On working in #sportsbiz

The hardest thing about working in the sports industry is breaking in. There are a ton of blogs that tell that tale, so I will skip over that part of my experience. All you need to know is that I worked hard in multiple internships and contracts in the media industry, from newspapers to live sports broadcast production to earning my communications stripes through volunteer non-profit positions. The only internship I didn't do was one with a sports team, which would've been an asset, but as my other jobs put me in direct contact with team executives, I learned a fair bit about the inner workings of a sport organization through observation and interaction.

When I landed the Director of Media Relations position with the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs, I was both surprised and relieved. I was surprised not because I wasn't confident about my skills, but because I had interviewed for several sport communications positions in the past few years and never gotten that call. This position was a more senior role than those I had previously applied for, and though I knew I had rocked the interview, I still was apprehensive at my chances. But my hard work and persistence paid off, and I was hired.

Whether it was a case of "right place, right time" or simply because it was my time does not matter. I got in. Finally.

That's when I discovered the second hardest thing about working in the sports industry. The chaos and fatigue of working long days (and nights). I had known that this was the reality in this type of work - and in all media work, actually - but living it in this scenario felt different. Plus, if you're a perfectionist like me, that also means a lot of sleepless nights worrying about how to get things better organized so that you can do the best job you are able to do.

Needless to say, when I was let go in June after a tough season jam-packed with major events and new promotions, I was shocked. I felt like I was still recovering from the past season, and well on my way to setting up the next season so that it would be far less chaotic. I was also hurt and confused. I felt like I had sacrificed so much to finally get my shot at rocking the sports media world and was cut short from doing truly awesome things with the team.

I later discovered that my dismissal was but one element of a major summer restructuring plan, and that I hadn't done anything "wrong". But as anyone who has been laid off can tell you, that doesn't make you feel any better.

My world was a mess. I didn't know what I was doing and where I was going. Eventually, I found out that the remaining executives still thought I was awesome and that my work was brilliant. My work ethic was exemplary, my ideas were awesome, and my strategies and execution were innovative and exceptional. That helped to lessen the blow. But I still felt like I had been stranded on a deserted island, with food and escape routes dangling just out of my reach.

I did what any smart young adult would do. I cut my losses - and my expenses - and went back into student mode. After all, I still had a Master's thesis to write. And as anyone who has worked full-time in sport communications can tell you, I didn't really have any spare time while I was with the Bulldogs. I therefore wasn't able to meet my lofty goal of finishing my thesis while I worked.

And now, I feel like I am back at square one, struggling to get a chance to prove my worth in the sports industry. No experience is ever wasted, to be sure, and holding a senior position in a professional sport organization, however brief that experience was, will certainly help me in my next endeavor. 

But frankly, I thought we'd done this already. I thought we were finally past this point. 

But in my passion and excitement, I had forgotten that the sports industry is volatile and so much of its stability depends on the attitudes of owners, commissioners, and yes, even fans. It is unfortunate that after all these years of pro sports development, its employees are still the ones with the most to lose, especially since having a well-rounded, experienced, passionate and dedicated team of staffers is key to ensuring a team's success in failing markets. After all, you can have the best players in the league, but if no one knows they're there, who's going to buy tickets? Ads? Merchandise?

It may be true that without athletes, there is no professional sports industry. But it takes a committed core group of employees to make it successful.

And so, it's a shame that breaking in to the sports industry remains the hardest thing about working in the sports industry, even for experienced professionals. Whether you've got one year under your belt or 20 years of experience in various positions and markets, this experience has taught me that you are never safe. 

But maybe this is the hardest thing about working in the sports industry. You never can never truly be comforted that your investment is safe and will yield high returns, or any returns at all. And that's why so many of us sail our boats away from the isolated island that is pro sports, searching for more stable waters. A long, fruitful career in the sports industry - in any industry these days, really - is no longer a given, once you've proven your worth. 

And I'm starting to wonder if perhaps it's time for me to sail away as well.

On Reading Week

Good news, everyone!

Reading Break has left me feeling more calm and collected than I have in months! And this more relaxed "ME" comes at the right time since March is going to be an absolute whirlwind of school writing, class presentations and paper drafting. Upcoming deadlines include leading a class discussion on March 3, and a research summary due on the same day, a class presentation on March 14, a first draft of a paper due on March 30 and another due on March 31.

And then in April, I've got papers due on April 8, April 11, and mid-month (flexible deadline). In other words, except for coming up for occasional breaths of fresh air, don't expect to see me out and about until past my birthday. At least the whole "Well, I've got to eat at some point!" reasoning will come in handy in terms of scheduling compulsory breaks. That and the aquafit classes that I've built-in to my schedule.

Thankfully, this past week has allowed to me get a good chunk of everyday class work and advance research and sourcing done before the deadline crunch really hits me. Surprisingly, instead of getting increasingly stressed as time went by and I wasn't able to meet my stringent self-imposed deadlines, I actually felt myself relaxing. How can I tell? Well, my chronic wrist pain has mostly dissipated and my posture feels less tense, despite basically sitting all week.

There are two or three events that I've committed to, despite my heavy schedule, and I'm sure they will be welcome distractions - and good for forcing me to get work done under pressure. Apart from an upcoming quickie Toronto weekend with the family, I'm also heading back to Montreal to catch a Habs game in March. Plus, there's the Limestone New Media Group meetup in March at my favourite Kingston restaurant, The Tango that I will most certainly be attending, provided I don't have a deadline the next day. The lovely group of people who actively participate in @lnmg activities have become my core of friends in this city, and I absolutely love them. Can't leave them hanging, now can I?

And on that note, back to class-assigned readings and longing for the summer months, when I will be able to expand my "currently reading" bookshelf to include non-academic literature. The sunshine and springtime can't come soon enough!

On portfolios

Not only did I finish re-working my CV/Resume this weekend, I also (finally) put my extended demo reel up on YouTube.

This is the demo I created just over a year ago as I was applying to certain journalism jobs. I had just discovered that my external hard drive, which I thought was safely in a friend's possession, had been stolen when her apartment was broken in to about a year before that. That hard drive not only contained my only high-quality copies of all the broadcast work I had done throughout school, it also had all the raw import footage I had captured. The plan, of course, was that some of this raw footage could be re-purposed for other works, like, for example, a demo reel.

Working under a time crunch, I found the next best thing. Our TV shows were consistently uploaded to YouTube by the department, so I entrepreneurially downloaded the pre-edited, pre-produced footage of each and every published show I had worked on and tried to make that work.

The end result, if I do say so myself, is pretty good! For my techies out there, the pre-packaged footage was shot on PD-170s (SD) and edited with Final Cut Pro. The demo reel itself was edited using Adobe Premiere. Any and all feedback is appreciated.

Enjoy!!

Only the Lonely

I had an absolutely wonderful weekend.

A bunch of my friends and fellow Habs fans from various places in North America congregated to Montreal so we could all enjoy a couple of days of hockey, friendship and good food.

And it was fabulous. From the tunes on Friday night, to hockey pool picks on Saturday afternoon, to a delicious Italian dinner and, of course, Habs vs. Rangers at the Bell Centre at 7pm, we all had a ball.

And now, I'm sad.

I'm sad because my friends have left town and this city I call home feels a little bit colder now that they're gone. Even on this beautiful sunny Sunday with its crisp autumn air (and winds gusting up to 50km/h!!), I felt lonelier than on those previous bone-chilling, wet, rainy days.

With all the turbulence in my friendships in recent times, from those that ended because of lack of commitment or a misunderstanding, to those that turned out to be less substantial than I thought they were, to the one-sided friendships, and the relationships that have become simply friendships... Well, it's sure been a lot to take in. I have learned a lot, grown from my experience, and am ready to move on.

But having all these wonderful people around for the past couple of days, real friends, who care about you in the good times and the bad, who check up on you even with an email or chat, who only see you once a year yet know you so well...

These are the friendships I cherish the most. These are the friendships I am so blessed to have. These are the friendships that leave a void. These are the friendships that only the lonely know.

(Incidentally, you can read the excellent Habs-related rants and raves of one of my aforementioned friends at The H does NOT stand for Habs).

Has it really been that long?

Once again, though I promised myself I would update my blog more regularly, I somehow managed to go without creating a new post for a whole month! This is despite adding it to my "TO DO" list on a regular basis.

Proof that sometimes, life happens.

The World Partnership Walk was a complete success by all standards: The on-stage entertainment was spectacular, from the MCs to the dancers and musical performances. We finally got our cake - to celebrate the 25th anniversary - and ate it too!

In terms of media, the Walk garnered lots of media attention. I did an in-studio LCN interview on the morning of the Walk, which attracted a reporter from Radio-Canada Première Chaîne, a reporter from Quartier Libre, an alternative publication from Université de Montréal, and a photographer from Le Devoir. We also had pre-Walk coverage from CPAM and CJAD. All in all, that's pretty good coverage, especially when compared to the previous years.

The turnout was exceptional too... Over 2,500 people attended the Walk in 2009, which is more than ever. By comparison, the 2008 Walk only drew 1,500 attendees. Montreal not only met its fundraising goal, it surpassed it by at least 60K! We raised over $200,000 on Walk Day.

After the Walk, I went on vacation to Kingston for about 10 days. Didn't spend much time in Kingston though. Instead, we went to Toronto for a few days, to Canada's Wonderland and the Toronto Metro Zoo. What fun times!! The rides were awesome, and the animals were adorable. Plus, I got to meet a few new cool people.

We also went canoeing on Gould Lake and had an island picnic, did a little roadtrip to the Sandbanks' Dunes Beach for a hot steamy day of sand, tan and splash... Here, we spent some time in the water tossing around the Frisbee and tiny little fish would approach us and bite our toes! It actually felt really nice... like a well deserved foot rub! But even better, when we were still for a while, a larger fish (possibly a steelhead trout?) came swimming around our legs. First one, then another, and another and all of a sudden, there were dozens! The best part, for me anyway, was this fish swimming up to me cautiously, then swimming through my legs, brushing my left leg a bit, then getting freaked out and hurrying through... then coming back alongside the other leg and brushing that one too!! It was absolutely awesome!

One of our other roadtrips took us to Carleton Place on the outskirts of Ottawa, where we had a delicious dinner with yet another fantastic couple. In fact, this trip was full of little excursions, new discoveries - both on the road and at our various destinations, and, most importantly, I got to meet lots of great new people. Yes, I would say I've made new friends :)

Back from Kingston and back to real life... I went straight to the World Partnership Walk Montreal post-mortem meeting, and then returned to my daily routine of translating, applying for various broadcast, new media, marketing or communications jobs.

Then this weekend, I attended the 2009 NHL Entry Draft in my hometown, Montreal. What a blast! I met some more great people - though not at length because of my back to back scheduling - and enjoyed the whole experience, overall. Of course, the night was a bit long at times, especially since the first few picks went exactly as expected and Montreal was only picking 18th. Lucky for me, I was able to meet up with some of the folks I traditionally work with at Bell Centre events and catch up on the past few months. That was definitely a thrill, as was meeting the Habs' first rounder pick, Louis Leblanc in front of the Sheraton Hotel later that night.

Did I mention the TweetUp? The organizers of the NHL Draft Tweet Up are exceptionally talented... Even though I didn't attend the second day of the event - gotta have a lazy day every now and then! - I've got nothing but praize and thanks to offer. Thanks to their great organizational skills, the NHL sponsored the event by offering 50 complimentary Draft tickets (valid for Friday and Saturday), which is how I ended up there in the first place!

In summary, it's been a pretty hectic month... especially when I got the news that I was GOING TO AFRICA!

That's right, folks! A the end of July, I will be taking a 17h flight to Nairobi, Kenya to participate in the Aga Khan Foundation Canada Awareness trip. Basically, the Foundation selects certain people that they think could benefit from the experience of seeing AKFC-sponsored projects first-hand, obviously to help further the cause by acting as its ambassadors. I was chosen because of my involvement with the World Partnership Walk. And as you should know by now, 100% of the profits from the Walk go straight to these AKFC projects, which means that I'm paying my own way all the way. It'll set me back a cool $5,000 but given the cost of doing this kind of voyage on my own, there is absolutely no reason why I shouldn't participate in this programme.

We will be spending a few days in Nairobi and some in Mombassa, and the fact that we're travelling in groups and with local guides will help ensure our safety throughout the trip. I can't wait to see all these places for myself, experience the sometimes troubled culture of East Africa, and hang out close to where my mom's side of the family used to live. Plus, I'll probably get to see some pretty cool creatures in their natural environments. Overall, it'll be an excellent learning experience, no matter what I choose to do with the rest of my life. If anything, it'll help me better understand a different demographic of the world... and who can argue with the benefits of that?

Of course, I will take lots of great pictures and keep a journal so I won't forget to update you.

Stay tuned...

Training Camp: Day 2

For me, day 2 of the Habs training camp started at 1pm, not the advertised 11am. Despite my lateness, I still caught a fair amount of play, and I tried to catch up on those players who I'd missed yesterday.

Once again, I've come up with one-liners... I didn't get to see Saku Koivu, Georges Laraque or Olivier Fortier (F) at all this weekend, and I missed most of Price's performance today. Koivu sat out to rest his foot and Laraque apparently has a bit of a pull in the groin. I also didn't get much on Conrad Martin (D), Mike Glumac (F). You won't find anything on them here; I guess they don't stand out.

Here goes...

Pavel Valentenko (D) - Has a strong shot and makes strong, clean passes. He really understands the game and gets what's happening and what is going to happen. His skating is definitely up to par. Sometimes indecisive when bringing the puck up through the neutral zone.

Matt D'Agostini (F) -Looks ready for the big leagues. He's got speed and is aggressive when he needs to be. Presses the opposition well. Good puck handling and smart shooting.

Mathieu Dandenault (D/F) - Looking in tip top shape with good point action and comfortable speeding up with younger forwards.

Marc Denis (G) - Apart from being a good goalie in general, he sees the rebounds really well and has no trouble controlling them.

Brock Trotter (F) - Looks smarter in play than in drills. Solid all around... The type of player that's good at everything but not excellent at anything in particular.

Cedrick Desjardins (G) - Not bad stick handling behind the net, but definitely no Price. He's got good rebound control and easily re-directs them where he wants them to go.

Ryan O'Byrne (D) - Looks solid and very aware of what's happening. He's playing smarter, it seems, and is not as overly aggressive as before... Which is a good thing.

P.K. Subban (D) - Smart at the blue line, good with split-second thinking. Killer point shot.

Christopher Higgins (F) - Rushed the net and scored in the confusion. He seems smarter, tougher and more full of energy and will not to give up on plays. Has unexpected bursts of speed that are mostly yet unseen. Looks great playing with D'Agostini.

Sergei Kostitsyn (F) - Scored on a breakaway thanks to a pass from Tomas Plekanec, while legally cherry picking, one of the many times he tried. Had 3 consecutive breakaways (including the aforementioned one). Knows how to use the body in order to steal the puck and then gets away easily thanks to his speed.

Ryan Flinn (F) - Looks better in play. You can see his experience. Still, won't make it higher than Hamilton.

Gregory Stewart (F) - Has a viable chance of making the team. He would look great on the fourth line, but has enough skill, will and potential to be so much more. Good speed, thinking, and passing, in both ends.

Chad Anderson (F) - Also better in play than in drills. Knows where to be and looks around quickly before deciding on the correct course of action.

Ryan Russel (F) - Good speed, decent positioning, but seems unsure at times of where he should be.

Maxime Lapierre (F) - Good positioning in front of the net and defensively. Passing has definitely improved... tape to tape most of the time. Seems smarter so far than last year, and faster too.

Steve Begin (F) - Ready to rock and roll and have fun doing it. The Beg we all know and love is back.

Yanick Lehoux (F) - Is speedy, sees the ice well under pressure. Excellent passing and positioning.

Patrice Brisebois (D) - Same as always. Speedy at times. Still decent positioning, which keeps him out of trouble most of the time.

Robert Mayer (G) - Young but solid. Knows when to get into the butterfly position. Great in a crowd. He does need to work on his 5-hole when he's down. Seems to just know how the puck is going to bounce.

Loic Lacasse (G) - Quick on his feet. Made a nice long cross ice pass - very Price like.

Kyle Chipchura (F) - Needs to work on his passing while in movement. He's good when he has to be, but might be over thinking. Not aggressive enough when he has the puck. Seems confused, and out of it.

Mathieu Carle (D) - Seems a bit uncertain when stuck in the defensive zone, mostly in front of the net, where he seems to have trouble playing the man if the opposing player is aggressive.

Tom Kostopoulos (F) - He's ready to step out of his goon-only role and get more involved with the play. Handles the puck well, better than last season, it seems.

Roman Hamrlik (D) Solid, as usual. Lets O'Byrne take the lead but is always there and always ready.

Some random notes...

The Tanguay-Maxwell-Pacioretty line is a great combination. Tanguay looks really comfortable playing with young speedy guys.

Begin- Lapierre -Dandenault with O'Byrne and Hamrlik works really well. They have good positioning and communication, and the passing is excellent. Seems like a viable combo.

Lang - G. Latendresse - Kovalev is a line that takes some getting used to. At first, Latendresse seemed like a little bit of dead weight because it takes him so long to get into position if his linemates break off. However, when he is at the right spot, there is a whole lot of chemistry. Sometimes Latendresse tries to stick handle a bit more than we'd like, but it seems to work well. When this line was on the ice with Markov and Komisarek, the crowd was going nuts. Also noteworthy, Kovalev seems to talk to Latendresse a lot, pushing him to push himself on the ice.

A. Kostitsyn - Plecanek - S. Kostitsyn also had the crowd on their feet. They have so much talent and so much spark, but they need to work on their communication a bit more. They're a very fluid line, constantly moving across the ice. This combination is so full of energy and potential and just about ready to burst.

I have a feeling that not only will Chipchura not make the team this year, he never will. He'll be traded soon. Why? Well, last year it seemed that he was satisfied just to have made it through the cuts. To be playing in the NHL, as was his goal. When he got sent down to Hamilton, he could have stepped up as a leader while Ajay Baines was out with an injury, but he didn't. It's almost like he had no motivation to be better. This year, it's like something inside of him has died. He has no drive, he doesn't care. When he's on the ice, it almost seems like he doesn't want to be there. I hope he figures out what's bothering him and steps up and finds a place on the team, or that he gets traded and gets his spark back.

Well, that's it for my scouting report for now!

Stay tuned for more Habs goodies...

Training Camp: Day 1

Hockey season is upon us once again. And I am extremely ecstatic about it!

I attended Day 1 of training camp today, at the Pierrefonds Sportsplexe. It was, indeed, open to the public, which is not usually the case for Day 1. Usually the open practices at Pierrefonds happen later on during camp, starting on a Friday and ending on Sunday.

Instead of writing a long long paragraph about my overall impressions on each player, I decided that I would take quick notes on the guys on the ice and share them with all of you.
I watched Groups A and B - which means I missed out on Group C and Saku Koivu, Christopher Higgins, Ryan O'Byrne, Georges Laraque and other storied names.

So here goes...

Keep in mind: there were only drills today, no matches.

Group A:

Shawn Belle (D) - I was really impressed by Belle. He's strong and fast and has good hands. Definitely noticeable on the ice, and not because of his skin colour ;)

Josh Gorges (D) - Solid as usual... Nothing new to report, nothing old to report.

Yannick Weber (D) - A bit weak at times, needs to work on anticipating plays, but has soft hands when he wants to.

Robert Lang (F) - Looked easy going, comfortable on the ice... At first, wasn't pushing too hard but seems to be a highly intuitive player, with creative passing, which includes a good use of the boards.

Alex Kovalev (F) - Got right back into it, so ready for the season to start... Hands are soft as ever.

Alex Henry (D) - Always gave a second effort, but needs a lot of work.

Tom Kostopoulos (F) - So full of energy... I think he can be a real player this season. He's already working hard, and looks ready to start pounding the opposition.

Ryan White (F) - Solid top shelf shot. He'll definitely be a leader in Hamilton this season. His shot is pretty hard, but he needs to think faster in sticky situations, ie behind the net.

Guillaume Latendresse (F) - Trying hard but I'm not sure it'll be enough. Still needs to work on his speed. Basically, the same Gui we all know.

Loic Lacasse (G) - Wow. Impressive. He sees the puck very well, has good, quick reflexes and is very intuitive. He has good composure and looks solid in nets.

Carey Price (G) - Good reflexes/reaction time. He's much quicker on his feet and faster reaching with his stick.

Olivier Latendresse (F) - He's strong and aggressive in front of the net. Needs to work on skating backwards. Thinks well in offensive and even defensive situations, but doesn't react well in 1-on-1s.

Mathieu Aubin (F) - Plays the man well, has good speed and positioning.

Kyle Chipchura (F) - A way different player from last year. He's not into it at all. Needs to work on skating backwards. Still thinks well, but doesn't read the play well in 1-on-1s.

Brock Trotter (F) - Good positioning. Is missing that spark that really gets you noticed, but is a hard worker and seems to provide a solid, constant effort. Should fit in well in Hamilton.

Gregory Stewart (F) -A strong player with good passing. He thinks and sees the play well, but needs to get more involved at times in defensive play.

Group B

Andrei Markov (D) - Looked decent. Not in season shape yet. Mostly going through the motions, even seeming bored at times. Will probably have a slow start to the season if he doesn't pick it up soon.

Benjamin Maxwell (F) - Good hands. His shots are clean and he gives a second effort. Definitely a finisher.

Mathieu Carle (D) -Very impressive. One of my favourite guys to watch so far at camp. He aims well, has a strong shot and is a good forward skater. He's got those seeing-eye passes. He should be the number 1 D in Hamilton and the first to be called up to the big league.

Chad Anderson (D) - Good backwards speed, but sometimes commits to the play too soon in a 2-on-1 situation. He's pretty good defensively in the zone, and has good positioning.

Tomas Plekanec (F) - Hasn't lost his spark at all. Looks like he never stopped for the summer. He knows how to pace himself though, giving a solid effort when needed and relaxing when not. Will, once again, be great.

Mike Komisarek (D) - Strong skating from Mike. Looks his opponent right in the eyes... with a freakish amount of intensity. He is ready to be fantastic and was very focused throughout practice.

David Deharnais (F) - Impressive, just like last year. He has a solid shot and good hands. Knows how to deke, and when not to. He's small but smart - reminiscent of Koivu.

Sergei Kostitsyn (F) - As fast as ever. The finesse is still there, as is the intensity and grit.

Alex Tangay (F) - He's got really soft hands. He sees the plays well, knows how to make those key passes in front of the net. Also has an uncanny ability to find the holes in the goalie's stance... and hits net more often than not.

Ryan Flinn (F) - Was very average. Didn't stand out much, but has good positioning. He should be a good veteran in Hamilton.

Max Pacioretty (F) - Consistently made good clean shots, but needs to work on passing - both making them and receiving them, especially in motion. He doesn't seem to like passing very much, in fact. He has good speed and nice hands, but doesn't seem to be able to finish when chooses to deke.

Thomas Beauregard (F) - Needs to work on his aim. He's got strength but only average to poor skating... Much like Guillaume Latendresse. Also has trouble staying up to speed when skating backwards.

James T. Wyman (F) - An average skater, with an average shot. The kind of player you don't dislike, but don't necessarily like either because he doesn't stand out positively or negatively.

Cedrick Desjardins (G) - Has solid positioning. Makes the key saves and sees well when his net is crowded.

Jaroslav Halak (G) - Needs to work on cross-crease movement when he's doing the splits. Looks a little slow and out of practice, and didn't seem to be focused enough.

And now, some random observations:

- Carey Price was wearing white pads again. In fact, the only goalie I saw with a bit more colour than white with some accents was Lacasse.
- Ryan Flinn had some kick ass facial hair
- The Plekanec - Kostitsyn x2 line looks like it's ready to take over the league... They're sparking and sparkling!
- Plekanec and Andrei Kostitsyn had a nice little 2 on 1 with Pleky in D... Andrei roughed him up a bit but they laughed about it later... That's good chemistry!
- Halak was being really hard on himself... I wonder if he's sick or injured, or just out of it. Personal issues, perhaps?
- Similarly, Markov didn't look like his head was all there... though it got better as we went along.

Looking forward to intersquad matches tomorrow... if I can make it!

Stay tuned...

Round 1 in Toronto

Well, Round 1 is over and Round 2 is underway. And I'm still in Toronto! Which is to be expected, and a good thing really. Except that I'm really starting to miss the euphoria and Habs fever of Montreal. Not to mention their weather, which has been considerably more sunny than Toronto ever since that snowstorm period in early April.

As for the job itself, I definitely settled into it. It's really cool to learn all about the different technologies, from the audio mixer to video switcher, EVS machines and a bunch of other stuff like tape archiving, etc. I think my internship at Sportsnet last summer definitely better prepared me for this job, because I at least had some idea of how a studio show and production studio works. Those rows of big yellow tapes in Sports Archives on the second basement didn't scare me!

In a way, I find studio production to be much more hectic in the control room than in a truck. I guess the truck is hectic in a different way. Even though Control Room 42 basically only produces the studio segments and related VTR items, when they're on, it's crazy. And I love it.

My only problem is trying to sleep after a show... All I hear is "roll Silver, cut Silver, mix to Blue" etc etc.

I've learned so much just from observing and listening, and I'm glad that the Hockey Night in Canada family is so open and friendly. Not that I was expecting anything different, but it's nice to be able to ask just about any production related question and get a real answer. You just have to know when to ask and when to just be silent.

Anyway, instead of boring you with more TV observations, I thought I'd try something different. Here's a summary of my time in Toronto from the moment I got to the airport in Montreal until the beginning of Round 2, through facebook.

Enjoy!

PS: The (m) is for mobile update. And it's in reverse time order, by date.

April 5

Naila is in transit. (m) 12:02pm

Naila is in Toronto, ready for her big debut! (m)3:49pm

April 6

Naila thought watching broadcast schedule making was awesome. So hectic. So worth it. (m) 11:02pm

Naila really enjoys the fact that if you miss the subway in Toronto it only takes 2 mins for the next one to show up. Even on weekends. (m)5:33pm

Naila loves that country is the music of choice at her homestay. 11:26am

Naila thoroughly enjoyed work today. 1:57am

April 7

Naila actually got home before 1 am! Impressive! (m) 11:13pm

Naila votes P.J. Stock for superstar of the day!That's 4 straight hours of radio,then 20 mins of TV. 6:32pm

Naila will try to read Total Stanley Cup today. 9:17am

Naila hopes the Habs give her a Bday present for Game 1. 12:34am

April 8

Naila might be getting a cold. Oh well. Even the best fall down sometimes. 9:20pm

Naila feels like today was longer than any other day, but in fact, it was 2h shorter! (m) 8:12pm

Naila can't wait for early meal break! (m) 2:23pm

Naila loves College station because of its beautiful hockey-related murals. (m) 10:46am

Naila couldn't sleep past 7:45. Silly brain. 8:37am

April 9

Naila keeps forgetting she can't get out from Front Street at this time! (m) 11:42pm

Naila just flashed back to last summer... another example of the love-hate relationship between trams and bikes. (m) 2:06pm

Naila just realized that people in Toronto who are not hockey fans think HNIC goes off the air onge the Leafs' season is over. (m) 11:57am

Naila totally is sick. But have no fear! Advil Cold & Sinus is here! 9:50am

April 10

Naila has had the best birthday ever and received an abundance of love and gifts, including the Habs' victory and a promise of a ticket to Vancouver from my dad! 10:36pm

Naila is excited for Ryan's graduation ceremony!(m)12:47pm

Naila has landed in her hometown. (m)10:00am

Naila couldn't sleep, with Ron and Don and Control Room 42 in her ear all night! (m) 7:12am

Naila is kinda impressed that facebook wished her a happy birthday! 12:28am

April 11

Naila has a papercut in the middle of her right index finger. What inconvenient placement! (m) 1:29pm

Naila is so very happy :).

9:27am

April 12

Naila can't believe how loud the Bell Centre is... and that's just on TV! (m) 8:28pm

Naila had a wonderful 2 days in Montreal and will definitely miss Habs fever! (m)10:44am

Naila is flying! (m) 8:09am

Naila feels totally blessed. 12:54am

April 13

Naila loves all these End of Year pics.5:29pm

Naila wonders how she got a bruise in the middle of her right cheek bum. (m) 2:24pm

Naila was looking at Olympic dates and just realized she didn't have to worry about starting school! (m) 11:54am

Naila loves. 10:29am

Naila is glad her prediction for tonight turned out to be wrong. 1:05am

April 14

Naila realizes how much she really does miss playing hockey after watching it day in and day out. 8:38pm

Naila loves her uncanny ability to cut or bruise herself on just about anything. (m) 1:12pm

Naila is glad it isn't as cold as it was supposed to be today. 11:05am

Naila apologizes. 1:02am

Naila was impressed by stellar performances by both early game goalies tonight. Not so much in Calgary. 12:28am

April 15

Naila is so happy for her boys!! (m) 10:36pm

Naila is having hockey related heart attacks! (m) 8:24pm

Naila just saw 2 random guys walking down King street in Habs jerseys. Oh yeah! (m) 3:06pm

Naila is sorta comforted at the fact that the subway fails in Toronto too... but why did it have to happen to me? (m)12:13pm

Naila will rock you. 10:00am

April 16

Naila wrote half her paper in shorthand on the subway ride in to work this morning. 2:23pm

Naila just saw a butterfly crossing the street!(m) 11:34am

Naila is ready for flip flops. 10:17am

Naila enjoys the luxuries in life... like having lunch with Lindsay! 12:09am

April 17

Naila thought that was pretty depressing. (m) 9:47pm

Naila has heart palpitations again! (m) 7:50pm

Naila has decided today is a HUG day. Any and all hugs will be accepted. 10:17am

Naila had fun learning a bunch of new things tonight. (m) 12:24am

April 18

Naila thinks these seagulls or wtv they're called sound like whining babies. Also, yey! sun! 2:24pm

Naila always forgets how different it feels to walk in flip-flop like sandals.11:56am

Naila is excited to hang out with Ryan tonight!!! :D. 10:38am

Naila is sad that her aunt who she hasn't seen in 11 years is in Montreal, and she's not :(. (m) 12:25am

April 19

Naila brought the flowers Ryan got her to the craft room. Now it smells exotic in there. 3:03pm

Naila had a blast hanging out with Ryan and work friends last night. 9:42am

April 20

Naila has decided she's pretty decent looking. (m) 11:20pm

Naila had amazing cake at work today. 7:02pm

Naila really has to get cracking on this act of citizenship assignment. 10:31am

Naila has too much pent-up frustration (not Habs related), but she wishes she'd punched something softer than an elevator mirror. 12:29am

April 21

Naila still can't stop smiling!! 11:29pm

Naila just can't believe it!! GO HABS GO!! (m) 10:22pm

Naila just saw Peter Mansbridge walking around level 4 of the CBC building. (m) 4:23pm

Naila thinks her paper is almost done. 2:42pm

Naila will have to finish this thing at work today. 11:01am

Naila needs to finish this essay. 1:05am

April 22

Naila is hanging out. 7:56pm

Naila saw a girl in a Habs smile Tshirt sitting on a bench in downtown Toronto... And then a guy in a Habs jersey having lunch a few steps away. (m) 2:09pm

Naila almost just walked in to a CTV shot. Can't escape the media forever!! 12:40pm

Naila can't believe she's actually done school. 11:17am

April 23

Naila has new clothes! 10:39pm

Naila would move to Toronto for Red Lobster. (m)8:01pm

Naila can't believe she's actually eating at Red Lobster for the first time since she was like 8. Omg awesome! (m)6:58pm

Naila has Hockey Night music stuck in her head! (m)5:05pm

Naila is shopping on her day off! (m) 3:46pm

Naila wanted to go out but the rain is putting a damper on things... 2:42pm

Naila should be sleeping. 4:31am

Naila has a day off!! 2:59am

And there you have it... the ups and downs of life in live TV...

In case you were wondering...

I count stairs. Compulsively, perhaps. Subconsciously, most likely.

Most of the time, I start counting without even knowing it, only noticing once I've reached an abnormally large number or thought of something else. This is mostly because I get bored very easily. So I count steps and stairs. Though most often just stairs.

I also come up with nifty blog posts while I walk, although sadly, they never turn out that great when I finally sit down and type them up.

But back to the stairs.

Today, I worked the Habs vs. Bruins game at the Bell Center. I had a ridiculously awesome time. Ridiculous because for once, I actually fulfilled my job title. I ran around a lot! But it was all in good fun, and I stepped up and got things done, not only on time, but usually well. At least, that's what I've gathered from the feedback I received.

But that's besides the point.

The point is, I took the metro to get to work, and therefore got off at the Lucien-L'allier station. Did you know that, ironically, there are 24 steps leading up from the metro platform up to the exit where the security guard watches as you feed the machine?

24 steps for 24 Stanley Cups.

Hopefully, that symbolism won't be true after the Montreal Canadiens' Centennial celebrations.

I don't tend to count escalator steps, because, well, the number varies based on speed of ascension or descent, and because it just doesn't count.

However, I do know that there are 3 x 10 steps going from the metro station to the super secret super stinky tunnel to the Lucien-L'allier train station, and therefore, into the Bell Centre.

Usually, I cut through the train station and go down the stairs at the other end of the station, heading down to St-Antoine Street and the media entrance.

There number of stairs in that set has an average of 20.66666666666 (to infinity and beyond!), with the sequencing as follows (from station to street): 21, 19, 22. One has to wonder why they didn't make them all 20 or 21. I'm sure it would have worked out.

So to recap, that's a total of 116 steps and 3 escalators for me to get from the metro platform to the media entrance.

Not that I'm complaining... It's good exercise!

An Orgasm of News

It has been a fair amount of time since I last posted, hence the title of this blog. Also, I just want the random search terms to lead here. Because it's funny.

(*points and laughs at googlers looking for porn*)

A lot has changed since late February. For one, I don't look the same. No, I did not have major plastic surgery and I was thankfully not involved in any vehicular accidents. But I did cut my hair. Short.

How short you ask? Why, as short as I can ever fathom having my hair.

Why did you cut it? And why so short? Well, my friend, I cut it not only because it was so long that it was starting to get annoying - your hair choking you in your sleep? so not cool - but also because it was heavy. So heavy, in fact, that I lost .8 pounds based on a very unscientific poll which required me to weight myself in the same clothes before and after the cut, with no food or liquid intake in between.

But most importantly, I cut my hair because that was the plan all along. In fact, the last time I wrote a post, I was already planning my cut. Indeed, it would already have reached its new length had I not been so incredibly insanely busy during Reading Week/Spring Break.

For the second time in my life, I donated my hair to make wigs for children with cancer. It's an honourable mission, in my opinion. Why cut your hair when if you were to wait a couple more months, it would be long enough to give? Also, it's not like you can do much with it once it's gone.

Last time, I cut my hair in the States because it had remnants of streaks in it and the Canadian organizations wouldn't take it. Also, I got a free cut out of it ;) I sent that ponytail to Locks of Love.

This time, three years later, my hair was in pristine condition and dye-free, so I gave it to one of the many hair donation programs in Canada, specifically Pantene's Beautiful Lengths program. It's based out of Ontario, but much more people friendly than the Quebec organization, which provided no instructions, simply an address.

My new haircut seems to have brought on winds of change. Changing my look seems to have changed my luck. After a period where everything I applied for went to someone else - without even a chance to prove myself in an interview - I had a nice chat with Sherali Najak, executive producer of CBC's Hockey Night in Canada.

And I'm headed to Toronto for the month of April to work as a production runner for Rounds 1 and 2 of the playoffs, helping with everything that happens in Studio 42, but also anything else that's show related. And so it seems my career does lie in sports, at least for the time being.

I am totally absolutely completely ecstatic about this opportunity. It is not only a great way to learn the ropes, but it also means I get to "cotoyer" to use a French word, the people who make the show look and feel so polished and authentic. It's truly an amazing chance to prove my worth, and maybe even get to explore other CBC productions.

And while I am extremely grateful for this wonderful promotion, I'm also a bit sad, because I won't get to feel the Bell Centre shake as 23,173 fans cheer for the Habs. It means that all this excitement that I've amassed over working the playoffs in Montreal is now diverted to working on the show. Which is awesome - but I know I'm going to miss my Habs.

The good news is, the Habs might have the stuff to go all the way, and since HNIC usually travels after the first two rounds, or at least, by the finals... I may yet have a chance to have my socks rocked off by the best fans in the NHL.

Speaking of sports... The 5th annual edition of the Rogers Sportsnet Sports Journalism Workshop, presented in conjunction with Concordia University's Journalism and Communication Departments, was an absolutely success, despite the crazy snow storm that was predicted. And yes, the snow did fall. And yes, I am so over winter. Especially since my "walking" boots broke 2 weeks before that impending storm of doom. We had a fairly decent student turnout... almost more than any of the other years I've been there - which is 3 total. Most of those don't even go to Concordia!!! (yet).

The bad news is... it took me 1.5 hours to get home instead of the 20 minutes no traffic time I usually clock. Definitely a long day.

And speaking of journalism... Tomorrow is our live show, aptly entitled One Night [News]Stand. As the script says, it's your chance to get a little more intimate with our work. We're expecting a live audience of at least 50 people, we have 8 wonderful guests that are sure to entertain you... And if that doesn't work, well... it will, because one of them is comic Paul Baluyot, and the other is Montreal rapper Rugged Intellect. Other guests include Jonnie Penn and David Lingwood from The Buried Life. We also have the crew from HabsCast, the deputy executive director from the charity In Their Shoes, and Dr. Laurie Betito, sex therapist and host of CJAD's PASSION.

As you can see, it's a full lineup, and I had a blast lining up the segments so they would flow into a beautiful show. And tomorrow, I get to floor direct/manage the show, which is sure to be an exciting and most likely hectic experience. Hopefully, I'll post about it sooner rather than later, so you're not hanging in suspense.

Last but not least, I just want to underline how stressed I am. All week, I've had a Post It full of stuff "To Do". In fact, as of Tuesday, I've had 2 or 3 different "To Do" lists.
Thankfully, I think I'll be able to manage with just one after Friday.

Most importantly, apart from the planning for the End of Year Bash, getting grad gifts for my fellow graduating students, ensuring that all the Historic Cities Program exhibition goes well, helping organize the first ever joint Journalism Students Association and Concordia University Alumni Association's Journalism Chapter event, aka Stories from the Front and doing all my homework, all I've got to worry about is finding a place to stay in Toronto that's relatively cheap and meet with my must haves: Internet, no smoking and no pets.

I'll let you know how all of that goes...

Something new...

Lets try something new! When I can, I usually live blog the post-game comments off RIS Info's live locker room and press conference coverage. This usually gets posted for a few friends, sometimes on Mike Boone's blog on HabsInsideOut.com, and I figured, why not share it with the rest of the world!

So here are tonight's clip from the locker room and the press conference. Ignore the typos and quick formatting... Live typing is kinda tough. I now understand the closed captioners.

Lats on his winning goal: "I actually thought Max was going to dump it so I was going behind the net."
Carbo'd planned gui and max in OT before, it just never happened
on the second: we were missing a lot of chances, breakaways, but we're happy about the victory

Koivu:
"You learn from the guys and you're gonna get better.We have a quite young centerman and he's a really good faceoff man. It's one of the things we're practicing and wanna improve but we're not as bad as people think."

"You try to make them comfy and push at the same time, teach them to do the little things right"
Saku thinks his wingers are comfortable, but says they all need to pay attention defensively.
on home: "3 out of 4 is not bad," but not satisfied with the way they played.

Huey: "We would have liked to have a better second but after we reacted well, esp in the third, we deserved the win. It was a sign of maturity to be able to come back, earlier in the season, we weren't able to come back from our mistakes."

Locke: "It's a great feeling, I've wanted to play in the NHL and with the habs since I was a kid. It was an honour. It was great, a great experience, I'm glad I got in the game, and I'm glad we won in OT, it's nice to get the win."
Surprised: How quick it is and you have to pay attention all the time no standing around

Max: on the winning goal
"When I saw him (Gui) at the center and saw he was giving me space, so I just tried to give him the puck and he scored.
He says he was trying to dump it behind, like Gui thought, but it turned into a pass and Gui scored. plus they have fun off the ice, so it's always fun to win, but because it's Gui it's even better.

Carbo:
3/4 is good. We would have liked 6/6 but after the Washington game, we talked about it, and I'm happy. It was a weird game, but a good one. It's always been a good rivalry, so it was fun to prepare this game, esp. against a team we don't always face.

We liked the way we were playing before Xmas, and we still have a bit of a letdown in the second, but I think it went really well.

Sometimes, you make decisions and it works. It had been a couple of games I hadn't used them (Max and Gui), but I had a feeling, and so I put them on the ice. Max had already been there for 20 seconds, and it turned out well!

More in English: I thought they had a good game. Max has been really good for us since he'd been called up, and Gui had a really good game with a lot of chances around the net. Last game in overtime, I didn't use them, but like I said, sometimes, you just have a feeling.

We've been working with him since he's been up last year. Especially in the power play when we need him in front. He has 12 goals, and last year he scored a few, and they're not 10 feet away, they're from in front of the net.

Laughs and complains at the Price and Chip question.

It was about the time we were thinking about it. If you look at Carey, we knew January would be an easier schedule, and that we wanted to give Price more ice time. Finally, the schedule was favourable to make a change, and we talked about it even before the Washington game.
Kyle had a very good beginning of the season, he was excited and was playing hard. But then I think he stabilized and the league kept getting better. It's something that always happens, and it's tougher when you're young. Kyle is an instinct player, and when you don't have confidence, it's harder to play. So he can go to Hamilton for the next four games... Hamilton's playing 4 games in 7 nights.

... Yeah, maybe, it's supposed to be temporary. They told us they'd be there for the next four games.

Yeah, I've been watching Corey for a while, and he's always been the best wherever he played. He's always found the way to score, in all his leagues, so it was important for me to give him a chance.

We want Kyle to come back strong. It's not just for the guys who are here. I think we're gonna have some players coming back in the next couple games, and I can't dress 20 players, so some of them are going to have to sit down, and they have to prove they want to be in the lineup.

Stay tuned...

Timbits

* It is absolutely ridiculous that the Pittsburgh Penguins are pushing away their vets, including Mark Recchi, who cleared waivers last night. Ironically, Wednesday was Mark Recchi Bobblehead night in Pittsburgh.

* Maroon 5's latest CD is brilliant. It's fun to listen to, but not too overbearing or repetitive. It uses a few well known riffs from popular songs... but mostly to start off their songs, before going in an opposite direction. Still, it catches your ear, which makes me believe that this disc has at least 3 more good singles on it.

* The Habs have called up Ryan O'Byrne and Maxim Lapierre, as you're probably already aware. This means Grabovski's going to Hamilton. These changes, in my opinion, are long overdue... although you have to wonder about calling up two of the penalty minute leaders on the 'Dogs team. Hopefully, this shake up, a mini-shake-up really, will create a spark, add some energy, shuffle the deck, add your cliché here...

* The TV Strike officially sucks. Simply because I'm now on break and there's nothing on at night. I have to resort to going out and spending money (yay! Wings night!), or watching old shows.

* Speaking of which, I have finished re-watching all of ALIAS... Two years after I started, lol. But, to be fair, I didn't watch it regularly. And all my habitual TV viewing/hockey games/work/homework came first. The good news is, it's just as good as I remember it to be. The bad news is, it's so sad I cried. And now, I have nothing to watch. I'm trying a bit of Robot Chicken, but I'm definitely going to have to search the server for a new series to watch...

* Tonight is JSA Karaoke night. YEY! But travel time means that I'll probably miss some of the game... unless I watch from downtown earlier, which involves driving in traffic. And then there's the whole needing a car at the specified time thing...

* Star Trek is coming to town! We don't know when, or where exactly, but a Star Trek Tour has been announced, and for once, Montreal is on the list of stops. Attractions include a life-size version of the Enterprise bridge (the original, in case you're wondering), an opportunity to have a digitally-modified photo taken with life-sized members of the original cast, a few museum-like articles such as Jeri Ryan's Seven of Nine costume, tours, audio visuals, simulators, and more! :D You can be sure that when the details are revealed (including prices), I'm totally jumping on this bandwagon!

* And in more Star Trek-related news, I was lucky enough to be one of the 300 people who got their hands on a limited, signed, hardcover copy of Wil Wheaton's latest book, The Happiest Days of our Lives. My paypal order has been processed, and my package is probably somewhere between California and Montreal right now... How wonderful! I love waiting for packages you can't track... it's all the more exciting!

* I wasn't selected as a Donaldson Scholar, but no matter! I'm applying for the winter semester internship with CBC News TV in Montreal. Sure, I won't get paid, but that's totally irrelevant. The experience is worth much more than a couple of sparkly tops.

And last but not least,

* Biorhythms are actually fairly accurate, from my experience. Very surprising, but very useful. If you believe in that sort of thing, I mean.

Stay tuned for more rambling...

Today, I woke up with a smile

OMG!!!!!

I was in bed.... since about 8:30, tossing and turning... then around 9 I decided I needed to get up...

I could hear the frost and snow and frozen rain coming down, and really didn't feel like getting up... But finally, at 9:30, I forced myself up. Enough, I thought, I need to get up before my shoulder gets any more painful...

And I go to the washroom, as usual. I'm walking back into my room to turn on the computer, wondering if I should go get the newspaper, when the doorbell rings.

In a second, I wonder if I'm decent in my PJs, if my mom is back for lunch REALLY early, if someone's car broke down and needs help, or if my brother is expecting a package.

I head downstairs and can see a delivery guy and the box out of the windows alongside the door.

I answer, and he asks if I'm Naila Jinnah. Of course, that's me.

Now I'm wondering if I ordered something I forgot about... and why it's arriving by Fed Ex.

Most of the stuff I order is UPS or DHL, but I haven't really ever used FedEx.

The guy has forgotten his special pen in the truck. Meanwhile, I bring in the grocery pamphlets. The package is in my hands, but for some reason, I'm not looking at it yet.

I sign my name, thank him, and lock the door.

Then I start looking for any indication of the origin of the package.

I finally find the sender's name and address.

Stephanie Boutin. I recognize that name, but I'm not sure from where.
The next line says, "Boutique Souvenir".
I think, did I order something from the Habs? Unknowingly? Is someone sending me an early Xmas gift?

Of course, the address seals the deal. St-Antoine. It's definitely the Bell Centre.

Now I'm excited. I'm curious. I want to know.

I grab a knife and cut the box open, fighting with the stupid tape.

And it's filled with brown paper.

I think, "oh. Okay."

I dig through the paper and see bubbly paper... and within it, this circular black object.

It's a puck.

Then it comes flooding back.

The FedEx practice puck contest!!!!

I have won a puck from the Nov. 19th warmups.

I am so excited!!! I can see the scratches and marks and stick lines. There's even a cut on one side! The puck bears the NHL insignia and the slogan, "official practice puck", half erased by play. The rim states that the puck is official and made in Canada.
What joy! They still use Canadian-made pucks!
The puck comes with a souvenir box and stand, printed with a Montreal Canadiens and FedEx logo. I also get a certificate of authenticity.

I almost feel like reverting back to my teen days and getting it autographed.

And now, I can't stop smiling!

TV Thoughts

Yesterday's Heroes was many ways of awesome. But first off, I need to point out that while Zachary Quinto could pull off a convincing Spock, he reminds me more of Christopher Higgins, of Montreal Canadiens fame.

Next, Heroes came to Montreal!!!!! Sure, it was sort of an obvious assumption based on the previous show (and the promos!), but it was really cool when it finally happened. Too bad the outdoor scene lasted all of 20 seconds, and I missed part of it. I wonder who that Adam guy is, and if they'll actually film in Montreal. So far, I haven't heard that they have...

I really like the split in Maya and Alejandro's characters, and the Claire storyline is getting more... dangerous, shall we say?
As for point two of awesomeness... The Ukrainian guy was in Red October. I know, I know... it's sort of geeky, but that's what I love about Heroes! They take all our secret geek fantasies and put them into one beautifully packaged show.

On to a different kind of TV...

Our first newscast is now on YouTube, courtesy of Elias Makos.
It was Group 3's first newscast, and my first Assignment Editor position of the term/year. I also did a reporting stint and a one-on-one interview with Mike Boone. I'd love to get feedback on anything from flow to visuals, to specific comments about reports...

Bonus incentive? The chimps!!!

Stay tuned...

On Price

As posted on HabsInsideOut.com midway through the 3rd period of the Montreal @ Pittsburgh hockey game on October 11, 2007:

Do you see the circle of protection around Price? The Habs are playing better because they want to support their goalie, who is young and new to the game. They don't want to make him look bad. They don't want to look bad and as if they're depending on him. They probably don't want to depend on him because they don't totally trust him yet.
Unfortunately, this lack of trust makes them a better team. When Ds (and forwards) play in front of a seasoned goalie, they tend to abandon him more often. They think he can handle it.

After Price has proven his worth in a few games, the D is not going to be as tight. There will be more mistakes, that's for sure. But it'll also give Price some room to breathe and do his thing. Less screens, less activity in front of the net, less "not his fault" goals.

Just my 2(or 3 or 4 or 5) cents.

Random thought: if they eliminate the penny, will our opinions be worth 5 cents instead of 2?

----
Just thought you'd like to know.

The long awaited moment...

Raise your hand if you're as excited as me that the NHL is releasing their 2007-2008 schedule on Wednesday!

*raises both hands*

Come on now, don't be shy!