It is amazing sometimes to think that so many league and team personnel read TJHN, re Tweet and post our stories when they are complimentary of their organization or league.
What’s more amazing is the volume of venomous emails, scolding Tweets, and corrective messages we receive when we criticize those same organizations.
In the interest of full disclosure, TJHN does not get a single penny from the USHL or NAHL. Our philosophy is that if the league is free to play, our coverage of that league will be free. Further disclosure requires me to inform you that the NCDC Conference will not be charged for coverage as well.
These things said, because we are not charging, we can remain objective and we will never be bought. We wont provide a free pass to any sponsors of the site anyway. There are leagues and teams that can attest to that.
TJHN supports free to play hockey, and pay to play hockey when done in a professional manner.
We do not support hypocrisy. Nor do we support the actions taken by people acting hypocritically.
For those that think we are unfairly picking on the NAHL or any other league, its time you got a little thicker skin. If you think we were too hard on them for blocking the NCDC at the Junior Council we make no apologies, and Mark Frankenfeld hasn’t asked for one. He knows the NAHL opened itself to criticism by voting against the NCDC, and that’s just life.
To those that think we were too tough on the USHL, again, we make no apologies and Bob Fallen hasn’t asked for any either.
We certainly weren’t kind to the USPHL this summer in several stories, and not once did their commissioner call me to complain.
Providing information is how people can make informed decisions. If there is only one message, one carrier of that message, you have something more closely resembling mainland China and its dictatorship than you do an informed and educated community.
TJHN supports hockey. We support it under what ever banner they may fly, USHL, NAHL, USPHL, Hockey Canada, USA Hockey, it does not matter. But when one banner stands in the way of progress and opportunity for another we will report that story regardless of who carries what banner.
So, the next time your team or league is called out in an article or praised in an article, remember that coverage is there to inform people. Information helps people make choices and form beliefs.
There is no such thing as having too much information when making decisions on which organizations to support or which organizations fit within your belief system. The greatest dissatisfaction expressed by players and parents is when they align themselves with an organization they could not make an informed decision upon.
As always, I thank you all for reading. We sincerely appreciate all of your tips, and comments. Remember though, the people in the news are big boys making big boy, big business decisions that effect thousands of families. You don’t have to like what you read, but what you are reading is true.
Joseph Kolodziej – Publisher
