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The Evolution of the Sports Blogosphere
Published by MoonDog on February 25, 2009
When I wrote my first blog in October 2007, I didn’t have any particular motivation, other than a desire to share an opinion. I’ve never considered writing professionally, mostly because I can’t write.
As for me and this site, I’m still in the infancy stages compared to the more established sports blogs. Based on my best research efforts, Mr. Irrelevant and The Hardball Times got things started in 2004.
From there, sites like Deadspin, Kissing Suzy Kolber, The Big Lead, Awful Announcing and With Leather came into being and have remained among the most read sports blogs on the Internet.
There were many others, some of which never got the recognition they deserved. Those aforementioned sites and many others like them provided the average sports fan an alternative it never had.
For the first time the sports fan had multiple options available to them, well beyond the sports columnists we were forced to read every day in our local newspapers.
My idea of sports blogging was in line with old-school thinking. I thought I only needed to write a well-written article a few times each week and over time, more readers would become aware of my work.
For the first few months of my still brief blogging career, I banged away in relative obscurity. I wrote passionately about subjects that interested me and spent days researching the topic. I posted a few times a week and didn’t get much attention.
One day over a year ago, I wrote a piece about Stephen A. Smith and comments he made during an interview with Tom Hoffarth of the L.A. Times. I was still blogging at Fox Sports at that time and the piece really took off, rising to the top of the highlighted Fox blogs for that day.
I was a superstar. I had arrived. Or had I?
Not so fast MoonDog. I hadn’t done anything but write one noteworthy piece, at least in the eyes of the blogosphere. The next day, the hordes of readers that visited my little section at Fox were off reading the latest hot-button topic.
That experience was an eye-opener and one I point to as a key in becoming aware of how the sports blogosphere works. It only matters what you did today, because yesterday is long forgotten.
I’m not suggesting that one article didn’t help me in gaining more readers over time – it did. But when I started this site in January of last year, those people that were aware of me at Fox didn’t follow.
There were a few, but the overwhelming majority remained loyal readers of Fox bloggers. In other words, I had to reestablish a following.
During May of last year, I had 4500 page views for the entire month. In June, 13,700. By October I reached 68,000 and this month, I’ll go over 350,000.
How did I do it? Chicks.
Not sports, chicks.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the chicks. But that’s not what I had envisioned as a SPORTS blogger. I didn’t want to become a part of the crowd so to speak.
Aside from the well-established sports blogs, look at what we’ve become. All of us are banging away every day, chasing the same nickle and hoping we have that one attractive piece that will capture the attention of Jimmy Traina.
That one attractive piece generally means we’ve posted an eye-catching gallery of Gisele or Stacy Keibler, and I’m guilty as charged.
And it pisses me off.
I’m a purist at heart, passionate about sports and other topics too. I’ll give myself credit for recognizing how to best make an impact in today’s sports blogosphere, but I don’t like myself for it.
I’m not pointing fingers or casting stones at anyone. I don’t begrudge anyone from following a formula that has proven to be successful. I understand how the game is played and I play it the best way I know.
But at the end of the day, I just want to write a few articles about sports and be done with it. But if I were to do that, those 350,000 page views would drop to the levels they were at last May.
A sad commentary to say the least.
So I’m trying to figure out what happened to the sports blogosphere along the way, since those early days of sports blogging in 2004, when posting a few articles about the latest sports topics was the whole idea.
I’m trying to figure out when a bunch of half-naked chicks became the real driving force behind a site’s success.
This little nugget is even more sad. There are 35 or 40 sites I link to with regularity, and if I actually read one or two of them in a day, it’s a miracle.
I don’t have time to read other blogs because I’m too busy trying to find the latest images of the next chick I’m going to post.
I’m not spending my time researching sports topics that interest me, or any other topic for that matter with the same regularity I did when I got started.
I’m not saying the days of chick galleries are coming to an end here at MoonDog Sports, but I’m not going to break my back any more.
I’m going to get back to the guy that wanted to focus on sports. I’m going to post articles that are as well-written as I can make them and as well-researched as any you’ll find in the mainstream media.
I figure it’s time for me to take a position that may prove to be unpopular, unwise and perhaps downright stupid.
The page views may drop, but I’ll be at peace with the guy I see in the mirror, and that’s all that matters to me.
Now if you don’t mind, I need to do some research for my next post.
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(4 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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josh q. public on Wed, 25th Feb 2009 07:11
Nice work moondoggy. If you remember, I was right there with you at fox. it was a nice run. i applaud you for getting back to your roots and don’t sell yourself short, if this is any indication you’re a mighty fine writer. fear not, in the long run, quality sports content will set you free.
The Zoner on Wed, 25th Feb 2009 08:04
I guess it’s all about what you want your site to be. And I agree with JQP. Content is still king. There are some sites that are totally ugly, but they post quality stuff and get major hits.
Anyway, applause.
DCScrap on Wed, 25th Feb 2009 08:10
I feel ya, Moondog… right on point.
DMtShooter on Wed, 25th Feb 2009 09:02
Welcome, Doggie, to the world of wildly unpopular sports blogging! Me and my support group / fellow content bloggers play poker with our ad revenue take every four weeks. It’s 1 cent / 2 cent, pot limit hold’em, and the game can last longer than the Orioles’ post-season hopes. Shall I save you a seat?
Paul on Wed, 25th Feb 2009 10:24
Great post Moon! And i’m glad you’ll be dedicating more time to what you do best, sports writing. While I love your chick galleries, your sports articles are so much more impressive.
Jameson on Wed, 25th Feb 2009 10:47
Well said. We have gotten to the point where most big name sports are simply sports entertainment blogs looking the latest great pictures or entertaining sports story. You don’t really get many attempts to break things down and discuss real sports.
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blue on Wed, 25th Feb 2009 17:19
I guess I’m the only one who’s gonna say it. Bring on the girlie picks!!!
JM van Horn on Wed, 25th Feb 2009 21:03
I will echo the sentiments of others by saying you do have a talent for writing. That is what kept me coming around to your site to see what you talked about next. The girls were just an added bonus.
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Brian on Wed, 25th Feb 2009 22:59
It’s the same anywhere, not just sports. I and a few others who blog about Korea-related stuff almost always get the biggest hits off google searches for the flavor of the month or some variation of that flavor doing something explicit.
Sports2Debate.com on Thu, 26th Feb 2009 01:43
Nice piece MoonDog…
Keep blogging sports big guy,
The best things in life are not easy, but they are worthwhile.
Anthony on Thu, 26th Feb 2009 13:17
Moondog, In my short time blogging I think that may be the best post I have read. I will not vote for pole dancer stories as a sports blogger. You hit the nail on the head when you say we are chasing the same nickel and it is all about the flavor of the day. I have read some tremendous posts on Ballhype in the last week that get almost no attention. They are well written posts that are overshadowed by exactly what you are talking about. Thanks again!
Orton's Lazy Eye on Thu, 26th Feb 2009 14:19
Nicely put, but the article may have resonated more if not for the Wild Amaginations and Stare Magazine banners insisting of my attention.
Hef on Thu, 26th Feb 2009 14:53
Are you saying you don’t actually read my posts? We’re through, moondog. Through.
/I’ll email you a link tomorrow
IFChris on Thu, 26th Feb 2009 15:07
I experienced exactly the same thing. We used to have a weekly Eye Candy post but it felt so contrived and like such a traffic whore grab. Since then, I’ve limited the amount of girlie posts I make, but when I do make one, lo and behold, it gets the most pageviews and links.
Rockabye on Thu, 26th Feb 2009 15:19
Wonderful.
And anyone who reads the comments should Digg it. The least we can do is get some hits for the great commentary here.
mcbias on Thu, 26th Feb 2009 15:29
Welcome back, Moondog! Come away from the dark side! If you switch focus, I’m back as a reader. I liked your purely sports-driven writing but I stayed away once the site got too chick-focused. I don’t like mixing sex and sports on sites. (Plus I tend to read sports blogs at work, don’t want employer to get wrong idea).
ishXdavid on Thu, 26th Feb 2009 16:41
I love talking/reading sports, but I like looking at tits and ass so much more. I found your blog through TBL, and it’s going to be included in my daily rotation because your galleries aren’t blocked by my work’s filter. GREAT SITE!!!
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SMJKeith on Fri, 27th Feb 2009 14:56
Well said Moondog!
Mo Johnson on Thu, 12th Mar 2009 15:18
Good stuff Moondog, as usual — when you write
I think folks who put up quality content and think a little bit about what keywords they are going after will grow and grow — even without chicks.
also, other sports pictures get lots of traffic too.
keep it up bud.
josh q public on Sun, 15th Mar 2009 19:07
remember when you wrote this? you had me fooled.
MoonDog on Sun, 15th Mar 2009 23:56
I wrote we wouldn’t be devoid of posting images of women. I started a feature where I highlight a celebrity birthday and wanted to continue that. Admittedly, I came across someone that mentioned the site on-air and it came about as a result of one of the celebrity birthday posts. Why would I stop? I understand the point you made and I can appreciate the fact I look like a hypocrite, but the intention at the time was genuine.