A Brave New World
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Like many young men and women who have come of age in the past ten years - and gone on to write about sports professionally - I count ESPN’s Bill Simmons as a major influence. He has, undoubtedly, been the pioneer of internet sports writing. He speaks to the fan in way that very few, if any, of his peers do. I have long been a fan.
A concept he popularized and perfected - if not invented - was that of the “live blog.” With the live blog, Simmons watches an event, and keeps a running diary transcribing his thoughts on the proceedings. He also incorporates the questions and comments of his readers. This concept has produced some classic material. His 2007 NCAA tournament live blog was the stuff of legend. Truly hysterical.
On Saturday, with a nod to Simmons, I will be bringing the live blog concept to Horse Racing Nation. It’s Gotham Day - the biggest day of New York Racing in over three months. The time seems right.
Beginning at 12 noon on Saturday, I will be posting blog entries to this page. I will attempt to update the page approximately every 20 minutes thereafter up until a half hour prior to the Gotham, when duty calls me down to the paddock. I’ll then post one final entry a short while after the race. The updates will all be part of the same blog post, so all you need to do is refresh the page for the latest entries.
As you can see by reading Simmons, these live blogs are certainly not limited to the subject at hand. The discussion could veer off in many different directions. Music, other games you’re watching, other races (it’s also Big ‘Cap day out at Santa Anita), even what you’re having for lunch (if you read the Simmons blog I linked to, you know that food is an integral part of these discussions). It’s all open for discussion. Anything goes.
I’m really excited to do this, and I hope you’re excited to participate. It will not work without your help, so I need you to show up and contribute by way of the comment section at the bottom of the page.
Please join me on Saturday. I can promise it’ll be more fun than the OSCARS (although, clearly, that’s not saying much).
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