Considering that this blog hasn't been updated since October, it shouldn't come as a surprise that I haven't been "feeling it" as of late. I tried to re-double my efforts on the blog as the season began, but I found my mind wandering to other things like making tasteless animations, Sarah Palin and not spending a Mormon's tithe's worth of salary on NHL Centre Ice.
I still like watching Oilers hockey, but what blogging really boils down to these days is pretending to care about the team 30% more than I actually do. My favourite posts on this blog spoke to the fan's experience (especially during the Cup run, the Pronger & Smyth trades) and the perverse cultural clout that the Oilers have on my hometown, and not so much the posts pretending that I knew who would be the Oilers Number 5 centre in 2013. Simply put, I don't have the 3-4 posts a week to make it a worthwhile blog. It also makes it an easier decision to quit when so many great and utterly-prolific Oilers blogs have emerged since we started in late 2005. But hey, we were one of the first, and I'm proud of the little piece of popular Edmonton history found in the posts and comments threads of this site. The best part was meeting other bloggers and regular commentators who were kind enough to drop by.
So with that, I'm taking a break (I'm not sure if Chris is going to soldier on — but I'm done here), although if the offer still stands I will likely re-emerge Phoenix-like with an occasional post on Battle of Alberta, still my absolutely favourite hockey blog. In the meantime, here is a small sampling of my favourite images from three years of mostly feeling bad and yelling "fuck!" at the TV screen...
Posts
39 comments:
oh me oh my its the end of an era
say it isn't so
Wow. Very sorry to hear that. You'll be missed.
(Although Andy could probably use some help balancing Matt over at BofA)
Please don't go!
That's a-no good.
Booooooo!
Thanks for all of your efforts here. It was always thoroughly enjoyable. I'll look forward to hearing from you at BoA.
But I was three posts away from becoming a full-fledged Oilers fan!
My internet just got a lot less awesome.
That's a real shame. Maybe after you've taken a bit of a break from it, you'll find the love again. I hope so.
Also, I plan to reread this post and I'm not sure what music to play in the background as I scroll through the pics. I have the Philosopher King's "Hurts to Love You" ready to go, but I'm not sure if it wouldn't work better with more of a Dan Hill or Jim Croce vibe.
Also: My word verification is don'tquitmike. I mention it because I've never seen an apostrophe in a word veri-thing before.
Long-time reader (your Taiwanese traffic during the Cup run was from me), infrequent commenter. Thanks a metric ton for all the fantastic work. It will be sorely missed. Seriously, thank you.
(Although Andy could probably use some help balancing Matt over at BofA)
I could pretend that comments like this make me want to post more, but in fact the opposite is true.
Anyway, this was and is the best Oilers site on the internet, and I'm sad to see another member call it quits. Then again, we've had a ton of laughs, made a difference in people's lives, learned a lot from each other, and become a tight group of friends. I'll take that.
I'll send you an invite to BoA ASAP, Mike, and we'll go from there.
u will b missed.
reggie jr and i R poring 1 on teh ground 4 u right now
I'll miss CinO as one of my daily reads. Some of the best posts on the Oilogospherre are on this blog. I hope you keep it alive, at least for posterity's sake.
I propose that the blog be renamed 'Covered in Chris!'.
Also, Winters writing for Battle of Alberta? Trying to think of a way to work a 'YOU SOLD OUT' chant into a blog entry...
noooooooooooooooo!
Can we still look forward to Chris' quarterly postings + music video nostalgia?
btw, I totally understand... there's no drama with this team anymore. It feels like a soap opera where all the "colourful character" have died off.
(weird... the word verification is "hypers")
Count me among the disappointed. You can also have free rein at my site.
BTW - that photoshop job someone did, with the Schremp pic, Joff and Raffi, Kipper and Phaneuf and Nedved's disembodied head...that is one of the greatest things ever.
This has been an incredible site. Make sure that blogger doesn't make it disappear down the memory hole or anything.
(I got don'tquitmike as a verification word too)
My favourite Oilers website, and my introduction to the Oilogosphere... and oddly enough, this was the first blog I ever took "seriously". CinO will be missed, no doubt about it.
(well, at least I still have Bugs & Cranks to entertain me)
My verification wood is "mooks". That can't be right, can it?
Before there was the interweb there was me sitting on a couch in Kitsilano, screaming for joy whilst surrounded by clueless 'nucks fans as Todd Marchant buried the Dallas Stars only days after I left the homeland, alone, happy, and alone. Fast forward to a brave new world, a world with CinO and BoA and Loxy pouring me drinks at the Black Frog, surrounded by my people. People I found because of CinO and BoA and Hot Oil. Besides providing a virtual and comfortable home away from home all of you offered insightful, incisive and downright hilarious commentary on the most important thing to not matter in the grand scheme of things. You guys pushed buttons and sparked debate on everything from MacT's blender to the state of sports journalism.
Thanks Chris! thanks Mike W, thanks DMFB.
I'm disappointed, although I can imagine how hard it is to really carve out a niche in the blogosphere. I can honestly say that I always thought this blog was as good as Lowetide and Battle of Alberta. These three were my holy trinity of oilers (and hockey) blogs. Thanks for all your wonderful insights.
Simon Kiss
Sad to hear it, Mike. Ty turned me on to this place and I've been a frequent visitor ever since.
I'll miss CinO as one of my daily reads.
Jay: Interesting since it hasn't been updated since October. Do you read posts multiple times?
Nonetheless, I'll miss CiO just because of the blog history it has and the kind of writing it does that is hard to replace.
wth? You're kidding right? We need MORE clever not less.
Consider this post a real good ass kicking and get back to work.
There are 7 blogs I check everyday: BOA, CIO, MC, IOF, HO, BDHS and C&B.
I will continue to check everyday with the assumption you will be inspired because that's what happens to creative people.
Damn!
Imagine my surprise this aft when I checked in at the old Covered in Oil and discovered that I'm the only blogger left.
Shame to see you go, Mike. Guess you had been talking about it a lot lately.
Now I've got to figure out what the hell I'm doing.
This was the only hockey blog I've ever enjoyed reading. The mix of humour, satire and hockey analyisis and knowledge is what kept me coming back.
Sad to see it go!
Seriously. Don't go. I'm begging you.
Aw hell. Really? This is really going to hurt my cyber stalking of you, Winters. Boutet, I like talking shit about the oil. Want some help?
Thanks for all the posts Mike, you're a great read, and it's sad to see you go.
I'm not sure how Al Gore is ever going to replace you. He just got more wooden and a lot less funny.
Not quite like watching Gretz retire, but close enough. Hope we see you back someday, or at least tearing up the BoA blog.
Time to rename the blog Covered in Chris!
Sigh...
Guys, at least dangle the carrot of coming back if the Oilers make another deep playoff run. Please?
OH and one image I'd add to that is the doodle of the "anonymous commenter." That's easily one of my favorite moments.
(And if I mixed that up with the work of another Oilogosphere blogger I deeply apologize)
Quitting the internet is such a fad.
A day doesn't go by without someone quitting, or threatening to quit or announcing a retirement or some other similar nonsense.
Prima Donnas! All of you!
I'm glad people of this ilk weren't around during the first and second World Wars. Can you imagine how much less porn would have been available on Hitler's internet!?!? Or how fucked up it would be.
If any of you quitters could imagine how terrible a world would be where you couldn't take a shit without getting an erection, then you should just shut up and write kick ass funny shit about hockey.
Because things could be much worse if, lest we forget, the men in the trenches back in the day decided to up and quit becasue they weren't "feeling it"!
Say it ain't so...you will be missed, sir.
On a positive note, every time I see Nedved hidden in the background of the Lupul picture I can't help but laugh uncontrollably.
I guess a changing of the guard. I will still check as there may be something epic to bring a very creative guy back to the table.
Props for the timely Robert Graves reference. Nuts to quitting.
Although I believe all three of you to be amazing writers and original voices in the Oilogophere, are there no new/other Oilers bloggers who can help Chris! carry on the great CinO tradition?
CinO is, arguably, the most read blog in the Oilogosphere. It seems a shame to let all that traction go. Instead of a "good bye"... how about a "pass the torch"?
Hey Cody, I figure I'm going to sit on this a few days and think about what I want to do next. I've been feeling strangely rudderless since Mike decided to shut 'er down, despite being a woefully infrequent contributor at best. So yeah, we'll see.
Anyhow, thanks to all for your thoughts and well wishes, and most of all, thanks for reading. Being a part of the Oilogosphere over the past three years has been an amazing experience for Mike, Dave and I, and who knows what will happen next. Stay tuned?
Also, fuck man. Poor Robert Nilsson. What did he do to deserve playing with Stortini and Brodziak?
OH and one image I'd add to that is the doodle of the "anonymous commenter." That's easily one of my favorite moments.
I'll keep that one forever.
Cheers
The end of an era. This was the first Oilers blog I ever read, at a time where, after moving across the country, I was craving anything Oilers. A little piece of home in Ontario. You inspired my own short-lived Oilers blog, and I've been a daily reader ever since. While I don't at all fault you for giving it up, god knows I know how hard it is, and how thankless it can be to keep a blog, I will miss you guys.
Thanks for everything.
Sean
You're quitting now? But Sheldon Souray just starting ripping it up!
The Oilers discover they can count on Souray.
That's my headline that you can read in the Edmonton edition of the National Post tomorrow...
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