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CLICK HERE to Register for a free account and login for a smoother ad-free experience. It's easy, and only takes a few moments.Pretty much how I see it. Used to be that the local guys would write about an Insider item then link to it. Now it comes in much more heavily branded. They also got fancier with their labeling of things like live chats (like the one that starts with Reiss at 1).
Bit jarring at first sight, but the good stuff is still all there.
I see what they did. They've set it up where anything related to the Patriots is now in one place instead of a bunch of different spots (same thing when you click on any other team). Makes it a little less annoying I guess.
Seems that Mike Reiss is not comfortable with the changes either: He just posted this on his Live Chat in response to a question
Mike Reiss
George, I will be honest with readers, as you know from reading over the years. Yes, I have lost control of the blog. I don't know if it's permanent. Lot of things fluid now.
I am hoping this does not signify a parting of the ways
Maybe less annoying in concept but a bit annoying in execution. Right now the top two items are podcasts for PTI and Around the Horn — both of which mention the Rolling Stone Hernandez story somewhere in their 20-minute-plus program ... among many other subjects. Talk about trolling for clicks. So I guess every show or column of any sort that even mentions the Pats will get posted on the blog? Hmmm.
you know...if someone had some nerve and a little financial backing they could very well put together quite a formidable roster of writers from the membership HERE...after all, we critique everything THEY (mainstream) write and consistently lay bare the blatant hypocrisy and favoritism of the monolithic sports giants. There IS a market for "Fans for fans" writing.
It's just annoying how any mention of the Patriots in an article gets posted on the blog now. Like the W2W4 for the Giants is on there right now and it's all about the Giants but has "New England Patriots" mentioned once so it gets posted in the Patriots blog.I completely agree with you there. I understand the idea to make it one destination for information and condense everything to one page (so that people who click "Patriots" can finally go to one page to read Reiss, Yates, and whatever other columns are available on the team if they so desire) but they honestly need to go back to some of their previous designs and organize it a little better. Hopefully they figure it out and react to some of the feedback I'm sure they're already hearing.
Throwing all of it in one big list doesn't make any sense, but as I said in the Yahoo! thread it seems easier to just throw everything in either a Wordpress template or another CMS system and do it the way they all appear to be headed....I just don't get it.
Reiss will be picked up by someone if fired - if he quits his contract may preclude him from writing for a competitor
Obviously ESPN has the authority to take anything he writes and make it pay per view and Reiss doesn't like it, because by definition that hurts readership though it may help ESPN's profit.
I'm on Reiss' side on this obviously. Frankly I think this whole ESPN experiment is just dumb - 24/7 sports - that's like a 24/7 cooking channel or round the clock music channel.
It's going to be a financial disaster.
Will Ferrell Ron Burgundy ESPN Audition - YouTube
What I want to know is where do the nimwits pulling the switches get the idea that the changes they cook up (see Yahoo Sports as well) are what the visitors to the site desire?
What are trying to accomplish? Make more money? Well, if that's the objective than they are proceeding in the wrong manner. Slashing the number of visitors is only a plan for disaster. Man, would I love to have been in on the discussions for usurping Reiss's blog.
ESPN Pointy head - "Yeah we have this site that's been built up through years of hard, accurate, trustworthy reporting attracting a huge following. My thought is we should stop doing most of what has worked fantastically until now and that will make it even hotter property."
Other Pointy heads at table - "Sir, you are brilliant, just brilliant. Can I get you another latte? Please?"
...
ESPN Pointy head - "Yeah we have this site that's been built up through years of hard, accurate, trustworthy reporting attracting a huge following. My thought is we should stop doing most of what has worked fantastically until now and that will make it even hotter property."...
For anyone that cares to do so, you can leave feedback on the changes here.
I hope he leaves ESPN and goes somewhere else and associates himself with a better network. I stopped watching ESPN almost completely except for games. Their reporting is not that great at times either. Look at James Walker on the AFC-East blog- all he writes about is dolphins even though its an AFC-East blog,except when he has to bash the Pats on something.Max and Mike, I see quite a few comments similar to yours in this chat. I think over the last four years, we've established a community that is straight-forward and honest, so I'm going to shoot you straight here: I have lost control over the tone and direction of the Patriots blog on ESPNBoston.com. Since I started a Patriots blog back in 2003-2004, back at the MetroWest Daily News and then at the Boston Globe, I've always had control, for the most part, of the tone and direction of the blog. Over the last three days, that has changed as ESPN has introduced its NFL Nation project. Based on the personal investment I've put into it, there are a lot of emotions that come with that, and still a lot of questions ahead as to how things will unfold going forward as it relates to the tone and direction of the blog. I'm going to stay positive at this point, knowing that any time there is change there is some level of patience involved.
his response on his chat today
Max and Mike, I see quite a few comments similar to yours in this chat. I think over the last four years, we've established a community that is straight-forward and honest, so I'm going to shoot you straight here: I have lost control over the tone and direction of the Patriots blog on ESPNBoston.com. Since I started a Patriots blog back in 2003-2004, back at the MetroWest Daily News and then at the Boston Globe, I've always had control, for the most part, of the tone and direction of the blog. Over the last three days, that has changed as ESPN has introduced its NFL Nation project. Based on the personal investment I've put into it, there are a lot of emotions that come with that, and still a lot of questions ahead as to how things will unfold going forward as it relates to the tone and direction of the blog. I'm going to stay positive at this point, knowing that any time there is change there is some level of patience involved.
I hope he leaves ESPN and goes somewhere else and associates himself with a better network. I stopped watching ESPN almost completely except for games. Their reporting is not that great at times either. Look at James Walker on the AFC-East blog- all he writes about is dolphins even though its an AFC-East blog,except when he has to bash the Pats on something.
I'm guessing Walker is now the Dolphins blogger for their "NFL Nation" and the AFC East blog is just a collection of posts from all four teams' blogger in the division.his response on his chat today
I hope he leaves ESPN and goes somewhere else and associates himself with a better network. I stopped watching ESPN almost completely except for games. Their reporting is not that great at times either. Look at James Walker on the AFC-East blog- all he writes about is dolphins even though its an AFC-East blog,except when he has to bash the Pats on something.
I go to ESPN Boston because I love the local coverage and because I love Mike Reiss and you guys have effectively burried the local coverage and Mike's great analysis with Crappy links to PTI, ESPN New York, and other national stuff that I can just as easily find on the parent site. The new format really ruins the local feel that made ESPN Boston different from ESPN.com.
And no one forced you to comment. So what. You're entitled and so was he.No one is forcing you to read the blog.