Hello folks. This is Dan. One of the luxuries I’ve had over the years is relying on this place to provide me with enough knowledge and insight as a fan that I could follow the team no matter where I was on the map, or how many hours I was working. And when the time came for me to fill in a role on the site, I had Jon and Jason and a full staff of people to lean on while I was pulling strings in the back. We don’t share a ton about our inner workings, but it’s practically like a termite colony. We all have our roles, and we continue to define them as we go along. And when it comes to running this machine AND providing more content, it’s best suited for multiple people.
In short, we have plenty of people on the staff here so we can pour content into the site and provide this area the coverage that it craves. That’s the mission of the site. We do aim to have more fun than most, but we also have a duty to our community and region. So when we lose talent by either attrition or external offers, we can’t waste time. We need to be bringing in the right people.
We made one offer. And thanks to Travis and the crew at Vox, let’s get to know him. His name is Mark Harris. You might remember him from such websites at TodaysSlapshot and Predlines. And his Twitter is awesome.
Mark, glad to have you aboard. When did you first begin watching hockey?
I honestly didn’t start watching hockey in a serious manner until my sophomore year of college, so about four years ago. I have family that lives in Nashville and they had season tickets while I was growing up so I had been to a number of games, but yeah, I was a late bloomer so to speak. I distinctly remember watching NHL highlights on SportsCenter one night with my roommate at the time and I turned to him and said “I’m going to start following the Preds, like really follow them.” I’ve been hooked on the game ever since.
Other than hockey, what sports do you follow?
I don’t follow any sport as closely as I do hockey, but golf and college football aren’t too far behind. Golf has been a part of my life since I could walk and being around the game for so long I am just naturally drawn to following the PGA Tour and I do follow that on a week-by-week basis. College football, well, let’s not get started on that. I’ll just say I don’t pay too much attention to that that team that wears the orange and white even tho I attend grad school at that particular University.
I’ve been getting more and more into the Premier League over the past couple of months following Southampton; so that’s been fun.
I’ll dabble in the NBA and keep up with the Memphis Grizzlies, which, have you seen their roster lately? Their roster is as bipolar in terms of personnel due to injuries than the game we’ve seen from a particular Predators forward this season. Hint: he wears a number in the 30’s and he’s not Pekka Rinne or Carter Hutton.
If you had to wear a hockey jersey other than a Nashville Predators jersey to a game of any kind, what would you wear?
I’ve always kept up with the Oilers for some reason. Maybe it’s because their core pieces are all around my age and I think that’s cool; even tho they’re horrendous. That Connor McDavid guy is good. I’d wear a white sweater with his name on the back.
If you’re a fighter or baseball player, what is your walk-up music?
Let’s see. I’ve already said I don’t care for Tennessee football. I’ve thrown some shade towards a Nashville forward who many people like despite the season he’s having. So, let’s keep that trend going. I’ll go Blood On The Leaves (Instrumental) by Kanye West. *Grabs shovel. Stick shovel in ground. Begins digging his own grave.*
What is your favorite barbecue place? And what do you order?
The Rendezvous in Memphis. Fight me in the comments, but that is the best barbecue in this country. Give me a cheese plate, a full rack of ribs, no slaw and double baked beans. I will say that I go to Martin’s BBQ on Belmont Blvd just about every time I am in Nashville. Great barbecue, ribs aren’t up to Rendezvous standards tho.
Is there a place in Knoxville I should go to that’s NOT Calhoun’s on the river?
To be honest I can’t really give too many recommendations. Moving to Knoxville this past fall from Chattanooga after graduating from undergrad, I quickly realized I was spoiled in terms of great restaurants. Urban Stack, Tremont Tavern, Mojo Burrito, Champy’s, Lupi’s etc. spoiled me to death.
Fieldhouse Social is a new bar and grill that opened up off of Kingston Pike just before you cross the train tracks to get into the mess that is the strip. Awesome food, huge portions, very reasonably priced and a huge selection of beer.
Lastly, what is your favorite .gif you’ve ever made?
That’s an easy one.
John Scott laughing at Patrick Kane as the boos rain down is fantastic: pic.twitter.com/54qSk2NVce
— Mark Harris (@MCHisTweeting) January 31, 2016