The First Annual State of the Blog Address

It’s a writer’s worst nightmare. The application’s open. The hands are on the keyboard. The page is blank.

Lately, this space has been more neglected than Shawn Kemp’s children, but it wasn’t for lack of effort. The orange was squeezed, but no juice came out. So why now have the floodgates suddenly opened? After scrapping one post after another since the last calendar year, it finally dawned on me.

Write about not writing.

The last post? That ancient artifact came on December 30. That’s right, over six weeks ago. A funk of mythical proportions? Not quite. It can always be worse (isn’t that right, Pat Riley?). Still, this slump has been almost Vancouver Grizzly-esque.

But there hasn’t been much to write about, right? Let’s see. Earlier this month, we had one of the greatest Super Bowls in history. Then, Roger Clemens and Andy Pettite came under congressional scrutiny for their alleged (and in Pettite’s case, now acknowledged) steroid use. On and off the hardcourt, we’ve seen one of the most memorable half-seasons in NBA history. Shaq, Pau Gasol, Jason Kidd and Mike Bibby have changed addresses. The trade deadline is Thursday. As in, tomorrow. Don’t forget this past weekend’s All-Star festivities, which reacquainted the world with its most culturally and musically vibrant city. Even hockey has been interesting, with its own trade deadline fast approaching and a wild, parity-inspired free-for-all in the standings.

So I have no excuse. It was an action-packed six weeks. Plenty to discuss. Analyze. Applaud. Chide. Why then, was nothing produced?

The reason I took up shop in this humble corner of the blogosphere in the first place was to provide a different take on things. It was in the old sub-heading (“Sports Blogging From a New Perspective”) and the mission statement. Today’s sports media has become increasingly saturated and repetitive. When I was offered the sports section of a local paper by a family member recently, I responded, “That’s okay. I’ve already read all the AP stories somewhere else and the columns are available online.” Hmm.

The point is, by the time I sit down to weigh in on the issues of the moment, chances are my ‘unique’ point of view has already been covered elsewhere. Offering something new is near impossible, because of the sheer volume and scope of opinions in the mainstream media and Blogsville alike.

And wouldn’t it be too easy (and somewhat pointless) to merely recap the stories and offer a sentence or two of one’s own take? That may be fine for some, but it’s not the goal of this particular piece of electronic real estate.

I’ve been coaxed by a friend and fellow blogger to write more. My problem, and perhaps the inherent problem which arose as a product of the mission statement, is that I won’t settle. Doing something for the sake of doing it isn’t enough. The idea is to provide content you don’t see on ESPN.com. I believe there’s more to the story than what you see on SI.com, FOXSports.com or CBS Sportsline.

Up until this point, I’ve accomplished that. This blog has worked wonders for my opinion writing muscle. And that’s exactly the goal. Same old, same old is unacceptable. It insults your intelligence and awareness of current affairs. You already know what happened last night. You saw the goal. The watched the congressional hearing. You high-fived your dog after the buzzer-beater. It’s not productive to summarize the news just to see the hit total for today rise to a new record.

It’s actually a little early for a State of the Blog address. The one-year anniversary of The Splog doesn’t arrive until next month. But blank pages and half-written, scrapped pieces aren’t good enough. So here we are.

By the way, don’t think I’m missing the irony in the fact that not writing is the subject that ultimately got me back on the page. This is an issue we as journalists and bloggers need to address.

We’re second-guessers by nature. We never stop wondering if the ideas we articulate will be interesting enough, or, frankly, if anyone even cares.

But I don’t choose content based on what I believe people will want to read. Provoking thought is important but providing something new is paramount.

Journalism teaches us to focus on what matters to people. What people care about. Well, whether or not you care about this website or the world of sports doesn’t really matter to its author.

In the end, what matters is the purpose of your work. I’d guess that about one quarter of this site’s readers have a blog of their own, or some form of written expression.

I’d be interested to know why you decided to start writing online. Is it an outlet? A soapbox? A networking tool? The rise of blogs and online journals has been great for freedom of speech, but what we’re left with is a sea of banality with a small group of eloquent fish rising to the surface. It’s usually subjective but the best of the best offer something you don’t read in the Big Pond. That’s all I set out to do, and whether that’s being accomplished is up to you.

So the next time you stop by, don’t be disappointed if it’s been a while between posts. It’s for the best.

The state of the blog is strong. Thanks for reading.

[Applause]