've learned through the years that individuals who achieve and then maintain greatness in any field share common character traits. With that subjective point in mind, it was reaffirming to hear what this high-achiever had to say. 

Marty

Brodeur replied to my question about the elements that create a shutout in very telling form:

“It's a team game. That's the bottom line. If you don't have a team that's committed to play a certain way in front of you, you're not getting shutouts. You can't do it by yourself.

“Once in awhile you can stand on your head. But, I think when you get a bulk of as many as I've gotten through the years, it's the commitment of the team.

“When it's 3-0, it's easy to try to get the fourth goal, or to win 3-1. Who cares? 

"But, when you take pride and people want your goalie to have them (shutouts), it's a big difference,” Brodeur said.

The affable legend is set to turn 41 on May 6. As he plays out the final games on his current contract (that runs through 2013-14), this 20-season veteran has the clearest understanding of what the Devils-Flyers' rivalry means.

“Oh yes, it's great. We have a couple teams, especially in the area because there are so many teams around. I'm sure the Flyers will tell you the same.

“The Rangers-Flyers and a little bit of the Islanders. I'm sure it's going to grow in the next few years because they (the Islanders) are getting better and better.

“But, for us to come into this building, it's always a fun game,” Brodeur said.

Digital hockey card

Clicking on the back of this veteran's digital hockey card reveals that he ranks first in NHL history in the following categories:

Games played (1,217). Patrick Roy is second (1,029).
Minutes played (71,609). Roy is second (60,235).
Wins (667). Roy is second (551).
Shots against (30,513). Roy is second (28,353).
Saves (27,853). Roy is second (25,807).
Shutouts (121). Terry Sawchuk is second (103).
Playoff shutouts (24). Roy is second (23).

Someone who won the Calder Cup, five Jennings trophies, four Vezina trophies, three Stanley Cups, has a .913 career save percentage and a 2.23 career GAA will obviously be inducted into the Hall of Fame. 

Any reasonable debate about the greatest goaltenders of all-time, using any criterion, should always include this Quebec native's name.

(Martin Brodeur photo credit - Sean O'Brien)

Let's connect on Twitter @SeanyOB and on Facebook.

Monday, May 6, 2013

Online Author Page Links



Visit my Rant Sports Author Pagemy Examiner Contributor Pageor my Yahoo Contributor Page.
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Making connections with interesting people can happen by chance, but that's not what happened with each of the people whose stories are shown below. Read between the lines of each person's interview to learn more about their lives and how you can develop worthwhile social links of your own.

Interviews with famous athletes and sports' personalities...
Martin Brodeur: Discusses His Record-Setting Shutout Total and Key Rivalries 
Philadelphia Flyers' Bernie Parent: Postgame reflections 
Bobby Clarke: Philadelphia Flyers' Legend Talks Hockey

Interviews with broadcasters, actors, models and more...
Fox Television's Erin Como Reveals Her Timeless Model for Success: Interview
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I intentionally used Amazon.com to publish my first ebook: 
Fast Fiction and Other Stuff  because that platform is the number 1 eBook publishing site in the world. 
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I look forward to becoming friends on Facebook  
Let's connect on LinkedIn
Follow me on Twitter @SeanyOB

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Interviews With Famous Athletes and Sports Personalities



Making connections with interesting people can happen by chance, but that's not how I was able to interview various famous figures. Feel free to contact me, through one of the links shown below, if you need advice with your writing career.

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I look forward to becoming friends on Facebook  
Let's connect on LinkedIn
Follow me on Twitter @SeanyOB

Friday, May 3, 2013

Interviews: Broadcasters, Actors, Models and More



Making connections with interesting people can happen by chance, but that's not what happened with each of the people whose stories are shown below. Read between the lines of each person's interview to learn more about their lives and how you can develop worthwhile social links of your own.


Interviews with broadcasters, actors, models and more...
Fox Television's Erin Como Reveals Her Timeless Model for Success: Interview


Interviews with famous athletes and sports' personalities...
Martin Brodeur: Discusses His Record-Setting Shutout Total and Key Rivalries 
Allison Baver: US Olympian Facing Every Challenge
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I intentionally used Amazon.com to publish my first ebook: 
Fast Fiction and Other Stuff  because that platform is the number 1 eBook publishing site in the world. 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I look forward to becoming friends on Facebook  
Let's connect on LinkedIn
Follow me on Twitter @SeanyOB
Visit my Rant Sports Author Pagemy Examiner Contributor Pageor my Yahoo Contributor Page.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

The Number 1 Book Publishing Site in the World



I intentionally used Amazon.com to publish my first ebook: 
Fast Fiction and Other Stuff  because that platform is the number 1 eBook publishing site in the world. 
(Book cover image courtesy of Sean O'Brien.)
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Making Connections

Many people have asked me over the years how I've gotten to meet and interview athletes, actors, models and other public figures. 

These connections happened because a relationship was developed ahead of time. 

Regarding sports: Connections need to be developed and maintained with teams. Through that, access to personnel and players becomes possible. 

In terms of the entertainment industry: Your personality, social media reach and established credibility help to create your credentials and provides a platform to help promote interesting personal stories.

Relentless persistence is a term that I've used before in my blog Insight. What that means is this: I never stop exploring new avenues. And by that I mean both personally and professionally.

Of course, all efforts don't pan out. But, some do and that's the point. 

So, I ask other people who want to make connections: 

*What have you done in the past to pursue your goals? (That establishes a framework for me to understand where the person has been.)

*What are you doing today? (Current efforts, projects, etc.)

What are your plans for the future? (Definable goals.)

Consider what I've said above and then click on any of the links below. You will learn more when you read what has been written and when you read between the lines.
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Interviews with famous athletes and sports' personalities...

Martin Brodeur: Discusses His Record-Setting Shutout Total and Key Rivalries 
Allison Baver: US Olympian Facing Every Challenge

Interviews with broadcasters, actors, models and more...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I look forward to becoming friends on Facebook  
Let's connect on LinkedIn
Follow me on Twitter @SeanyOB
Visit my Rant Sports Author Pagemy Examiner Contributor Pageor my Yahoo Contributor Page.

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Bullying: Series Issues - Sound Responses



My series on bullying was one of the more popular set of posts in "Insight" history. I hope that it continues to serve as a starting point in an ongoing digital conversation among parents, fellow teachers, school staff, students and all other concerned citizens in our society.

The entire feature is being presented again in chronological order today for your convenience. 


Bullying: Part 1 

Bullying has always existed. The convergence of many events, including the modern family structure, the litigious land we live in, a focus on personal feelings, desensitized developing brains, a perception that there are no consequences in life, in addition to other factors, are linked to the issue that is known as bullying.

Let me be clear: Anyone (child, or adult) who threatens violence against another human being is guilty of “bullying” that person. Anyone who joins with others to do the same has participated in group bullying behavior. Obviously, committing an act of violence against another person is a crime (to varying degrees under the law).

Bullying can be delivered in-person, or through a virtual world.

All of these incidents must be prevented (if possible), stopped during the process, or resolved.

I have a zero-tolerance policy in my classroom in this regard for all legitimate bullying issues. And legitimate is the key subjective word to keep in mind. More will be offered about this important topic within this digital space tomorrow.

Bullying: Part 2

There are many children who are being (or have been) conditioned to become overly sensitive. Parents/family members/guardians, etc. who don't have adequate parenting skills (or who are honestly developing these skills) and educators who are encouraging children to become professional “tattletales” are adding to the confusion that surrounds this issue.

I completely understand and value the intent of the authority figures who I've just mentioned. Their feelings are genuine. But, these individuals are clearly in the early stages of forming their thoughts and resultant reactions regarding this developing social issue.

Serious problems must be recognized and dealt with. Ignoring bullying reports is negligent and shouldn't be tolerated. But, honest problems are undercut whenever people inadvertently (or intentionally) make thin, or false claims. This aspect of the bullying issue can't be denied and represents one of the more challenging aspects to an already complex topic.  

Time will be needed before our society can come to grips with what has come to be referred to as "bullying". Everyone who cares about solutions and honesty will remain open-minded and flexible as they  relentlessly pursue justice for true victims and don't back down from those occasions where education about this issue is warranted.  


Bulling: Responses and Solutions - Part 1

1. Listen to what people are saying

Never disregard what anyone (child, or adult) reports about this topic. If someone says that bullying has taken place, pass no initial judgments. Yes, you will have to make some type of decision in these instance. But, initially you need to be compassionate and start to gather facts.

2. Ask, but don't interrogate

It's very challenging to be the victim of bullying and then have to prove it through verbal explanations. No one is capable of being objective about himself, or herself, which can make relaying this type of information very hard. 

Be gentle when you ask someone questions about the incident(s). It probably won't be a linear conversation and you need to be prepared for that.

3. Seek outside help in every instance if you are the victim, or if you are the one who is receiving a report about bullying

Victims: Never keep this topic to yourself. Talk to a trusted individual about this matter, or about any other matter that's of importance to you, as soon as possible. You are never alone and defending yourself is your right.

Report Receivers: Don't feel that you must solve the problem on your own. Regardless of your own experience level in handling these issues, asking other people (be they family members, co-workers, etc.) for assistance in responding to these situations is strongly advisable. 


Bulling: Responses and Solutions - Part 2

4. We must try to NEVER undercut this serious issue by falsely labeling all issues as "bullying". 

Confront the "bully" only after hard evidence has been confirmed. Be completely aware of resulting legal consequences if you make the decision to also confront the family/guardian of the "bully" based on thin, or non-existent evidence.

In the United States we are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. Some of the hysteria surrounding this issue labels people as guilty based purely on what someone, or some group of people claim to be true. Issues connected to underdeveloped minds and overly sensitive personalities are being mixed with this issue because many of these situations involve children reporting other children. 

5. Recognize that not all people can be saved and that the human behavior is not something to legislate, or to be forced into becoming whatever your personal ideology makes you believe it should be. 

6. Continue to educate yourself by seeking information from other parents, trusted friends, religious personnel, law enforcement, educators, children and through other legitimate sources of research on this matter. (For example, this blog post doesn't count as a legitimate, or final source of information. It represents my opinion.)

Legitimate sources of information would not be connected to a slanted political view (either left, or right), or one that is favorable to making institutional devices stronger. Legitimate sources will be easily seen as protecting the best interests of all true victims and by not turning innocent parties into villains. 

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