Well there are online services you can use to purchase fake followers... I saw CityPulse do a news story about it, it's pretty cheap to purchase 100,000 "followers" actually, I think like $25. So Darren could simply have bought some of his followers (since it does convey a certain degree of status to your peers).

Perhaps...given the Canadian obsession with hockey...given that Leaf fans suffered through the HORRORS and general lack of ANY hockey-related abilities attributable to that complete and utter ASS-0 Harold Ballard and that those fans in Toronto [where Darren is] roll the Canadian dice...and given that TSN still maintains credibility as it relates to hockey over the hodge-podge of talking heads weighing in on the subject over at Sports Net...and given that he isn't as much of an ego-boy as most of what 'they' refer to as "the Poodles" who sit in those hockey chairs with James Duthie... ... ...scrounging up a million followers for Darren isn't all that difficult to explain.  He has, after all, been THERE doing THAT now for what???  11 years.  Before that he worked for the 'other' side.

He's also related to someone with REAL NHL cred which nicely opened a door or two for Darren's own inside track to flourish.  Oh...and he's not yet reached the age of 50 which gives him, one would think, an insider 'feel' for the social media side of the realities which affect the electronic media in the 21st century.

He's also from out west which might tend to keep him marginally more grounded than those who profess to being from the centre of the hockey universe.

Other than that Fester?  I dunno?  His curly hair? 
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By the way...even ***I*** have followers.  Well...1 follower.  And it ain't my wife.  1 of the 4 offspring still follows me.  Although she did ask me on Thursday which 'station' I was working at now...as her friend asked her and she was embarrassed to admit that she really didn't know.  I don't want followers.  I don't even want a cell phone.  So?  I don't own one.  Leave me ALONE!!!  I'm gettin' loaded.  Leave a message.  [on the home phone...whaddya think?  I want to be 'ON' 24 hours a day?  No thanks.  A million followers?  I'd rather hide in the forest.]

Last edited by Old Codger (December 16, 2017 10:44 am)

I'll take the TSN hockey lineup over what Sportsnet offers up every day of the week & twice on Sundays.

He often breaks big NHL news before anyone else.

Retaw wrote:

You know what really puzzles me? The Canadian media outlets (be they newspapers, magazines or TV channels) that claim to have tens of thousands of followers on social media but never receive more than 1 or 2 interactions per post. Either they're making extremely unappealing content, or someone bought follows by the truckload. 

Facebook changed their algorithms about a year ago and the reach of many media outlets have plummeted.  There are tricks to ensure your posts are seen like not posting pictures with logos etc.  As producers and on air people we have to read up on what works to ensure our posts don't get buried.