The state of small sports Web sites

[RichJohnson]

Since selling Sportspages.com nearly three years ago, I've laid low. But a friend recently asked me what's happening with sports web entrepeneurs, so I'm trying to catch up.

It looks like this site is still going strong, with more discussions and fewer flames than I remember. That said, I do see a thread about someone ratting out a frequent poster to his/her boss.

Is USSportspages still relevant? The site is active, and it looks like David and Dustin are trying -- although it's sad to see that look and feel that I was getting tired of back in '07 is still on the site. And there is language on the 'about' page that I wrote sometime around 2000. That said, is a site that aggregates stories still a valuable resource? Is anyone else doing it?

Do individual blogs still matter? Have Facebook and Twitter made a difference? And the big question: What have I missed?

RJ

 

[tmr]

The only reason I go to some blogs, like say The Big Lead, is to see a collection of links I might miss otherwise. Most blogs offer nothing but rehash from other blogs/newspapers, so unless they have original content like deadspin does, links are what i care about. In that regard, Hoopshype is a must-check for basketball fans and insiders. PFT and MLB Trade Rumors moreso.

 

[onetwo88]

Deadspin and the biglead.com are good

profootballtalk.com on nbc, and insidehoops.com for basketball are both huge

Rotoworld for fantasy

Those are the big good ones

 

[spaceman]

Joe Buck has two favorite websites. His favorite is TMZ.com. I can't remember what the second one is.

 

[henryhenry]

USSportspages only aggregates newspapers, correct?

it needs to include the major websites to be relevant.

 

[BYH]

Are you sure? People are still speaking well of the site? That is so awesome! Suck it haters! I rule! Wait a minute, I've got another call...shirt, it's my contact in Miami. We're trying to get some pics of Reggie Bush in a hot tub with the Kardashian girls. He's having orgies with them! We think. We're not sure. Doesn't matter, we're posting it within the hour. Gotta roll, peace, remember, the housing bubble will never burst and take UConn and the points against Louisville!!

 

[BB Bobcat]

I use Twitter and Google Reader as my aggregators of newspaper content. I just follow the newspapers/writers I want to follow, and I get updated links automatically on whatever they write.

And if something interesting or significant comes from a source I'm not following, it's not long before it's retweeted into my view.

 

[Evil Bastard (aka Chris_L)]

BYH - did the Big Lead rape your grandmother or something? The Fozzie Bear thing is not funny. You should try to let go - else the "B" in your name ceases to be ironic and becomes literal instead.

Some other "small" sites include:

Baseball-reference.com
Baseball Musings
Cot's Baseball Contracts
Cold, Hard, Football Facts

I follow what's going on mostly via twitter these days. It actually works pretty well.

And for the record I haven't checked Sportspages.com in probably a year or so.

 

[amraeder]

Everydayshouldbesaturday
Mgoblog
Sundaymorningqb
All three of these are/were fantastic college football sites. I know the Mgo guy and, I think, Sundaymorningqb guy were incorporated into more mainstream sites (AOL for Mgo, I think, and Yahoo for sundayqb).

 

[Brian Cook]

I write MGoBlog. I'm still mostly independent but freelance some for TSN. SMQB got absorbed by Yahoo and is now Doctor Saturday...

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday

...and EDSBS got absorbed by SBNation.

Football Outsiders, Midmajority.com, and Basketball Prospectus are three mid-range sites I think are very good.

 

[goalmouth]

BYH - did the Big Lead rape your grandmother or something? The Fozzie Bear thing is not funny. You should try to let go - else the "B" in your name ceases to be ironic and becomes literal instead.

Fozzie was, is, and fore'er will be fresh, original and FUNNY. And bitter is only one of the many tasty and savory things BYH is.

 

[Armchair_QB]

BYH - did the Big Lead rape your grandmother or something? The Fozzie Bear thing is not funny. You should try to let go - else the "B" in your name ceases to be ironic and becomes literal instead.

Fozzie was, is, and fore'er will be fresh, original and FUNNY. And bitter is only one of the many tasty and savory things BYH is.

Are you including "poor judge of musical talent" in that list of savory things?