Friday, September 09, 2005

Are we there yet?


Take a deep breath, guys. I have good news. And remember, our quest to be the most enjoyable and insightful Seattle Seahawks fan site as possible is a journey, not a destination.

I'm not sure how many of you know how this blog was born, but let me fill you in a little bit.

Last season - preseason actually - barely a handful of us from across the country started posting comments to the no-frills Talkin' Hawks blog on the PI website. Who do I remember in those beginnings? Let's see, 'monkey' was there, 'check', 'Munchausen' (now known as 'Citizen K'), 'PaulieP', 'mfan', and I went by 'boomdiggydiggy' (don't ask). It wasn't long before a lot of fans were filing in and commenting in this starkly presented, but wonderful in content, 12th man conversation. 'ADP', 'vinnyhawkalugi' (now just 'vinny'), 'SHONUFF' and a myriad of others continually chimed in this strangely contiguous thread. It wasn't unusual to have a topic with 500-600 comments on it.

But a strange thing happened, just when we were completely addicted to this means of fan communication, the PI pulled the plug. The site still worked, but they stopped posting new topics, and the last one got so huge it was frustrating to navigate. After several ignored pleadings to the PI IT department, we took it into our own hands and created 12 Seahawks Street.

It was a little weird at first. The old site was where we laughed & cried our way through a tumultuous season. But when the demise of the PI site was obvious, we had a little online funeral, said our last words, and continued here ever since. (If you'd like to see it, click on the above link and scroll down to Febraury 10.)

Which takes us to the latest milestone of 12 Seahawks Street: We are now being recognized by SportsSpyder.com as a Seahawks news media source, listed alongside ESPN, The PI, the Times, The Trib, SI, USA Today, and a host of other online periodicals. Check it out for yourself. It's too cool.

Again, I just want to thank everyone that makes this blog so d*** fun, informative, and worth being addicted to. Keep it up. Who knows where our final destination will be? Player interviews? Media access? It always has seemed that, even though this is just a hobby, more or less, the sky is the limit.

But also, watch your p's and q's. I don't want them thinking this was a mistake.

On the other hand, won't it be fun to see your Contributor's Awards showing up in the news feeds? I'm almost giddy.

Anyway, thanks again, and

GO SEAHAWKS!!!

6 comments:

  1. gotta love it...im not an internet chat type guy, so you know this place is addicting for me to be here...once in awhilei may of said something somewhere, but for the most part...nah

    im curious though, how did SportsSpyder start using us? Did they find us or did we let them know we exist or what? Either way, thats awesome that we're at the top echelon...

    I dont have any problems with the .net site, but i dont see them up there...

    Who knows, maybe we'll take baby steps like we have been doing, and start getting draft experts n here, reporters, and maybe eventually players themselves for interviews...

    best part about it...we dont have a John Clayton or Art Thiel around, so we're attractive as a whole

    Blue, you've done well...and thanks for sticking with what you started

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  2. Awesome Blue!

    As someone who was recruited in "after the fact" I can attest to how informative, entertaining and addictive this site has become.

    It's great to be getting that kind of exposure, but I fear that it may mean the end of "naked chicks with boxing gloves!"

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  3. Nah alba, it was probably your naked chick with boxing gloves pic that got us noticed!

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  4. In all seriousness though, I do understand your point alba, and this comes back to the idea of what kind of a site do we want to be?
    Perhaps the fact that we haven't just settled into being any one "type" of a site, is why we continue to grow and expand. Perhaps it is the very fact that we are diverse in our presentation, and still "unevolved" in a sense that makes us appealing.

    I for one advocate that we simply keep doing what we have been doing, all the gimicks all the commentary all the humor all the pictures, etc..., we're like the scattergun of Hawks sites, we may not have a laser focus, but we make alot of noise and hit alot of targets at once.

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  5. I couldn't agree more. For me, the major component that contibutes to the appeal is the informality. Be yourself, be good, be a fan.

    To steal a line from Napoleon: "Just go with your heart. That's what I do."

    Pedro: "Go to 12 Seahawks Street, and all you wildest dreams will come true." 

    Posted by Bluefoot

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  6. Or to steal from Jim Rome: "have a take and don't suck!"

    I try to use the SNL-rule myself. If it would fly on Sat. Night Live broadcast, then it's okay to post. Semi-naked chicks: GOOD. Full frontal nudity: BAD
     

    Posted by alba

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