To everyone that's supported me over the last year and a half, I wanted to pass along that my articles, from this point forward, can be found over at SI.com. My first article on the Sports Illustrated's site was posted today after this weekend's draft, and I plan to contribute on a more frequent basis.
Many thanks to everyone here in the FOX Blog community for all the support during NGS and beyond. I'll stop by from time to time to see how everyone's doing, as I always do. In the meantime, keep in touch!
As we close out 2006, I just wanted to thank you all for your support. Those who have trolled the blogs for the last year know just how much has transpired, namely two Next Great Sportswriter contests. People have come and gone, but many of the originals remain.
Though I've now officially written 21 columns for FOXSports.com, my favorite piece was posted one year (and one day) ago while attempting to solidify a spot as a top 16 finalist in the first NGS contest. Ahh yes, those were stressful days that I will never ever forget. And I could think of no better way of celebrating the one year anniversary of the Quick Slants blog than re-posting a link to it. Ladies and gents...
This is Part 3 of a 4 part conversation with NGS II Winner Brandon Vogel. Check out Part 1 and Part 2 if you haven't already seen them
Ty Hildenbrandt: Wow, it’s possible you have me at a loss for words with that list. You’re right on the money with John Henry Williams. I think Luke Russert is in the hunt for this honor, but as you so aptly pointed out, only time will tell. He’d be one of those guys showing up on an Upper Deck “Future Offenders of the LOTC III” baseball card.
I’m not gonna lie, this is a tough list to crack, but here are a few you left off in no particular order:
Beau Bridges – The son of Lloyd and the brother of “Harry” from Dumb and Dumber. Check out this guy’s filmography if you’re looking for some evidence as to why he’s on my short list. His dad was a huge star. He, on the other hand, starred in the 1998 show Maximum Bob, a show that lasted a whole two months on ABC before it was canceled.
Colin Hanks – Here’s another guy that Upper Deck would put on its “Future Offenders of the LOTC III” baseball card series along with Luke Russert. Obviously, his old man is a legend in Hollywood. And unless Colin gets moving, it doesn’t seem like he’ll ever be able to live up to his dad’s standards, seeing as how he’ll be 29 at the end of the month. To date, his biggest film was Orange County, a movie that was more popular because of the movie poster (with two orange slices over his eyes) than the actual film.
Lisa Marie Pressly – We here at Quick Slants do not discriminate based on age, race, or gender. Hence, Lisa Marie needs to be on this list in some capacity. To form a lame analogy to the BCS, her marriage to Michael Jackson earned her an automatic bid to appear on this list. And, her dad was the King of Pop, so there’s no conceivable way she could ever fill those shoes.
Jay Paterno – See above conversation.
Jeff Bowden – For lack of better terms, he’s “Jay Paterno South.” And also, he’s the butt of this joke, which might just be the most cleverly conceived Photoshop image I’ve ever seen.
Todd Marinovich – Though not technically the son of an “icon,” we heard so much about this guy’s pedigree and, at one time, believed that he’d grow up to be the “perfect quarterback.” Now, six arrests later (four of which have come since 2000), I think it’s pretty clear that things didn’t work out for Todd. At last check, he’s promoting the legalization of marijuana and steadfastly claims that he’ll move to Holland before anyone in the U.S. tells him he can’t smoke it.
Anyway, enough of that for now. Talk to me about your newfound writing career. How did you react when it first hit you that your writing hobby would now be published on the internet and promoted to millions? To be honest, I was deathly afraid of becoming the blogging version of Ryan Leaf, flipping out at a few hecklers, and relegating myself to typing up boxscores for the local paper. Thus far, I don’t think that’s happened, but I suppose I could still go in the tank over the next couple months.
Brandon Vogel: How could I miss Beau Bridges? Jim Rome makes the Bridges-Bill Callahan comparison at least once a week!
As for the writing career, I guess my first actual gig was writing for a small, on-line newspaper while I was still in college. It was called Xpressnews.com and is now defunct (although not my fault, I don’t think) and I was the sports correspondent covering American Legion baseball and high school all-star games, the typical newbie beat. It ended when I went back to school in the fall. I begged my editor to let me do a column and, probably to her and the readers’ benefit, she continually said no. But when I attended the Nebraska – Notre Dame game in 2000 in South Bend, she actually approached me about doing a sort of reaction piece and that’s basically when everything clicked for me.
After that brief stint doing “real” journalism, and a three-year break for graduate school, I started up a site on blogspot, was doing that for about two months and then my friend and sole reader forwarded me along the NGS contest link. The FOXSports blogs provided me with my first real readers who weren’t either a) directly related to me, or b) a college classmate.
But in the moments after my first article for the main site was published, it was a mixture of elation and unease to think that anyone could just be surfing the Internet and come across something I wrote. It was definitely my Navin R. Johnson moment and I’ve been waiting for that for years.
Ty Hildenbrandt: Egregious on all counts for missing Beau Bridges. That one was on a tee and you whiffed. But then again, I never would have thought up John Henry Williams, so I’m willing to call it even.
It sounds like we both were thrown right into the mix after NGS. Personally, my only writing experiences before winning the contest were a few letters to the editor, a few witty emails to my friend Feldman, and a few months of blogging over on AOL. That’s pretty much it. Likewise, I was told about the NGS contest from a good friend, and decided to give it a whirl. I’m thoroughly convinced that my friends still don’t consider me a writer. They still think I’m the guy that plays Madden NFL Football online. (Okay, who am I kidding… I still am that guy.)
Indeed the whole “there-are-people-reading-this-that-I-don’t-know” feeling is pretty momentous. I think that’s what I’ve enjoyed most about the whole experience. I realize people will say “HEY! They told him to say that!” when I bring this up, but that’s the best part about this community on FOXSports.com. Granted, it won’t take you more than five minutes to find a blogger offering critical words about the community, but you really can’t find a setup like this anywhere else. It’s a great place to gain exposure, grow as a writer, and learn how to take negative comments with a grain of salt. And believe me, that’s an important skill.
Since writing my first column back in March, I’ve been continually amazed by the intense hate mail I’ve received. I’m told this comes with the territory. At first, I was taken aback. Now, I’m almost alarmed if I don’t get any. I think it keeps me on my toes. Plus, the creativity is top notch, giving me the chance to learn new curse words everyday! Right now, I am apparently at odds with the token Irrational Drew Bledsoe Supporter, seeing as how I slammed him two columns ago. My letter bomb should be arriving anyday now, postmarked “Irvin, TX.”
The bottom line is that there will always be haters. Doesn’t matter what you write, there’s no way around it. As a normal guy, like me, thrown into the fire, did you have any Roberto Duran moments when you felt like shouting out “no mas!” and throwing in the towel? During NGS I, II, or now?
And all kidding aside, have you gone to your local McDonald’s yet and inquired about receiving free ####y Chicken Sandwiches as part of our loose affiliation with the restaurant chain?
Brandon Vogel: Madden On-line, huh? The concept of on-line video games is perfect. Play against live competition anywhere in the world from the comfort of your own couch. A few months back, I finally took the plunge and linked up the PS2 only to find that playing on-line is one of the most humbling experiences a grown man who should’ve dropped video games years ago can have. A lot of those guys are real pros, and, at least for me, trying to compete with them is like trying to take the Astrophysics category in a Jeopardy match against Stephen Hawking and the ghost of Carl Sagan.
Back to the contest, the only real “no mas” moment I had was immediately after the announcement for NGS II. I think I had written maybe three posts since the end of NGS I and I wasn’t really sure about going through it all again. For at least a few days after the contest opened, I was certain that I’d be sitting this one out.
But then I kind of took a look around and realized I was really excited about some of the major events on tap in the sporting world. Baseball had just started which meant the Cubs were theoretically still alive in the race, the NBA playoffs were forthcoming, which meant it was time to pay serious attention, and, the biggest for me, the Kentucky Derby and my first real World Cup as an avid follower. After all that, I was excited again.
Now, I don’t know about you, but I found the most anxiety inducing moment to be the hours and days following the weekly assignment announcement. As soon as the judges posted the new assignments, the pain began. I would sit and wrack my brain for a unique angle, come up with a few different ideas and look around to see what else was out there, and then finally, with a lot of doubt still in my mind, start on one of them.
Once the writing started, that was the easy part, but I hated the brainstorm part of it.
As I said last week, in honor of the upcoming one year anniversary since the Next Great Sportswriter contest, I'll be trading emails with some of the people that helped make NGS I and NGS II successful. Below is part one of a three-part email discussion I had with NGS II winner Brandon Vogel (otherwise known as "HiPlainsDrifter). Enjoy...
Ty Hildenbrandt: Brandon, let's dive right into it. You've now been the Next Great Sportswriter for a couple of months and I'm guessing you've had ample time to sit down and think through what a remarkable experience it was. As expected, your work has been top-notch, and I thoroughly look forward to your upcoming articles.
So, now that we can both look back and reflect, I'll ask a very obvious, very timely question: Which three letters have caused more controversy within the FOXSports.com community over the last year, 'NGS' or 'BCS'? (I think it's a fair question -- actually, the analogy is so fitting it hurts.) And, in your opinion, if we found some Einsteinian method to retrofit college football with an NGS-like system, would we really be looking at an Ohio State/Michigan vs. Louisville BCS Championship game?
Furthermore, if we were to reverse things and apply BCS-like logic to NGS, which one of us would have the stronger rating and be in better position headed into bowl season? I think you've got me in the Harris Interactive Poll, but I'm told from the powers-that-be that I've got a stranglehold on both the Billingsley and Sagarin computer rankings. If we ran the numbers and discovered identical .9924 ratings, would you be opposed to scheduling a 'Dancing With The Stars'-type referendum contest to settle the score?
Brandon Vogel: Good question, within the FOXSports.com community I would say that NGS probably stirred the greater controversy. Plagiarism, age-verification, ballot-stuffing. The two NGS rounds were political-thrillers/reality shows/sports debates all rolled into one. The BCS is the yearly hot-topic, and the criticism starts as soon as the first poll is released, but the difference is that the users of FOXSports.com had a direct say and, if they were participating, a stake in NGS. I think it's safe to say that neither you nor I will ever win the BCS Title but we, and quite a few others, had a shot in NGS.
If the BCS were to go to the NGS format, either with or without judges, I don't think there's any way that Louisville is getting a shot at the title game. It's mostly an entertainment issue and when we got down to the last week of the season, I don't see the readers of FOXSports choosing to watch Louisville vs. OSU/Michigan. Floriburnsas or Texas is the more intriguing match-up, but I could be wrong. As I look at it right now, Louisville is leading Michigan in the FOXSports Fan Poll. I just hope that the people who are lauding Louisville now will be willing to lobby for Rutgers should they win out. I want the Scarlet Knights in the desert night on January 8th.
Now I hold few firm beliefs when it comes to sports and the Internet, but one of them is that if something can't be researched in under five minutes it is either a) an urban legend, or b) not worth knowing. Finding the methodology for these BCS polls clocked in at 4 minutes 44 seconds. So when you said I was leading the Harris Interactive Poll, I had to look it up and find out exactly what it was and why I might have the advantage in that particular ranking. I found my answer. It turns out that Brad Muster is part of the Harris panel and I always gave him a ton of carries on NES Play Action Football, so I'm not totally surprised. At the age of 11, I was still very much a player's coach.
And since it was the Harris Poll that replaced the AP Poll in the BCS rankings, it's almost like the different judging methods between NGS 1 and 2. But with you taking the Billingsley and Sagarin rankings, I think a rematch is inevitable. As Pat Hill says at Fresno State,"anytime, anywhere." (They're 1-7 right now.) It might be a bit like an OSU-Michigan BCS Championship game should that happen this year as you've already beaten me once, but if extended an invitation I would definitely show up.
Early word out of Vegas is that you're a 1.5 star favorite based on past results. My question is: What's in the mythical NGS Bowl gift bag?
Ty Hildenbrandt: Without question, the inaugural NGS Bowl gift bag would include five free tokens to be the FOXSports.com "Blog of the Day," immunity from negative comments for no less than one (1) calendar year, and a 40% discount on all carpal tunnel surgeries performed by Dr. James Andrews. We'd also need some kind of trophy that is symbolic of our cause. So, perhaps we could contract Rush Limbaugh to find us some under-the-table samples of Lunesta or another such sleeping medication to help us recuperate from the countless hours of rest we missed out on while pursuing blogging superstardom. The winner could hibernate until 2007.
(And for what it's worth, I think Vegas' 1.5-star line will come down once news breaks of your timely Brad Muster / NES Play Action Football reference. That one killed me. Muster ranks right up there with the some of the great, white, video game running backs in history – I'd say right behind Tom Rathman and Merrill Hoge from Tecmo Super Bowl.)
I think you bring up a great point about supporting Rutgers. My question: Would Rutgers be higher in the polls if not for starting out the season unranked? It seems like we put more credence in preseason polls – published before anyone even plays – than we should, and you'd have to think that it hurts some teams more than it helps. It's conceivable that Rutgers could go unbeaten and not crack the top 10. Granted, their out-of-conference opponents have been tomato cans, but still.
And while we're on the topic of teams on the upswing, what's your take on the Bill Callahan Era in Nebraska? I know you hail from the Cornhusker State, so you're probably a good person to ask about this – was I the only one that asked myself, "Why are they hiring Bill Callahan?" when the announcement was made? It just didn't feel right to me. Now, a couple years later, it seems like the Huskers are building a program again, but I'm on the outside looking in.
Brandon Vogel: It would be an honor to be under the knife of the skilled Dr. James Andrews. I've always wondered why he doesn't hold some sort of former patients-only celebrity golf tournament. It would be the biggest thing to hit Birmingham every summer, and I think there's a good chance the current NGS winner could provide the coverage. So we can toss that in the gift bag, and an iPod -- can't have a gift bag without an mp3 player. I think Apple actually invented the celebrity gift bag 20 years ago simply so they would have a platform for the iPod, and it worked.
Now, in terms of the great white video game running backs, I tend to give Rathman the nod, but that's probably because he's a Cornhusker. His high school jersey actually hangs at Fonner Park, the prettiest little horse track in Nebraska, and perhaps the oddest place for an athletic tribute that I've ever seen.
Going back to the Big East, I think Rutgers current poll position is entirely a result of starting out unranked. I've always been a bit wary of a playoff system in college football because as it is college football has the best regular season of any of the major sports and the postseason, while not great at crowning an undisputed national champion, is pretty entertaining as well. But as the years of BCS criticism start to build up, my stance is weakening. Pro-bowlers (and I don't mean NFL all-stars or current PBA stars) say that the entire season is a playoff, but if that's true, how can we seed the tournament before it even starts? For example, if Louisville wins the Big East and goes undefeated, they will at least be in the picture for the BCS title game. If Rutgers does the exact same thing, they're not in the picture. What's the difference? Louisville's one big non-conference win over Miami? No, it's the fact that the Cardinals started in the Top 10. Unlike the men's basketball tournament, it doesn't seem like people want to see a Cinderella squad on the gridiron. We want tradition and fightsongs we can actually hum along to and slobberknocking…
...which, incidentally, Nebraska is starting to achieve with a bit more regularity in Callahan's third year. While I could (and actually hope to) write a book on the current state of Nebraska football, I'll give you the condensed version:
In 2003, Frank Solich was fired after going 9-3, Bo Pelini coached Nebraska in the bowl game, got a token interview and then was politely dismissed, a bunch of other candidates turned down the job and Bill Callahan was the first to accept. I was firmly in the Pelini corner, but for the most part I think people were excited by the hire. (Realize that NFL football is about fourth on the sports to pay attention to list in the state, behind 1) Nebraska football, 2) Nebraska recruiting, and 3) the Nebraska Spring Game, so it's entirely possible that a large portion of us had no idea Bill had destroyed the Raiders only one season earlier.)
At this point, I will say this for Callahan, the talent level at Nebraska has improved drastically. They're getting recruits and that's at least 60-70% of college football success. As for the actual play, the jury is still out. Nebraska has had some bad losses under Callahan, but they still don't have that one great win. They haven't beaten an opponent ranked in the Top 20, Callahan is only 11-11 in the Big XII and 2-8 on the road. (Yes, I carry these numbers around in my planner.) At home, the West Coast Offense looks great, mixing the pass and the run, being devious and taking chances. Nebraska motions about four guys per play, but it seems to be working this year so I can finally retire my "Cloud of dust and two yards" nickname for the offense. Nebraska is getting better, but ask me or any other Cornhusker fan this question after a loss and you'll get a much different answer.
Hey there, everyone. Since next month will be the one-year anniversary of FOXSports.com's first Next Great Sportswriter contest, I'd like to do something to give back to the community that has given me such an incredible opportunity to write on a national level.
So, over the next couple weeks, I'll be pulling some of you aside to talk about sports, pop culture, and everything in between. I'll try to get a nice mix of opinions and post all the discussions right here. I'm looking forward to it.
Next week, I'll be talking with the winner of NGS II, Brandon Vogel... or "HiPlainsDrifter" as he was once known in these parts before achieving blogging superstardom. We already know that Brandon has compelling thoughts regarding the world of sports, but he'll undoubtedly have some great stories to share with us about NGS, seeing as how he was one of the elite few to take part in bothcontests. Should be a lot of fun.
On the eve of the big announcement, I just wanted to stop by and thank everyone again for a great couple weeks of writing. Personally, it's been a lot of fun for me interacting with the blogosphere and I'm glad I was able to give back to the community.
And to our remaining finalists -- HiPlainsDrifter and MooreSports -- congratulations on making it as far as you did. No matter who wins tomorrow, just remember that this is only the beginning for both of you. Whether this contest equates to a contract with FOXSports.com or something you can use on a resume to get your foot in the door somewhere else, you both have a lot to be proud of. Most importantly, get some sleep tonight, will ya?
With the Final Four well on its merry, bloggin’ way towards realizing a dream, I wanted to take the time to thank the most underappreciated group affiliated with NGS II.No, I’m not talking about the remaining four.No, I’m not referring to the judges.And no, I’m not looking to pat myself on the back.
I’m talking about the good sports out there.You know who you are.The fine bloggers that didn’t make the cut, but found it within themselves to offer kind words of encouragement throughout the contest.The eliminated finalists who remained gracious in defeat and continued supporting the cause despite obvious disappointment.The wise old contestants from NGS 1.0 who came back to offer their own words of advice to a jittery new pool of writers.To all of you, I say thanks.
Seriously, thank you.
It’s all too easy to forget about the good guys out there amid the bitter waves of comments that pop up from time to time.Without your continued support and interest in the blogging community here on FOXSports.com, none of this – NGS or the blogging community itself – would be possible.It is your diligence that has helped transform this community into something special – something that brings unassuming visitors of FOXSports.com back for endless visits, and gives them a forum to voice their thoughts.That’s the essence of free speech, and with such a supportive group, it’s become a celebration.
So, again, I thank you.And I’m sure by now, the sleep-deprived and malnourished finalists agree.
Keep up your support, it means a lot to all of us!
I've received a bunch of emails on the topic of voting and read a lot of the comments out there, so I just wanted to clarify one thing.
You are allowed to vote once a day. No need to wait until Monday morning to hand out your stars. You can do it seven days a week if you so choose. (It's up to you how often.) If there's a candidate that you really want to win, you don't have to wait until he or she posts the next round's assignment, either. Just vote!
I'm not sure how much confusion there is on this topic, but like I said, I have received a few emails and wanted to put a quick post together to address it.
Good luck to the remaining finalists! Get some sleep tonight, okay?
(Random observation of the day: When assigning posts to categories, has anyone else noticed that if you type in "NGS" and hit your spacebar that your automatically generated choices are Mets rookie Lastings Milledge, the Brookings Jackrabbits, and the Boiling Springs Runnin' Bulldogs? A rookie with dreds and two teams that sound like they could be in any fantasy league in America. I digress.)
Back in January, I posted a list of my Top Ten Baseball Names of All-Time.This post had no business achieving “Most Popular” honors in the FOXSports.com blogging community, but somehow did. It was as puzzling as Doug Collins' hair style.
But now, I’m forced to answer a trifling question:Just where do I rank #### Bonser among baseball’s all-time greatest names?
Top 25 Baseball Names of All-Time (Version II, June 2006)
Spanky LaValliere, Storm Davis, Chili Davis, Hensley Meulens, Archi Cianfrocco, Geronimo Berroa, Alvaro Espinoza, Alejandro Pena, Frank Viola, Ken Phelps, Floyd Bannister, Zane Smith, Pie Traynor, Bert Blyleven, Ozzie Virgil, Mookie Wilson, Rex Hudler, Oscar Azocar, Kent Tekulve, Frank Tanana, Bip Roberts, Bob Ojeda, Dale Sveum, Franklin Stubbs, Rollie Fingers, Junior Felix, Yorkis Perez, Kevin Maas, Andy Van Slyke, Van Lingle Mungo, Clay Dalrymple, Phil Plantier, Sid Bream, Catfish Hunter, Celerino Sanchez, Garth Iorg, Mickey Morandini, Heathcliff Slocumb, Skeeter Barnes, Tug McGraw, Hipolito Pichardo, Pee Wee Reese, Mark Lemongello, Bombo Rivera, Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown, Snuffy Stirnwiess, Solly Hemus, Orval Overall, Early Wynn, Al Hrybowski, Quilvio Veras
If you’re unaware of who I’m talking about, #### Bonser is a promising pitching prospect for the Minnesota Twins. Most hardcore fantasy baseball enthusiasts know all about this guy, just not the general public. He's actually pretty good. We’re talking 6’4”, 260-pounds of pure… umm... ####.
So, I'm bringing back the list. Yes, THE list.
Here’s the dilemma:Originally, I had Boog Powell at #9, getting a slight nod over Joaquin Andujar at #10.Do I bump Andujar down to #11 since “####” and “Boog” are virtually the same, or do I hold out and see how his career unfolds?A tough decision.I swear, this will eventually drive me crazy.
Anyway, I’ve charged up the list again and plan to keep it updated every few months to incorporate new players or ones that we initially left off. Or, if there is a rogue Alvaro Espinoza fan club floating around out there, they’ll be able to make a push to get him in the top 25.Top 25?Yes, I’ve also gone ahead and expanded the list by 15.In addition, I threw in a few extra columns just for good measure.
I’ll keep revising this as I see fit, so your comments are essential.
Good Karma
Thanks to everyone who emailed me about the Fan KARMA column that ran on Thursday.Yes, yes, I’m well-aware that some famous fans were left off the list.Just so you know, I started with a list of about 50 potential celebrities and superfans, including most of the names some of you have emailed about such as John Adams (Cleveland Indians Drum Guy), Jenn Sterger, the Penn State Cowbell Guy, Drew Carey, Matthew McConaughey, Stephen King, Ed Norton, Eva Longoria, and a slew of others. I couldn't include them all without eclipsing 10,000 words. If all goes well, I’ll put together another sample of fanatics and rate them accordingly.Feel free to keep the emails coming.
The Dirty Dozen
For the finalists that might be reading this, raise your hand if you’ve lost any sleep over NGS so far.Do I see one?Two?Eight?All of them?That’s about right.You should all breathe a sigh of relief knowing that you’ll have the entire weekend to unwind in preparation for Monday’s cut-down day. (As if Monday needed another reason to be hated.)Thus far, the quality has been outstanding and I’m glad to see that some of you are elevating your game in the name of NGS.Best of luck on Monday!
The past week has been emotionally draining.After nearly 350 emails, I’m dangerously close to reverting back to my form from the final round of NGS 1 – bearded, malnourished, and sleep-deprived.I’ve personally responded to all of the messages, so hopefully, it’s helped.And if not, then I look like a grizzly bear for nothing.
I know there were a lot of disappointed people out there after the Sweet Sixteen was announced.In light of today’s announcement, we can now add another four names to that list.Thanks for all your hard work, everyone.Get ‘em next time.
And for the remaining field, I wanted to do something to offer a little perspective on what you should expect the rounds that lie ahead without focusing too much on my own personal endeavors. I decided to carry on a candid email discussion with a former finalist and well-respected member of the FOXSports.com community:Norcalfella.Yes, I know this is a bit long, but hopefully, it’ll be useful as well…
Ty:Norcal, it's been close to six months since we were selected to compete in the Sweet Sixteen of NGS 1, which probably means that we're only about four and a half years away from showing up on some cheesy, early morning "Blogs ‘N Sports" program on FOX SportsNet hosted by Jaleel White. I can't wait.
Actually, with all this talk about NGS, I've been thinking a lot about our contest and some of the things that we might've learned. Personally, my biggest lesson had to do with negative feedback -- particularly how to take it without going all Stephen Jackson on the blogging community. For me, this was one of the biggest adjustments. I expected it, but I really wasn't used to being looked at in a critical sense. Honestly, how are you supposed to react when anonymous readers stop by and say that they don't like what you write? Oh, and just for good measure, they'll include a little "you're an ####!" jab just to really peeve you.
I tried to keep a low profile with these sorts of things, but sometimes were harder than others. I'm now of the notion that taking yourself too seriously can ultimately lead to your demise in a contest like this. It's good to focus on the topics at hand and put a solid foot forward, but focusing too heavily on the comments is enough to drive a person crazy. More than anything else, I learned that the only thing I could control was what I wrote...
Norcalfella: I am totally looking forward to a five year reunion. By then arabchickencurry will be of legal drinking age and go totally Gina from America's Next Top Model 6 at the sight of booze.Maybe some of our critics can make cameos if they aren’t locked up in Colombian prisons.
Speaking of off base criticism, I took it with great pride. Having homeless people seeking shelter in public libraries taking the time to rip my blog was a step up from anonymity. As a round 2 cut, I didn't get around to the harsh stuff. People spoke with their stars, 2.18 of them to be exact. Not that I remember the exact number or anything.
The biggest thing I gained from the NGS experience was a place to share my ideas with others from across the country, and better yet world. This is definitely an improvement over cornering someone at the local bar to explain how the Oakland Raiders will rise out of the ashes this upcoming season.
My blogging skills definitely improved, and as an added bonus, not having to compete in NGS II gives me the time to finish Sly 2 on my Playstation 2. Oh God, how I wish I was kidding.
Ty:I think you're onto something with the idea of a NGS 1 "Reunion" special. It'll be like one of those Brady Bunch reunion episodes when everyone's older and you find out that Marcia is living a secluded life in rural Oregon with two children. Maybe we'll even get to meet the man behind the curtain, Tom Seeley. That would be a rare honor -- like sitting down for coffee with the banker from Deal or No Deal.
I'm definitely with you. The fact that I'd get random emails about my entries from people I didn’t know was by far the most satisfying experience. Obviously, we all wanted to win, but I think I would've been satisfied knowing that I made an impression on some people, be it good or bad. More importantly, I think that's the part of this contest that is the most fun. As finalists, we were really put in the spotlight and given the opportunity to shine. Did you have any wild emails from readers? One guy emailed me saying that he attended my book tour in California -- to my knowledge, there are no authors by my name, and I've never written a book or even been to California. And I'm pretty sure my autograph isn't worth anything, but I haven't checked the latest edition of Tuff Stuff to find out.
But despite the great feeling of being read by thousands and appreciated, I still had a problem with my confidence -- not in an A-Rod "I'm seeing two the####s" kind of way, but in a way that I think many writers experience when put under the gun. When you mixed in all the nerves, criticism, and pressure, I had some problems keeping it all together at times. What was your mentality in the first few rounds of the contest? How did you approach the assignments without totally psyching yourself out?
Norcalfella:If I ever become a contestant on Deal or No Deal I will bring my Batman tool belt and immediately crash through the glass to confront the banker. Why do you want to buy my suitcase?! Is this some sort of government conspiracy?! Then I'll realize I'm not cool like Jack Bauer, start picking shards of glass out of my face and cry out for a doctor. I picture Tom as a sort of reverend Eric Camden from 7th Heaven, only with a heckuva a lot more disruptive kids to look after.
I totally dug the spotlight, but random folks didn't email me because I followed in the footsteps of Peter Parker and withheld my true identity. Looks like I missed out on some interesting exchanges.
My confidence was kicked into high gear when I told the guys at the local Hollywood Video store I had made the finals and pointed them towards my blog. Upon my next visit, they were totally in awe of my work.(Or perhaps just glad that -- since I had to rush home and post -- I wouldn't be holding up the line debating who would win the Rose Bowl.) I can't be sure of which.
I think I approached the NGS finals like a marathon, not realizing that I should have been sprinting all along. When the rug was cut out from under me I had notes for a few great posts that never made it to my blog. The message to the new crop of finalists is clear. Lay it all out on the line because no one is promising you next week. My pink slip puts me in the holy trinity of FOX shockers along with Constantine and Chris from the past two seasons of American Idol though - at least in my delusional mind.
Ty:Admit it, Norcal… you're an American Idol junkie. Did you hear about Ryan Seacrest's recent miscue? Something about the line "Ryan Seacrest crashed through a glass table" just sounds too Jack Bauer-ish for my liking. I've said it before, but I think the man may really be the antichrist.
Actually, I'm glad you bring up Idol because I found it was the easiest way to describe this contest to friends -- "hey, it's the American Idol of sportswriting!" Granted, we didn't get stylists or national television exposure, and NGS drop-ins didn't help me score any groupies, but there are some similarities. In particular, there seems to be a mindset that this contest is purely a popularity contest, which I don't believe to be true. Obviously, whenever the public's votes are taken into account, you will always have that sort of aura… but I had absolutely zero following on FOXSports.com before NGS 1. Sure, I blogged over on AOL for a while and had a handful of repeat visitors, but that was about it. And yes, I did (and still do) some independent radio stuff, but I wasn't boorish enough to go on the airwaves and pimp my cause. So, it just sort of worked out. No trade secrets. No elaborate, mass voting scandals. It just happened, blame the voters. Now, all I have to worry about is being more like Kelly Clarkson and less like Ruben Studdard. I can't believe I just typed that.
I give a lot of credit to the minds behind NGS 2. They've taken a beating since the field was announced, but they got it right by changing around the rules and giving the judges more power to prevent Kevin Covais from sneaking into the fold.
Norcalfella:Speaking of misconceptions ... What I loved was the fact that I joined 10 days before the competition started, yet after being named to the finals people immediately assumed I was part of the "from day one!" popular clique. Definitely not the case.
If Randy Jackson was a judge for NGS 1, he would have looked at my work and been like, "Just keeping it real... the first paragraph was a little rough for me, and the topic wasn't really your best, but you worked it out.".
As the finalist with marathon threads filled with comments on every post, it left me a bit confused to have the rug pulled out so soon. Then again, as Anne Robinson from The Weakest Link would say, "It's votes that count, goodbye!"
What I want to know from you is the criterion for commenting on other blogs during the finals. I personally avoided fellow finalists because I felt like it was a lose-lose. If I'm critical, I look like a jerk. If I'm positive, I add to their popularity. Were you also concerned about making that one fateful comment to incite a blog stalker who disagreed with your opinion?
Ty:Hey, wait a minute. I seem to remember you offering some criticism on my very first contest entry. What was that all about? I've been meaning to call you out on that, Mister 2.18 stars... (snicker). I digress...
I tried to take the high road and root on the other finalists, but it always felt safer to just lay low and take it all in.With people Googling our names and digging up moldy old pictures of us, it seemed like the best route. But I did my best to show good sportsmanship wherever possible. Obviously, we were all under the same pressure and had many of the same motivations, so it was extremely difficult for me to post anything negative. Most of the time, I didn't even look to point out mistakes -- I was just happy to get another assignment under my belt and get some friggin’ sleep.
In the end, I don't think it really mattered. We just psyched ourselves out so much that these elaborate Survivior-esque strategies seemed to be our only recourse. If I had to offer any advice to the finalists, it would be to have fun with the contest and not worry about hatching any schemes to get to the top. Don't bother trying to figure out the blogging community, it's far too intricate. Just be yourself and you'll be fine.
Speaking of being ourselves... did you feel that you had to alter your style at all once you made the cut?
Norcalfella:Now that is horsepuckey. I essentially said you missed an opportunity to poke fun at Brett Michaels, the front man of Poison turned country music singer turned Nashville Star judge. If that's criticism, I think someone needs to slide his sensitivity meter down a notch. Then I turned prophet and said you didn't need to contest to be successful. I know talent when I see it.
Hey I remember when some jerk dug up those old pictures of yourself and Gunn. Who was that punk?Oh, well this is embarrassing.I'm being told I did it.Well, never mind.This might be why I didn't enter under my real name.My appearance on Romper Room just might be archived somewhere on the internet.If that had surfaced, I surely would have been cut in round 1 instead of round 2.
I tried not to alter my style when I entered the finals.About the only thing I did differently was to master the art of putting a picture into my posts.I do wish I had posted more, but felt that quality over quantity was the way for me to go.Only 2.18 out of 5.00 people agreed with me.
Most importantly, whatever anyone says about your writing, do not attack them for expressing their opinion. It only makes you look like the jerk, even if their words are incoherent, nonsensical ramblings.Other than that, simply stay true to your work and put your best foot forward with every post or comment you make.
Ty:I’m in complete and total agreement. And while we’re on the topic of putting your best foot forward, I would offer this bit of advice to the finalists:Pick topics that you are comfortable with.Last contest, I decided to reach a little too far in the second round and the judges conveniently tattooed me for it.In fact, they ranked me eighth among the remaining writers, which was the equivalent of getting zapped with 40,000 votes since that put me on the bubble.Sure, writing is about being diverse, but if you’re in a national contest with a big opportunity on the line, you have to stick to your wheelhouse.It’s all about being the best, not the most diverse.At least, not at this juncture.
For the record, you were incredible at finding pictures and using them in your posts.I don’t think finalists should be that concerned about graphics, though.I’ve read some… umm… “interesting” bits of criticism on several blogs that talked about choice of pictures, and even picture alignment.It’s not good to get too carried away with little stuff like that – writing is what counts.
Now that we’re pushing 2,500 words, I suppose we should wrap this thing up.Any parting shots?Any fearless bits of advice for our remaining finalists?Any predictions about your shoddy Raiders?
Norcalfella:When it came to pictures, my use of them added to the experience because they weren't just thrown in there arbitrarily. I thought about each one carefully after I finished writing the piece. I enjoyed the look of my blog and I wouldn't change a thing because I didn't force anything. Had I written without them, I might have regretted it. Besides, Stan Gelbaugh never got the credit he deserves for his work on the London Monarchs and I was able to lift him up with a nice shot from his glory days.
My final bit of advice is to know your fan base. This is a sports blog. Finalists should be writing about subjects that will interest them, and in a manner the masses can understand. Putting up a post centered around Australia's new Rugby coach John Connolly probably isn't going to put stars in the box. Neither is arguing with your readers (read: those who leave comments) even if I have seen professionals elsewhere do the same in their mail bags. Those folks have jobs in the field already, they can spout off.
It always comes back to the Raiders. In a way I began blogging to give a voice to the coherent Raider fan. This might be an oxymoron to most people. My battle cry is 2007 when Andrew Walter is ready prove all the draft chumps wrong. This season will be hard to endure, but the pieces are starting to fall into place. Best of luck to the Dirty Dozen who have advanced through the first round.
Ty:I couldn’t have said it better myself.Thanks for the discussion and congratulations, indeed, to the remaining finalists! Best of luck moving forward.
Ty Hildenbrandt was the winner of the inaugural Next Great Sportswriter contest on FOXSports.com and the host of nationally syndicated Yankee Fan Club Radio. Ty is currently a writer for SI.com.
