New Year 2010

It is that time once again that we traditionally shrug off the previous 12 months and put on new hope and change for the new year. So, this being another one of my more consistent continual hockey weblog series, I am going to list here what I have learned from this year as well as listing things that I hope I can change in the near future.

What I Learned in 2009
• Since the explosion of weblogs, it is getting harder and harder to overcome the noise and grab reader attention from blogs that are sponsored by sports teams and major media companies.
• Hockey is slowly returning to mainstream popularity as long as it continues to push in the right directions.
• Canada consistently provides better news coverage of hockey events and knowledgeable punditry worth listening to.
• It's tough to maintain a blog when the writer no longer has access to stories the way the press does.
• The efforts of trying to get a new multi-purpose sporting event center to replace the aging (but stoic) Mellon Arena downtown is wrought with red tape and bureaucracy.
• The NHL Winter Classic looks ridiculous in a baseball stadium.
• Playing video game hockey online can be a frustrating thing especially when it is infested with 14 and under who not only don't care for the "honor code" but exploit the glitches in the game to subvert any fair play.

Resolutions 2009
1. The resolutions made for 2009 are still resolvable.
2. I resolve to pay more attention to Western Conference teams regarding news stories as well as other blog stories.
3. I reaffirm my commitment to building a hockey weblog that provides cutting edge content as well as feature unique blog ideas.
4. I resolve to become more provocative in my blog entries as to encourage more comments and much desired feedback.
5. I resolve to refrain from using sportswriter cliches like "Cancer in the locker room."