Then, it became a challenge for myself, where I sat down and said "If I write a blog where an average person simply writes about news and feelings about the sport in a safe yet matter-of-fact way, will anyone actually read it?" And about a year later, we have our answer: no. Despite months and months of ashamedly pimping this site on Facebook, etc., readership remains extremely low and I've tried several events to get people to participate more (polls, etc.) to no avail.
Couple this with the fact that I'm very busy at work these days and getting ready to move into a new, amped-up phase of my career, and the balance between the time it takes for me to actually do the research, find credible sources (and then express this material in an engaging manner, even when I'm not feeling humorous) and what feedback I get back on it gives me diminishing returns. Additionally, I have no way to assess readership or circulation beyond the use of a cheesy "hit counter" or the like (which is hard to do in Blogger), because I had to lock the comments to prevent spammers from posting inappropriate material.
So Second and One is going offline because I don't have the time/energy to commit to it anymore given what is coming out of it. I've had someone recommend that I try and get it syndicated, but this involves more time and energy and is essentially a crapshoot. I've had people say, "Just update more frequently." Well, this is hard to do in the offseason when there's no news on the radar for months, and it's also rather difficult to do when I work a job that, some weeks, demands 50+ hours of my time.
I've also gotten allusions to the "why don't you make it more like [insert name of popular sports blog here?]" routine. Simple answer: I shouldn't have to sacrifice something I liked doing, in the way I liked doing it, to fit someone else's mold (and this would come with syndication as well). And I shouldn't have to make this blog something it isn't - sensationalist, crude, or vulgar - to attract readership. I shouldn't have to emulate someone from ESPN or Deadspin. I shouldn't have to perpetuate unfair stereotypes of certain players, or post pictures of half-naked girls, or use rhetoric that's misogynistic, racially insensitive, or just plain raunchy. This is/was meant to be witty rambling about football and the teams and players we love, and there's plenty of wiggle room for the subtle idiocy and innuendo, but it's not some saucy, profane manifesto of how I want to strangle whoever I started at running back during fantasy season.
And perhaps I'm not qualified to even write about this subject. Sure, I watch a lot of football, I read a lot of football news, I go to plenty college and to pro games, I get lots of peoples' opinions - but beyond the occasional game of flag footie, I've never played (and I could go into why but that's *really* beside the point here). Maybe it is tantamount to asking someone who's never been in the military to write a detailed account of a tour in Afghanistan, and maybe it's not. Maybe I should write a blog about something I know very well: random humor, political stuff, writing fiction, or what hydrogenation catalysts light on fire spontaneously. The point is, short of my father and a few friends, nobody cares what I have to say here, and I find the whole notion rather depressing now.
So here's the order of events here. Posting will continue semi-regularly until the end of July. August 1st, "2ndand1.blogspot.com" will be abandoned. There may be another "save the blog"-rally then, but it's unlikely. I'm sorry for anyone I may offend, upset, or inconvenience with this action. Thanks to everyone who participated in this experiment.
Comments are open.
MC
Founder/Blogger
Second and One
I always assumed this blog was a hobby which seems to fit "it was a distraction" listed above as potential starting reasons.
ReplyDeleteI never expected you to update regularly in the off season. Heck I was surprised when you did. I didn't expect you to start acting like someone else's blog because then who's hobby is it?
Maybe you won't have time right now: hobbies fill time and aren't the priority. My hobby? I kind of like growing stuff. I don't expect anyone to stop by my plants and rub themselves (although it does suggest an interesting fertilizer). Maybe my girlfriend will look out at them from time to time, but it is something I just enjoy looking at and playing with.
So if you like writing about football. I'd say go for it not for people who may come hear and learn some factoid they didn't pick up on espn.com, or for the clean yet fun humor, or for me or the next person who might comment, but for MC.