Post by Douggy-D on Jul 26, 2011 20:58:27 GMT -5
Darren's Latest Post:
"Hello Everyone.
Well, I've had some time to reflect on the past 2 months. What an insane part of history for our province.
This website's purpose has truly come to an end. And it is truly hard to find the final words for its final post.
We have a team, a GM, a coach, a sold out arena for years to come, a home on the radio (ahem) and now a logo and identity. I always thought that the final post would include our new logo and sure enough the timing is right. All of the negative notions we fought day-in and day-out all turned out to be wrong, every single one of them. The corporate support, the ticket prices, the fan base, the NHL approval, the ownership. It's incredible really. For those people to be THAT wrong is astounding.
This dream was something I always truly felt would come true. It is why I pushed on so relentlessly even in the face of being exploited, at times, for my pipedreaming, especially early on but even right up until mid-May of this year. The fact of the matter is, in 2003 I felt Winnipeg was on the cusp of a re-birth. Now, in 2011, we already have Canada's newest arena and newest NHL team and are about to open its newest stadium, airport, national museum and IKEA.
I heard all of the talking heads like Rob Warren tell me over and over that we couldn't sustain such a resurgence, yet here we are. I heard others tell me the NHL would never come back to Winnipeg and would only use us as leverage for eternity, yet there is a Winnipeg Jets webpage up on NHL.com right now.
You see I always, we always, had to justify our beliefs and back them up, but "they" never had to the do the same. Their stance was based on 1993esque rhetoric and the same old local AM talk radio jargon that hyptnotizes people into believing we are a "can't do" city.
No more mosquito talk, pothole complaining, or wind chill chatter. All of those things come with living here. And now so do NHL goals, assists and sellouts. Yes sellouts...in ink for years to come with a waiting list that stretches well into the next two decades.
But we can't afford it, remember?
But lets move to the positive. Quite simply we knew we would see this day. If you didn't know it, you could at the very least come here to believe it without being made to feel like an idiot. If I provided that for you, then I am happy.
I have taken my fair share of criticism over the years (why I'll never know) but mostly people have been nothing shy of incredible and so supportive. I appreciated all of it and will cherish this journey for the rest of my life, not only because we succeeded but because of all of the incredible people I had the pleasure of meeting from the spring of 2003 right up until the draft last month. That experience by the way was outstanding. From all of the journalists that covered my quest to Mark Chipman himself, who has become a great friend of mine. Shaking Mark's hand right before he made yet another monumental announcement, that of our team name being Winnipeg Jets, was a proud moment for me. Being greeted by Steve Yzerman, meeting Dustin Byfuglien, and Mark Sheifele and his family. Painting the town white in a 16 seat Hummer limo. What a cap-off to the greatest month on Winnipeg history. June of 2011. Will we ever forget that month?
I don't need to go on in-depth about all the ideas on this website that ended up being correct. You know that already. You've been on here for a long time. You've been ridiculed for believing. You get it.
Regardless of whether you believed or not, we all get to enjoy NHL hockey now for years to come and, with the front office that we are forming and culture we are creating, a Stanley Cup championship is certainly something we can truly conquer as well.
And together we will enjoy every minute of it.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for hanging with me all this time. Dream big, achieve big. I hope you all follow me over to "The JetStream" at The Winnipeg Free Press, the best chat forum for everything Winnipeg Jets including my commentary that will also be found at DarrenFord.ca come this fall. The boards will be extensively moderated and a whole lot of fun too! Also, follow JakesTickets.com for all of the updates about the kids my son Jake will be sending to NHL hockey by giving his tickets away in partnership with True North and their foundation, still to be named. The Winnipeg Free Press provides a very credible platform for me to take this to the next level and True North provides Jake's Tickets with deserving kids that can't otherwise afford to get to live NHL hockey and are maintaining their grades and school attendance.
I debated for a long time on what path to take with JetsOwner.com. There was a compelling argument to keep it alive and yet also one to lay it to rest. I ultimately chose the latter. I wanted to let this website stand alone in history and be remembered for what it set out to accomplish rather than re-invent it into something that it was never intended to be. It will remain up on the net, as will the boards, to view but never to be updated again.
I am sad and happy all at once.
My very first media attention came when a short letter to the editor was printed in the Winnipeg Sun in May of 2003. The comment from the editor after my piece was "don't hold your breathe, Darren". And so I built a half-assed website and the rest as they say is history.
I did hold my breathe, and over 8 years later, I finally exhaled as I sat down in my newly chosen, centre ice seats to Winnipeg Jets NHL hockey at MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
I just sat in my seats and stared at the arena for about 5 minutes. And then I smiled.
See you at opening night!
Sincerely,
Darren Ford"
"Hello Everyone.
Well, I've had some time to reflect on the past 2 months. What an insane part of history for our province.
This website's purpose has truly come to an end. And it is truly hard to find the final words for its final post.
We have a team, a GM, a coach, a sold out arena for years to come, a home on the radio (ahem) and now a logo and identity. I always thought that the final post would include our new logo and sure enough the timing is right. All of the negative notions we fought day-in and day-out all turned out to be wrong, every single one of them. The corporate support, the ticket prices, the fan base, the NHL approval, the ownership. It's incredible really. For those people to be THAT wrong is astounding.
This dream was something I always truly felt would come true. It is why I pushed on so relentlessly even in the face of being exploited, at times, for my pipedreaming, especially early on but even right up until mid-May of this year. The fact of the matter is, in 2003 I felt Winnipeg was on the cusp of a re-birth. Now, in 2011, we already have Canada's newest arena and newest NHL team and are about to open its newest stadium, airport, national museum and IKEA.
I heard all of the talking heads like Rob Warren tell me over and over that we couldn't sustain such a resurgence, yet here we are. I heard others tell me the NHL would never come back to Winnipeg and would only use us as leverage for eternity, yet there is a Winnipeg Jets webpage up on NHL.com right now.
You see I always, we always, had to justify our beliefs and back them up, but "they" never had to the do the same. Their stance was based on 1993esque rhetoric and the same old local AM talk radio jargon that hyptnotizes people into believing we are a "can't do" city.
No more mosquito talk, pothole complaining, or wind chill chatter. All of those things come with living here. And now so do NHL goals, assists and sellouts. Yes sellouts...in ink for years to come with a waiting list that stretches well into the next two decades.
But we can't afford it, remember?
But lets move to the positive. Quite simply we knew we would see this day. If you didn't know it, you could at the very least come here to believe it without being made to feel like an idiot. If I provided that for you, then I am happy.
I have taken my fair share of criticism over the years (why I'll never know) but mostly people have been nothing shy of incredible and so supportive. I appreciated all of it and will cherish this journey for the rest of my life, not only because we succeeded but because of all of the incredible people I had the pleasure of meeting from the spring of 2003 right up until the draft last month. That experience by the way was outstanding. From all of the journalists that covered my quest to Mark Chipman himself, who has become a great friend of mine. Shaking Mark's hand right before he made yet another monumental announcement, that of our team name being Winnipeg Jets, was a proud moment for me. Being greeted by Steve Yzerman, meeting Dustin Byfuglien, and Mark Sheifele and his family. Painting the town white in a 16 seat Hummer limo. What a cap-off to the greatest month on Winnipeg history. June of 2011. Will we ever forget that month?
I don't need to go on in-depth about all the ideas on this website that ended up being correct. You know that already. You've been on here for a long time. You've been ridiculed for believing. You get it.
Regardless of whether you believed or not, we all get to enjoy NHL hockey now for years to come and, with the front office that we are forming and culture we are creating, a Stanley Cup championship is certainly something we can truly conquer as well.
And together we will enjoy every minute of it.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for hanging with me all this time. Dream big, achieve big. I hope you all follow me over to "The JetStream" at The Winnipeg Free Press, the best chat forum for everything Winnipeg Jets including my commentary that will also be found at DarrenFord.ca come this fall. The boards will be extensively moderated and a whole lot of fun too! Also, follow JakesTickets.com for all of the updates about the kids my son Jake will be sending to NHL hockey by giving his tickets away in partnership with True North and their foundation, still to be named. The Winnipeg Free Press provides a very credible platform for me to take this to the next level and True North provides Jake's Tickets with deserving kids that can't otherwise afford to get to live NHL hockey and are maintaining their grades and school attendance.
I debated for a long time on what path to take with JetsOwner.com. There was a compelling argument to keep it alive and yet also one to lay it to rest. I ultimately chose the latter. I wanted to let this website stand alone in history and be remembered for what it set out to accomplish rather than re-invent it into something that it was never intended to be. It will remain up on the net, as will the boards, to view but never to be updated again.
I am sad and happy all at once.
My very first media attention came when a short letter to the editor was printed in the Winnipeg Sun in May of 2003. The comment from the editor after my piece was "don't hold your breathe, Darren". And so I built a half-assed website and the rest as they say is history.
I did hold my breathe, and over 8 years later, I finally exhaled as I sat down in my newly chosen, centre ice seats to Winnipeg Jets NHL hockey at MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
I just sat in my seats and stared at the arena for about 5 minutes. And then I smiled.
See you at opening night!
Sincerely,
Darren Ford"