Squash has struggled to maintain a multitude of good internet voices in the past, which is a shame. Airing a lot of opinions can only end up strengthening our sport and propelling us forward, something I think we all want.
So I was upset when SquashZAG went black. The owner, Shawn Patton, who I met at last year's Tournament of Champions, did his level best to create a site where squash devotees could check out the news, exchange opinions, no matter how ribald, and communicate with each other. But he was largely a one-man show, and was not blessed with a bottomless fund of cash to support his worthy endeavor. Eventually he had to pull the plug, and squashists lost yet another stop on the internet highway.
But the website was never completely killed, and Shawn tried to find someone who would take it over. That someone ended up being Daan van der Dussen and the people at Eye Rackets International. That's the squash company that donates 10% of the sales price to your local squash federation -- an interesting eleemosynary idea.
I have never played with or seen an Eye Racket, but I would wager they play pretty damn well. I think Eye's support of both local squash federations and the internet squash community wins them some special consideration, don't you?
I think squash players who care have to start spending their money with squash companies that care.
But for now, go back to checking out the ZAG every day, because it's alive!
