An NHL Team Secretly Drafted a Fake Japanese Person
An NHL Team Secretly Drafted a Fake Japanese Person
EPISODE 118: Taro lives.
The most technologically advanced draft in the history of sports television is happening tonight, when the National Hockey League takes over The Sphere in Las Vegas. Which means that the names and stats and highlights of every pick will stretch out across 160,000 square feet of futuristic, jam-band-optimized LED screens — the inevitable apotheosis of The Draft as live event.
Which is why the subject of today’s show is… the opposite.
Because if tonight is a new high point for cutting-edge broadcast technology, or whatever, I think it’s useful to find out what sits at the complete opposite end of that spectrum.
Which brings us straight to the NHL Draft of exactly 50 years ago. And a new Buffalo Sabre named Taro Tsujimoto.
DKN/YOUTUBE SPOILER ALERT:
Secretly,
Pablo
I was so, so, so happy to find this episode in my feed on Spotify. Paul Wieland taught broadcast journalism at St. Bonaventure for years after leaving the Sabres and I was fortunate enough to spend a few semesters as one his students. He was hilarious, big-hearted, and one of the best storytellers I've ever met. It's a bit "on the nose," but April Fools' Day was his favorite holiday and every Spring semester he'd run us through his legendary list of pranks, including the story of Taro Tsujimoto. Us Bonnies were all so bummed to lose Paul last year, but I'm so glad to be able to send this episode around to all my fellow Bonnies and hockey fans in Western NY to remember Paul and this ridiculous story. Love the pod, keep up the good work!