So I think I can end the facade, now. My magic show has been figured out, anyway. The curveball I’ve been tossing for the past year – with moderate success – is starting to hang a bit in the zone. Chances are everyone will be able to knock it out of the park soon.
It’s time to change my approach. I’m going to let everyone in on the secret: I’ve forced this site into a niche it doesn’t belong. That’s not to say that we didn’t do well, because we did (I’ll get to that later), but it’s time to take a step back.
And after much thought, I’ve decided to shift gears. I can’t leave my curveball out to dry much longer.
It’s not going to be simple, though. Often times reinventing one’s self (or one’s site) isn’t exactly like flipping a switch. It takes practice, patience and a lot of persistence.
This is what is best, though. This new approach is necessary. I’d like to build a more inviting environment here at The [Five] Daily.
For about five or six years I have been operating this site and it has been all over the place on the net. First it was nickelblock.co.nr, then it was thenickelblock.com and finally, thefivedaily.com. I’ve manipulated CSS, HTML, PHP and even a bit of Javascript to make it work. Emptied my pockets and my patience working to make it shine.
But I’ve missed the boat with my visitors. This site has been as one sided as a plaintiff’s brief. Or a flood.
I mention a flood because for the past year we have been flooding the internet with articles. About 1800 in total. As many as 251 in May.
After a little math, that is… well a lot. But, come to find out, that’s not what we do best.
Don’t get me wrong, we’re good at it. There was a time that Mike Lederer, Terry Horstman and I were really cleaning house. This site was ranked toward the top of Google for breaking sports news, we were getting about 1,500-3,000 (sometimes as many at 40,000) visitors every day and the site was gaining so much popularity that I had writers looking for ME.
But, come to find out, that’s not what we do best.
We have some of the brightest young minds in sports journalism on this site. Writers (Jon Marshall, Jon Wiener, Alan K. Fox) with such a captivating command of the English language. Journalist (Mike Lederer, Casey Grogan, Terry Horstman) who follow a story from start to finish, uncovering everything – down to the last grain of sand. Contributors (Matthew Harris, Jurassic Paque, Matt Johnston, Colt Murray) who can entertain as much as inform, and do so concisely and consistently.
This isn’t a website, it’s an All-Star roster. And if you don’t believe me, read some of our past columns.
So in the coming months, as we shift focus, we will offer stories, articles, columns, podcasts, vodcasts and tweets that are more in-depth, thought-provoking and eye-opening.
While we might not be flooding the Internet as much anymore, we will be adding a constant flow of interesting, well-written and, well-researched sports stories.
Come along for the ride, it’ll be worth the trip.
Besides, it’s free.
Leave a Reply