A quick word on the dystopian future of Dallas Stars coverage.

I don't know about you but I'm not going anywhere. Are you?

Our society has reached the point where not only is the social value of work usually in inverse proportion to its economic value (the more one’s work benefits others, the less one is likely to be paid for it), but many people have come to accept this situation is morally right — that genuinely believe this is how things ought to be. That we should reward useless or even destructive behavior, and, effectively, punish those whose daily labors make the world a better place.

— David Graeber, Bullshit Jobs (2018)

There’s no way to sugarcoat it. When you look at what happened to SB Nation, the Dallas Morning News, and now The Athletic, the hockey beat may not be endangered; it may be flat out extinct. Sports journalism is a business, and beat reporters are too expensive. The daily labor of those reporters that make the world a better place for you, the sports fan, matters less than the economic labor of some investor making more on their dollar.

And that sucks. Royally.

Beat reporting is unique. It doesn’t just keep you updated on the news. It plugs you into every little detail. And within that, you can find the stories that captivate you, however minor. Whether it’s a prospect growing confidence, a veteran getting out (or into) a slump, or a rivalry being born, every game contains multitudes. The end result of that beat labor is a kind of ‘Fan Brain’ if you will: a permanent encyclopedia for fans of all different types, creating their own habitat, unified in the common thread of For Love of The Game.

And now that’s over. But hopefully, what we lost in the fire we will find in the ashes.

I had a bigger piece planned in my head. Something more about the business, the state of hockey, and personal anecdotes. But no.

I’m just here to remind you that Stars coverage is still standing, and it’s standing strong. Bookmark this page because D Magazine has gone from just me (with Mike Piellucci occasionally guest-starring) to me standing next to Robert Tiffin and Sean Shapiro. It’s growing, and it’s growing fast. But there’s no nonsensical Grow or Die mindset at D Magazine. What Mike is doing there stands alone because it’s coverage that pays respect to those stories fans might otherwise lose.

What it lacks in the day-to-day beat it makes up for with articles that pack tons of information in a limited space (Roger Ebert was the master at this, and he’s largely where I take my writing cues). When the Stars suddenly started winning in December in 2021 under Rick Bowness after a horrible start, you could go anywhere to read about how Dallas was “turning things around!” or that they were “beginning to believe!” But it was only at D that you could find a place to dig deep into why the team that suddenly started winning was really the same team as the one that began the season by losing.

We’re here to continue developing the Stars community; for the social value, not SEO’s bottom line. Mike and I talk, text, and work together to build that Fan Brain for you, the Stars fan. To that end, be sure to spread the word. Help us create something undeniable. The fans are gonna be the ones who help build Stars coverage back up because it won’t be the NHL (the league I mean, not Dallas specifically, who actually does a good job of this), and it sure as hell won’t be whatever Startup Of the Week thinks they can turn the sports beat into their own personal ATM.

Unfortunately I have zero fucking clue what I’m doing. I just know do what I can, brick by brick (or in this case, adjective by adverb). D Magazine will be the expensive dinner on date night. Defending Big D will be kind of like your fruit and vegetables; I can’t be there as much as I used to, but I’ll be around. I owe them too much. That makes this place your home for breakfast tacos and margaritas.

I’m not here to promise what I can’t give. I can’t do day-to-day coverage. But I may start the first 10 games of the season by doing a quick podcast of personal reflections. Like I said: there’s always a story, and fans should never have to miss these. No matter what, you have made an investment in this place, which means I’ll make an investment in you.

That’s gonna mean more video analysis (paid subscribers can expect two more Tales From the Clipped entries before the season starts: one for Thomas Harley, the other for Mason Marchment), the measured response series (hard analysis of conventional wisdom i.e. “Dallas Shouldn’t Trade for Erik Karlsson”), original art for some of the big features here I have planned (again: paid subscribers you make this possible), and if you’ve been following the discussion on my Discord channel (which you’re cordially invited to), maybe some fan-specific content too; something beyond just the usual mailbags.

The Stars beat might be dead. But not the beating hearts of its fans.

The community deserves better. Hockey deserves better. It deserves to see daily labor rewarded instead of punished. If you’re not going anywhere, neither am I.