Big Tent Sports Blogging

One notable trend in sports blogging is the growth in formalized collaborations. We’re not talking about the occasional guest post, but actually joining forces to generate content and traffic. The final product can range from a large group blog with a list of contributing writers a mile long to blog networks that share technical resources and revenue. We examined one behemoth blog last month, and now we turn our attention toward the big brand among sports blog networks, SportsBlogs Nation.

In late 2003, Tyler Bleszinski started Athletics Nation to make up for the lack of coverage of his favorite team, the Oakland A’s. He was encouraged by his friend Markos Moulitsas of political blog Daily Kos fame, who thought there was an opportunity for sports blogs to capitalize on the passion fans bring to sports. In 2005, Moulitsas established SportsBlogs Nation with Bleszinski as its president, and the rest, as they say, is history.

We invited the following SBN bloggers to join us in discussing blog networks, SBN blog rivalries, haters, and building online communities.

• Tyler Bleszinski, Athletics Nation and President of SportsBlogs Nation
• Dave Deckard, Blazers Edge
• David Halprin, Blogging the Boys
• Peter Bean, Burnt Orange Nation

Erin: Tyler, how many bloggers write for SportsBlogs Nation blogs and how much traffic do you get overall?

Tyler Bleszinski: We have a total of 120 blogs right now and last month we got about nine million page views. But the most impressive number is that we have about a million unique visitors.

Erin: How has the SBN portal redesign this spring changed how the SBN blog communities interact, and can you give us an idea of what’s to come with another re-launch of SBN?

Bleszinski: It hasn't really changed the way that we interact. It's just nice to have a central place that really reflects the quality of what our network is all about. We really are the network of, by and for the fans and I think our portal reflects that now. Before it was confusing to try and tell what we were all about if you went to sbnation.com. As for the relaunch, I think people are going to be blown away by the new SBN sites we have coming later this year. I'm anticipating an 80 percent drop in workplace productivity once we roll our new sites out. Heh.

Erin: What can you tell us about previous acquisition offers from two of the bigger names in sports media? What held you and Markos back from selling a year ago?

Bleszinski: The timing wasn't right. We had a fraction of the traffic we have now (we're more than doubling year over year) and we're in no rush to do anything with this company other than continue to grow. We honestly believe that this is a revolution that's in its infancy and is only going to continue to grow. There are a lot of people who are frustrated with the lack of quality sports coverage of their team. And the concept of having an online sports bar has proven to be really successful already. We're extremely happy with how this is going.

Erin: What is the process of bringing a new blog into the fold in terms of changes, if any, to content or tone to fit within SBN?

Bleszinski: We don't ask anyone to change their tone. If we're recruiting someone to join the network that means we like their tone and style. That's one of the advantages of being independent. We don't have to be safe or milquetoast for fear of offending someone. At the same time, our bloggers are all very reasonable and fair. But they're fans of their teams first and foremost, so that passion sometimes comes through loud and clear. I think that's what makes it so appealing to so many people.

Erin: Dave, David and Peter, what are the biggest advantages and disadvantages of belonging to a blog network such as SBN?

Dave Deckard: The biggest advantage is an instant connection for readers and writers to information and discussion about other teams in one’s league. This is particularly evident before teams compete against each other or when trades are rumored or executed. You have multiple sources of information and multiple viewpoints at the click of a finger. It broadens your horizons.

As a blogger I find that I both learn from and am challenged by the writing of my peers. I can also get quick answers to questions league-wide with a simple e-mail. There are also “inside” advantages, like tech support and peer review of your material.

The only disadvantage I can see is that you don’t have as much control over your site look and layout as you would if you were independent, as SBN likes their blogs to be easily identifiable by their appearance. It’s still plenty customizable though and for those who just want to write and not worry about graphics or technical issues it’s paradise. Far too many blogs and professional sites focus on appearance over content anyway. With SBN it’s the other way around. You get in and stick because of what you write and quote, not because of how you look. A decorative box will get you to buy the cereal once but unless that sweet, sweet crunch is there you’re never eating it again.

David Halprin: There are a few big advantages. The SBN network helps generate an audience for your blog. We have a SBN home page that lists all of the blogs and provides summaries of posts and easy navigation to the blogs in their respective sports. This helps drive traffic. SBN also provides an advanced blogging platform and they help to sell ads for each blogger to generate revenue. There is also the advantage of cross-posting with your fellow SBN bloggers. I can easily get analysis from other SBN NFL bloggers about their teams to post on my site. I can do Q&A sessions with them, or link to their site when I'm discussing their team. We also do things like a NFC East roundtable discussion on occasion.

I don't really feel that there are any disadvantages to being a member of SBN. For some bloggers who like to control everything; site design, functionality, selling ads, the technical requirements, they might not like it. But as a blogger, I enjoy having the network take care of those things for me, it allows me to concentrate on the content of my blog, and the writing part of blogging is the most enjoyable to me.

Peter Bean: I honestly can't think of too many disadvantages to being a part of SB Nation; it's truly been a long series of advantages. Perhaps the biggest advantage to blogging in the network is the close collaboration I enjoy with my colleagues. We frequently discuss ideas for posts, kick around takes on various issues in sports, and bug each other for HTML help on especially cool looking projects.

The wonderful thing about SB Nation is that the blogs operate so independently. The network is an affiliation, and though there's an SBN brand that defines the way each blog generally looks and operates, there's no editorial policy governing -how- a blogger should cover his or her favorite team. We all write in our own voice, with our own style, without anyone suggesting we do it any other way. There's nothing restrictive about it.

Erin: OK… so for you guys, SBN has been the perfect match. What do you think about the growth in sports blogging networks in general? Are there potential pitfalls to be aware of either as you start a network or join one?

Deckard: You have to be careful of the company you keep because it does reflect on you. One of the most exciting aspects of sports blogging is that blogs and blog writers are slowly earning respect – and thus connections with – teams and other media outlets. This has the potential to benefit all parties involved. Sometimes all it takes is one incautious person to flush that all that respect and confidence down the drain. Newspaper writers talk to each other. General Managers talk also. A network reputation for shoddy, inaccurate, or needlessly inflammatory work will filter across to the perception of your blog.

Bean: I absolutely agree with Dave, and want to take it a step further. I sometimes cringe these days at some of the more inflammatory posts in the blogosphere these days; at least the ones which purport to be criticisms of mainstream media.

Mainstream media criticism is an important part of what a lot of sports blogs do these days, but I really do wonder whether it does anyone any good to write that ESPN “licks monkey balls” or something like that. Unfortunately, that’s more the norm than the exception.

I think the next big step for sports bloggers will be to maintain their edge and personalities but to get over the little guy complex that seems to motivate so many to lash out angrily at the big kids in the park.

Erin: Given that SBN sites are almost all team-dedicated sports blogs, how do you deal with team rivalries that spill over into SBN? Examples?

Bean: Like everyone else - with threats of violence, profanity, and deep-seated hatred.

Okay, not quite. Things can get intense from time to time, but I think most of our bloggers do a great job of setting a great tone for the readers to follow. Many sites have "community guidelines" which insist readers treat each other, and even opposing fans, with respect. Ugly incidents are unavoidable, but being proactive about wanting a civil atmosphere on your site goes a long way towards discouraging unbecoming fan behavior.

Most sites are amazingly civil.

Deckard: We get beat up by our readers way too much to beat up on each other!

I’ve had nothing but positive experiences with the bloggers at SBN. We really root for each other but also kind of compete with each other in a friendly fashion. Our readers get passionate about our sites and we do get blog rivalries among our fans but that’s all good for hits. Last year I brought in a rival SBN blogger to compete against my readers in our monthly jersey contest. It stirred so much fun and good competition I’m thinking of making it a regular feature. “Don’t let that Clippers guy steal your jersey!” Priceless.

Erin: David, as you have noted, the Cowboys are one of the most hated franchises in sports. Does that make your job easier or harder?  Do you have to deal with many haters in the comments?

Halprin: Great question - blogging for a team like the Cowboys makes my job much easier. Just like in baseball where people either love or hate the Yankees, the Cowboys come with their own built-in fan base, and they also attract people who hate them. This leads to lots of interesting storylines for me to cover and it allowed my blog to grow very quickly in terms of readers. There are just so many Cowboys fans out there and they are so passionate about the team that it makes it easy to write for them. As for the haters in your original question, we do get them sometimes on the blog, but I've tried to create an environment that is free of personal insults or just plain trolling. My readers will generally tolerate an opposing point of view on the blog as long as the hater brings the facts with them, and some respect for the blog and the readers on it. If they have a good argument about something, we love to discuss it in-depth. One of our biggest non-Cowboy participants is Skin Patrol, SBN's Washington Redskins blogger. He comes over often and has great discussions with my readers. As long as a hater is respectful and arguing the facts, we don't have a problem with accommodating them.

Erin: Dave, what’s the most memorable thing you witnessed at the Las Vegas Summer League?

Deckard: Hoooooo! I can’t tell that one in a public forum! Oh wait…you mean on the court I suppose. Golden State guard Marco Belinelli’s 37-point performance in their first game was fantastic just because it came out of the blue and got the crowd involved. The style of shots he was hitting was not easy. Watching new Clippers draftee Al Thornton launch jumpers from near the ceiling was great too. But probably the best thing was just being able to observe the NBA culture at work…General Managers talking together while coaches gave media interviews and European scouts scribbled furiously at their tables. Summer League is so intimate that you overhear a lot of conversations, gaining insight into how these players are evaluated, valued, and encouraged. In some ways it’s a whole ‘nother world from the one you and I live in but it also comes down to very human factors like personalities, aspirations, and sometimes just whether a guy is having a good day or not. Franchise fortunes and careers both can be changed on idiosyncrasies.

Erin: Tyler , you broke new ground for sports bloggers in getting press credentials for spring training and access to A’s management. What do you think accounts for the team’s open mindedness towards Athletics Nation and perhaps you in particular?

Bleszinski: I'm just thankful that I'm a fan of a team that has forward-thinking management and understands that blogging is an important way to reach out to their most hardcore fans and influencers. I'm thankful that Billy Beane understands the Internet and isn't afraid of it like so many other sports management groups seem to be. And I think Beane reacted to the tone of the site. We try and always look at what the A's are doing rather than automatically ripping them for any moves they make. Even when they traded Hudson and Mulder and people like Ray Ratto were going on ESPNEWS claiming that the team wouldn't win 65 games the following year, AN really wanted to evaluate what Beane was trying to do. Yeah, I react emotionally at times, but I also always try and take a step back to look at what they're doing. The A's are smart enough to realize that.

Erin: Dave, David, and Peter, are you aware of anyone from your teams reading the blogs or interacting with your communities at all?

Deckard: Yes…I’m too much of a gentleman to name names but I’ve talked with a number of people from the team who read. I think the coaching staff is about the only group that we haven’t heard from and they’re too busy to read blogs anyway.

Bean: I couldn’t have done some of the interviews that I did for my book without going through the Athletic Department, so my site is known among some in that office.

With that said, people often ask me if I’m going to seek press credentials for various UT events and I always tell them that I’m not interested. Access to the team and players just isn’t something I need to write about Texas the way that I do. I’m a fan of the team, and though I’m a pretty critical fan, everything about Burnt Orange Nation is built around the idea of the site being a fan community. I’m not a journalist, and I don’t care to be.

Halprin: I do know that some of the Dallas area beat writers read my blog. I have written pieces that either question what they’ve written or pointing out errors in their articles and they have emailed me to acknowledge the things I’ve pointed out and occasionally have printed corrections. I have no direct knowledge of the players or people inside the Cowboys organization reading the blog.

Erin: Any tips for other bloggers who are looking to build strong communities?

Bleszinski: Be yourself and don't try to copy someone else. And in the beginning, don't be afraid to promote your blog on places like message boards. People are often looking for someplace that has intelligent discourse about the team they love. I know that I was tired of the fact that most message boards seemed relatively unregulated and overwhelmingly negative.

Deckard: 1. Be yourself and nurture your own voice and style. If all goes well you’re going to be doing this every day for a long time. It’s really hard to be somebody you’re not over multiple years with thousands of pages of material. People can sense when you’re phony.

2. Don’t write to get readers or hits, write what you see and believe. The world has way too many media people out to shock folks for ratings. It’s getting old and it ends up losing you respect in most cases. Given a choice between “This is going to draw attention” and “This is what I see as true” opt for the truth. Even if you end up being wrong you’ll get farther ahead in the long run.

3. 9 out of every 10 blogs die after the first few weeks. Everybody has something to say but only a few can keep it up after their axe is ground and their Big Insight has been made and discussed to death. If you have one or two brilliant points find an existing, credible blog that takes input and make them there. Put them in the comment section or e-mail them to your blogger and see if (s)he will post them. You’ll get all the response without the hassle of having to set up your own site and attract readers. Use that feedback to refine your thoughts and hone your style. If you find yourself doing that twice a week over a period of months then it might be time to strike out on your own. If you don’t eat, sleep, and want to talk about the team or the sport every…single…day and you’re not willing to devote multiple hours a week into research, writing, and conversation it’s probably not worth starting a site. On some days being a blogger is really cool but on many days it’s much more fun being a fan.

Bean: Figure out what your goal is for your site before you begin and then stick with that. Most of us started these things because we wanted to talk sports about our favorite teams with our friends. If that’s the goal, then don’t get caught up in the sideshows. My favorite bloggers are all (not coincidentally, I’m sure) the ones who seem to be the most genuine bloggers.

The big advantage blogs have over most other media formats these days is that they’re Voice Of The Fan sites. If you’re writing about what you love, the blog will be a success. And if you happen to be good at it, the other stuff will follow. Stick to what you know and love, and do it as best you can.

Halprin: Interact with the people who are commenting on your board. Make sure you acknowledge what they are saying and answer the questions that they ask in the comments. Also, if someone writes a particularly interesting story or has an interesting view on something, make sure you bring it out and give them credit for it on the front page of the blog.