The NHL, from East to East

Published as, “Eastern teams get more coverage in NHL”

Ever heard of the East Coast bias? Sport leagues and media outlets are often accused of it, and often that’s because it exists.
It’s no secret, really. The concept involves organizations such as the National Hockey League and its media outlets having biased viewpoints in favour of eastern teams.
In a world where the dollar reigns supreme, the bias is almost justifiable.
There are a few variables that lead to this inequality, one of them being that the NHL is simply trying to make as much money as possible.
From the NHL’s standpoint, directing most of the attention to the eastern teams makes sense. More teams mean more fans, and more fans means more money.
Only eight of the 30 teams in the NHL lie in the west. With Winnipeg and Dallas being right in the middle, that leaves 20 teams in the east.
What the league’s commissioner, Gary Bettman, seemingly fails to recognize is that the western teams, specifically Canadian teams — the Oilers, Flames and Canucks — are like lotto tickets that always have the right numbers, a cash guarantee.
Bettman isn’t the only one who’s guilty of the bias — some western fans are also upset with how their teams have been represented in the media.
Media outlets such as NHL.com, the league’s official website, direct most of their attention towards eastern teams for the same reasons the NHL does — the fans.
For example, if it were up to the NHL.com analysts, the All-Star Game would be heavy with eastern players. One day prior to the actual selection for the All-Star Game, the analysts released their version of the roster and 61 per cent of it consisted of players representing eastern teams, including nine of their 12 selected defencemen.
It doesn’t stop with giving eastern teams more attention. Catering to the fans is understandable, but questions have been raised as to whether the NHL is swinging games to make them more entertaining.
John Tortorella, the coach of the New York Rangers was recently fined for accusations made toward the NHL and its referee’s for trying to extend the Winter Classic into overtime for entertainment purposes.
Tortorella later apologized and retracted those accusations but was still given a fine worth $30,000.
Despite what Bettman seems to think, the NHL’s focus should be on building the presence and appreciation for hockey in North America, not sacrificing the integrity of the NHL to make a good buck.
With the integrity of a national sports league in question, it might be time for the NHL to step back and evaluate its priorities.

 by Andre Lodder, published in The Pioneer, Jan 19, 2012.

Back and Bussed out.

I just got back to Belleville for the fourth and final semester of the Photojournalism program here at Loyalist.

The trip marked the seventh time I’ve made the journey between B.C. and Southern Ontario in the last year and a half and the ninth time since I turned 15.

Back then my family drove to Ontario for our family reunion. My dad moved west so most of his side of the family resides in Ontario. Because my sister was in Ontario already there wasn’t going to be enough room for all of us in the Van on the way back so my Parents bought Bus tickets for my 13-year-old brother and I.

That makes twice, once by Vehicle and once by bus.

Despite our family reunions being planned every five years I was unable to make it to the most recent one 2.5 years ago. However, I made my return to Ontario a year later to work for the summer prior to starting the photojournalism program. The trip was made by plane, probably my favorite method to do the trip because how fast it is despite the damage to the wallet.

That’s three.

Last Christmas I was running a little low on funds but decided to make the trip home for Christmas anyways and chose to do it by Bus because it only cost me $260 after tax.

That’s five

Then there was driving home to work for the summer and eventually driving back for school again. The first was with a fellow student who took me to Calgary and the second was driving the van also known as my home from BC.

That’s seven

Then there was my most recent trip home. I decided before the year started that this would be my first Christmas away from home, but a week or two before winter break I looked at some ride-shares on Craigslist and managed to catch a ride with someone making a move to the west coast. I told him I couldn’t afford much but I guess it was enough because on December 17^th I found myself on my way to BC to surprise my family.

Now, Less than 24 hours ago I returned to Belleville after the bus ride home.

That’s nine… one plane ride, four times in a van and four times by bus.

Is it a bad thing when you know what shops/convenience stores are at the majority of the stops along the way?

Anyways I’m going to take some time to give some tips to anyone who’s thinking about making the journey without taking to the air.

There are a few essentials that apply to both driving and bus.

1a. It’s hard to define the most important thing when it comes to planning your trip, I have a tie for the most important things. The first being comfy clothes. You don’t want to be sitting in a seat for 48-72 hours wearing tight jeans and underwear that rides high. Comfort is the most important thing to keep in mind.

1b. Toothbrush and toothpaste, it’s not always easy to find good food on long trips, so it’s essential to keep your mouth clean, it’s also probably one of the best feelings when you’re on the trip.

3. Spare clothes, SPECIFICALLY SOCKS. Clean replacements for your clothing are important, though not essential, except maybe socks and underwear. A clean pair of socks on your feet and a clean pair of undergarments are a close second as far as the best feeling on long trips go.

4. Alkaline forming foods. Again the food available on long trips especially on buses won’t be the greatest, most of it is acidic which leads to an uncomfortable feeling, and possibly heartburn making for an uncomfortable trip. Not sure what Alkalizing foods are? Just Google “alkaline forming food” and there should be a good explanation. Basically, alkaline forming foods even out your pH level, which includes acidic foods. Some Acidic foods include chocolate, soft drinks, coffee, and pretty much anything sugary. Alkaline forming foods include most fruits, green vegetables, peas, beans, lentils, spices, herbs and seasonings, and seeds and nuts. One of the most surprising Alkaline forming foods are oranges because they are pretty acidic, but when consumed is indeed alkaline forming. It’s also a good idea to keep your pH level in mind at all times.

5. Lip Chap, and Fisherman's Friends. Alright this one might seem a bit odd, but I’m serious. The air in buses and vehicles gets so dry from air-conditioning and heating. The air causes your lips to chap and causes an irritating throat, hence the chap and throat lozenges. I prefer Fishermans Friends, they're super effective! Chap and lozenges will make your life so much better on trips, but they’re often overlooked!

And here are some other non-essential but strongly recommended suggestions:

Blanket and Pillow,

Books, and laptops (if you have them, their good for movies)

Turn your phones off between major cities, it wastes battery searching for service, oh and don’t forget, CHARGERS!

I usually bring two bags as carry on, one carries stuff like toothbrush/paste, lip chap/lozenges, laptops, headphones iPod’s and cell phones while the other one carries all your food and other essentials

Snacks of course (keep in mind alkaline forming foods) Nuts are key, seeds are good, and anything you can put peanut butter on (crackers work best). Also Hummus is also practically a meal.

Don’t over eat! Your sitting down your not moving much you don’t need to eat much!

Anyways that’s it, now if you go on a long trip you can add a few more things to your checklist.

Enjoy!

Andre

Let the egg nog glow

Every year, millions, and quite possibly billions of people create a shift. A shift so great the whole world seems to benefit from it. Turn on the radio or the television and its there. Walk downtown or through the mall and you can just sense it coming. That’s right, it’s Christmas, and the best thing about Christmas is the Christmas Spirit. The time of year when a good portion of Earths population seems to forget its wrongs and troubles while exchanging them for good company and a cheery atmosphere. Don’t get me wrong, there are still things in this world that aren’t right, even on Christmas, but all in all, Christmas fever takes over.

Some people feel it from December and even into November, while some don’t feel it until the gifts are all under the tree or unwrapped. Some people can’t help but feel the Christmas cheer and spread it right from the get go. While some lose the meaning of Christmas while stressing about Christmas presents. Yet, when the calendar hits the 25^th even the stressful shopper can’t help but feel the spirit. After all, they’re weeks of stress probably paid off in what was a great act of giving. And that’s what it’s all about. In a world of take take take, Christmas seems to bring out the ‘give’ in people. This might just be the only time of the year when people worry and stress about what they’re going to get for someone.  Rarely do we ever stress about what we’re receiving for Christmas. Of course we still look forward to what has our name on it when it’s under the tree, but there’s nothing like seeing the smile on your families face when they get what they hoped for.

Anyways just a few thoughts I figured I’d share. Merry Christmas everyone and I hope you enjoy your egg nog, turkeys, baked goods, and Boney M.!

Reflections, When

It's my Birthday today, I'm 23 now.
I have a half beard, half moustache and I could probably use a haircut. Today I got to thinking, I'm only seven years away from being thirty. Now those of you who are older than me, I bet your thinking "your still young, stop complaining." Meanwhile anyone in their 20's probably just did the math to see how long until they turn 30.

Just a Young'n

I'm not sure why but usually I can't help but feel at least a little down on my birthday. Maybe it's because I'm to old to get excited about the new toys and birthday presents I'd get from birthday parties. More likely it's because I'm counting down the years until I'm thirty, or even worse I think about the things I haven't accomplished in my life to date.
Well to tell you the truth sometimes I feel like I haven't done much, I haven't seen enough and it gets me down and makes me want to make my life more exciting.

There's been something nagging at me today, sure it's my birthday but I couldn't help think about the haircuts I've had over my life.
My mom sent me some photos for my last post and I remember thinking about how many different looks I've had. Today it  I looked back on life as if it were one big blur that got me to be the person I am today, just a guy who could probably use a haircut.

That's me on the far left...

Then I started looking a little deeper, I started recounting the past 12 months or so.
I figured since I've been in school not a lot could have happened. In the last year, I've traveled the distance between Ontario and B.C. a total of 4 times. I lived in Squamish for 3 months, photographed the Canadian National Kiteboard races, which included a number of top racers in the world. I got to photograph Weezer, Metric and a few personal favorite musicians/bands. I interviewed and wrote an article on Shad who is probably my favorite hip hop artist. I witnessed the Canucks Game 7 loss in the Stanley Cup Finals in downtown Vancouver and photographed and recorded the riots that followed that Game 7 loss. At one point I've been at my lowest and thought theres no way I can be a photographer, at another point I've been at my highest and thought I could start a business on the spot. I've even built my own website from scratch.
Then I started looking further back.

So far in my life I've been to Mexico, West/SouthWest U.S.A, Hawaii, and I've seen most of Canada. I've worked for three different landscaping/lawn care companies and I've worked collecting soil samples to test it for minerals. I've worked at Walmart (although very briefly) and I was a tech support for Windows Vista when it first came out. I've been an electrician, a forest fire fighter, and I've worked in a hostel. I've even worked at a newspaper.
I can't recount the exact details that got me to where I am, nor can I count how many times I've changed hair styles.

I'm 23 now, I'm a photojournalist.
I look back on my life and I can see how much I've accomplished and how much I've grown.
I don't know what I'll be next year or the year after that, but I'm not worried about it.
Our birthdays happen every year just like Christmas happens every year. Nothings going to stop us from getting older, and nothings going to stop us from growing.


Feel like you haven't done much?

What have you learnt in the past year?
Have you grown?
How old are you?
Whether it's three, nine, 16, 23, 30, or 60... thats a lot of years, and a lot of growth.

I've reflected on my "when" maybe it's time to reflect on yours.

Cheers ;)
Andre

Oh and check out my new website, andrelodder.com




Some more photo progression with my various choices of haircuts:

My Oma and Me

Grade 12... what was I thinking.

 

A few Christmases ago

the most recent photo of me, (my beard has grown in since then)

Advisory Board

Twice a year professionals from the photojournalism industry come to the school to critique our current portfolios and look at the work we've done so far.
This happened Monday November 7. It was a great opportunity for us to meet with the people who could end up hiring us after we graduate.
We met with photo editors and photographers from major News outlets as well as accomplished Freelancers and Retirees.

Let me start off by saying Last years Critiques were good, I feel like I gained a lot by them at a time when I was still just starting out.
This year went equally as good. For reasons I'm unsure of, my motivation has been more than lacking and my production value since I've gotten back to school has been below par. Meanwhile I feel students from first year are far out-shooting me so far this year.
The photo's I showed were from when I spent my time in B.C. over the summer and are what I feel are a true indication of my potential. They were reasonably well received which in a sense gave me a renewed confidence in myself.
Further more I realized that I need to start working harder here, focus more on the shooting aspect of things and try some new ideas. Basically change my whole outlook on shooting in Belleville because it's quite obviously not working out at the moment.
I've shown these people all my work from the summer and I'm going to have to show them something new when they return in the fall so that's something that is going to help keep me focused, these are the people who can potentially hire me in the future, if I don't show them what I can do, even here in Belleville then I fear a working in the industry will be further away then I would like.

For my current portfolio visit andrelodder.carbonmade.com
Also check out my Photoblog, andrelodder.tumblr.com

Follow me on Twitter @AndreLodder

I'd also like to take this opportunity to give you some blogs from others who are also currently experiencing the Loyalist College Photojournalism journey.

stephennorman.tumblr.com
tkongphotography.tumblr.com
kellymichellegagnephotography.tumblr.com
liamkb.tumblr.com
charmainecollinsphotography.tumblr.com/ 
michellecochranephotojournalist.blogspot.com
devaaning.blogspot.com/
leeimages.blogspot.com/ 
wynterphotography.tumblr.com/ 
iamrachelcohen.tumblr.com/ 
sanfordphoto.wordpress.com/ 
www.pearced.com/
meganvossphotojournalism.blogspot.com/
colebreiland.com/ 
lindahornphotography.tumblr.com/
tkongphotography.tumblr.com/
samanthacantelonphotography.tumblr.com/

Note: Theres more people in the course, I'm just not familiar with their blogs...

Thanks,
Andre

Up Next: Reflections Conitnued...