You may notice something new later today -- for the first time, we're asking for money.
I want to go to Reds spring training in Arizona this year and bring the latest to you guys, be it stories, blogs, videos, pictures, the whole deal.
I'm sure you all understand it's not cheap. The Sports Business Journal had a story earlier this year about the costs of beat writers. It cost an average of $50,000 for just the expenses of a full-time beat writer during the season and it's an average of $8,000 for a writer to cover a full six weeks of spring training. We're going to try to do that for half of that, $4,000.
I also want you to take some ownership -- let me know what you want from our spring training coverage and beyond.
Later on, I think there'll be a membership option, and would love to hear any ideas you have for extra material that members could receive.
However, the vast majority -- all the articles, TOL and the rest -- will be free. I don't see the paid content model working. It works for very few people, mostly recruiting sites and kiddie porn. Other than that, not as much. So if you don't give any money, we'll be free for as long as we're here. Of course, a lot of that depends on the other parts.
* I heard a lot of kvetching about the Bengals headed into the playoffs -- but when the team has gone to two playoff games in the last 18 seasons, shouldn't you be excited about any playoff appearance, no matter how ugly? They're not too common 'round these parts. Enjoy what you can.
Sports and other hobbies should bring joy into your life -- why let them ruin it? Sure, it's "cooler" to be all pessimistic and say "I told you" when the team loses, but it's more fun to enjoy it all along. Plus people may actually may want to hang out with you if you're not so negative and you'll have fewer things to be negative about. I used to be like that, then I grew up (a little).
* The playoff picture is a little weird right now -- if the season ended today, it'd be the Jets and Broncos, but the season doesn't end today. The Jets and Ravens control their own destiny.
* Could the Jets get two teams in a row to lay over and get the perfect road into the playoffs?
As for the Colts, not sure my man Herm Edwards would agree.
I'm sure somewhere, someone is blaming Bud Selig for the Colts giving up.
* A good critique of the passer rating stat.
* The New York Times looks at the damages done by the stadium boom, focusing on Cincinnati.
* Oh, Urban Meyer. You know every Florida recruit will get a call as soon as the quiet period is over from other head coaches asking if they know who their coach is going to be. Or maybe that one day "as a dad" and doing "important" stuff wasn't as good as coaching football. That said, he's a heck of a coach, as good as there is in college football. But if I'm a player, I'm wondering just how long he's going to be a coach.
* Another story on the true costs of bowl games.
* I'm pretty excited about tonight's Rosecrans Bowl -- I went to Georgia and my sister went to undergrad and medical school at Texas A&M.
* The beauty of college football (warning -- white people rapping.)
* SI's Jon Heyman said he voted for Barry Larkin for the Hall of Fame on Twitter yesterday, but he also talked about voting for Jack Morris but not Bert Blyleven. He claimed he's never voted for Blyleven, so "at least I'm consistent" -- is that a positive when you're consistently wrong? I don't think changing your mind is a bad thing. Also, I hear all the time about "how can a guy not be a Hall of Famer one year and then a Hall of Famer the next year -- his stats don't change." Yeah, but the voting panel does.
* One of my favorite writers, Dave Sheinin of the Washington Post, on the Rookie of the Year, Chris Coghlan.
* Paul Newberry of the Associated Press on the fight of a paralyzed college baseball player.
* R.I.P. Vic Chesnutt. (More from Rolling Stone, Michael Stipe reacts and more MP3s).
* I'm kind of underwhelmed by the trailer for Kevin Smith's Cop Out.
* As if needed another reason not to see the A-Team movie -- no Mr. T in the movie, even in a cameo. I pity the fools.
* The New Yorker on Cincinnati chili.
.
I want to go to Reds spring training in Arizona this year and bring the latest to you guys, be it stories, blogs, videos, pictures, the whole deal.
I'm sure you all understand it's not cheap. The Sports Business Journal had a story earlier this year about the costs of beat writers. It cost an average of $50,000 for just the expenses of a full-time beat writer during the season and it's an average of $8,000 for a writer to cover a full six weeks of spring training. We're going to try to do that for half of that, $4,000.
I also want you to take some ownership -- let me know what you want from our spring training coverage and beyond.
Later on, I think there'll be a membership option, and would love to hear any ideas you have for extra material that members could receive.
However, the vast majority -- all the articles, TOL and the rest -- will be free. I don't see the paid content model working. It works for very few people, mostly recruiting sites and kiddie porn. Other than that, not as much. So if you don't give any money, we'll be free for as long as we're here. Of course, a lot of that depends on the other parts.
* I heard a lot of kvetching about the Bengals headed into the playoffs -- but when the team has gone to two playoff games in the last 18 seasons, shouldn't you be excited about any playoff appearance, no matter how ugly? They're not too common 'round these parts. Enjoy what you can.
Sports and other hobbies should bring joy into your life -- why let them ruin it? Sure, it's "cooler" to be all pessimistic and say "I told you" when the team loses, but it's more fun to enjoy it all along. Plus people may actually may want to hang out with you if you're not so negative and you'll have fewer things to be negative about. I used to be like that, then I grew up (a little).
* The playoff picture is a little weird right now -- if the season ended today, it'd be the Jets and Broncos, but the season doesn't end today. The Jets and Ravens control their own destiny.
* Could the Jets get two teams in a row to lay over and get the perfect road into the playoffs?
As for the Colts, not sure my man Herm Edwards would agree.
I'm sure somewhere, someone is blaming Bud Selig for the Colts giving up.
* A good critique of the passer rating stat.
* The New York Times looks at the damages done by the stadium boom, focusing on Cincinnati.
* Oh, Urban Meyer. You know every Florida recruit will get a call as soon as the quiet period is over from other head coaches asking if they know who their coach is going to be. Or maybe that one day "as a dad" and doing "important" stuff wasn't as good as coaching football. That said, he's a heck of a coach, as good as there is in college football. But if I'm a player, I'm wondering just how long he's going to be a coach.
* Another story on the true costs of bowl games.
* I'm pretty excited about tonight's Rosecrans Bowl -- I went to Georgia and my sister went to undergrad and medical school at Texas A&M.
* The beauty of college football (warning -- white people rapping.)
* SI's Jon Heyman said he voted for Barry Larkin for the Hall of Fame on Twitter yesterday, but he also talked about voting for Jack Morris but not Bert Blyleven. He claimed he's never voted for Blyleven, so "at least I'm consistent" -- is that a positive when you're consistently wrong? I don't think changing your mind is a bad thing. Also, I hear all the time about "how can a guy not be a Hall of Famer one year and then a Hall of Famer the next year -- his stats don't change." Yeah, but the voting panel does.
* One of my favorite writers, Dave Sheinin of the Washington Post, on the Rookie of the Year, Chris Coghlan.
* Paul Newberry of the Associated Press on the fight of a paralyzed college baseball player.
* R.I.P. Vic Chesnutt. (More from Rolling Stone, Michael Stipe reacts and more MP3s).
* I'm kind of underwhelmed by the trailer for Kevin Smith's Cop Out.
* As if needed another reason not to see the A-Team movie -- no Mr. T in the movie, even in a cameo. I pity the fools.
* The New Yorker on Cincinnati chili.
.
I'd be happy to contribute towards ST for Cnati, but where do you have information on how to do so? In a brief look around the site, I did not see anything like that
I guess making the playoffs is enough. If I'm a diehard Bengals fan, I'm happy with the 10 wins, but is just making a playoff game much to celebrate about? I don't know. I'm not a diehard Bengals fan, and I'm always pretty critical of them. Mostly because I hate how Mike Brown has manipulated and used the city for the last 15 to 20 years. It has more to do with him than the team itself.
But I'm always happy to watch my Buckeyes and Red's play in meaningful games even if they are doomed or destined to lose.
Cincinnati chilli making the New Yorker, now it's definitely hit the big time. It's nice to read an article about it from another town that makes it sound good. I personally find it hilarious when out of towners here tell me that this is not "real" chilli, then go on to explain what a "real" pot of chilli is like. Because obviously, none of us would know. I also find it funny when they claim Texas chilli must have beans. Ask a person in a red, Texas chilli cookoff if they put beans in it.
thanks mary... sorry i didn't make it clear, lee's on the road and will put it up later today. he's also written a little bit about it too
if you only have two playoff appearances in 18 seasons, you should be pretty happy with it happening, because it doesn't happen much
Dont' get me wrong, I'd like to see them win a game or 2 in the playoffs, but looking at the matchups, I just can't see them winning one game, and I don't get being happy with just being there. That's just me though, even if you have been there only 1 time in 18 years. If you accept happy with being there, what is the organizations motivation to try and sustain and improve? Of course we are dealing with Mike Brown and his only motivation is $$$$, and one extra game with more expensive tickets will give him that.
I love the Reds, and would love to see them in the playoffs, and I'd watch every game, just as I'll watch the Bengals game, but I'd be very disappointed if they were one series and out. It's nice to cheer for a winner once in a while, but I am not satifyed with one and done.
That's all I'm saying, I'm happy to see them in, but I think it's a bad thing to be satisfied with laying an egg when you get there. I get the impression, a lot of people will be ok with that because they got there. That buys them 3 or 4 years of mediocrity before people start complaining again.
Just making the playoffs isn't good enough, for me. 2 playoffs in 20 years? Make the most of your opportunities. This organization has not shown enough consistency for me to believe they can improve on this season next year. In the NFL, there are windows of opportunity. As your key players get older, the window grows smaller and smaller. After Boomer, how long did it take this franchise to find a QB of Palmer's caliber? Once again, it boils down to consistency. If you make the playoffs and don't win the Super Bowl, what really makes you different from the other non-playoff teams, other than the fact you get a lower draft pick and a tougher schedule? This especially true of the Bengals organization.
btalbert, give the Bengals some credit. They definitely don't look like one of the most dangerous teams in the field but they should at least have a good shot at beating a crappy Jets or Broncos team at home. If they have to play the Ravens in round one, it may be a bit trickier because I think it's tough to beat a team three times in one season.
I'm just saying, they didn't beat a crappy Broncos team at home already this year. The Jets defense is really really good, and will hold the Bengals to nothing on the ground. I think they have a good enough offense to put up 10 points and that's more than the Bengals will score on them.
Im stoked. This has been one of the greatest seasons the Bengals have ever had. All of the games have been competitive if a little boring at times. But I cant understand people bitching about sweeping the division and getting a crack at the SuperBowl. Playoffs arent good enough for some. Those must be people who werent around last year. I think that what theyve done this year is nothing short of amazing, incredible, and entirely unexpected. What the hell else do you want Bengals fan?
And I think that the Bengals are one of the most dangerous teams out in the playoffs. They can stay in games and score in the 4th quarter. With a solid defense, sometimes thats all it takes to be "dangerous".
Your friends at Red Letter Daze will support your Dialin' for Dollars spring training campaign. No problem whatsoever.
Bottom line. Anything less than a Super Bowl victory is meaningless. I would hope the team feels the same. Two close calls in the past don't cut if for me. "Just being there" is acceptable in Pee Wee football, not in the pros.
I don't have to win the Super Bowl, just win a game or two in the playoffs and build on that. But if this team loses in the first round an overwhelming majority of the fans will say, well we won the division. Big deal, in 2005 the team that lost the division won the super bowl. Just making it is not something to be satisfied with, and I think that's why teams and cities like Pittsburgh, New England, Indy, and even Philly have success. Sure they don't win the Super Bowl every year, and sometimes they don't do well, but usually these teams aren't 1 and out. They expect success and fans aren't happy unless they have it.
Maybe those fans are not realistic, but when a team, the organization as a whole, and the fans all expect success, it usually happens. When teams settle for well at least we are there, they make the playoffs 3 times in 18 years.
CTrent, Ive got an idea. How about a making it fun? If you get the 4,000 dollars through subscriptions, you'll stay clean shaven all spring training. I will be the first to sign up. I can be like the opposite of the playoff-beard; the spring training-shave.
we get the full 4k, i'd wear the creepy cop-stache for the whole time (or maybe not...)
but i'd have to get more for razor blades and shaving cream
That's a good idea. Put a pic up with you and all the other contributors with cop-staches in the banner ad, with the quote, "CNati is on the Case, The FBI isn't taking this one". And do some Charlies Angels poses. You'd have the 4,000 in a week and Ill cover the the toiletries.
Have you thought of telling potential advertisers that for $20 you will wear a Judah Friedlander style message hat with their company and post a daily pic on your site plus wear it all day around camp.
It's better than those goldenpalace.com tattoos right?
The Jets have a had a good D at times this season (especially in the beginning of the year) but they aren't the best defense in the league, and their rush defense is WORSE than the Bengals. Both teams have great running games, maybe the best two in the league, but the Bengals have a huge advantage in the passing game, even though they haven't shown it for much of the year. I'd still take Carson over a rookie, mistake-prone Sanchez every day of the week, and our receivers are better than theirs.
To say the Bengals would gain nothing on the ground against them is beyond ridiculous when they've put up good totals against teams with much better rush defenses.
If you would announce the shave, save the cop-staches, you would have it already, CTrent!
I will be happy to throw in a few bucks if I can get a 35-inch feature on an ASU assistant volleyball coach.
That is perfect that people are able to take the loans and that opens completely new chances.