As many of you know, we at PITB have been actively campaigning to get Kevin Bieksa, one of the league’s quippiest quote-machines, to join Twitter since mid-May. We made a convincing case, started a pathetic petition, commissioned campaign art, and even sent members of the mainstream media to press the Canucks’ defensemen directly.
There were times when things looked dire, such as when Bieksa himself rebuffed the campaign just eight days after we started it. ”There’s a petition?” Bieksa laughed, upon learning of our meagre efforts. “I’m not really a Twitter kind of guy. I don’t think everybody needs to know every single thought that’s in my head.”
The success of the campaign seemed less and less likely the longer the Canucks remained in the Stanley Cup playoffs and their rivals began to emerge from the woodwork, chirping the team via Twitter. Bieksa seemed particularly down on the social media site when he was asked about that very trend:
I could say a bunch of things right now but … if I was on my summer vacation, I wouldn’t be tweetin’ every day like some of these other guys. It’s funny, you don’t see guys like Nick Lidstrom tweeting, or Joe Thornton, they respect the guys. It’s mostly other guys who are tweetin’ and you know who they are.”
One of those guys was Mike Duco, whose anti-Canuck tweets came back to bite him when he was traded to the team in the offseason. Considering the maelstrom surrounding that incident, it seemed unrealistic to assume Kevin Bieksa would ever voluntarily sign up for that level of scrutiny.
But things began to look up later in the summer, especially when Ian Walker asked Bieksa about social media in an interview that appears in the MSP Canucks Annual:
What do you think of the rise of social media in hockey?
I think the league is going to have to do a better job of regulating everything. Twitter just seems … People are just throwing out whatever they want without thinking first. So to have that regulated and filtered before it gets to the Internet is a good idea, but it’s great for the game, to build the brand and get more people watching the game. I’m sure there’s lots of people who like to follow their favourite players and see what they are doing on a day-to-day basis, so for that it’s great.
Just not you, right?
[Laughing] Yeah, there were some rumblings of people wanting me to get on Twitter and stuff like that and right now I don’t know if it’s a great idea if people hear every thought in my head. [Laughing] I like to keep some mystery, but who knows.
So there is a chance?
[Laughing] We’ll see.
Suddenly, there was hope. Was Bieksa loosening up to the possibility of getting an account? It would appear so, because tonight, Ryan Kesler tweeted the following:
Take it away, Boney M.
Seriously, Ryan Kesler should get surgery more often. His Twitter accounts rocks when he’s on the mend.
I hate to end this post on a self-congratulatory note, but I do believe that makes PITB 2-for-2 when it comes to bending members of the Canucks roster to our bloggy will. Ryan Kesler may be the one that scored the goal, so to speak, but if PITB doesn’t at least get an assist on this, something is seriously wrong.
Well, that was fun. What should we do next?
You might also like:
15 comments
Search
Recent Comments
- tj
on 20 potential replacements if Alain Vigneault gets fired - tj on 20 potential replacements if Alain Vigneault gets fired
- Lenny
on 20 potential replacements if Alain Vigneault gets fired - Coach Bombay
on Amazing Fan Comment: Chris the Curmudgeon closes the curtain - Lenny on 20 potential replacements if Alain Vigneault gets fired
About canada.com | Privacy Statement | Terms | Copyright & Permissions
© 2008 - 2011 Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved.
Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited.
immie_8
September 18, 2011“Well, that was fun. What should we do next?”
Get that Canucks Zombie fic done and then sell it to a production company to get it made into a motion picture, of course!
Seriously, though, just keep up the great work guys! I can’t wait for the season to begin. Are we going to get IWTG for the preseason?
Harrison Mooney
September 18, 2011We are indeed. Trying to figure out some way to get one for each of the split squad games. It might not happen, but IWTG returns on Tuesday, at least once.
Noodle
September 18, 2011Is the series limited to 3 parts? Because it would be awesome if there were more…they’re so gory and entertaining. And really well written. Pretty please?
Burrows is the obvious next target for twitter, and it sounds like he’s already considering it. But I’m just going to throw it out there….I think #twitterneedsMalhotra.
Harrison Mooney
September 18, 2011Apparently, Manny Malhotra is already on Twitter: @Manny27Malhotra. But I suspect that’s a fake account.
Noodle
September 18, 2011Yeah, the tweets sound nothing like him. Too bad. Burr may be a more realistic target for the next account.
Lexie
September 19, 2011His wife also confirmed that he doesn’t have Facebook or Twitter
https://twitter.com/#!/Jojomalhotra/status/114434731327766528
Harrison Mooney
September 19, 2011There will be a few more. None of it’s planned in advance, so I don’t know how long it will go for.
Unless something else comes up, the next one will go Tuesday afternoon.
Lexie
September 18, 2011#TwitterNeedsDaTurd
Swedish Meatballs
September 18, 2011#TwitterNeedsBurrows
J21
September 19, 2011He’s already on it!
By-Tor
September 18, 2011Twitter obviously needs Mikael Samuelsson.
#getitdonePITB
Raj
September 18, 2011is @1RobertoLuongo a real account?
i dont think it is, but still?
James W
September 19, 2011Get Owen Nolan to share his ICQ number.
Nick@TheDevilsZone.com
September 19, 2011Congratulations Harrison! I know how near and dear this was to your heart.
Just one question, though. When talking about Kesler’s surgery and its affect on his tweets, didn’t you mean to say his “Twitter accounts rocks when he’s on the MEDS”?
Nick@TheDevilsZone
September 19, 2011PS – I just checked, and he’s already over 12,000 followers. Get on it, Juice! As Judge Smails said: http://youtu.be/angi1vwUkQc