Welcome to the first ever (that I know of) Best Pittsburgh Sports Blog Tournament! My main motivation behind doing this is to try to create a thorough list of the best blogs that cover and discuss Pittsburgh sports. I think there is a special Pittsburgh sports blog community out there, but not everyone knows about everyone else. I hope to change that and perhaps even encourage some additional collaboration between some very talented writers. I also want this to be something fun and not some type of fight to end scenario from a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie (Sudden Death, perhaps).
A few ground rules:
1. The blog must be in existence for at least one year. There are a lot of bloggers out there who get burned out quickly, so this recognizes the folks who have persevered. This is not to discourage the new bloggers out there. Blogs such as Three River Sports, Steelers Today and Pesonen and The Pens are already must-reads and should make the cut if I decide to have another tournament next year.
2. The blog must discuss Pittsburgh sports at least half of the time. Close counts.
3. The blog must be active. Doubt About It and PittGirl’s The Burgh Blog would have definitely made the cut, but sadly, they are no longer in existence. In addition, although blogs such as Pierogi's N'at, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls and Black and Gold Tchotchkes are active now, they all took lengthy breaks over the past year.
I’m looking to start the tournament later this week and am seeking suggestions about blogs to include in the 32-blog bracket. I think I have a pretty good list, but I could certainly use some additional perspectives. There will be four divisions of eight teams each, so I could also use some thoughts on seedings which will be partially based on Ballhype rankings. Please leave your suggestions in the comments or e-mail me at seanramblings(at)yahoo[dot]com.
I also have no Photoshop skills so if anyone wants to create a bracket or logo, I would be forever grateful.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Pittsburgh Sports Blog Tournament
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9 comments:
http://www.everythingpittsburgh.blogspot.com/
I am 77 days shy of a year at this point and starting to pick up more steam. Can we have a rookie class? Let me know!
Justin
Honest Wagner
Blogging the Pirates and the Steelers since 1904.
http://honestwagner.blogspot.com/
Not sure where you stand on this Sean but I don't think the pro blogs (like the PBC Blog on the Post Gazette) should count. As much as I love those blogs I don't think its fair to compare them to the other blogs.
Justin - We'll see how well the Pittsburgh Sports Tournament goes before we decide whether or not there will be a rookie version. Personally, I already have Everything Pittsburgh as a link, so keep up the good work!
Honest Wagner is definitely in the bracket.
Anonymous #2 - I'm glad that you brought this up because I was going to in my next post. I would vote PBC Blog on the Post-Gazette as the best Pittsburgh blog. Dejan does an amazing job and posts constantly. However, Dejan is employed by the Post Gazette, and more importantly for the sake of tournament, writes articles for the print edition and has access to players and management. (This is one of the reasons why his blog and writing is so good.)
With that written, I do plan on including the P-G's Empty Netters since I have never seen Seth published in the print edition.
I don't know what to do with Blog 'N' Gold. If it was just Dan Gigler, I would include it; however, Chuck Finder, Jerry Micco and other full-time P-G writers/editors also contribute.
Any thoughts on this from anyone else?
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We should include the spammer above me.
Let me know what you need from me, man!
Yeah I could see where its kind of tough to distinguish where to draw a line there with the different PG blogs. I'd say maybe with Blog 'N Gold to include it if you are going to include Empty Netters because the vast majority of the stuff on there isn't found anywhere in the actual paper.
Come to think of it, I guess PBC Blog would qualify under that logic too considering a lot of the stuff on there isn't found anywhere in the paper. But I do agree it shouldn't be included because, well, DK is just too good and too talented. He'd destroy the competition like Pitt hoops going through its non-conference schedule. I guess I just contradicted the hell out of myself.
Oh well, good luck Sean.
Great idea, Sean. I wish I had thought of it.
I'm actually glad that you aren't allowing rookies to be in the tournament. My fragile ego couldn't take it. A first round loss would hurt my feelings. :-(
I hate to admit it, but I am unfamiliar with several of the blogs that you listed. I am now going to check out all of the ones that I've never read before. Thanks for introducing me to some fellow bloggers that I should probably have already been aware of.
BTW, thanks for the kind word about my blog (SteelersToday.com).
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