Meet The Blogger – Ryan Batty

We go back to Copper n’ Blue for our Meet The Blogger series today, so far from that site we’ve had Jeff Chapman, and Alan Hull today’s interview is with Ryan Batty. When I do my daily blog surfing C&B is a must stop and there isn’t a bad writer on that site and my favorite part of all of them is that they are very interactive on social media and in their own comments section. To me the ability and want to interact with readers is a key piece in what makes a blogger stand out.

Without further ado here is our interview with Ryan;

When did you start writing about hockey? What got you into it?

After the lockout in the fall of 2005 I started getting involved discussing hockey on messages boards, nothing much just a couple of comments here and there. By the fall of 2007 I found myself really enjoying interacting with other fans online and wanted to expand my discussion of topics to more than message boards typically made possible, so I started writing actual posts. Part of the desire to do this was, as I already said, the interaction with other fans, but another part of my decision to start writing, and why I still do it now even when the Oilers drive me crazy, is that it’s an outlet for me. A way to vent, so to speak.

Are there any writers that you look up to? If so, who are they and why?

I don’t know that there are any writers I’d really say that I looked up to, because I still tend to think of this as a hobby. But there are a few sites that I’ve always enjoyed reading (some of which are sadly no longer active): Black Dog Hates Skunks, The Battle of Alberta, mc79hockey, Lowetide, and Irreverent Oiler fans, and of course guys like Jonathan Willis, Bruce McCurdy, and Derek Zona, who predated me at the Copper & Blue.

If you could give any advice to people interested in getting into writing about sports…what would it be?

Nothing groundbreaking. Write about what interests you. Don’t worry about commenting on everything, but if you have something to say, say it.

Do you specialize in types of writing (analytical, post/pre game blogs, prospects, opinion pieces…all of the above)?

I’ve done a little bit of all of those. Opinion articles tend to be what I enjoy the most because it lets me taking the article to wherever my mind wanders, and my mind can wander to some strange places. If the Oilers weren’t terrible post game articles would probably be a little more fun, but when I’ve been at a game and watched the team get blown out, sitting down to write a couple hundred words about it isn’t as much fun as you might expect.

Do you have a favorite article that you’ve written or one that got a lot of positive feedback or criticism? Tell me a bit about it.

Three come to mind: Why You Should Stop Supporting the Oilers (http://www.coppernblue.com/2011/3/6/2033239/why-you-should-stop-supporting-the-oilers), The Myth of the CRL (http://www.coppernblue.com/2011/8/26/2386122/the-myth-of-the-crl), and Why Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Should Go Back To Red Deer (http://www.coppernblue.com/2011/10/25/2511072/why-ryan-nugent-hopkins-should-go-back-to-red-deer). The first was just a lot of fun to write because I tied a book about traffic into a post about the Oilers and it came with the added bonus of angry comments from people who obviously hadn’t read the whole post. The other two, well, look at the titles, those weren’t ever going to be popular with some Oilers fans. But I believed in both, and still do, so I wrote them. I don’t actively try to upset people but I can’t deny that it can be fun at times.

What sites do you currently write for? Favorite team(s)?

I’m at the Copper & Blue. Started there in February of 2011 and have written over 350 posts about the Oilers since then. Which is remarkable considering the state of the team.

Where can we find you on social media? Twitter/Facebook etc

I’m always on Twitter, @ryan_batty. Don’t forget the underscore or you’ll just be yelling a Avalanche fan who call San Francisco home.

“I don’t actively try to upset people but I can’t deny that it can be fun at times.” HA I also subscribe to this way of thinking. One thing that makes a writer good is the ability to stir up the conversation, and you can bet that if the conversation begins to stir it’s because there are equal parts agreement and equal parts people calling you an ass. Ryan does a great job at getting his opinions across clearly and concisely, it’s these things that make all of his posts a must read for Oilers Fans.

Thanks for Reading.