Welcome to the fourth edition of CBJ FANSided Friday! In this series we will post a short interview with a fan from the Blue Jackets community and ask them about their Jackets fandom. As the only female writer on staff for the Union and Blue, my FANSided Friday posts will focus on female fans, bloggers, and Blue Jackets Staff.
Rob Leifheit-USA TODAY Sports
I had the pleasure of interviewing Elaine Shircliff, writer for Faceoff Violation and season ticket holder for the Columbus Blue Jackets. She is known for her quirky posts and undying love for Jack Johnson. You can follow her on twitter at @imaraindancer.
U&B: How did you come to love the CBJ?
"Elaine: I grew up in the Chicago area so my first love is the Chicago Blackhawks. On April 1st, 2011 I came down to Columbus from the Akron area to do a write up about the arena for “Blackhawks Down Low.” It no longer exists but the beauties that wrote there now have a great blog called “Dry Island Castaways.” While at the game I fell in love with the Jackets. You can read about that here"
U&B: What does blogging about the CBJ mean to you?
"Elaine:Oh man, what a heavy question. One of the things I’ve always wanted to do is work in the sports industry. Especially in the foundation area. Writing gives me a chance to show the human side of players and organizations. Often times, we see articles about the negative things players do on and off the ice. I try my hardest to showcase the good. It’s my way of showing the world that professional athletes have more to offer this world than just entertainment."
Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports
U&B: Has being female hindered you in anyway? (Related to hockey/blogging)
"Elaine: Being a female has not hindered me in anyway that I know of. I started out on my own blog called “Everyone Love BJs.” Yes, I chose that name on purpose so that I would get hits. I was hoping Jackets fans would find me. Then, I was picked up by crashthenet.com. Most recently I was picked up by Faceoff Violation. Faceoff Violation is an all girl lead writers blog. Being surrounded by women who support your writing and want you to succeed in a man’s world has been nothing but helpful."
U&B: Any tips for women that want to try their hand at blogging?
"Elaine: Surround yourself with people who inspire you to be great.Don’t let anyone convince you that you aren’t good enough.Don’t take people’s criticisms personally. Even if they are personally criticizing you, don’t let them win.Create relationships with other women bloggers and build each other up. Do NOT criticize one another. Have healthy dialogue.Own the fact that you’re a girl. Don’t hide from it. Be girlie if you want to be. Put a twist on normal articles like “Stars of the Week.” For instance, Danielle “@frickindannie” Browne used to write a post called “Boyfriend of the Week” and now writes one called “Studs and Duds,” both of which highlight players skills. I know she’s gotten a lot of crap for them in the past but if people took two seconds to read those posts they would realize it’s just a playful way of spicing up a post.Be who you are when writing. Don’t be anyone else. Fellow Faceoff Violation sister Marissa touches on this here.Have fun. Be Honest.And most importantly, don’t be afraid to mess up. Not everyone will agree with you."
Everyone at the Union and Blue would like to thank Elaine for taking the time to answering our questions! Be sure to give her a follow on Twitter and check out her posts over on Faceoff Violation!