Sunday, April 1, 2007

Our weekly series on cool media folks - Meet Dave Ricci


Dave should have made it here already, but we held off because we needed an updated photo of him... the few old pics we have didn't quite cut it as Dave has, ummm.... let his hair grow out just a tad.

It seems we've known Dave forever, but we actually met him back in 2001 when we started attending Bisons games representing Sportsblast. Being involved in the media and entertainment community for many years - as a sportswriter, a comic entertainer, and even as a wrestler, he knew the players at Sportsblast very well... and could immediately sympathize and commiserate with us as to what a silly piece of crap that show really was.

Dave is first and foremost a freelance sportswriter - he wears and has worn the hat for many different media outlets, but despite his joviality, when it comes to gathering news and writing a story, he is a no nonsense professional. Dave's specialty has become profiling athletes and getting a behind the scenes glimpse of their private lives and their professional outlooks, and has developed a good rapport with a good number of players in the Bisons and Sabres clubhouses. No wonder then when big league baseball players come down to AAA on a rehabiliation assignment, national outlets such as MLB.com come calling on Dave to get the story for them - nobody does it better.

Why has Dave been important to our growth? Mainly because he has shown us the ropes - teaching us the proper etiquette on how to approach players, coaches and other personnel in getting stories and quotes; showing us the rules of engagement at Sabres morning skates and games. There really is no handbook on this stuff - when you get credentialed you are in the building and kind of fly by the seat of your pants. Dave showed us the way, and for that we are always grateful.

Dave is a pressbox regular at Bisons games, so with the season starting up this week, we'll be seeing a lot of him once again - always a big smile, a warm greeting, and catching up on Bisons news, media gossip, and sports topics of the day over a pregame meal in the dining room. For Dave Ricci, we leave with one parting comment ... Choi!... errr... Choo!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is two weeks in a row you guys are killing me with hot guys. Last week it was the GQ white collar guy, and this week it's the grunge factory worker.

So forget my appeal last week that is old news...can I get a reporter job so I can get to sit next to Dave? Woof!

Andrew Kulyk said...

Alex, oh Alex... I think you're fishing in the wrong pond here.

The poop on Dave is this... he is divorced, no kids, and no matter how friendly snd chummy he is hanging out with us at sporting events... the minute the lovely Ginger Geoffrey from Ch 7 or the equally fetchng Amy Moritz from the Buffalo News walks in the door, he drops us like a cheap suit to hang out with them and, umm... professionally dialogue.

The chances of the two of you getting together for a night of salsa dancing at Buddies is pretty slim.

I would recommend you check out the Outsports site, a good platform for sports and the gay community... and they have discussion boards and personals profiles as well. Happy hunting!

Unknown said...

WOOHOO! I always said it was only a matter of time before my "brother" Dave was given his proper due. Dave is a great guy and my best friend, so from a friend, thanks for the article spotlighting him. Of course the picture looks like he's from the work-release program, but still...