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| (Credit: Andy Nietupski/Texas Stars) |
In one's lifetime, an individual embarks on many adventures, and with that comes many first milestones – we all remember our first kiss, car, or whatever else that is consequential that makes us part of the human experience.
We don’t have much choice; we are constantly reminded of them to prove who we are when signing into sensitive information, like a bank account.
Then there are rites of passage that are uniquely tied to our given profession, maybe a musician's first paying gig or a lawyer's first big win. For a sportswriter, it's getting chastised by a coach in a post-game press conference.
“We always win, and you always come with a negative question. Now that we lay an egg, are you going to come with a positive one?”
That is what Neil Graham told me, opening our post-game press conference after a brutal home ice loss to the eventual Western Conference regular season champion, the Colorado Eagles, back in late February.
I finally obtained my rite of passage to even call myself a proper sportswriter.
(Credit: Andy Nietupski/Texas Stars)
Then there are rites of passage that are uniquely tied to our given profession, maybe a musician's first paying gig or a lawyer's first big win. For a sportswriter, it's getting chastised by a coach in a post-game press conference.
“We always win, and you always come with a negative question. Now that we lay an egg, are you going to come with a positive one?”
That is what Neil Graham told me, opening our post-game press conference after a brutal home ice loss to the eventual Western Conference regular season champion, the Colorado Eagles, back in late February.
I finally obtained my rite of passage to even call myself a proper sportswriter.
(Credit: Andy Nietupski/Texas Stars)If you have ever been a sportswriter in any capacity, one of the main laws of the trade is never to cheer or openly root for the team you cover. I try to avoid using “We” when talking about the teams I cover, it's more of a psychological response to keep me from getting too emotionally invested in the team.
But that is easier said than done, coming from a true Texan who spent years rooting for my state’s teams before ever embarking on a sportswriting career.
Banging the objectivity into my head for two years, I still find myself hating losses — they are not fun to write — but nothing is as bad as a post-game press conference after a loss, especially when the team takes it hard.
When I went to do a story on the Idaho Steelheads during their road trip to Allen, Cam McGuire, the voice of the Steelheads, relayed a story he heard about Neil when he was the head man in Boise. After a tough loss, a former broadcaster for the Steelheads started the press conference with “Well, Coach, tonight was a tough loss…” Graham did not take kindly to the intro and walked back to the locker room.
He came back and finished the interview.
Neil took losses hard, and there are only so many ways you can spin the same question in a 72-game season before he wants to rip your head off. Some nights were better than others on the question formation front for us in the media crew, and I thank the head man here at 100 Degree Hockey, Stephen, for carrying us on those tough nights.
In just one season covering him, Graham has displayed all of the qualities you want in a hockey head coach; he’s tough but forgiving and gets the best out of his guys. He’s a proven winner in both the standings and in player development sectors. But most importantly, he’s a straight shooter with the media and does not bullshit you.
Although I’m saddened will not be able to cover Coach Graham in the same capacity as I have in the past year, I’m very excited and eager to see what he will do with his first NHL opportunity. For fans who pay little attention to the AHL club, just know Dallas is going to be coached hard day in and day out.
My experience with pestering Neil was indispensable with where I’m at in my career. I needed a tough coach to throw my dumb questions back at me and tell me to do better while I’m still young and impressionable.
He made me a better hockey reporter.
When I went to do a story on the Idaho Steelheads during their road trip to Allen, Cam McGuire, the voice of the Steelheads, relayed a story he heard about Neil when he was the head man in Boise. After a tough loss, a former broadcaster for the Steelheads started the press conference with “Well, Coach, tonight was a tough loss…” Graham did not take kindly to the intro and walked back to the locker room.
He came back and finished the interview.
Neil took losses hard, and there are only so many ways you can spin the same question in a 72-game season before he wants to rip your head off. Some nights were better than others on the question formation front for us in the media crew, and I thank the head man here at 100 Degree Hockey, Stephen, for carrying us on those tough nights.
In just one season covering him, Graham has displayed all of the qualities you want in a hockey head coach; he’s tough but forgiving and gets the best out of his guys. He’s a proven winner in both the standings and in player development sectors. But most importantly, he’s a straight shooter with the media and does not bullshit you.
Although I’m saddened will not be able to cover Coach Graham in the same capacity as I have in the past year, I’m very excited and eager to see what he will do with his first NHL opportunity. For fans who pay little attention to the AHL club, just know Dallas is going to be coached hard day in and day out.
My experience with pestering Neil was indispensable with where I’m at in my career. I needed a tough coach to throw my dumb questions back at me and tell me to do better while I’m still young and impressionable.
He made me a better hockey reporter.
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