New Bleacher Report

[ndirish1978]

Okay... I've seen it over and over on this thread. Nobody reads Bleacher Report, nobody trusts Bleacher Report and when people post something from Bleacher Report, most everybody on this forum blasts it as B.S. I'm not here to start arguments, because I've read The Stadium Wall for the better part of 10 years and believe that Bills fans that post and reply here, are for the most part, intelligent and engaging. But as a guy who's been paid as a sports journalist and covered the Bills, Redskins and Ravens as a credentialed beat reporter, I feel obligated to speak my mind here.

 

First of all, breaking into sports journalism is incredibly difficult. Always has been and always will be. But it's even harder now... When I started out in the business 15 years ago, all I could do was beg for an internship, in hopes of making a resume tape to send out on VHS. I would send out the tape for a year or so, and if I didn't get a job offer, I'd find another internship and make another tape.

 

Now-a-days, there are similarities, but getting that "big break" is even more difficult. There seems to be a lot less of "what-have-you-done-for-me-lately?", and much more of "what did you accomplish yesterday and today?

 

With electronic and mobile media, you've got to be CURRENT as a journalist. You have to be proactive with story ideas, aggressive with breaking news and write creatively, quickly and concisely. You also have to be engaged in social media and be ready to prove it. Sports executives in PR, Marketing, TV, Radio and Newspapers don't want to see what you've accomplished in the past. They want to see what you're doing NOW and how you're interacting with your audience!

 

And that's what's so impressive about Bleacher Report. It offers a place to learn, improve and get noticed. Writers who seek employment with other media outlets can instantly show results of their work and the feedback that it earned. And that's huge for those trying to break into a field that normally chews you up and spits you out.

 

In its infancy (2008), BR offered a platform for fans to speak their minds. But as time has passed, it has become a much more competitive place, where fans have to be serious about their writing. If facts aren't correct, columns get rejected. And in case you're wondering, opinion and speculation are WELCOME on Bleacher Report, not because the website is a joke, but because users of online media flock to opinion and speculation. They love to read about it and they love to react to it.

 

I personally busted my ass to break into sports journalism and like many writers on Bleacher Report, I appreciated the places that allowed me to do it. I eventually interviewed Hall of Famers, World Champions and Olympic Gold Medalists, but I never cared about the small towns I lived in, or the pennies I made. I was a journalist, it was in my blood, and I loved every minute of it. Still do.

 

So, before you start trashing a website that offers a unique platform for both, veteran AND aspiring journalists, get your facts straight and stop ripping it, because everybody else does. Better yet, register for the site and write a Bills story of your own. I guarantee you that you'll find it pretty damn difficult to gather information, find sources, link to those sources and build a story from start to finish. And if you complete the task, your story will be analyzed by senior editors. If your grammar and style don't cut it, you WON'T get published. And if you make it past the editors, you can be certain that your story will be correct, from a FACTUAL and grammatical standpoint. If you screwed up somewhere, they'll send you a note and tell you to fix it, in order to get published.

 

Here's what most of you don't know about Bleacher Report... 1. BR has a board of directors, a team of editors, lead journalists, senior writers, IT engineers, and sales & marketing divisions. 2. Many of the writers GET PAID and are just as professional as the ones at Yahoo Sports, Fox Sports, and ESPN.com. Many writers and editors receive credentials by BR to cover teams and events. This year's Super Bowl? 100 representatives of BR attended. 3. BR is a NATIONAL MEDIA PARTNER of many of the sports sites that you consider legit. CBSSports.com? Media Partner. USA Today? Media Partner. Comcast SportsNet? Media Partner. Coincidentally, some of the columns you read on these sites are written by BR writers, because BR shares its most popular stories with media partners, who re-publish them on THEIR sites. 4. You may not care to read BR, but the site gets approximately 25 million hits per month, which literally trounces ESPN.com. If you don't believe me, here's a link that proves it. 5. BR doesn't accept anybody and everybody. And if you wish to be paid, you have to build a large portfolio of articles that are reviewed by senior staff. A lot of applications for paid spots get rejected, but writers are encouraged to reapply. 6. BR is not run out of somebody's house, basement or back patio. In fact, it has an executive office in San Francisco and another one in New York City.

 

And please be patient, because before you know it, you might change your mind about the legitimacy of Bleacher Report. Last August, BR received $22 MILLION of income from investors, who believe the site has a bright future in the sports reporting business. Have you ever read ProFootballTalk.com? It was a start-up as well, back in 2001. But now, its creator (Mike Florio) chats with Bob Costas on the set of NBC's Sunday Night Football. How did that happen, you ask? Well, because he and his "news and rumor" website got bought out by NBC and he now works for them!

 

As for the $22 million BR got in August... It's being spent wisely, as BR continues to expand into new verticals. Next time you're on YouTube, look closely, because Bleacher Report just signed a new deal to provide sports video content FOR YouTube.

 

Thanks for letting me share and please feel free to respond. I'm sure my post won't change a lot of minds, but I hope some of you will reconsider BR's authenticity, because it isn't what it used to be and it sure as hell isn't what most of the posters here think it is.

 

And if you still don't care to read or trust the site, it's okay, because 25 million other people do, each and every month.

 

 

Let me get this straight. Because it's "hard" to be a sports journalist and some of these guys get kicked a couple of bucks to write for the site, we should count BR links as genuine journalism? It's a blog. An organized blog, but a blog nonetheless. I appreciate your frustration, but I'm not interested in how hard things are for journalists, I want a source that is credible. Please let me know how many stories have been broken on BR. Your soapbox argument, though understandable, is completely out of place here. I want to spend my time reading credible sources for stories, not patting some guy on the back who dreams of making it big someday. I have no desire to coddle writers and elevate BR as a source just to coddle egos.

Edited March 13, 2012 by ndirish1978

[dcjoev]

DCJoeV here... Wow, folks. I'm impressed with all of the responses to what I wrote and I'll admit that I agree with most of what you all said. The first responder obviously has some credible experience in internet marketing and I learned a thing or two from what he wrote. I do understand that there are ways to accumulate hits online and, in fact, website administrators teach writers how to get more of them, by utilizing key words in a story title and in a column's first couple of paragraphs. While it's true that Search Engine Optimization is being done with Bleacher Report, people are being paid to do that work, and if they're succeeding, good for them. I can't imagine it's any different at a site like ESPN.com. They're the kings of over-saturation! How many Networks do they have now? It's absolutely ridiculous and I for one, stay far away from their website... Not because I write for BR, but because they want me to pay for "insider" access. Why would I want to do that, when I've found as many mistakes in their work as I do on BR.

 

I'll agree that BR is not perfect. Never said it was and never said it will be, especially when your concept includes aspiring journalists who learn from mistakes and improve their craft, the more that they write. Like you, I was skeptical of BR when I started writing for them in 2009, but back then, it served as a hobby for me and I only wrote an article here and there. But recently, things have changed for the better. I don't know if it took investors to do it, but the entire site has been re-built. It's not just an open source note pad anymore. Instead, it consists of sections that teach writers how to write correctly, how to improve and how to build a portfolio that will help them knock down a few doors in an industry that's known for shutting them in your face. I, for one, have learned how to use social media to network with people in my industry. Not by taking some course at an Apple Store. But by postings on BR from credible sources, who list how to do it.

 

Another responder guessed that we get paid by BR for the number of hits we receive. That's not true for everyone. I can't speak for Featured Columnists who have worked hard to get to that level and deserve to be paid. But as a NFL Correspondent, I get paid nothing for my columns, no matter how many hits they get. I do intend on applying for paid status, but I'd rather wait until I've built a credible portfolio first, to prove that I'm "legit". Funny I say that, when I spent seven years getting paid as a sportscaster, but I don't want anything handed to me. I want to earn it and if I don't apply, so be it. I'll still contribute stories, because I enjoy writing about the NFL and may eventually use them to get paid elsewhere.

 

The last few responders had a beef with a column that projected a Stevie Johnson trade to the Redskins, AFTER he signed with the Bills. I don't know who wrote the column, but I don't find it strange to see an old column still sitting on a website, especially if it's within hours of breaking news. I found a host of them the other day on SI.com and FoxSports.com. I would certainly rip a site that has an old story placed on their lead page, but if the SJ story was on the Skins page an hour or so after Stevie signed, I wouldn't blow a gasket. If it were near the bottom of the page a few hours later, I would know it was old news and would consider it as such. I'd may even look to see WHEN it was written, if it mattered to me that much. I'm not defending BR's editors, because if I was managing them, I'd punish 'em for keeping columns up too long, that have no reason to still be up. But, it seems to occur elsewhere as well, and I don't go off the handle about it, because every site is guilty of it!

 

I agree with those of you who despise BR's slide shows. I actually wrote one last week about Buffalo's chances for Vincent Jackson and purposely wrote a novel on each slide. I didn't do it to piss my readers off, but I had a lot of information to present and didn't think I should water it down to a single paragraph for each slide. I did notice that it garnered more attention than my single page columns, but in the future, I'll primarily stay away from slide shows. I personally can't stand them either and unless I'm incredibly interested, I avoid them like the plague. They are simply to time-consuming and I think that's why they're typically short on information. If internet writers users them to accumulate reads, that's their prerogative, but I'll pass most of the time.

 

And finally, I've got to tip my hat to Zulu Cthulhu on your concession for reading the "20 Hottest Female Fans in Southeastern Pennsylvania". That article would grab my attention too, no matter where they came from!

 

Thanks again for all of your comments and please know that I appreciate every one of them, good and bad. I've always respected this site for its honesty, candor and occasional outbursts, and will follow it till the day I no longer exist on the planet. GO BILLS! Our day will come... Hopefully sooner than later! And I'll promise not to bombard you guys with BR links to all my columns... Just the good ones! If you do wish to check out my work, feel free to critique the hell out of it, when you do. And please leave your feedback on whatever topics you read, even if you want to communicate with me here instead. To find my BR profile and links to my previous columns, search for Joe Versage on the site's main page.

[tennesseeboy]

If we get Williams I would probably like to see us go with Rieff..Let's get the offensive line into shape. There are still some pretty remarkable wide receivers available in free agency.

[Alaska Darin]

I loved Michael Floyd in college - basically "Megatron Lite". Not quite as big, not quite as fast but a serious handful who never seems to drop anything. I don't know about picking him at 10.

[NoSaint]

DCJoeV here... Wow, folks. I'm impressed with all of the responses to what I wrote and I'll admit that I agree with most of what you all said. The first responder obviously has some credible experience in internet marketing and I learned a thing or two from what he wrote. I do understand that there are ways to accumulate hits online and, in fact, website administrators teach writers how to get more of them, by utilizing key words in a story title and in a column's first couple of paragraphs. While it's true that Search Engine Optimization is being done with Bleacher Report, people are being paid to do that work, and if they're succeeding, good for them. I can't imagine it's any different at a site like ESPN.com. They're the kings of over-saturation! How many Networks do they have now? It's absolutely ridiculous and I for one, stay far away from their website... Not because I write for BR, but because they want me to pay for "insider" access. Why would I want to do that, when I've found as many mistakes in their work as I do on BR.

 

I'll agree that BR is not perfect. Never said it was and never said it will be, especially when your concept includes aspiring journalists who learn from mistakes and improve their craft, the more that they write. Like you, I was skeptical of BR when I started writing for them in 2009, but back then, it served as a hobby for me and I only wrote an article here and there. But recently, things have changed for the better. I don't know if it took investors to do it, but the entire site has been re-built. It's not just an open source note pad anymore. Instead, it consists of sections that teach writers how to write correctly, how to improve and how to build a portfolio that will help them knock down a few doors in an industry that's known for shutting them in your face. I, for one, have learned how to use social media to network with people in my industry. Not by taking some course at an Apple Store. But by postings on BR from credible sources, who list how to do it.

 

Another responder guessed that we get paid by BR for the number of hits we receive. That's not true for everyone. I can't speak for Featured Columnists who have worked hard to get to that level and deserve to be paid. But as a NFL Correspondent, I get paid nothing for my columns, no matter how many hits they get. I do intend on applying for paid status, but I'd rather wait until I've built a credible portfolio first, to prove that I'm "legit". Funny I say that, when I spent seven years getting paid as a sportscaster, but I don't want anything handed to me. I want to earn it and if I don't apply, so be it. I'll still contribute stories, because I enjoy writing about the NFL and may eventually use them to get paid elsewhere.

 

The last few responders had a beef with a column that projected a Stevie Johnson trade to the Redskins, AFTER he signed with the Bills. I don't know who wrote the column, but I don't find it strange to see an old column still sitting on a website, especially if it's within hours of breaking news. I found a host of them the other day on SI.com and FoxSports.com. I would certainly rip a site that has an old story placed on their lead page, but if the SJ story was on the Skins page an hour or so after Stevie signed, I wouldn't blow a gasket. If it were near the bottom of the page a few hours later, I would know it was old news and would consider it as such. I'd may even look to see WHEN it was written, if it mattered to me that much. I'm not defending BR's editors, because if I was managing them, I'd punish 'em for keeping columns up too long, that have no reason to still be up. But, it seems to occur elsewhere as well, and I don't go off the handle about it, because every site is guilty of it!

 

I agree with those of you who despise BR's slide shows. I actually wrote one last week about Buffalo's chances for Vincent Jackson and purposely wrote a novel on each slide. I didn't do it to piss my readers off, but I had a lot of information to present and didn't think I should water it down to a single paragraph for each slide. I did notice that it garnered more attention than my single page columns, but in the future, I'll primarily stay away from slide shows. I personally can't stand them either and unless I'm incredibly interested, I avoid them like the plague. They are simply to time-consuming and I think that's why they're typically short on information. If internet writers users them to accumulate reads, that's their prerogative, but I'll pass most of the time.

 

And finally, I've got to tip my hat to Zulu Cthulhu on your concession for reading the "20 Hottest Female Fans in Southeastern Pennsylvania". That article would grab my attention too, no matter where they came from!

 

Thanks again for all of your comments and please know that I appreciate every one of them, good and bad. I've always respected this site for its honesty, candor and occasional outbursts, and will follow it till the day I no longer exist on the planet. GO BILLS! Our day will come... Hopefully sooner than later! And I'll promise not to bombard you guys with BR links to all my columns... Just the good ones! If you do wish to check out my work, feel free to critique the hell out of it, when you do. And please leave your feedback on whatever topics you read, even if you want to communicate with me here instead. To find my BR profile and links to my previous columns, search for Joe Versage on the site's main page.

 

I'll bite again.

 

The Stevie story was authored post big redskins trade, and therefore post signing. The author a day later swapped out Stevie for manningham as he had them confused- but forgot to remove stevies photo from the story still.

 

It happens a lot honestly and that's the example of the day being this week and this team.

 

Other recent ones include "mike Wallace to bills!" and when you click- it has nothing. Certainly not confirmation of a trade but not even rumors of a trade, or good analysis of if a trade would even make sense. Merely bills have a first rounder and steelers have an rfa wr.

[SDS]

Thanks again for all of your comments and please know that I appreciate every one of them, good and bad. I've always respected this site for its honesty, candor and occasional outbursts, and will follow it till the day I no longer exist on the planet. GO BILLS! Our day will come... Hopefully sooner than later! And I'll promise not to bombard you guys with BR links to all my columns... Just the good ones! If you do wish to check out my work, feel free to critique the hell out of it, when you do. And please leave your feedback on whatever topics you read, even if you want to communicate with me here instead. To find my BR profile and links to my previous columns, search for Joe Versage on the site's main page.

 

Actually, don't do that either.

 

We have a strict policy of people not promoting their 3rd party gigs here. The ONLY exceptions are for LONG TIME CONTRIBUTORS who have been here, making this a better place to visit. At that point, we will do everything to help you. However, at 25 posts, you are a long way from achieving that status.

 

Now, if your investors want to share that $22M with the community... I'm all ears.

[dcjoev]

Really, WTLF? As I said, I've been reading this site for the last several years and became a member of it a couple of years back. I was also born and raised in Rochester, followed the Bills on radio in the 70's and 80's (when almost every home game was blacked out) and I attended the Bills 52-17 Pasadena beat down by Dallas in Super Bowl XXVII! Let's see... I became a TV sports reporter in 2000, got the Bills beat, and interviewed the team after the Music City Miracle debacle. I then covered them for 3 more years, including 9/11, when we all thought the world was coming to an end. Now, I write about them online FOR FREE (and not only for Bleacher Report). Mmmmm.... Is there anything else that would make me worthy of linking an article or two to this site? I can't imagine that you'd be any more credible, if you wrote 5,000 posts in the past 5 years. But I'll make a deal... You give me your blessings and I'll send you one of the autographed footballs Drew Bledsoe signed for my Wedding Day, a week after he got hitched and a week before I did.

Edited March 14, 2012 by dcjoev

[Alaska Darin]

Really, WTLF? As I said, I've been reading this site for the last several years and became a member of it a couple of years back. I was also born and raised in Rochester, followed the Bills on radio in the 70's and 80's (when almost every home game was blacked out) and I attended the Bills 52-17 Pasadena beat down by Dallas in Super Bowl XXVII! Let's see... I became a TV sports reporter in 2000, got the Bills beat and interviewed the team after the Music City Miracle debacle. I then covered them for 3 more years, including 9/11, when we all thought the world was coming to an end. Now, I write about them online FOR FREE (and not only for Bleacher Report). Mmmmm.... Is there anything else that would make me worthy of linking an article or two to this site? I can't imagine that you'd be any more credible, if you wrote 5,000 posts in the past 5 years. But I'll make a deal... You give me your blessings and I'll send you one of the autographed footballs Drew Bledsoe signed for my Wedding Day, a week after he got hitched and a week before I did.

5000 posts? Rank amateur.

[dcjoev]

.... And one more thing. This afternoon, I found a clear example of leaving a story up too long. At 11:07 am, ESPN.com posted a column entitled "Bills Fail to Sign Mario Williams." I personally rushed to read it, because I though Buffalo had officially dropped the ball on signing him. Instead, what I read was OLD news about yesterday's dinner meeting and NEW news that Kyle Williams was "confident" that Buffalo still had a chance.

 

Just like many of you have said about Bleacher Report, ESPN pulled a fast one and I bit. I wonder how many hits that deceiving little title garnered. I'm sure several thousand easy and it pissed me off, just like many of you claim BR does. But as I came to the end of the article, a strange thing happened on my smart phone.

 

Out of the blue, it reset itself, and the title suddenly changed on the SAME EXACT STORY. I scanned it again and wouldn't you know, it had clear alterations and additions in it, including the news that Mario had not left Buffalo yet on Wednesday morning. Read it for yourself and notice how the title now says "Mario Williams tour to continue?" Perhaps an editor caught how completely false and out of touch the title was. John Clayton apparently doesn't even know the answer to the question about Mario's tour. And if they're so sharp in Bristol CT, where's the information that ProFootballTalk reported about Mario's physical this morning and the fact that his fiancee was being flown into town?

 

I guess those "legitimate" writers that most of you harp about will get a slap on the wrist. Maybe ESPN should lay off a couple of them, so it can purchase stronger espresso in the media giant's dining hall. Or maybe, just maybe, they don't really give a crap about the Bills at ESPN, like we do, and decided to get back to editing the story when they had the time.

 

BTW... I beat them all to the punch last night, when I published a column on Bleacher Report entitled "Buffalo Bills Free Agency: Bills Miss on Robert Meachem, Hope for Mario Williams". It included confirmation (per NFL Network) that Mario was planning to meet with the Tennessee Titans and I responded to a reader this morning that "my gut was telling me it may be a formality" or a possibility that Williams simply wished to keep his word with the Titans. I also offered my concern that Mario may be waiting on Peyton Manning's visit, which is taking place as I type this. Coincidentally, both players share the same agent, but Mario's decision rests on Peyton's result. If Manning signs with Tennessee, the Bills may finally have a slam dunk with Mario. But if Manning doesn't sign, Buffalo's chances will decrease, because the Titans will go back to their original plan to court Mario.

 

There's no way Tennessee can afford both of them, and according to NFL Network's Michael Lombardi, the reason why Mario's playing second fiddle right now is because Titans' owner Bud Adams reportedly forced his staff to change gears, by telling the media that he was more interested in Manning than Mario. Like Ralph Wilson Jr, Adam's not getting any younger (he's almost 90) and wants to win now. He's just more willing to gamble on a Hall of Fame QB that's coming of 4 surgeries, instead of the league's top pass rusher.

 

In any case, Mario's news is old news now, and maybe he never intended on leaving Orchard Park, but my column was MORE accurate and STILL current this morning, than ESPN.com's turned out to be, several hours AFTER mine was published!

 

Now, GO BILLS! Cuz I care... And let's hope Buddy finally gets 'er done!

Edited March 14, 2012 by dcjoev

[SDS]

Really, WTLF? As I said, I've been reading this site for the last several years and became a member of it a couple of years back. I was also born and raised in Rochester, followed the Bills on radio in the 70's and 80's (when almost every home game was blacked out) and I attended the Bills 52-17 Pasadena beat down by Dallas in Super Bowl XXVII! Let's see... I became a TV sports reporter in 2000, got the Bills beat, and interviewed the team after the Music City Miracle debacle. I then covered them for 3 more years, including 9/11, when we all thought the world was coming to an end. Now, I write about them online FOR FREE (and not only for Bleacher Report). Mmmmm.... Is there anything else that would make me worthy of linking an article or two to this site? I can't imagine that you'd be any more credible, if you wrote 5,000 posts in the past 5 years. But I'll make a deal... You give me your blessings and I'll send you one of the autographed footballs Drew Bledsoe signed for my Wedding Day, a week after he got hitched and a week before I did.

 

Congratulations, now get your penis off my bar. Your drink is $7 - just like everyone else's...

 

BTW, we don't charge to talk about the Bills here. We are also a FREE site. Feel FREE to talk about the Bills HERE.

[dcjoev]

I'll pass on the $7 drink, cuz that sounds like DC prices, instead of Buffalo prices! But thanks, SDS, for the FREE offer to read and post. Now what do I need to do to become an Administrator? And does it pay?

[Just Jack]

Now what do I need to do to become an Administrator? And does it pay?

Pay? Pay?! Bwahhh haaa haaa!

[NoSaint]

.... And one more thing. This afternoon, I found a clear example of leaving a story up too long. At 11:07 am, ESPN.com posted a column entitled "Bills Fail to Sign Mario Williams." I personally rushed to read it, because I though Buffalo had officially dropped the ball on signing him. Instead, what I read was OLD news about yesterday's dinner meeting and NEW news that Kyle Williams was "confident" that Buffalo still had a chance.

 

Just like many of you have said about Bleacher Report, ESPN pulled a fast one and I bit. I wonder how many hits that deceiving little title garnered. I'm sure several thousand easy and it pissed me off, just like many of you claim BR does. But as I came to the end of the article, a strange thing happened on my smart phone.

 

Out of the blue, it reset itself, and the title suddenly changed on the SAME EXACT STORY. I scanned it again and wouldn't you know, it had clear alterations and additions in it, including the news that Mario had not left Buffalo yet on Wednesday morning. Read it for yourself and notice how the title now says "Mario Williams tour to continue?" Perhaps an editor caught how completely false and out of touch the title was. John Clayton apparently doesn't even know the answer to the question about Mario's tour. And if they're so sharp in Bristol CT, where's the information that ProFootballTalk reported about Mario's physical this morning and the fact that his fiancee was being flown into town?

 

I guess those "legitimate" writers that most of you harp about will get a slap on the wrist. Maybe ESPN should lay off a couple of them, so it can purchase stronger espresso in the media giant's dining hall. Or maybe, just maybe, they don't really give a crap about the Bills at ESPN, like we do, and decided to get back to editing the story when they had the time.

 

BTW... I beat them all to the punch last night, when I published a column on Bleacher Report entitled "Buffalo Bills Free Agency: Bills Miss on Robert Meachem, Hope for Mario Williams". It included confirmation (per NFL Network) that Mario was planning to meet with the Tennessee Titans and I responded to a reader this morning that "my gut was telling me it may be a formality" or a possibility that Williams simply wished to keep his word with the Titans. I also offered my concern that Mario may be waiting on Peyton Manning's visit, which is taking place as I type this. In any case, Mario's news is old news now, and maybe he never intended on leaving Orchard Park, but my column was MORE accurate and STILL current this morning, than ESPN.com's turned out to be, several hours AFTER mine was published!

 

Now, GO BILLS! Cuz I care... And let's hope Buddy finally gets 'er done!

 

 

not to pile on again, but the stevie article everyone is referencing wasnt published before he signed and just left up -- it was written long after he signed because the author claimed he couldnt keep straight stevie and manningham. totally different situation, and even after the correction, stevie was the cover photo for potential WRs to sign with the redskins, though his name no longer appeared.

 

Really, WTLF? As I said, I've been reading this site for the last several years and became a member of it a couple of years back. I was also born and raised in Rochester, followed the Bills on radio in the 70's and 80's (when almost every home game was blacked out) and I attended the Bills 52-17 Pasadena beat down by Dallas in Super Bowl XXVII! Let's see... I became a TV sports reporter in 2000, got the Bills beat, and interviewed the team after the Music City Miracle debacle. I then covered them for 3 more years, including 9/11, when we all thought the world was coming to an end. Now, I write about them online FOR FREE (and not only for Bleacher Report). Mmmmm.... Is there anything else that would make me worthy of linking an article or two to this site? I can't imagine that you'd be any more credible, if you wrote 5,000 posts in the past 5 years. But I'll make a deal... You give me your blessings and I'll send you one of the autographed footballs Drew Bledsoe signed for my Wedding Day, a week after he got hitched and a week before I did.

 

i think you missed the boat. its not about credibility, but about him keeping a useful product on this board. if the board becomes dumping grounds for every blog poster, and twitter feed, and yes, even credible journalist, but those people are just linking their articles and not engaging with the community here - then they arent contributing to the discussion but just advertising for free.

 

if you are a regular contributor to his board, in turn, he is more willing to let you send out your product.

[dcjoev]

I feel you, No Saint, and I'll be happy to contribute more to this site. But why would forum members care about what links appear on its site? If there was a strict policy against this action, administrators would not offer posters the ability to link. Unfortunately, if they did that, they'd lose members, and not just aspiring or working journalists. ALL news sites now offer links to other articles online. Bleacher Report will not publish our columns, unless we link to the appropriate articles we gathered information from. In the past, a writer simply had to courtesy the source of the information and the outlet that reported it.

 

I personally get anxious when I click on a stranger's link and normally will not, unless I'm on a trusted site. More times than not, I click on links here, because The Stadium Wall's closely monitored and has been around for a while. But it would suck if posters weren't welcome to use links, because with the time to read them, links often prove to be useful and interesting. It's sure easier then searching for Bills news on my own.

 

I agree that not all writers and bloggers are credible and again, you have every right to ignore them. I also agree that writers and bloggers should not take advantage of forums like this to try to advertise their work. But if it becomes blatant, I'm sure they won't be a member of this site for long. Again, if you don't want to click on a link to a particular site, it's your prerogative. But ultimately, it may be difficult to figure out who is providing a link to a story of interest and who's trolling for hits. On this site, I'd stick out like a sore thumb, if I tried to do the latter, and you have my word that that won't be the case.

 

I'll even ask you guys, BEFORE I post a link, and only if my story relates to a particular topic on the board.

[Just Jack]

I'll even ask you guys, BEFORE I post a link, and only if my story relates to a particular topic on the board.

I have no opinion one way or the other, but it is SDS's board, so you and him should hash this out in private.

[Bruce]

Just my 2 cents...and for the record I have as much credibility as any of the prognasticators (i.e.: none, other than opinion)...hopefully the Bills sign Super Mario Williams to be our pass rushing dynamo. Nix has indicated that the DE pool is substantial in the mid-rounds, so I see the Bills then taking a DE in rounds 3-5.

 

That would leave, IMO, LT and WR the next to biggest needs via the draft (providing the Bills don't land Manningham in free agency), where I think that we go for Stanford's LT at #1.