Epiphany: I need more "bloggy" stuff. Let me explain.
Most of the material I've written for this site is pure column/op-ed stuff. Which is good, since I intend on making a career out of this sort of thing. As a result, I've taken to re-posting most of this stuff elsewhere, in an effort to build a name for myself and get a readership going.
This is all peachy-keen, except for one nagging question: If I'm writing a blog, and posting a good majority of the material elsewhere (namely Bleacher Report), then why keep doing the blog at all?
Because this is a lot more fun. Even though journalism's center stage is increasingly internet-centric, many of the tools of the trade were still forged in the newspaper age. The profile, the column, the editorial, the cut-and-dry news story... this stuff is still the backbone of what we absorb every day.
As well it should be; just because cars go faster than they used to doesn't mean we should stop putting engines in them.
But the downside to this, and the upside to the internet, is that these traditional methods often discourage spontaneity. For a column to be good, it has to have a point behind it, and the structure to match. I certainly enjoy doing that and believe I'm effective at it, but sometimes I want to just throw down a bunch of bullet points about how the NBA offseason, or go off on a 3 paragraph mini tangent.
The internet allow for that creativity. America's Twitter obsession is exhibit A, the journalistic equivalent of a teenager rebelling against the structured environment of his/her parents. The key is balance; nobody wants their news exclusively in 140 character snapshots, but it would also be silly to waste to the internet's immense potential.
Hence the need for more "bloggy" stuff to complement the analysis. And as a result, I've decided to institute YouTube Tuesdays.
Every week, I'll post a link to a video on YouTube that I find to be fascinating for whatever reason. Generally, these will be sports related but I reserve the right to post something random should the mood strike me. I also reserve the right to post YouTube videos on days not called Tuesday, because should Uncle Ron Ron come up with another Jackson tribute on a Wednesday, there isn't a snow flake's chance in hell that I'm waiting six more days to spit out that URL.
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For the inaugural edition, we're going with a highlight video of Jason "White Chocolate" Williams' 10 greatest plays.
Yes, I realize that Williams ended up being a massive disappointment whose ultimate contribution to the NBA was a bizarre fusion of thuggish looks and a West Virginia accent, but everybody forgot way too how much of a sensation this guy was when he hit the league. He had uncanny court vision and the flair to match, and honest to God played like a cross between Magic and Pistol Pete. Really. I'm not kidding.
Anyways, for all his considerable talent, he never could channel it consistently because he never thought like a point guard. He played point guard, but he wasn't a point guard. But when during those flashes of brilliance, he was unbelievable to watch.
Take a look and consider this a glimpse of what might have been:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYnW07d062g&feature=related
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