Have you seen the Down Goes Brown injury diagram? That is some pretty funny stuff and something you will not find on mainstream media because they have to protect their interests and not bite the hand that feeds them but DGB is not that far off (not to mention it is funny). I started a blog for fun, the same way a lot of these guys did and it is taking off like crazy, and some of these guys are going to post material on my site. Personally, I am a Habs fan first, great hockey second, however my site is intended to offer different opinions, ideas, comments that do not necessarily reflect what the mainstream is having.
So I kind of like the fact the Score Federation is reaching out to some of these guys because that tells me they get where it is going and they are trying to harness it.

To all the writers, keep up the good work!
Alfie (you will understand why I have this nickname when you see the videos).... Aka. Jaret Twiter.com/puckdrop

At Down Goes Brown, we try to occasionally write something about the Leafs that doesn't contain the phrases "1967", "draft schmaft" or "plan the parade".

Trust me, in Toronto there isn't a more ignored niche than that.

I have been told i have to come defend myself by someone who actually likes our blog.

Let's be honest, you make a good point. A blog written by a guy who is talking out of his doesn't really suit the needs of the majority of fans. just as I'm sure you are aware. As you rightly pointed out, we do this for the fun of it. That's why we started, that's why we continue. And over time, while writing and critiquing for fun we have actually developed quite a decent size following. It's not something we expected, or necessarily aspired to, but ti certainly happened.

So why do people disagree with you? Why do they read our blog? Well, if I may be so bold, I would suggest that it could be precisely because we are not big media and that we offer independent ad different views on given situations. I started the blog nearly 2 years ago because I was tired of the stale media coverage of the Canadiens. So homogenous that reading from the sources you cite above, though all excellent, still play like a single story. That's why I started reading other blogs (like amateur Eyes On The Prize). It was then that I thought I might have something to offer. Some people like it, others (inevitably) don't.

We make effort to choose our stories so as not to be redundant. Of course, that's certainly not for everyone, but for people who seek something more – maybe a different view, maybe greater coverage of a miniscule aspect of play. As you point out, it is for a fragment of the audience (not more), but that's fine with us. I think you, a fellow niche blogger would know this. After all, if I wanted coverage of news and events, I could go elsewhere. but if I like how you think, enjoy your take on things and generally find you interesting, then I can come and read your blog.

Finally, you should do better than to criticise something you have not even taken the trouble to investigate. It says you are a geek journalist, journalist geek – doesn't sound like you to do things on no research. From your other posts, I can see you do the legwork. I encourage you to read our site once or twice, maybe take a game off from Gazette and Gagnon – to at least see what you are criticising. We'll try to do our best to answer your high expectations.

I should also defend the Score in their choice of blogs. We are one of the junior blogs in their federation. I think the majority of them, for example have far better following than our site and many of the blogs are truly excellent places to get a good read. It would be gracious of you to at least go take a peak at some of them, as you did rather put them all in the same boat with Lions in Winter without a look as well.

Anyway, thanks for noticing us. As always, you are a good read.

Cheers, Topham

Steve you are totally missing the point. The whole point of the Score Federation was in fact to take independent bloggers who are great at talking out of their ass. Topham and Tobalev are long-term members of the Habs blogging community and provide a perspective that your 3 mainstream blogs do not. And they are damn good at that. That's WHY The Score wanted them.

and Small, part-time do-it-for-the-fun sports blogs are much more likely to be successful covering niches that big media ignore

Sorry, FHF's thousands of unique visitors per day disagree. And don't say it's just because of the half-naked women. There are half-naked and naked women all over the internet. FHF readers come for hockey and to be amused. They would not be coming for CIS basketball.

The player nicknames alone make it work reading. (My favourites are the Kostitsyn brother's: Big Tits for Andrei and Little Tits for Sergei)