Blog Profile of Bleacher Report

There are tons of sports blogs out there. Many of them are independent , but not all of them are. One that sticks out and is actually the top rated sports blog according to Technorati is Bleacher Report. Their claim to fame is that they are the web’s first Open Source Sports Network. I’d be lying to you if I told you that I didn’t exactly know what that meant at first. I got it cleared up though. I feel a little dumb admitting that after I found out what it means, but we're going to be honest with each other in this relationship, okay? Good. What an Open Source Sports Network basically means is that it is powered entirely by fan-generated content. By doing this, the blog is more creative and original than other sports blogs. It doesn’t have just one voice, but multiple voices.
 

Four guys came up with the idea to let "talented writers", basically coherent individuals, have a voice in the world of sports analysis. As a result, thousands of writers have contributed to the blog and content is constantly being generated daily. The blog has grown to be quite professional. The four pioneers quit their jobs to focus full-time. In addition, they hired many staff members to assist in the efficiency of the site. It is a full on professional blog (sounds like I was describing a porno).
 
The great thing about this blog is that anyone can contribute. Of course, that doesn’t mean that everything submitted will be published. I’m sure some of those staff members these big shots hired will decide what’s worthy reading. As long as it’s rational, it’ll probably be published. The majority, if not all, of the writers are college graduates. The benefit of this is that the reader can count on the posts being well written and simply, good. For example, the writer of Brock Lesnar: An Ugly American?, Dorothy Willis, has a B.A. in Secondary Education and has risen to senior writer status. She is a nurse and gives medical insight in her post about the health care and recovery of Brock Lesnar. Her knowledge and history of the medical world are beneficial to her post. This is just an example of what the fan-generated content can provide for a blog. Specific insight can be provided and produce better stories. 

The site says that hundreds of stories are posted a day. The people that read these posts are sports fans. They read this blog because it offers a wide variety of opinions and analysis. People are always interested in variety and they can get a good amount of it by going to this site.
 
This blog is very much related to the work I’ll be doing. The writers come up with posts that are topical in the sports world. There are so many stories that just about everything gets covered. My blog differs however because there is only one voice. A reader can look at stories on Bleacher Report but might be uninterested in some stories based on the voice and style of writing. Of course, a reader can also look at my posts and not be a fan of my voice. But, there is still a one voice guarantee. C'mon you want to buy (wait, what?). Also, my blog differs because of the source. Most of the writers that contribute to The Bleacher Report are already in the professional world. My blog comes from someone who is still a college student. Don't you want to hear from the young people? C'mon you want to buy (ok, I'll stop with that). Well, until we meet again

Hello World!

Americans love their sports. There is so much attention placed on anything sports related. Athletes have risen to celebrity status like that of an actor or musician. It is not just the athletes, but even some owners, executives, and coaches have become household names. These figures sometimes appear in tabloids like Star and OK or even Perez Hilton.


Sports discussions take place every second. It seems like everyone has an opinion on which team is better or why that athlete shouldn’t have done that. Often times, these opinions are biased. Some people have a certain agenda. We become a fan of a team or an athlete and feel a sense of inclusion and attachment. These associations or attachments poison the sports fan’s rationale.

It seems that there’s always something controversial popping up in the sports world. Mark McGwire uses steroids here, Tiger Woods cheats on his wife there. No matter what it is, it sparks a fire in people. Debates ensue and people will take sides. Athletes are the subjects of these debates. They don't live like most Americans do. Their every move is scrutinized. This is even more true in the society we live in today. The internet and television have grown to include websites like Twitter that tell people what athletes are currently doing and reality shows that follow athletes in their everyday routines. I definitely saw Juan Manuel Marquez drink his own urine on HBO.

I think sports are fantastic (yeah its somewhat of a fantasy). They combine so many feelings and emotions. There is drama, humor, amazement, and something so enjoyable as good sportsmanship. My favorite thing to watch is how athletes interact with each other after their game, match, fight, or whatever event they just participated in. Another great thing about sports is that it is ongoing. When a season ends, it is not long before it starts up again. The topical issues that arise in sports are very much like the cycle of a sports season. When one sports figure is under the microscope, he simply waits for another to screw up. For example, the Mark McGwire issue took a little load off of Tiger’s back.


I decided that I should input my opinions on sports related issues and so I started this blog. I pride myself on trying to being fair. Everyone always says "life isn't fair." Well that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to be. I still have my favorite sports teams and athletes that I root for, but I strive to be fair in my sports related analyses. I guess you'll agree or disagree based on my upcoming posts.

I live in Los Angeles, the second largest media market in the United States and essentially the second largest sports market. See! I submitted to New York there. I'm not going to sit here and say "No! LA is the best!" New York is at the top; still painful to admit though. I am actually more of a general sports fan than being a fan of certain teams and athletes. Don't get me wrong, I love my teams. Its just that I enjoy the sports of football, soccer, baseball, basketball, hockey, mixed martial arts, boxing, and horse racing over specific teams and athletes...and horses, I guess they're athletes too, whatever. For example, I'm a Dodgers fan, but baseball is just better when teams like the Yankees, Cardinals, and Red Sox are good. The same goes for basketball. Basketball is better when the Lakers, Celtics, and Knicks are relevant. I can admit these things while not even being fans of those teams. Hopefully, you're seeing the evenness here. I have lived in LA my whole life and am currently a college student. Therefore, in addition to my constant reminder of my fairness, I believe that I also bring an academic aspect to my blogs. In mentioning that, I'm basically trying to say, "hopefully they make sense."

For the most part, my blogs will consist of controversial issues as they relate to sports. This includes issues of integrity and ethics as well as more menial issues like what Matt Kemp has been grabbing lately. I think the celebrity aspect of athletes deserves mention in my blogs. I will simply be giving my input on topical sports issues. Upcoming posts might include topics like the ethics in horse racing, a sport i have loved since birth basically; sportsmanship in mixed martial artists; and even something like fighting in hockey.
Sound interesting? I know, right? Well keep reading then.