I’m about to do something I’m not exactly comfortable with and that’s telling you about myself, but hey, Corey Hagood (CoreyWIIM) got this train rolling for us new folks and I’ll hop aboard.
Yes, I’m KTBauer, known as Kyle Bauer outside the the WIIMsphere.
Ummm…..
Fun Facts/QUICK HITS:
*I graduated from Oakland University with a B.A. in journalism in 2011.
*I’ve previously been published in the Macomb Daily, Oakland Press, Mlive, Oakland Post and written for the blogs, Detroit Sports Nation and Sports Talk 313.
*I’m a county certified social worker. I work primarily with autistic people but I’ve worked in a few intersectional cases. Been doing it for four years now.
*I listen to more NPR than sports radio or music….so I’m one of those people.
*My hero/favorite author is Harvey Pekar.
*I have a large black cat named Ace. He’s already 10 and it makes me sad.
*I have three tattoos including one of Ace on my right arm.
*I’ve been playing hockey since I was 11. I currently play beer league in Mt.Clemens and Rochester. If I could compare my playing style to any Red Wing unfortunately it would be Justin Abdelkader (I’m not very good). I also played baseball as a kid. I was way better at that but had more fun playing hockey and that’s what matters, right?
*I’m a volunteer hockey coach at Clark Park in Southwest Detroit. Clark Park is an outdoor rink where the Red Wings have practiced at and donated ice and a zamboni to in the past. The program supports inclusiveness and diversity in hockey by providing free hockey equipment, ice time and lessons to children of low-income families.
*I was an award winning college broadcaster at Oakland University’s college radio station, WXOU. I worked there for five years through college. CoreyWIIM was the Sports Director at the station in 2007, giving me my first air shift on the “OU Hockey Show”. He then let me be his color guy for Oakland hockey broadcasts where I’m sure I gave him an ulcer or two trying to cram in my ICE MELTING TAKES after every offside call.
*My all-time favorite Red Wing is Petr Klima. By some form of cosmic justice, I once ran into him at a casino in the U.P. and ended up having drinks with him. It was a very bizarre night.
*My favorite current Red Wing is Petr Mrazek. I once suggested investing in his future with a long-term contract this off-season. It was not a very popular opinion. My favorite skater is, I don’t know, Larkin, Athanasiou, Tatar, Marchenko? Sheahan is cool because he loves animals. I like everyone except Ericsson, Abdelkader, Miller and Glendening and it’s not even their fault. They’re probably nice people and are forced into playing roles they’re not suited for.
*I don’t like Ken Holland. And haven’t for a long time. But I will always try to temper that and be objective and responsible for the sake of this great website.
It’s been surreal writing for WIIM considering I’ve been a fan and avid reader of the site for over a year. Which yeah, I know, isn’t that long of a time, but long enough that it became a daily visit for me. I was inspired finding a reliable outlet for nuanced analysis and opinions on the Wings. With all due respect, reading the dailies’ coverage of the Wings, and even national coverage, it seemed like they owed favors to the team. It got frustrating and exhausting, like these outlets had writers and analysts watching a completely different game. J.J., Jeff, Kyle, Prashanth, Michelle and the rest of WIIM was a group I could relate to and learn from, and proud to now be a part of.
Some previous work I’ve done for WIIM:
Team America:Fun Police- Why I Can’t Root For Team USA’s World Cup Team
Pavel Datsyuk, Like Sanders and Fedorov, Didn’t Owe Us His Choice
Red Wings Rabbit Hole Theater Vol. 3: Golden Brett Edition
Ranking the Red Wings Top 10 ‘One and Dones’ of the Past 30 Years
