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But whatever. I'll take what I can get, and regardless, a noticeable amount of my international traffic comes from the Netherlands. In celebration, I couldn't think of a better thing than to do a Netherlands post.
Dutch Duo
But whatever. I'll take what I can get, and regardless, a noticeable amount of my international traffic comes from the Netherlands. In celebration, I couldn't think of a better thing than to do a Netherlands post.
Bleacher Report
As the title suggests, this post is about Bleacher Report. It is a sports website that has grown considerably, and is up to 20 million viewers a month (at least according to its own numbers). Their approach to sports coverage is polarizing.
Directly quoting Bleacher Report's Company Overview:
Our distinguished editorial team leads more than 700 Featured Columnists, and directs Bleacher Report’s unique data-driven approach to creating and programming content. The result is first-rate sports journalism that gives our audience the stories they want to read in real-time, all the time.Continuing down the company overview page, Bleacher Report was founded on the principle that "...everyday sports experts could provide great opinions and analysis, if only they were given the right platform." The self-described Featured Columnists and first-rate sports journalism is largely provided by, as PBS specials might put it, viewers like you and me.
And with more than 500 new articles published daily, no other sports network provides the breadth and depth of Bleacher Report’s highly entertaining coverage. Content created by the Bleacher Report editorial community is regularly syndicated to such leading media outlets as CBS Sports.com, the Los Angeles Times, NHL.com, Hearst Newspapers, USAToday.com, and Telegraph.co.uk.
Given Bleacher Report's strong viewership and expanding partnerships with major providers of online sports content, its popularity seems to be growing.
Yet, at the same time, Bleacher Report gets hammered by journalists. For instance, I came across this strong piece by Dave Kindred today. In his writing, he notes that separate business deals, one involving Bleacher Report, and the other Fanhouse, indirectly imply that Bleacher Report's content is valued twice as much on the open market. Kindred cannot fathom how this makes any sense at all, given that Fanhouse features well-respected, award-winning journalists, and Bleacher Report features any Jane or Joe Blow that feels moved to type something.
No doubt, Bleacher Report challenges the status quo of sports journalism. Never before has there been a powerful sports media platform accessible to anyone.
Is that good or bad though?
Do journalists hammer Bleacher Report just because they are jealous? Scared? Stubborn?
Is Bleacher Report really just a place where piddle about whatever athlete or game collects, and 20 million people every month drink the Kool-Aid?
Usually, if I write about something, I have a clear stance or opinion. I don't on Bleacher Report though. I don't know what to make of it.
Roars and Grumbles
My friends and I have catchy (in our heads) pseudonyms for most months. Some, like Manuary, we have taken from popular culture (or popular counterculture?) Others, such as Feb-ROAR-ary, are our own.*
*Notice how Feb-ROAR-ary doubles as a handy way to remember how to spell February
Why do I bring up Feb-ROAR-ary? For no good reason, to be honest. It seemed like a nice way to ease into this post. A handful of things have been passing through my head that make me want to grumble. However, grumbles don't get views on the internet - ROARS do. So here are my ROARS about some recent tidbits I've come across:
*Notice how Feb-ROAR-ary doubles as a handy way to remember how to spell February
Why do I bring up Feb-ROAR-ary? For no good reason, to be honest. It seemed like a nice way to ease into this post. A handful of things have been passing through my head that make me want to grumble. However, grumbles don't get views on the internet - ROARS do. So here are my ROARS about some recent tidbits I've come across: