Blurring of the line?

In one of the closer polls of the season, nearly 56 percent of Hound Central 5.0 voters rejected the notion that TTM, or through the mail, requests are, indeed, acts of hounding. Honestly, I was a bit surprised, thinking the gap would have been greater. Far greater.

Instead, we learn there are many who believe TTM is hounding. Impressive, yet confounding. Does the respectable showing for TTM indicate ambivalence toward the experiential aspect of hounding. Is getting an autograph different from getting an autograph?

To me, the biggest difference between TTM and in-person hounding is effort. It's one thing to write/type a letter, address a couple of stamped envelopes, drop in cards and entrust your postal service. Like a hobby, there's absolutely nothing wrong with it. It's safe. It's easy. It works.

It's another, though, to get autographs in person. Hounds brave all elements, few temperature-controlled. The best hounds can put all names to faces. Hounding adventures can last weekends, even summers, not idle moments. It's reality. It's interactive. It's instant gratification.

Bottom line, it doesn't really matter how you get autographs. We all use the method that works best for us. Living near an NHL team helps. When you don't, TTMs get you in the game.

Question: Is TTM hounding?

No: 29 votes out of 52 cast (55.8 percent)
Yes: 23 votes (44.2 percent)