End of an Era

Well, I got a sad email today from Jes Golbez, one of the first and finest hockey bloggers out there.

He has announced that after 4+ years of hockey blogging, first on his great site Hockey Rants, as well as on The Sidney Crosby Show and as an excellent antagonizer of Americans on the AOL Fanhouse, he will be stepping away from hockey blogging to just enjoy the hockey season as a fan.

By way of tribute, I'll say that Jes was the first person I emailed when I considered starting this hockey blog, and I'll reprint the first email I sent him along with his detailed response.

From Ritch Duncan
to golbez
date Wed, May 3, 2006 at 1:44 PM

Hi Jes, my name is Ritch Duncan, and I'm a New York based,
Massachusetts raised comedian and writer that started my own hockey
blog a couple of weeks ago-

http://americanhockeyfan.blogspot.com

The focus of my thing is generally to write knowledgeably about
hockey, but being entertaining and funny is more important to me than
being taken seriously as a hockey journalist. Anyway, I've been
exploring the world of hockey blogging, and as I'm sure you know, it's
a pretty dense jungle.

Still, as I've been clicking around, It seems like you are one of the
best on the scene in terms of regular updates, a sense of humor, an
alternative perspective and actual chops in terms of knowing the game
and the people in it.

So I guess what I'm saying is, could you give the site a look, and if
you like it, maybe give a brother a tip or two?

Are there sites that I should be linking?
Are there places to register it?
Are there people out there who are doing the same thing as me, and am
I stepping on toes?

I mean, I know it's the internet and I can do whatever I want, but it
seems to me to make good sense to at least check in with those who I
perceive to be doing it right.

Any response at all would be much appreciated, and if I'm out of line
in asking, I truly apologize- I really don't know the etiquette here-

Keep up the good work and enjoy the rest of the playoffs,

Ritch

Now keep in mind, I don't know this guy, and less than two hours later, he sends me back this line by line response:

5/3/06
Jes Gölbez
to me

Ritch,

See my comments *** Inserted below


Anyway, I've been exploring the world of hockey blogging, and as I'm sure you know, it's
a pretty dense jungle.

** I wouldn't say that. Hockey blogging is nothing compared to the other major American sports. There is a lot of room out there for other blogs. **

Are there people out there who are doing the same thing as me, and am
I stepping on toes?

** A blog is a personal space. You can write whatever you want about whomever you want. As long as you aren't plagiarizing or failing to give credit, you'll be fine. Don't be afraid of toe-stepping or pissing people off.

It's a very good idea to exchange links with other sites. If you add your link and they add yours, you'll get cross-traffic, etc etc...most of my traffic comes through word-of-mouth or from other hockey blogs. Send some emails to other blog owners and try to get link exchanges. Most bloggers are pretty good with it. I can add your link to my sidebar if you do the same. Also, please add my Sidney Crosby site ( sidcrosby.blogspot.com) since that's my 'brother' site.

The biggest sites among hockey bloggers are Off Wing (www.offwing.com) and James Mirtle's site ( mirtle.blogspot.com). The Acid Queen is cool, and she'll do a link exchange if you ask. bergmanscores.blogspot.com is also a great site run by an Evil Swede.**

** Registering... it's a great idea to register your blog on www.hockeyblogs.org, plus a few other blogsites and directories like blogwise, yahoo, etc...I've done very little self promotion since I started the blog out. Trust me...anything you can register on to get a few more links here or there isn't a bad thing.
Also, comment on other people's blogs. Don't advertise your site in the actual comment, but just comment and a few people are bound to click your webpage (which is usually given in the comment section when you give your name, email, etc) and you'll get your name about. **

Any response at all would be much appreciated, and if I'm out of line
in asking, I truly apologize- I really don't know the ettiquette here-

** Well, there really isn't a general etiquette but you aren't telling me to Fuck off or asking me for money, so that's a start J. Asking questions is not a bad thing. The most import ant thing is to link/footnote anything you take/quote from another site. **

*One last tip: Try and participate in the HOCKEY BLOG CARNIVALS. It's a semi-regular event where one site hosts a 'carnival' and has links to other blogs pertaining to a theme. I don't know when the next one is, but it's usually advertised on Off Wing's site. Send in a post you think fits the carnival and it helps you get noticed *

--
Best Regards,

Jes Gölbez

That, ladies and gentlemen, is a goddamn class act, a good guy, a passionate hockey fan, and one of the founding fathers of hockey blogging as we know it today.

There may have been several who came before him, but damn few who did it better.

All of here at American Hockey Fan are on our feet and banging the boards with our online sticks in salute of him today.

Good on ya, Jes- thanks for everything.