tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81595961353934447242024-03-12T17:26:29.057-07:00Alana GThe artist formerly known as Miss Gossip.Kim Plaintivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09855196658649953810noreply@blogger.comBlogger166125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8159596135393444724.post-12277332356888952282010-02-08T17:00:00.000-08:002010-02-08T16:57:10.829-08:00Alana G has moved...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://alanag.yardbarker.com/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 600px; height: 102px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LtZCAk5nCoc/S3Cx0PpJ4PI/AAAAAAAAAPE/dMsAiz8msEY/s400/alanag+header+9-15-09.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436040261346648306" border="0" /></a>In case you haven't already figured out, I'm mostly blogging just on my <a href="http://alanag.yardbarker.com/">Alana G Yardbarker blog</a> now. So please update your bookmarks and RSS feeds, all you dozens of readers!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://yardbarker.com/superbowl"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 100px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LtZCAk5nCoc/S3Cyjo_9RgI/AAAAAAAAAPU/Yh88a0Rfkgk/s200/bunny+butts+DSC00364.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436041075607029250" border="0" /></a>Also, please check out my coverage of Super Bowl Week in South Florida over at <a href="http://www.yardbarker.com/superbowl">Yardbarker's Super Bowl blog</a>. Don't expect a lot of serious football talk, it's mostly just pictures of hot chicks.Kim Plaintivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09855196658649953810noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8159596135393444724.post-5711314757154209982009-12-22T15:00:00.000-08:002009-12-22T15:07:00.212-08:00Christmas Carols from The Basketball JonesOur friends at <a mce_href="http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/The_Jones_Go_A_Caroling_NBA_Style/1793219" href="http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/The_Jones_Go_A_Caroling_NBA_Style/1793219">The Basketball Jones</a> have created yet another hilarious (if somewhat creepy) video. If you enjoyed their <a mce_href="http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/TBJs_Showin_Love_Music_Video/1698655" href="http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/TBJs_Showin_Love_Music_Video/1698655">NBA team love song</a>, you just might get into the Christmas game spirit with this one:<br /><br /><iframe src='http://video.thescore.com/videos/xDLnx0R8AZpbE_hyC4HeoGPPxyanH3yQ?width=540&height=305' width='540' height='355' frameborder='0' scrolling='no'></iframe>Kim Plaintivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09855196658649953810noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8159596135393444724.post-20853762916412299552009-12-04T12:15:00.000-08:002009-12-04T12:19:08.161-08:00Tiger Woods slow jam; Muppets playing tricks on meHere are two videos that kept me awake last night as I replayed them again and again. The first is the infamous <a href="http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/24118">Tiger Woods</a> voicemail -- chopped, screwed, and smoooooothed out. I'll warn you, it's pretty doggone catchy. "Take your name off your phoooone..." (Hat tip to <a href="http://www.yardbarker.com/golf/article_external/Tiger_Woods_Voicemail_Slow_Jam_Remix/1676235">Steady Burn</a>.)<object height="370" width="600"><br /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><br /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OEkomaBTppY&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="370" width="600"></embed><br /></object><br />The second video is completely unrelated but makes for good Friday viewing. A bunch of Muppets do the old Geto Boys song "My mind is playing tricks on me." Warning: contains naughty language and some Muppet nudity. (Hat tip to <a href="http://twitter.com/injuryrate">@injuryrate</a>.)<object height="450" width="600"><br /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><br /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1YqtAfbmaQs&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="450" width="600"></embed><br /></object>Kim Plaintivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09855196658649953810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8159596135393444724.post-29439044003568585712009-12-02T17:00:00.000-08:002009-12-04T12:15:27.733-08:00MTV Jams is actually running my Tiger Woods playlist idea!Putting aside the fact that I'm totally in the bag for all things MTV Jams related, this is legitimately very cool of them. I can only hope that the blog posts and tweets about this are compiled into some kind of report of anecdotal evidence that Tuma Basa aka <a href="http://twitter.com/MTVJams">@MTVJams</a> is doing the good work with fan outreach.<br /><br />A few days ago I blogged the idea of having a <a href="http://alanag.yardbarker.com/blog/AlanaG/The_Tiger_Woods_soundtrack_When_a_womans_fed_up/1650173">Tiger Woods-themed set of videos</a>, the centerpiece, of course, being Jazmine Sullivan's "Bust Your Windows."<br /><br /><object height="380" width="600"><param name="movie" value="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x7zqn0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x7zqn0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="380" width="600"></embed></object><br /><br />I got my Twitter peoples on the case brainstorming video ideas, and fellow sports blogger Mike from <a href="http://www.steadyburn.net/2009/11/send-in-your-suggestions-for-mtv-jams-tiger-woods-accident-playlist/">Steady Burn</a> blogged about it, declaring: "It is a 100% true statement to say that MTV considering a video playlist inspired by Tiger’s crash is the biggest media development in the Tiger Woods crash investigation at this time."<br /><br />Then today, part 1 actually aired!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://twitter.com/MTVJams/status/6286279928"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 600px; height: 220px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LtZCAk5nCoc/SxcON0oNFmI/AAAAAAAAAO4/BpOYfVIjwLM/s400/Picture+2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410809107937302114" border="0" /></a>Today's set was about Elin Nordegren's scorned lover perspective:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Kelis: "Caught out there" (I hate you so much right now)</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Jazmine Sullivan: "Bust your windows"</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Blu Cantrell: "Hit 'em up style"</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Sunshine Anderson "Heard it all before"</span><br /><br />This is quite possibly the second greatest accomplishment of my career (the greatest being <a href="http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Puffy_for_President_Diddy_Campaign_Kicks_Off_at_Super_Bowl/499508">when I got Diddy to declare his candidacy for President</a>, of course). And it was well worth the effort of the folks at MTV Jams (really, we're helping them do their work, right?). Sorry MusicChoice, I'm now a lifelong fan of MTVJams, Proactiv commercials and all.<br /><br /><strong>UPDATE</strong>: Here's Part 2 that aired Thursday, all from the original <a href="http://alanag.yardbarker.com/blog/AlanaG/The_Tiger_Woods_soundtrack_When_a_womans_fed_up/1650173">list of suggestions</a>!<br /><em>Kanye West: "Flashing Lights"<br />Pac Div: "Whiplash"<br />Snoop Dogg: "Murder was the case"<br />Public Enemy "911 is a joke"<br />Wyclef: "Someone please call 911"</em>Kim Plaintivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09855196658649953810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8159596135393444724.post-89661091784424093372009-11-29T13:00:00.000-08:002009-11-29T16:23:47.661-08:00The Tiger Woods soundtrack: 'When a woman's fed up...'UPDATE: this is really happening! Follow the updates on <a href="http://alanag.yardbarker.com/blog/AlanaG/The_Tiger_Woods_soundtrack_When_a_womans_fed_up/1650173">my Yardbarker blog</a>.<br /><br />Here's my formal request to <a href="http://twitter.com/mtvjams">@MTVJams</a> to program a set of videos in honor of Tiger Woods' "accident." It can include R. Kelly's "When a woman's fed up," Jazmine Sullivan's "Bust Your Windows," maybe Kelis's "I hate you so much right now"... and I'm sure the MTV Jams folks can think of many more. Thank you to <a href="http://throatchopuniversity.com/2009/11/29/pure-speculation-analyzing-tiger-woods-car-accident/">Throat Chop University</a> for the idea in this video:<br /><br /><object height="370" width="600"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/h1N3mYRcARs&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/h1N3mYRcARs&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="370" width="600"></embed></object>Kim Plaintivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09855196658649953810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8159596135393444724.post-91917046635307230822009-11-11T21:00:00.000-08:002009-11-11T21:09:55.191-08:00To make money, sports bloggers need to be business-orientedThis is the last post in my series about what’s next for sports blogging. As a reminder, these are my own opinions, not necessarily those of my employer Yardbarker. You can read the previous posts here:<br /><br /><a href="http://alanag.yardbarker.com/blog/AlanaG/Whats_next_for_sports_blogging_a_call_to_action/1413351">Introduction: a call to action</a><br /><a href="http://alanag.yardbarker.com/blog/AlanaG/Sports_blogs_ESPN_and_why_I_like_Deadspins_horndoggery_series/1419562">Sports blogs, ESPN, and why I like Deadspin’s ‘horndoggery’ series</a><br /><a href="http://alanag.yardbarker.com/blog/AlanaG/The_power_of_distribution_why_content_is_not_king/1468539">The power of distribution: why content is not king</a><br /><a href="http://alanag.yardbarker.com/blog/AlanaG/Sports_bloggers_need_to_work_with_the_incentives_of_distributors/1517457">Sports bloggers need to work with the incentives of distributors</a><br /><br />Contrary to what’s often said, I don’t think the key to success is simply producing good content. Sports bloggers need to understand the distribution landscape and how they can best benefit from it. For small bloggers, being part of a network may be important. But whether your blog is in a network or not, if you’re trying to make money, you need to be business-oriented. It doesn’t matter if you produce serious analytical posts or silly photoshops. Being business-oriented is important for each blogger individually and for all of us as a group.<br /><br />A lot of sports bloggers think they should just focus on making good content because doing anything else would be “selling out.” At Blogs with Balls 2.0 in Vegas there was talk about whether bloggers should strive for page views or the respect of their peers. If you’re trying to make money, your primary driver needs to be page views. That’s not to say that peer respect has no value – if you play nice with fellow bloggers and create content they like, you’ll be more likely to get linked up by them. But there’s a limit to the page views you can get from that small circle of sports blog peers. And don’t forget that blogs like <a href="http://thebiglead.com/">The Big Lead</a> and <a href="http://deadspin.com/">Deadspin</a> have become very successful while being somewhat “hated” by many of their peers.<br /><br />At Blogs with Balls I spoke with a Mom blogger who had attended one of the panels. She said it seemed like sports bloggers hadn’t yet reached the stage of thinking of themselves as businesses like the Mom bloggers had. Here are three things I think sports bloggers should do to be business-oriented:<br /><br />1) Think about how you can tweak your content offerings to get more page views. For instance, we all know that certain mass appeal gossip stories are good for page views, and there’s no shame in playing into those story lines, especially if you’re doing it with high quality content (like <a href="http://sportsbybrooks.com">Sports by Brooks</a>, for example). Of course, the gossip angle is not for everyone, and playing in the “lowest common denominator” game will mean competing with many others. If you want to stick to content that does <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> play to mass appeal, think about what you can do to make your content unique and valuable to readers as compared to your competitors. You might be able to carve out a niche for yourself and be the strongest in that category – just be aware that your niche is a small part of what’s already somewhat of a niche category, sports.<br /><br />2) Be proactive about distribution opportunities. On a small scale, this includes promoting yourself to other blogs who might link to your content. (And when you’re sending a pitch email, think about the busy editors who are receiving dozens of other tips daily – be informative but brief in your message.) On a larger scale, this means being proactive about joining a network or getting involved with a large partnership. When the <a href="http://sportsmedianews.com/10/yardbarker-foxsports-com-deepen-partnership/">partnership between Yardbarker and Fox Sports on MSN</a> was announced, I received a couple of emails from bloggers who wanted to be involved. Some outlined ideas for how Fox Sports could benefit from their content, some sent me one-sheets about their blog, some offered to write proposals for me to present to Fox Sports. These proactive actions have directly impacted conversations I’m having with Fox Sports as we hash out the details of our partnership, and those bloggers stand to benefit from their initiative.<br /><br />3) Work together to elevate our industry. The current challenges facing sports blogging include proving our value to reluctant big brand advertisers, league/team media offices, and big distributors. Conventional wisdom is that sports blogs are just the wild wild west – risky to align with. I am <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> suggesting that sports blogs band together to be vanilla and easy for these guys to swallow. As I previously wrote, <a href="http://alanag.yardbarker.com/blog/AlanaG/Sports_blogs_ESPN_and_why_I_like_Deadspins_horndoggery_series/1419562">I support Deadspin</a>, who differentiates itself by publishing controversial content, even though Deadspin’s actions often contribute to the wild west reputation of all blogs. (Deadspin is pretty good at what they do – if you think they’re not, then that will eventually bear out in their <span style="font-style: italic;">individual</span> reputation.) But maybe there are some things we can all do to increase our appearance of professionalism. For instance, some team and league PR offices struggle with whether or how to include sports blogs in their media coverage – maybe a collective of bloggers should take the initiative to write up some suggested guidelines for them so that <span style="font-style: italic;">we</span> can frame that conversation. Maybe we should draft some best practices? Maybe we should consider dropping the muddy “sports blog” moniker and adopting something like “online sports content”? I’m unsure about the best ways for us to work together, but it’s not unusual for competitors to form industry alliances for certain issues. Of course, maybe the wild west aspect of sports blogs is essential to their appeal. I welcome any ideas on this front.<br /><br />Thank you to everyone who has read this entire series and those who have continued the conversation with me by <a href="mailto:alana@yardbarker.com">email</a>. I look forward to your feedback and to the continued growth and maturity of sports blogging.Kim Plaintivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09855196658649953810noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8159596135393444724.post-70702565967967331872009-11-11T15:30:00.000-08:002009-11-11T15:33:50.404-08:00How can you not love Manny Pacquiao?Manny Pacquiao's marketing people are geniuses. Between goofy videos like <a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=c597de1b-0150-4955-9da0-e9766190d124">this one from Fox Sports</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xcn3WhxmvIA">punching pumpkins on Jimmy Kimmel</a> you can't not like this guy. Cotto who?<br /><br /><object classid="'clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000'" id="'mba81j8m'" height="'425'" width="'596'"><param name="'movie'" value="'http://images.video.msn.com/flash/customplayer/1_0/customplayer.swf'"><param name="'bgcolor'" value="'#ffffff'"><param name="'wmode'" value="'transparent'"><param name="'base'" value="'.'"><param name="'flashvars'" value="'mkt=" from="metadatawidget_en-us_foxpsorts_videocentral&player.v=" configname="syndicationplayer&linkoverride=" brand="foxsports&fg=" configcsid="MSNVideo&'"><param name="'allowFullScreen'" value="'true'"><param name="'allowScriptAccess'" value="'always'"><embed src="http://images.video.msn.com/flash/customplayer/1_0/customplayer.swf" id="mba81j8m" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" bgcolor="#ffffff" wmode="transparent" pluginspage="http://macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" base="." flashvars="mkt=en-us&from=metadatawidget_en-us_foxpsorts_videocentral&player.v=c597de1b-0150-4955-9da0-e9766190d124&configName=syndicationplayer&linkoverride=http%3A%2F%2Fmsn.foxsports.com%2Fvideo%3Fvid%3D&brand=foxsports&fg=&configCsid=MSNVideo&" height="425" width="596"></embed><noembed>&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-us&amp;amp;amp;amp;brand=foxsports&amp;amp;amp;amp;from=metadatawidget_en-us_foxpsorts_videocentral&amp;amp;amp;amp;vid=c597de1b-0150-4955-9da0-e9766190d124" target="_new" title="Cubed: Manny Pacquiao's Punchout"&amp;amp;gt;Video: Cubed: Manny Pacquiao's Punchout&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;</noembed></object>Kim Plaintivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09855196658649953810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8159596135393444724.post-83541302316540980382009-11-10T11:45:00.000-08:002009-11-10T12:19:15.810-08:00Niki D'Andrea adds Twitterjacking to her arsenal of cluelessnessIf anyone else had done this, I might have ignored it. But this is <a href="http://www.alanag.com/search/label/niki%20d%27andrea">Niki D'Andrea</a>, and I'm a big fan of running jokes.<br /><br />When last we saw the "reporter" from the <span style="font-style: italic;">Phoenix New Times</span>, she was quoting hilarious excerpts from a <a href="http://community.foxsports.com/GerbilSportsNetwork/blog/2008/2/20/NBA_Pushes_for_Tattoo_Cap_Players_Association_Resists">satirical blog post</a> as fact and basing an <a href="http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2009-02-12/news/on-the-eve-of-the-nba-all-star-game-phoenix-suns-players-show-off-their-tattoo-canvases/1">entire <span style="font-style: italic;">cover</span> story</a> on the false premise that NBA Commissioner David Stern was thinking of imposing a "tattoo cap." That's right, she actually believed that each team could be limited as to how many tattoos their players could have. The story made it all the way through the <span style="font-style: italic;">New Times</span> "editing" process and was published as the cover story during All Star Weekend when tons of NBA players and fans were in town. <a href="http://www.alanag.com/2009/02/phoenix-new-times-nba-tattoo-cap.html">OOPS</a>!!<br /><br />Somehow she wasn't fired, and I later got <a href="http://www.alanag.com/2009/02/alana-g-haters-part-2.html">tired of caring</a> about the so-called journalistic standards of a shoddy old-media publication.<br /><br />Then a few weeks ago D'Andrea started following me on Twitter, so I followed her back. And then this...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LtZCAk5nCoc/SvnBtLTzf1I/AAAAAAAAAOw/4wO5q4DN3x8/s1600-h/niki-dandrea-twitterjack.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 398px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LtZCAk5nCoc/SvnBtLTzf1I/AAAAAAAAAOw/4wO5q4DN3x8/s400/niki-dandrea-twitterjack.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402562209881751378" border="0" /></a>I <a href="https://twitter.com/alana_g/status/5595491927">tweeted</a> a link about a <a href="http://guestofaguest.com/news/breaking/breaking-the-email-scandal-that-just-shook-cornells-campus/">Cornell email scandal</a>, giving RT credit to <a href="https://twitter.com/coco_cure">@coco_cure</a> (Coco actually should have given RT credit to the original source who I discovered later, <a href="https://twitter.com/guestofaguest">@guestofaguest</a>). A few minutes later, D'Andrea tweeted the same link, with the same exact headline, and gave <a href="http://twitter.com/nikidandrea/status/5595560035">no RT credit at all</a>. Why do I think she got the link from me? Because the story is <span style="font-style: italic;">three days old</span> and a Twitter search on the subject showed that very few other people had been talking about it at all today, and not with that particular shortened URL.<br /><br />By the way, it's not like D'Andrea just doesn't understand the concept of RT because her timeline shows she has RT'd plenty of other people. And there was plenty of room to give RT credit.<br /><br />It could be she was just embarrassed to give hat tip credit to me in particular. But more likely she was just hoping I'd write up another one of my blog posts to add to her robust <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=niki+d%27andrea&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a">Google search results</a>. I'm always happy to take a few minutes out of my day for that!Kim Plaintivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09855196658649953810noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8159596135393444724.post-22352402337969226302009-11-06T21:45:00.000-08:002009-11-06T21:52:21.850-08:00Sports bloggers need to work with the incentives of distributorsThis is part of my continuing series about what’s next for sports blogging. You can read my <a href="http://alanag.yardbarker.com/blog/AlanaG/Whats_next_for_sports_blogging_a_call_to_action/1413351">introduction here</a>, as well as posts about <a href="http://alanag.yardbarker.com/blog/AlanaG/Sports_blogs_ESPN_and_why_I_like_Deadspins_horndoggery_series/1419562">the tension between ESPN and blogs like Deadspin</a> and <a href="http://alanag.yardbarker.com/blog/AlanaG/The_power_of_distribution_why_content_is_not_king/1468539">the power of distribution in relation to content quality</a>. As a reminder, these are my own personal opinions – although in this post I’ll talk about my employer Yardbarker.<br /><br />As I’ve discussed, merely producing high quality blog content is not enough to ensure success. Mass distribution from large portals like Yahoo or AOL is essential to helping content “float to the top.” (There are some early-mover indie blogs that are notable exceptions.)<br /><br />Yardbarker just announced a <a href="http://sportsmedianews.com/10/yardbarker-foxsports-com-deepen-partnership/">partnership with Fox Sports on MSN</a> that I hope will give our high quality blog content the distribution it needs to be very successful. Part of the partnership involves collaboration on sales, which gives Fox Sports an incentive to promote our blog content (<a href="http://benkoo.com/articles/biz-and-tech/insight-into-yardbarker-fox-deal.html">Ben Koo</a> has a great discussion of this). Even so, the partnership is not going to mean automatic success for blogs – I’ll be working on the editorial end of things and I realize that it’s partly my job to show Fox Sports how valuable our blog content is.<br /><br />Many portals (such as the two where I’ve worked, AOL and Yahoo) have teams that are responsible for the homepage only. These teams often judge success by the click-through rates of headlines they place on the homepage. This creates incentives for the homepage team that don’t necessarily line up with those of the entire company or those of sports bloggers in the system.<br /><br />Consider two stories you might find on AOL: one is a thoughtful FanHouse blog post about the end of the baseball season, and one is a short wire story about Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom being pregnant. The Khlodom headline will likely click through at a higher rate. As a result, a homepage team may be inclined to showcase that story instead of the baseball one.<br /><br />However, the Khlodom story is not necessarily more <span style="font-style: italic;">valuable</span> to AOL than the baseball one. If a large number of people click on the Khlodom headline just to gawk for a moment and then close the window, that might not be as valuable as a smaller number of people clicking on the baseball story, enjoying the writing, and then clicking to read more FanHouse stories or more posts by that blogger. Even if the time-on-site or total page views are equal for the two, the baseball story still might be more valuable because it promotes the brand of FanHouse and that blogger’s name. Promoting brand helps to build repeat and organic traffic (which is especially important to a property like FanHouse that might not always be able to rely on the AOL homepage firehose). An empty calorie story like the Khlodom one might not have that same effect.<br /><br />In addition to competing with “gossipy” stories for homepage attention, the thoughtful baseball blog post might compete with an article by a well-known columnist. For instance, Fox Sports gets heavy traffic on Jason Whitlock’s columns. Part of that popularity has to do with his actual content, and part of it has to do with his name brand that he’s built up with years of mass distribution. Whitlock has proven that his content guarantees eyeballs. A talented but unknown blogger doesn’t have that same pull -- but if given steady distribution, that blogger could develop that pull over time.<br /><br />I’m not suggesting that portal editors aren’t sophisticated enough to be looking at long-term value or metrics beyond the first click – surely they are. But it’s harder to quantify those other kinds of value, and short-term wins in click-throughs are often rewarded. This creates the incentive to promote the fluffy Khlodom piece or the Whitlock sure thing.<br /><br />So what can we do, given that those with distribution power have incentives that may not favor a long-term investment in budding sports bloggers?<br /><br />1) We can push them to have a longer view and try to show value with whatever metrics we can.<br /><br />2) More practically, we can sometimes give them the piece of mass-appeal candy that they want. The blogger who wrote the thoughtful baseball post may not want to “stoop” to writing a fluff piece because that kind of writing could hurt that blogger’s budding name brand. But another blogger could write a Khlodom piece and promote other content from there. Or the baseball blogger could compromise and write a <span style="font-style: italic;">somewhat</span> fluffy piece about Alyssa Milano. Snobby artists may turn their nose up at the idea of playing to the masses – but that’s why most snobby artists aren’t commercially successful.<br /><br />3) We can highlight the places where blogs can replace standard content. If the star linebacker for an NFL team is out for the season with an injury, that's a headline the homepage editors know they want. So instead of linking to the AP wire version of the story, we can show that a blog post can communicate that same information (which incidentally would create value for the blogger).<br /><br />In the coming weeks, as I continue working with Fox Sports on MSN, I hope to show them the long-term value of the sports bloggers in our Yardbarker Network. One thing that’s going to require is an organized, proactive, business-oriented attitude from our bloggers. I will be talking about that in my next post.<br /><br />Thank you for reading, and as always, I welcome your thoughts in the comments or by <a href="mailto:alana@yardbarker.com">email</a>.Kim Plaintivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09855196658649953810noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8159596135393444724.post-44597848531565272732009-10-30T17:30:00.000-07:002009-10-30T17:31:29.726-07:00The power of distribution: why content is not kingThis post is part of my series about what’s next for sports blogging. You can read <a href="http://alanag.yardbarker.com/blog/AlanaG/Whats_next_for_sports_blogging_a_call_to_action/1413351">my introduction here</a> and my post about <a href="http://alanag.yardbarker.com/blog/AlanaG/Sports_blogs_ESPN_and_why_I_like_Deadspins_horndoggery_series/1419562">ESPN and Deadspin here</a>. As a reminder, these are my personal opinions and not necessarily those of my employer Yardbarker.<br /><br />An opinion I often hear among sports bloggers is that “content is king” or that “the best content floats to the top.” I don’t think this is quite right. It’s true that all things being equal, good content is usually more successful than bad content. But all things are not usually equal, and I think the importance of those “things” are often underestimated. I think the most important of those is distribution from powerful portals (like Yahoo, MSN, or AOL). <br /><br />Consider a simplified 2x2 matrix: content is either good or bad and distribution is either good or bad. Bad content with bad distribution is going nowhere. Good content with good distribution is in the best position to succeed. But there’s a lot of sports content that lives in the other two quadrants. There are distribution resources being wasted on bad content, and there are plenty of small bloggers making good content with bad distribution. This last category of unseen content may be even better quality than some of the content with good distribution, but this content will <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> float to the top on its own.<br /><br />It’s true that many sports bloggers take pride in linking to quality content they enjoy, and a small sports blog will get a significant boost (relative to its low traffic) from a shoutout from a Hot Clicks or Deadspin. But has that content truly floated to the top as compared to highly distributed content? Are advertisers pursuing this blog and are portals looking to syndicate it? Or is it just a new cult favorite among an incestuous blogger audience? To ask a similar question: how many successful sports bloggers are there today who have truly “floated” to the top because of quality content alone? Quality content is necessary but not sufficient for success. The most successful bloggers were early movers and got distribution deals or an early break from someone like Jamie Mottram at FanHouse, the SNL of the blogosphere (I include myself in that category).<br /><br />The problem of quality versus distribution is not unique to the sports blogosphere. I guarantee you that there are plenty of females who are just as attractive and personable as Rihanna who sing a whole lot better than she does. But those people have not floated to the top like Rihanna has with her mass distribution (which she’s attained through a combination of lucky breaks, years of perseverance, and heavy investment).<br /><br />So why should anyone (especially those who have “made it” already) care about this? First, I think it's important to understand the power of distribution so that we don't focus so exclusively on content quality, thinking that will automatically lead to success (I'll talk about that more in a future post). Second, I think if we can actually get good distribution for the best content, it will elevate <span style="font-style: italic;">all</span> of us. Like it or not, sports blogs are often lumped together in the minds of those who know little about our space. And right now a lot of those people have the impression that sports blogs are bad. Collectively we can try to change that, and it will help all of us in the long run. Imagine if a brand advertiser planning its marketing budget is pitched a “sports blog” package and immediately thinks of high quality content. Imagine if a TV show producer or an athlete like Raul Ibanez hears “sports blog” and thinks of high quality content. We should want to be known as powerful influencers and reliable producers of high quality content – not just pantsless ranters who do nothing worthwhile.<br /><br />Note that I’m making no categorical judgments as to what “high quality content” is. It might be content that follows traditional rules of journalism or doesn’t, that is serious or funny, long-form or short-form, photoshopped or not. There is high quality sports blog content in all of those forms.<br /><br />If you haven't read <a href="http://alanag.yardbarker.com/blog/AlanaG/Sports_blogs_ESPN_and_why_I_like_Deadspins_horndoggery_series/1419562">my post about Deadspin's ESPN horndoggery series</a> you might think I'd argue that what Deadspin did was bad for sports blogging. I actually think the horndoggery series was good quality content. But even if you think it was bad quality content, you can't blame Deadspin for publishing it. What you can do is refrain from reading it and promoting it, and try to influence distributors that it's bad content. I'm not suggesting that sports bloggers should all band together and "collude" on what kind of content is good or bad. I'm just pointing out that we need to recognize that content quality is not the only important factor at work in our business.<br /><br />I'm not sure what small, independent bloggers can do to influence this distribution situation. Linking to good quality content from your fellow bloggers is a start, but it seems like there's a limit to the return you can get from the closed circle of bloggers who do that.<br /><br />The most interesting development to me is the partnerships between large portals and blog networks. Those blog networks can make sure the content they’re offering is high quality. Editors and bloggers are in turn charged with ensuring that on the ground level. Sports Blog Nation (SBN) seems to be getting good distribution for its quality blog content in this way. In my next post, I’ll talk about my employer <a href="http://sportsmedianews.com/10/yardbarker-foxsports-com-deepen-partnership/">Yardbarker’s new partnership with FoxSports.com and MSN</a>, which I think will be another step forward for sports blogging. As always, I welcome your thoughts by <a href="mailto:alana@yardbarker.com">email</a> or in the comments.Kim Plaintivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09855196658649953810noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8159596135393444724.post-75818741237907622012009-10-22T19:45:00.000-07:002009-10-22T20:35:24.482-07:00Sports blogs, ESPN, and why I like Deadspin’s 'horndoggery' seriesI’m writing a <a href="http://www.alanag.com/search/label/next%20steps%20for%20sports%20blogging">series of blog posts</a> about what’s next for sports blogging (<a href="http://alanag.yardbarker.com/blog/AlanaG/Whats_next_for_sports_blogging_a_call_to_action/1413351">read my introduction</a>). As a reminder, these are my own personal opinions, not necessarily those of my employer Yardbarker. I’m going to tackle the ESPN topic now because it relates to the current controversy over <a href="http://deadspin.com/tag/espnhorndoggery/">Deadspin’s "horndoggery" posts</a>.<br /><br />A couple of years ago there were a lot of conversations about “blogs versus mainstream media.” This paradigm is no longer relevant, and perhaps never was. First of all, the terminology is pretty muddy. Taken literally, “blog” is just a platform or medium, like “newspaper column” or “radio show” or “Twitter feed.” However, the term “blogger” was also sometimes used to refer to a certain type of content-producing person, stereotypically someone without access who is not formally trained in journalism. Neither of these meanings is really useful anymore when you can have longtime newspapermen writing online weblog entries and “blogger types” getting paid to write for “mainstream” outlets like Yahoo Sports, and blogs like Deadspin getting more readership than many newspapers. For the most part, traditional media outlets (even ESPN) have started to embrace blogging in both the platform meaning and sometimes the person meaning. There’s no longer a clear “us versus them” or if there is, I don’t know who’s who.<br /><br />That said, ESPN does still pose a unique challenge to anyone in non-ESPN sports media just because of its breadth and size. ESPN is pretty dominant in many areas of TV, radio, and web. As the leader, ESPN is in a strong position to compete in any space it decides to enter. We’re seeing their entry into local web programming and a Twitter-like platform now and they could potentially enter any number of other areas. So if you’re a non-ESPN content producer, you’ll always have to worry that ESPN will swoop in to your niche and compete with you.<br /><br />Competition is always a challenge in any industry, of course. But ESPN’s dominance across various media makes it all that much harder for you to build your own brand. A successful online content producer like Perez Hilton has grown his brand and influence through radio and TV appearances on prominent entertainment programs that are happy to get his content. A sports Perez would need to appear on ESPN television and radio programs – but ESPN probably doesn’t want to lend shine to someone working in a space ESPN might potentially want to enter. That’s not to say that it’s impossible to create something of value outside of ESPN, it’s just perhaps more challenging than in some other verticals. <br /><br />One of the most successful sports blogs that <span style="font-style: italic;">has</span> been able to create value without ESPN’s direct help is Deadspin (I say “direct” help because Deadspin gets a lot of material out of covering and criticizing ESPN). There was a lot of history between the two properties that led up to the current controversy, but the short story is that on Wednesday, Deadspin editor A.J. Daulerio posted a series of “rumors” about the <a href="http://deadspin.com/tag/espnhorndoggery/">sexual affairs of some ESPN employees</a>. ESPN issued a <a href="http://espnmediazone.com/statements/20091022_ESPN_Comment.htm">statement</a> calling Deadspin “despicable.” <br /><br />I like what Deadspin did. That’s not to say that I necessarily like the content, or that I would choose to publish it on my own blog. But it was a ballsy move that paid off with traffic and may continue to help Deadspin’s notoriety. I was surprised that sports bloggers seemed overwhelmingly outraged about the move. There were three general reasons:<br /><br />1) Some bloggers said that Daulerio “crossed the line.” He may have crossed <span style="font-style: italic;">your</span> line, but if there is a single definitive line, it’s the legal one; and my unofficial legal opinion is that Deadspin did no wrong (<a href="http://backporch.fanhouse.com/2009/10/21/espn-horndog-dossier-deadspin-espn-fight-raises-legal-question/">FanHouse’s Clay Travis</a> seems to agree). I respect if you’re the type of blogger who would never publish that kind of content for moral reasons, or to avoid getting a certain reputation. But if Deadspin is comfortable with publishing it, they should go for it.<br /><br />2) Some bloggers argued that Deadspin has affected the reputation of all blogs. This is probably true. Those who are not familiar with online sports content lump all blogs together, and since Deadspin is one of the most prominent sports blogs, its actions will affect the reputation of all blogs. But that doesn’t mean it’s Deadspin’s responsibility to uphold any particular reputation – Deadspin doesn’t owe anything to any other blog. Deadspin has created this position of influence for itself partly because it is a compelling site that posts content like this. If bloggers don’t like the nature of what Deadspin is doing and how it reflects on blogs, then it’s their job to build a site that wields as much influence as Deadspin, and it’s their job to educate people about why their content is valuable and different from Deadspin’s. Note, I’m not saying that bloggers shouldn’t work together to elevate sports blogging in the minds of the uninformed. Quite the opposite, I think we need to work together (as I will be writing in future posts). But I don’t think agreeing on the placement of “the line” for content is necessary or beneficial. Deadspin is carving a certain niche, and you can carve yours.<br /><br />3) Finally, I’ve heard some people complain that Deadspin has gotten away from its roots. To be honest, I’m not a longtime Deadspin reader, so I’m not sure what those roots are. But no content producer should be criticized for adapting and changing its model for success. If you’re wistful for the old content, then seek it out somewhere else or create it yourself. <br /><br />To reiterate, I don’t necessarily like the content Deadspin posted. But I respect their decision to publish it, and from the outside, it seems to me like it was a smart business move. It may indeed set some other blogs back, but that’s what competitors do sometimes. Instead of complaining about it, those blogs should get busy trying to step their game up in whatever manner they see fit.<br /><br />To conclude, I’ll try to tie all of this together. We’re in a new media landscape where lines are blurred, but ESPN remains a big challenge to content producers trying to build their brand. Deadspin has achieved quite a bit of success, in part by creating unique content critical of ESPN that ESPN would never want to create itself. The sex scandal content published on Wednesday seems like it will benefit Deadspin. If other blogs feel they’ve been hurt, then it’s their responsibility to do something about that. Alternatively, they might want to consider taking a page from Deadspin’s book (more on that later).<br /><br />I welcome your comments or <a href="mailto:alana@yardbarker.com">emails</a>.Kim Plaintivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09855196658649953810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8159596135393444724.post-79030202481480721402009-10-21T20:30:00.000-07:002009-11-11T21:18:26.874-08:00What’s next for sports blogging: a call to actionThis is a call to action for sports bloggers and others who work in this space. I recently attended Blogs with Balls 2.0 at Blog World Expo. The good folks from <a href="http://huggingharoldreynolds.blogspot.com/">Hugging Harold Reynolds</a> did an excellent job organizing the event, which was sponsored by heavy hitters including Fox Sports and my own employer Yardbarker. You can read reactions by many of those who attended on the <a href="http://blogswithballs.com/blog/">BwB blog</a>.<br /><br />We had a lot of fun socializing and sharing our perspectives on various topics. But I felt like we were missing an opportunity to truly move sports blogging forward. I wanted more to be accomplished given the impressive collection of people from many aspects of sports media who were in attendance.<br /><br />I’ve decided to write a series of posts about what’s next for the sports blogosphere, expanding on some issues raised at BwB and providing ideas for action steps. Below is an outline of topics I plan to discuss, which I’ll update with links as I finish the posts.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1)</span><span> <a href="http://alanag.yardbarker.com/blog/AlanaG/The_power_of_distribution_why_content_is_not_king/1468539">LINK</a>. Success can be more dependent on distribution than content quality. We cannot assume the best quality content will passively “float to the top.”</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2)</span><span> <a href="http://alanag.yardbarker.com/blog/AlanaG/Sports_bloggers_need_to_work_with_the_incentives_of_distributors/1517457">LINK</a>. Those in control of mass distribution have incentives that don’t necessarily line up with those of sports blogging. We need to take charge of convincing them of the value of sports blogging and perhaps sometimes play to mass appeal needs.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3)</span><span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><a href="http://alanag.yardbarker.com/blog/AlanaG/Sports_blogs_ESPN_and_why_I_like_Deadspins_horndoggery_series/1419562">LINK</a>. The old “blogs vs. MSM” paradigm is no longer very relevant. However, ESPN may present a special challenge for blogging in the sports category.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4)</span><span> <a href="http://alanag.yardbarker.com/blog/AlanaG/To_make_money_sports_bloggers_need_to_be_business_oriented/1548754">LINK</a>. In order for sports blogging to be successful, we need to prove its value to content distributors, advertisers, and league/team/player entities. In order to prove that value, we need to be proactive, business-oriented, and organized as a community.</span><br /><br />I’m writing this because while those of us at BwB were all competitors (competing for eyeballs, advertising dollars, and talent) we’re also very collaborative and many of us are good friends. We’re all fighting for slices of the pie, but there’s an opportunity for us to work together to grow the whole pie bigger. In fact, it’s not just an opportunity; I actually think it’s a necessity. Unless we work together, I’m not sure that we’ll be able to achieve mass distribution, prove our level of influence to advertisers, or gain legitimacy with teams/leagues and mainstream media outlets. These things may not be important to someone who blogs for fun, but they are important for those trying to make a living in the space.<br /><br />Note that I’m sharing my own personal opinions, which may not necessarily represent those of Yardbarker (though many of these topics have come up in discussions with our CEO Pete Vlastelica, who plans to comment). My perspective is both enhanced and limited by my personal experience in the sports blogosphere over the last 3+ years. I started out blogging independently as a hobby while I was in law school and have since been in many roles, including a paid FanHouse blogger, Ballhype advisor, FanHouse executive producer, interim Yahoo Sports Blog editor, and Yardbarker’s Director of Programming (my current role). I’m not pretending to have a complete perspective nor any definitive answers. My goal is to get those involved with the sports blogosphere thinking, talking, and doing. I welcome any insights or disagreements in the comments or by <a href="mailto:alana@yardbarker.com">email</a>. Thank you for reading!Kim Plaintivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09855196658649953810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8159596135393444724.post-88642361832826265452009-10-21T05:00:00.000-07:002009-10-21T05:00:01.448-07:00Wendy Williams interviews T.O. and I need bigger boobsTerrell Owens was on the Wendy Williams Show on Tuesday (<span style="font-style: italic;">how you doin?</span>) and despite Wendy's softball questions ("How do you like the Bills?") she seemed to get him a little flustered at one point, as seen in this clip:<br /><br /><object width="600" height="460"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gxw1t_1D3xo&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gxw1t_1D3xo&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="600" height="460"></embed></object><br /><br />I had the pleasure of meeting T.O. at our Yardbarker Super Bowl party last year but I don't think I had quite the same effect on him. Could be that Wendy has about 20 years of interviewing experience on me. But more likely it's just her enormous rack.<br /><br /><embed src="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f8/1213934593" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashvars="videoId=9809077001&playerId=1213934593&viewerSecureGatewayURL=https://console.brightcove.com/services/amfgateway&servicesURL=http://services.brightcove.com/services&cdnURL=http://admin.brightcove.com&domain=embed&autoStart=false&" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" width="600" height="500" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" swliveconnect="true" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed><br /><br />(Actually, boobs or not, I <span style="font-style: italic;">did</span> manage to get T.O. flustered at one point in the night. Check the <a href="http://ybatthebiggame.yardbarker.com/blog/YBatTheBigGame/Super_Bowl_Predictions_From_Star_Athletes/494018">first 10 seconds of this other video</a>.)Kim Plaintivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09855196658649953810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8159596135393444724.post-25211728357801444192009-10-20T23:00:00.000-07:002009-10-21T01:13:15.430-07:00Khloe Kardashian's prenup: RIP Lamar Odom's bank accountAs you've probably heard, Khloe Kardashian lawyered up to ask for "generous" payout clauses in her prenup with Lamar Odom. Was it too much? <a href="http://throatchopuniversity.com/2009/10/20/throat-chop-on-video-lamar-does-she-get-your-freedom-papers-too/">Throat Chop University</a> (real institution) has an opinion.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Warning: this video contains naughty language, simulated throat chop violence, and an angry black man.</span><br /><br /><object height="375" width="600"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XSeCp-n6Jgs&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XSeCp-n6Jgs&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="375" width="600"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">UPDATE:</span> <a href="http://egyptsaidso.com/uncategorized/khloe-gets-nothing/">Egypt is reporting</a> that Khloe signed a prenup in which she'll get nothing if they divorce?...Kim Plaintivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09855196658649953810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8159596135393444724.post-21593044038325309172009-10-06T17:00:00.000-07:002009-10-06T17:09:40.348-07:00Chris Johnson should NOT have been penalized, per NFL's VP of Officiating<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LtZCAk5nCoc/Ssvb16vA24I/AAAAAAAAAOk/_K_OpokN1zk/s1600-h/Picture+10.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 187px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LtZCAk5nCoc/Ssvb16vA24I/AAAAAAAAAOk/_K_OpokN1zk/s200/Picture+10.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389643098424925058" border="0" /></a>Chris Johnson is making news for <a href="http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Raiders_cornerback_thinks_he_was_flagged_because_of_his_religion/1318876">complaining that he was penalized for his religion</a>. He made a "religious display" (kneeling with his hands lifted towards the sky) after an endzone interception (<a href="http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/09000d5d81321465/Chris-Johnson-INT">video here</a>). Some are arguing the penalty was <a href="http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/sports/Raiders-Get-a-Penalty-for-Thanking-God-63539342.html">anti-religious</a>.<br /><br />Regardless of your feelings about religion, the penalty was unfair, per the NFL's own rules.<br /><br />When the penalty happened on Sunday, I thought about <a href="http://sportsbybrooks.com/does-the-nfl-have-a-religious-double-standard-21942">this video</a>, where <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Pereira">Mike Pereira</a>, the NFL's VP of Officiating, stated that a player should be penalized for a celebration if his knees touch the ground, UNLESS he is doing it to "praise the lord."<br /><br /><object height="465" width="600"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mb728sTevNM&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mb728sTevNM&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="465" width="600"></embed></object><br /><br />Let's save the unsavory religious overtones of Pereira's rule interpretation for another day... if we accept this rule as Pereira explains it, then why was it not applied properly in Chris Johnson's case? <span style="font-style: italic;">(Because the officials have it in for the Raiders!)</span>Kim Plaintivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09855196658649953810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8159596135393444724.post-88096029189424179642009-10-05T15:45:00.000-07:002009-10-05T15:45:55.392-07:00Patrick Willis: Xbox is the way to his heart<a href="http://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/dating-advice/dating-tips-from-football-players?click=pp">Cosmo magazine</a> recently did a piece featuring "dating tips" from NFL players. Some of them tried to be cute or funny, some gave a safe, female-friendly answer (NFL players totally dig women for their conversational abilities, really!). But thank you Patrick Willis for just keeping it real:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cosmo:</span> What's something a woman might say that would turn you off?</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Patrick:</span> If she said she doesn't like men who play video games, that would be a problem. I'm a video game fanatic!"</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/dating-advice/dating-tips-from-football-players?click=pp"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 600px; height: 190px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LtZCAk5nCoc/Ssp0udFsEwI/AAAAAAAAAOc/B6Z-2siyUP4/s400/Picture+9.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389248245533512450" border="0" /></a>Thank you <a href="http://twitter.com/maggiehendricks/">Maggie</a> for the tip on the article.Kim Plaintivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09855196658649953810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8159596135393444724.post-50375508552582949482009-10-02T00:15:00.000-07:002009-10-02T00:23:12.221-07:00Antisocial networking: why I enjoy annoying random people on Twitter<i>In this edition of <a href="http://www.alanag.com/search/label/haters">Alana G Haters</a>, we honor Twitter users <a href="https://twitter.com/zanders">@Zanders</a> and </i><i><a href="https://twitter.com/elizabeth">@Elizabeth</a> who have recently blocked me.</i><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.latfh.com/post/162073668/what-are-you-staring-at-oh-let-me-guess-you"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 262px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LtZCAk5nCoc/SsWi81OAyoI/AAAAAAAAAOE/gnain17rh9Q/s320/hipster+homeless.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387891695180368514" border="0" /></a>My sense of humor can be a little mean-spirited sometimes. I once went on a date with a guy who told me earnestly, "I would never have a laugh at someone else's expense." In response I laughed in his face. Hey, I respect if that's how you want to live your life, but don't expect me to. I don't think I'm ever mean for the sake of being mean -- I'm mean for the sake of <i>humor</i>. If I see a downtrodden homeless person wearing crazy clothes, I won't joke about that. But if some asshole hipster walks by in a needlessly silly outfit... well, that calls for a joke. Not everyone will find my jokes funny, but if you don't like my humor, you don't have to be friends with me.<br /><br />OH SNAP but there's the rub, because on social networking sites like Twitter, I can still hang out in your social circle even if you don't want me there. And if you're a happy-go-lucky person who naively thinks everyone else is super-friendly, I might try to annoy you with my silly antics. Just for poops and giggles.<br /><br />The only real way to protect yourself from outsiders on Twitter is to make your tweets private so that only approved people can follow you. But that's no fun -- you're a friendly, popular person and you love the fact that you can get 692 people following you. Most people leave their Twitter feeds open, and frankly those people are <span style="font-style: italic;">asking</span> to be bothered.<br /><br />So the other day I decided to stir some things up with unsuspecting Twitter users <a href="http://twitter.com/zanders">@Zanders</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/elizabeth">@Elizabeth</a>. I don't know either of them, but I had just started following Zanders and he retweeted <a href="https://twitter.com/Elizabeth/status/4370349227">this message</a> from Elizabeth:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LtZCAk5nCoc/SsWefT44iII/AAAAAAAAAN8/yGGdnBcc3bA/s1600-h/Picture+7.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 78px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LtZCAk5nCoc/SsWefT44iII/AAAAAAAAAN8/yGGdnBcc3bA/s400/Picture+7.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387886789970659458" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><span>"Never let great be the enemy of good." A good decision made quickly is far better than a great decision made slowly.</span></span><br /><br />First of all, this is terrible advice. Sure, a quick decision is useful in many cases: should I pee now or later, which flavor donut should I steal from the office next door, what's my best escape route from this burning building, etc. But a well-reasoned great decision is "far better" in many other cases: who should I marry, which car should I buy, should I retweet this piece of garbage advice, etc. The original context-free tweet by Elizabeth was annoying enough, but then I saw that multiple people in addition to Zanders had blindly retweeted it.<br /><br />So I decided to retweet it and express my disagreement. And then my good Twitter pal <a href="https://twitter.com/oopspow">@Oopspow</a> retweeted. And then we started a little Twitter meme whereby every important question on Twitter was directed to Zanders and Elizabeth for a "quick decision." Which Eddie Murphy stand-up routine is better, "Delirious" or "Raw"? Better ask Zanders and Elizabeth for a quick decision! What should the Senate do about asbestos? Better get Zanders and Elizabeth on the case asap! A few more of my Twitter pals started getting in on the action. The result was that Zanders' and Elizabeth's @-reply feeds were flooded with dozens of our silly jokes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LtZCAk5nCoc/SsWoIDOeV_I/AAAAAAAAAOU/8AKcxoLLj44/s1600-h/Picture+8.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 75px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LtZCAk5nCoc/SsWoIDOeV_I/AAAAAAAAAOU/8AKcxoLLj44/s400/Picture+8.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387897385477101554" border="0" /></a>That's hilarious to me. As Oopspow remarked, there were probably better things we could spend our time on, but at that moment we couldn't think of any.<br /><br />Now if Zanders and Elizabeth had interacted with us and laughed at the whole thing, we would have all had a little chuckle and then lost interest. But instead they ignored us. So we kept doing it. And then they both BLOCKED us. Haters get on your job! A silly, passive-aggressive action like blocking me only motivates me to annoy you more.<br /><br />You see, if they had done their homework, they would have realized that <a href="http://www.futureshopforums.ca/t5/Tech-Blog/Why-Blocking-People-on-Twitter-Is-Pointless/ba-p/153685#A134">blocking really accomplishes very little on Twitter</a>. Sure, I can no longer conveniently follow Zanders and Elizabeth from my blocked account. But I'm still following them in my TweetDeck from one of my benign alter-ego accounts. Even if they block my other account, I can still view their Tweets on their profile page, or subscribe to them by RSS. More importantly, I can still jam them with silly @-replies all day long! And now that I realize they've blocked me, I'm even more motivated to do so. Why? Maybe to prove a point (<span style="font-style: italic;">my Twitter c*ck is bigger than yours</span>). But mostly just because it's even funnier than before. When it stops being funny, I'll stop doing it.<br /><br />Writing this whole post does make me wonder if I'm being mean to Zanders and Elizabeth, who don't seem to be enjoying the attention. But maybe they don't care at all about my silliness. Perhaps some of you can send them @-replies asking for their thoughts on the subject. Don't forget to CC me: <a href="https://twitter.com/alana_g">@alana_g</a>.<br /><br />P.S. I got a most unexpected message while writing this post:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LtZCAk5nCoc/SsWdDZfxM-I/AAAAAAAAAN0/cQsH0z3Kabc/s1600-h/Picture+6.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 396px; height: 99px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LtZCAk5nCoc/SsWdDZfxM-I/AAAAAAAAAN0/cQsH0z3Kabc/s400/Picture+6.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387885210927969250" border="0" /></a>Those of you who have followed the <span style="font-style: italic;">Alana G Haters</span> series will get a kick out of that one -- <a href="http://twitter.com/nikidandrea">@nikidandrea</a> appears to be our old friend the "reporter" from the <span style="font-style: italic;">Phoenix New Times.</span> If you don't know who she is, you can read my February 2009 <a href="http://www.alanag.com/2009/02/phoenix-new-times-nba-tattoo-cap.html">dismantling of Niki D'Andrea</a>. Zanders and Elizabeth, you may be in luck -- something shiny and new has caught my eye in Twittertown!Kim Plaintivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09855196658649953810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8159596135393444724.post-32705201948343701142009-09-29T12:00:00.000-07:002009-09-29T12:27:22.215-07:00Junior Seau run over by a bull for Versus reality TV showThe story has gotten out that <a href="http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/junior-seaus-rodeo-antics-fail-to-amuse-bull-26267">Junior Seau got banged up by a bull</a> while guest starring as a rodeo clown. In case you were wondering why an NFL Pro-Bowler would put himself in such a position, our good friends at Versus now have the answer: reality TV. Here's the clip from the new show "Sports Jobs."<br /><br /><embed src="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f8/1213934593" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashvars="videoId=42663337001&playerId=1213934593&viewerSecureGatewayURL=https://console.brightcove.com/services/amfgateway&servicesURL=http://services.brightcove.com/services&cdnURL=http://admin.brightcove.com&domain=embed&autoStart=false&" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" swliveconnect="true" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash" height="495" width="600"></embed>Kim Plaintivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09855196658649953810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8159596135393444724.post-66911049163699536312009-09-28T18:00:00.000-07:002009-09-28T18:02:23.583-07:00Chad Pennington: next year's Comeback Player of the YearDon't feel too sorry for Chad Pennington, who's out for the rest of the season with a <a href="http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article_external/1260955">shoulder injury</a>. This is all part of his master plan. We <a href="http://ybatthebiggame.yardbarker.com/blog/YBatTheBigGame/Super_Bowl_Interview_with_Chad_Pennington/494932">talked to Chad</a> during last year's Super Bowl and he explicitly outlined his plan to get injured this year so that he can win his <span style="font-style: italic;">third</span> Comeback Player of the Year award in 2010. At 0:40 in the video he says:<br /><br />"That's kind of the secret to being a comeback player -- you have a good year, you get the award, then you get hurt... and then come back the following year and get the award again."<br /><br /><embed src="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f8/1213934593" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashvars="videoId=9812146001&playerId=1213934593&viewerSecureGatewayURL=https://console.brightcove.com/services/amfgateway&servicesURL=http://services.brightcove.com/services&cdnURL=http://admin.brightcove.com&domain=embed&autoStart=false&" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" swliveconnect="true" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash" height="495" width="600"></embed><br /><br />We honestly wish Chad well in his recovery and subsequent comeback campaign. He seems like a genuinely nice guy, and I can only hope he's able to get back in the game after this.Kim Plaintivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09855196658649953810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8159596135393444724.post-75982489015669839272009-09-21T14:45:00.000-07:002009-09-21T14:51:14.445-07:00Jersey Joker tackles the Lingerie Football LeagueIf you watched the show Fanarchy on Versus, then you're familiar with Jersey Joker, everyone's favorite loud-mouthed Yankees fan. Well apparently he was somehow able to parlay his television fame into a trip to L.A. to hang out with some babes from the <a href="http://www.lflus.com/latemptation/">Los Angeles Temptation</a>, one of the teams of the Lingerie Football League. This segment was apparently too hot for TV and ended up on the cutting room floor, but now you can watch it online as many times as you'd like.<br /><br /><embed src="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f8/1213934593" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashvars="videoId=41346699001&playerId=1213934593&viewerSecureGatewayURL=https://console.brightcove.com/services/amfgateway&servicesURL=http://services.brightcove.com/services&cdnURL=http://admin.brightcove.com&domain=embed&autoStart=false&" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" width="600" height="495" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" swliveconnect="true" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed><br /><br />Is it just me, or is this the happiest we've ever seen the Joker? Thanks to the lovely ladies of the <a href="http://www.lflus.com/latemptation/">Temptation</a> and to the folks at Fanarchy for sharing this video.Kim Plaintivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09855196658649953810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8159596135393444724.post-57179465721536471822009-09-18T12:30:00.000-07:002009-09-18T12:30:00.310-07:00Jorge Posada's wife Laura Posada is my new favorite MLB WAGLaura Posada appeared on <a href="http://www.wendyshow.com/2009/09/16/jorge_posada_fight/">The Wendy Williams Show</a> the other day. Not only is she an attorney (who knew!) but she mentioned she would put Jorge in check for his <a href="http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/Posada_Suspended_Four_Games_Fined_3K/1185081">scuffle</a> the other night. And she's got big boobs. What's not to love!<br /><br /><object width="600" height="470"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RaqBk4cYDiQ&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RaqBk4cYDiQ&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="600" height="470"></embed></object>Kim Plaintivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09855196658649953810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8159596135393444724.post-15765348774088976532009-09-15T15:15:00.000-07:002009-09-15T15:21:21.248-07:00Louis Murphy's first touchdown for the RaidersJust because the refs say it's not a touchdown doesn't mean it didn't happen. Last night I stayed in my Oakland apartment with the door locked for fear of riots.<br /><br /><object width="600" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UnBS8tTsnWE&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UnBS8tTsnWE&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="600" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />Hat tip to <a href="http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article_external/1175027">With Leather</a> for the video.Kim Plaintivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09855196658649953810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8159596135393444724.post-67741533349852445112009-09-04T16:45:00.000-07:002009-09-04T17:01:11.424-07:00Andre Berto questions Chad Ochocinco's black MexicanshipUnless you've been living under a Twitter rock, you know that Andre Berto and Chad Ochocinco have been feuding and are <a href="http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article_external/1032235">planning to box each other</a> after the NFL season. Berto talked about it in this week's Yardbarker segment on Fanarchy.<br /><br /><embed src="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f8/1213934593" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashvars="videoId=36546782001&playerId=1213934593&viewerSecureGatewayURL=https://console.brightcove.com/services/amfgateway&servicesURL=http://services.brightcove.com/services&cdnURL=http://admin.brightcove.com&domain=embed&autoStart=false&" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" width="600" height="495" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" swliveconnect="true" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed><br /><br />Stay tuned to <a href="http://andreberto.yardbarker.com/">Andre Berto's Yardbarker blog</a> for more insight and insults.Kim Plaintivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09855196658649953810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8159596135393444724.post-50507868482175753402009-09-01T09:45:00.000-07:002009-09-01T09:49:20.216-07:00Brendan Haywood's workout planI'm hitting the gym tonight, Brendan. Gotta work on my six-pack-shakur and stuff.<br /><br /><embed src="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f8/1213934593" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashvars="videoId=36396230001&playerId=1213934593&viewerSecureGatewayURL=https://console.brightcove.com/services/amfgateway&servicesURL=http://services.brightcove.com/services&cdnURL=http://admin.brightcove.com&domain=embed&autoStart=false&" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" width="600" height="500" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" swliveconnect="true" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed><br /><br />Haywood also filmed a video of basketball drills that you can see on his <a href="http://brendanhaywood.yardbarker.com/blog/BrendanHaywood/I_Just_Want_to_be_Successful/1092727">Yardbarker blog</a>. I don't want to embed it here and get Jay-Z's awful "D.O.A." song in your head.Kim Plaintivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09855196658649953810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8159596135393444724.post-36429101929744286222009-08-28T09:45:00.000-07:002009-08-28T09:52:16.702-07:00Alana G's DOMINOTE movement spreads to the NBAAs you may recall, <a href="http://www.alanag.com/2009/03/alana-g-introduces-word-dominote.html">I coined the word DOMINOTE</a> a few months ago and it has enjoyed niche usage since then. Well, today the DOMINOTE movement goes primetime as both the NBA and NBA D-League have retweeted a Twitter post of mine using the word.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LtZCAk5nCoc/SpgK7M25tMI/AAAAAAAAANs/6pLWHD1kbkA/s1600-h/dominote-nba.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 600px; height: 225px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LtZCAk5nCoc/SpgK7M25tMI/AAAAAAAAANs/6pLWHD1kbkA/s400/dominote-nba.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375058167446746306" border="0" /></a>This is no photoshop job, you can read the <a href="http://twitter.com/NBA/status/3601902486">NBA</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/nbadleague/status/3588999903">NBA D-League</a> tweets yourself. This was all started because of Rod Benson's excellent <a href="http://www.alanag.com/2009/08/rod-benson-dominates-internet-loves.html">Internet Dominance</a> song. Rod, can we get a remix? Internet DOMINOTION!<br /><br />P.S. Follow me on Twitter (<a href="http://twitter.com/alana_g">@alana_g</a>).Kim Plaintivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09855196658649953810noreply@blogger.com1