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It was with a heavy heart I did this. But I went and canceled my season ticket with the Chiefs. There were many reasons why I did this. The easy being: money. At the end of the day, bills need to be paid and I have things to buy for college. The deeper I get into journalism the less time I have for games. I need to be a grown up and get a proper job and honestly, hockey three nights a week just jams up availability. Perhaps I could have worked around those two factors.

I think the biggest reason I did it is because I cannot stand the direction the organization is going. See, it’s easy enough for me to deal with Toronto being terrible because they are three time zones away from me. And really the Chiefs aren’t terrible, the did crack the playoffs. But it mainly is I hate Hardy Sauter and his idea of being a coach and managing a team. That team had so much talent and it was thrown away on countless questionable line combinations and un-utilized timeouts.

It seems like fans of other organizations are treated better. Flaky section leaders and rude security made for many unpleasant experiences. There were times I reported individuals I thought had been over served and situations were never addressed.

One season I had to move my seat because I was next to a man who routinely drank about six beers a game, sometimes more and would be slurring and generally inappropriate towards me. He drank to the point where he forgot who I was and every time would hand me a business card and tell me to call him. He works for Lexus. And yeah, I’m fairly certain he was driving home in that condition. I still see him at games, drinking away and conducting himself as usual.

Oh sure there is the “knucklehead” line that allows you to report incidents via text message. But I could never get the service to work and neither could my friends with different cell phone services. But really, it shouldn’t take me alerting the front office that someone is very loudly cursing and using the c-word in front of children.

The bag search policy at the arena I still find really questionable. It generally only is purses searched and I’m tired of seeing people sneak in beers and flasks in their jackets and I can’t even bring in a granola bar unless it is hidden away somewhere in my bag.

The promotions for the team is just laughable. There seems to be no one actively pursuing new blood for fans. Having a twitter account and a facebook doesn’t make you cool. There is the forced “tradition” of scarves. Where is the love for students? A quick way to fill the arena is student rush ticket sales nights. Red outs? Only two a season and that is just pathetic. Why isn’t every game a red out? Why don’t I get more with my season ticket like other franchises? I don’t want a 100 bucks off braces. I’d like some money for the concessions at the arena. Because $3.25 for a bottle of water is just criminal.

Where does that leave this blog? To be honest, I don’t know right now. I’d like to do my best to branch out more and look at the NHL though I know many of you found me because I am WHL specific. You’ve been with me through a lot: from me finding a new team to love, several feminist rants and the heartbreak that was the Senators drafting Jared Cowen (they can have that useless meatsack).

I can’t promise regular content. But I will absolutely do my best by those who have always stuck with me. I’ve meet so many amazing people and friends because of this madness. I have an extended family of sorts in the Greater Toronto Area who was fabulous to me, taking me out for drinks and always making sure I got to the airport on time. Then I have my local crew and numerous visits to the downtown Onion.

Greg Wyshynski has always been wonderful and kind to small little site like mine. He’s given a platform and voice to many vocal females in the hockey community and I am truly grateful for it. He’s proven that bloggers can have a legitimate role in the big ether that is media and journalism even. In some ways, that really set me on the right path with my academia.

Mostly, my heart has been broken by this organization.

So am I on hiatus? Possibly. I’m leaving this open to the fates of the universe. I’m always around and you can email me.

xoxo,

WAC

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