The website was started by Ryan Noble in 2014. At the time, he was the lone contributor. The website was, well, a work in progress. Who remembers our first logo?
Okay, this one actually was kept for a while. The site mostly just included game previews, recaps, articles and nonsensical photoshops like our players with cat heads which is still something we do.
Not only has our logo changed over the years, but we have also seen many different appearances on the site itself. Here are some of the old looks. Do you remember any of these?
We also had a different style when it came to our graphics. Who remembers some of these old images used for game previews? (We are so happy Noble stopped using an upgraded version of Microsoft Paint and learned Photoshop.)
We have had several friends contribute to the website, including Chicks Dig Hockey, Chris Barron, Paul Clemente, Sebastian Jackson and Sam Hossack. Eventually, Ryan would manage to dupe Ryan McArthur and Justin Stapleton to become full-time contributors. Those additions were when the site really started to flow better and really grow into the product we have today.
Last year was a huge season for us. About midway through the campaign, we conferred media credentials from the team. We have a lot of gratitude towards Brad Terry and Barrie Colts GM Jason Ford who really helped make that happen. When we first started to inquire about a media pass, we were informed that the team doesn't really grant blogs. Over the years, we must have shown that we were more than just a blog and here to stay. Also, Ryan wouldn't stop bugging them. If you know him, you know he can be exhausting.
Another huge addition last season was the launch of the Very Barrie Colts Podcast. While we feel we are still finding our groove, we feel it was a tremendous success. Ryan Noble and Ryan McArthur started it with no real sense of what they were doing, however, we feel it really turned out excellent. Our goal was that if we could get 100 listeners per episode that it would be more than we deserve. Through 9 episodes, we surpassed 50,000 listens. We also were prosperous enough to have Jason Ford sit down with Noble to discuss the OHL Draft which was more than we deserved. We can't thank Jason enough for everything he has done.
With this being our fifth year, we want our friends and readers (and haters) to anticipate a lot more from us this season. We have so many plans to celebrate this milestone as the campaign progresses. This season will be our first full year as a credentialed site and we are excited to see what we can create. Season two of the podcast will be even bigger than the first. We know we will have Ford back and hope to include many other guests. We have some great plans for content and a new look to many of the things we have provided since day one.
We know Noble covered this, but again we want to thank you. Thank you to our followers, readers, listeners, fans, haters and anyone who has helped us along the way. Also, thank you to Ford and the Barrie Colts for allowing us to do what we really enjoy. We are excited about the new season!
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