Just wanted to put up a quick note thanking Daniel Akeson and Greg Donahue of The Blueshirt Bulletin for asking me to take part in a Writers Roundtable (well actually the table was rectangular, but you get the gist...) and Q&A with Rangers' fans last night in Midtown.
It was a pleasure chatting with the fans, answering their questions, and sharing stories from my current work and past. And I appreciate that they didn't stone me---or at the very least boo me---when I recounted my days as the play-by-play voice of the hated Islanders! Much appreciated everyone!
I should have known it was going to be a good night when I walked into the room where the meeting was being held by The Rangers Fan Club and someone shouted from across the room "Hey Jim! It's me, Sal! I used to call you all the time on Rink Rap!"
Well, shoot, of course I remembered Sal! He was one of the awesome regulars who phoned in on my hockey talk show in the '90's. People like Sal made that show a popular hit, and really helped launch my career in the NHL. So, hell yeah, I remember Sal; and it was a pleasure to be able to thank him in person for his long-time support.
And making the night the more fun was to be able to share the roundtable with Andrew Gross, my friend and fellow Rangers' beat writer for The Record in New Jersey. Needless to say we had a few laughs, and even shared some of them with the fans!
Like the time Gross and I drove to Montreal in October to cover Rangers-Canadiens. At the border the patrolman spoke in rapid-fire French then English, and a befuddled Gross replied in Spanish!!! What the hell was he thinking? Needless to say the patrol guard was not amused, spitting out, "I ask you a question in English and in French, and you answer me in Spanish!!!" That we ever were allowed to pass through and into Canada is only by the grace of hockey. Explaining that we were hockey writers helped smooth over the situation! Great job Gross, as I have kept reminding him for months since!
In any case, off topic for a bit, but thanks to all the fans who showed up last night, including a fellow Franklin and Marshall alum! Small world that I run into a fellow F&M classmate at a Rangers Writers Roundtable!! Crazy!
And keep up the good work, Dan and Greg. Blueshirt Bulletin has a neat history, beginning with my friend Rick Resnick's orginal monthly Rangers newspaper in the '90's to the current edition and web site produced by Dan and Greg now.
Finally, here's a plug for two hard-working guys: for further info on Blueshirt Bulletin, check out their web site today!
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