During the off-season, we've been getting to know you a bit more and have had awesome discussions because of this. continuing today, you can learn more about the MHH staff through a series of questions.
Today it's all about Papa Bear, David. DDC is always up for a laugh, and holds this voodoo (who do, you do, do what, remind me of the Babe...) power over us all. Okay, maybe it's just the banhammer that he holds above his head. So what has made him such a hockey fan that he runs a blog about his favorite team? Read on, my friend, read on.
What attracted you to hockey? Does your family have a passion for it, was it always the Avalanche that you liked?
I'm from Southern California - not exactly a hotbed of hockey in the 70s. My family moved to Canada in the early 80s and (shocker) is where I was introduced to the great game. I didn't really have a team. At different times I half-heartedly followed the Kings, Nordiques and, later, the Senators. Ultimately, I ended up becoming a big Joe Sakic fan and, as an extension, a fan of the Avalanche.
(more after the jump... with some Cupcake links too)
What about MHH? How'd you find it, what kept you here? How'd you become part of the staff? What is your favorite part of MHH?
Joe, from Dear Lord Stanley, gave me a shout back in the summer of 2007 (!). At the time, I had my own Avalanche blog (In The Cheap Seats). Anyway, this SBN network that I had never heard of was expanding into hockey and Joe was going to be running the Avalanche blog and wanted to know if I could help out by posting once a week or so. I remember there were a couple of choices for names, Mile High Hockey being one of them. I think the other was something like Avalanche Army or something to that effect. I think Joe favored that one, but I think I managed to steer him towards Mile High Hockey, a name that I loved then as much as I do now.
Anyway, I didn't do so well on my weekly commitment, but Joe let me hang around (Skrastins notwithstanding). In the fall of 2008, Joe's real life stuff like work, law school and lifting heavy things started eating into his blogging time and he asked me to come to MHH full time. After waffling for a couple of days, I said yes and I'm glad that I did.
What are you looking forward to the most about this up-coming season?
Probably seeing Gabriel Landeskog in action. I really like this kid; he seems to have the skills and, like Duchene and Stastny when they first joined the team, seems to have a good head on his shoulders.
Who is your "sleeper" pick for the 2012 season?
This is the absolute last time ever in my life for ever and ever that I will predict a breakout season for T.J. Galiardi. I swear.
What are some nicknames you go by?
I'm DDC in real life as well as on the site. Actually my wife started the whole trend when her coworkers started calling her CDC. I used to blog under the nickname Draft Dodger, and so some long-timers still call me that (or DD). Contrary to rumors, I do not answer to Red Wing Dave.
Your favorite player? Is there one guy that you could just watch for hours and not get bored?
Well, Sakic is definitely my favorite. As good as he was on the ice, it was how he composed himself off the ice that really sold me. So, if we're talking just watching a player on the ice, it would Peter Forsberg. He was just electrifying and could beat you either by outworking you in the corner or by deking the pants off of you in front of the net.
All Star weekend yay or nay?
The skills competition is kind of fun to watch...but the game itself I can absolutely do without. No matter what the format - East vs West, North America vs Europe, Blondes vs Brunettes - it's a giant bore.
Your favorite hockey book?
Ken Dryden's The Game and Adrian Dater's Blood Feud.
Outside of MHH, what's your favorite website?
I guess I have to go with Slashdot here, pretty much by default.
During the offseason what is your favorite thing to do?
One thing I like to do in the summer with my family is go to see our local NECBL team play. NECBL is a wooden bat summer league made up of college players. Competition is high (guys like Andre Ethier and Brian Wilson have played
for Keene in the past). And the atmosphere is great. They play at a local stadium and you bring your lawn chairs (we usually set up right one the first base line) and just enjoy baseball at its finest. I love baseball; it's such an elegant sport. Not a fan of the MLB, though, so this is pretty much it when it comes to baseball for me.
What is your favorite hockey movie?
Slap Shot, by a long, long mile. Not sure I could even name a 2nd favorite.
The thing you want to know most about another staff member?
Oh man, it would be fun to hang out with the MHH staff, wouldn't it? I'd ask Derek about life on a submarine and Brett if he's ever been on the Price is Right and I'd ask Cheryl if she'd go steady with me and...yeah, that would be a lot of fun. Way more fun than a fucking All-Star game, that's for sure.
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So now you know more about RWD DDC. How's it feel? Did you bask in the light?
One of my favorite things about David is that he is always looking out for us. In fact, he just sent me an article about Daniel Winnik. So I'm including it in the Cupcakes.
If you ever wanted to know the ten things that Winnik could not live without, The Fourth Period has that information for you. One of the things he can't live without is a pair of shoes, but not just any shoes. This is a teaser for the article and photoshoot he did for them them recently, which will be released in the fall sometime.
Hugo Boss high tops
"You can wear them anywhere. They're solid leather and indestructible. I think they may be able to stop a bullet. Oh, and they go with anything."
Another article he forwarded me is about Cody McLeod. It is by The Avalanche Guild, if you don't read them or listen to their Podcast, you really should check them out.
In fact, many would say that his play largely fell off after suffering an eye injury early on in the season before last. Others argue that his role has changed and that he is expected to perform in a different capacity than before. None of this matters to Los Angeles Kings color analyst Jim Fox though, who recently appeared on Puck Daddy’s "Hockey Guilty Pleasures" guest blog series.