The underground economy of sports blogs

I want to bring to light something that I find extremely unfair and all-too-common among large-audience (dare I say 'corporate') sports blogs today: exploitation of high-quality writers.

Since beginning to blog on this site in 2007, I have received various offers to exchange links, trade blogs, and write on other sites as a means of growing the influence of this website. I have even contributed to many websites without asking for anything in return. I like to think my opinion is valid and should be read by as many people as possible.

But much of this changed when I started paying rent. The value of my skills (as a writer or blogger) is now determined by the return that I make on it. Money that I need to pay for groceries, rent, entertainment, cable television and internet (so that I can watch the Sens!).

An email from an $8-million company

Yesterday, I received an email from Bleacher Report (BR) asking if I would like to be a featured columnist for their Ottawa Senators section and sit-in on a conference call that would likely involve players and/or management from the team.

"Great!" I said. "That sounds like a fantastic opportunity. But I don't work for free. Would you be open to negotiating a freelance fee for my work?"

"Not at this time," was their response. BR's representative did not indicate at what time they would be open to paying for my work.

I have received dozens of such emails, from various for-profit sports blog organizations, since this blog was created.

Why sports bloggers should be paid

At community newspapers across Ottawa, anyone with a bit of flare for interviews and language can write an article and be paid. In the past, I've written for community newspapers and been paid anywhere from $75 to $120 for my services. Seems fair for a person who has been educated in this field to be paid a reasonable amount for the time (4-8 hours) contributed to an article.

It's a simple equation. Newspaper gets money from advertisers to be delivered to readers eyeballs; readers pick up newspaper to see articles; newspaper pays writer for article. 

I think it's unfair--and insulting--to ask any person who is trained and proven in their field to work for free. And I don't think that it's unreasonable to ask Bleacher Report for a stipend in exchange for my contribution to their website, their viewership, their ad revenue, and their organizational value.

Over the past few years, Bleacher Report has received more than $8-million in funding from various investors, according to Tech Crunch. And I doubt that the editor that contacted me was working pro bono - so why should I work without pay? Who will pay my rent while BR receives an additional 1,000 readers because of my contribution?

It's an insult

I understand that Bleacher Report is a platform that is meant to empower sports fans and give them an easy-to-use outlet for their opinions. It's a great concept. One that was obviously good enough to grow into a mult-million dollar business. So why not give writers (especially featured columnists) some credit? They can certainly afford it.

I write this not to smear BR or to discourage bloggers who are passionate enough to write on their own accord--obviously, I could myself among you. I write this to empower those who fuel the engines that make others thousands of dollars each week.

Sports bloggers, you are more than a fan with an opinion. You are a writer! A freelance writer! You should be paid (and paid well!). Not exploited. Not asked to work for free.

So when a similar email arrives in your inbox, I ask you to simply request what you deserve: Some money in your pocket so that you can keep paying rent, buying groceries, paying for cable and watching the game.

Anything less than pay for work is an insult to your intelligence and skills.

Wake me up when September ends

I can't believe the fans in Montreal. This post isn't really about them, but it has to be said: Booing your still-young and recently ordained #1 goalie in a preseason game isn't just a bit of overkill, it's shooting a butterfly with a machine gun.

Wayne Scanlan does an excellent job of putting this pre-season insanity in its place in today's Ottawa Citizen.

Leafs Nation was close to calling it a season after their 5-0 preseason-opening loss to the Senators. Then, after winning the rematch, normal levels of criticism and insanity resumed. Let's not forget that the Leafs had a record in the realm of 6-3-0 during last season's preseason, and finished 29th during the season that matters.

I'm happy to see that Ottawa, by and large, has not fallen into the same trap. Other than some optimism with regards to 19-year old goaltending prospect Robin Lehner, dodging the hype in the Nation's Capital hasn't been too difficult.

Too many factors haven't been tested and too few Sens regulars have yet to hit the ice together. Now is not the time to condemn or boast about the NHL team which hasn't suited up all at once.

Some say that the off-season, with its increasingly ridiculous free-agent contracts (happy not to address that one, thank you very much), is sport's silly season. Well, I think we've found a new definition.

As the song goes...

Let's do away with (the idea of) home ice advantage

You want a home ice advantage? Play better on home ice!

I'm a big fan of TSN's Sunday morning opinion show The Reporters, but I'm a bigger fan of the podcast version. Opinions and information without having to look at Steve Simmons' ugly mug? Perfect! They did a little bonus episode last Sunday discussing the apparent lack of advantage for NHL teams that play at home and I couldn't help but take issue with their way of thinking.

Opinions ranged from a lack of distinctiveness among NHL arenas to the length and flight patterns between cities to even... get this... a lack of effort from heckling fans. Frankly, I think this analysis forgets that there's nothing good and natural about home ice - it's what you make of it.

Finishing at the top of the Eastern Conference certainly didn't help the Washinton Capitals much, and the Ottawa Senatorss having game six against Pittsburgh at home only worsened their record. The last game was played in Ottawa - you'd think it was the Sens who finished ahead of the Penguins.

I think mixing the facts up like this only serve to prove that there's no such thing as home ice advantage - the better team should win whether they're in their own town or not.

In the case of the Caps, playing at home didn't hurt them as much as their goaltending, powerplay, lack of scoring, poor defence... get where I'm going?

Over-analyzing home ice advantage is like asking why the tail is wagging the dog. The reason why it's a seven-game series is because the better team will eventually win. And witnessing the Canadiens scrape their way through these playoffs despite playing only six games on home ice is all the proof that should be needed.

Blame Gerber: Sens lost money this season

Sorry to distract you from the Conference Finals, but there's a bit of bad news for the Sens. In addition to not winning the Stanley Cup, the Ottawa Senators actually lost money this season. The reason? Martin Gerber.

But Ben, you say, he hasn't played for the Senators for more than a year. Apparently we fans lost a lot of faith in the boys during that far-from-fateful 2008-09 season, and the ticket sales have yet to recover. The article goes on to state that the Senators would have had to make the second round of these playoffs in order to break even.

That just makes me wonder how much that overtime goal by Matt Carkner in Game 5--which sent the series back to Ottawa for a sold out Game 6--was worth to the bottom line...  And why isn't that amount added to his measly $900,000 annual contract? The man played a lot of minutes!

Edit: Got my game #s mixed up there. Game 6 was played in Ottawa.

Synergy, thy name is Cullen

Unlike most years, where Bryan Murray's deadline acquisitions have fallen flat, this year's crop of rentals has an undeniably positive impact on the team.

Not only did Matt Cullen lead the team in points during these playoffs, he really seemed to match Alfredsson's style. Watching him move swiftly across the ice with Daniel Alfredsson was a thing of beauty, and something I hope to witness again next season.

With the irreplaceable Anton Volchenkov possibly coming off the books July 1, I think it would be a step forward for this team to redirect some money into punching up the offence.

Cullen was a prized acquisition at the trade deadline (and, with hindsight, for good reason!), and Murray now has a month of exclusive negotiation to convince the 33-year old that Ottawa is the right place for him to finish his career. Murray should put some effort into getting the deal done because Cullen has proven himself to be a perfect fit for the Senators.

You can't keep a good town down

Thanks to my opportunistic father, whose faith in the Ottawa Senators truly springs eternal, I was in a packed Scotiabank Place for Saturday night's game.

Of course, we came away disappointed, but while the Penguins were jumping all over each other like a bunch of... silly penguins... I was clapping for the Senators, and I meant it. Lead by their injury-riddled captain, the Sens to raised their sticks to the crowd in a classy sign of appreciation that is rarely seen in professional sports.

There was something about this season that seemed so meddling, and at the same time, so transitory. The team is on its way to a new structure and spirit, and this was just the season in which the larva was still building its cocoon. Is the team tougher now than it was in 2001? Hells yes. Is it a better team? Ummm.... no.

Did we learn anything from this series? Well, it only takes one game for many Ottawa Senators fans to jump off, then back on, the bandwagon, that's for sure - myself included. After the Penguins beat up the Sens in that seven-goal period two of game four, I didn't give the Sens a chance. They were cooked.

But then, like a chicken finger that you leave in the fridge for too long, the Senators uncooked themselves with much stronger efforts in games five and six. And that earned them only one thing: respect. This post would be much different had the Sens gone quietly into the night after game five, but they didn't. So they get a little respect.

I do wish the Sens' coaching staff had more faith in Pascal Leclaire, but I can understand Cory Clouston's predicament. If not for that astonishing winning streak in the middle of the season, the Sens would have been fighting for the eighth spot rather than sitting quietly in fifth. Undoubtedly, the Senators needed Brian Elliott to get them into the playoffs. Hard to fault Clouston for that.

It feels good to put some hockey thoughts on the net after a long absence. Recent events have re-sparked my passion, and I hope to share more thoughts with you during the summer.

Cheers, Sens fans. You can't keep a good town down.

Haitus at SAB

It gives me no pleasure to announce that Sens Army Blog is going on hiatus until further notice. The reasons for this announcement are entirely personal, but not private (so read on).

Maintaining a blog at a high level and being an opinion leader in any online forum is no easy task, and requires much time and dedication. Recently, I have had neither the time nor the interest required to maintain this blog at a high level.

This has become apparent to me over recent weeks as the team travelled and I found that I had nothing to say regarding their journey--wins or losses, I had no desire the analyze. Instead, I have become a spectator, pure and simple.

The Wedge and the Microscope

The strange thing is that this is making hockey more enjoyable. In recent years, I have found myself publicly fighting a shifting perception among sports fans. Fans seem to want to wedge themselves into the personal lives of hockey players (and other sports figures), for no reason other than to be critical. I have no desire to criticize Ray Emery for his driving habits, Dany Heatley for his trade request, or Alex Kovalev for his inexplicably sporadic scoring. I just want to watch and enjoy the game... and sometimes, not watch the game at all.

The pace and competition of blogging has created a demand for information that I feel is irrelevant. Though there may be many people out there who want to know the minute and mundane details of the Senators' morning skate, I am not one of them. In other words, I don't want to know such things and I don't think you need to know either. Too often I find myself wanting to use this blog as a soapbox to complain about these topics, but that doesn't make for a fun daily read.

The Good Times

That said, I have thoroughly enjoyed maintaining this blog for more than two years (and 948 blog entries!). I have gained much insight into sports fans, writers, blogging, podcasting, marketing, social media, and search engine optimization. If you want to gain insight or experience in any of these topics, then I recommend you start a blog right now!

I have met (either online or in-person) some incredible personalities: enthusiastic people who are ready to laugh with others and at themselves--they're the best people on earth. Those people who write honestly, and without thanks, about their favourite teams are a unique breed and should be commended for their efforts. So let me say: You rock! Don't listen to the haters and keep up the excellent work!

This blog has shown me the possibilities of being an independent creative writer. The hiatus of this blog certainly does not spell the end of my online writing adventures, that is for sure. In fact, it is my goal to do this as a career, though not involving hockey.

...and I guess that brings this little speech to a close. Check out some of the links in the sidebar to get your daily Sens fix from now on. Drop me a line if you ever feel like chatting about blogging or podcasting.

An asshole is born; Sharks beat Sens

Great series of comics called Itch (Danieldraws.com) really seem to sum up my feelings this morning... because I totally called it.

The Sens got torn up by the Sharks last night. Dany Heatley got 2 assists and Patrick Marleau had two goals. So, you know who's really responsible for this loss, don't you? That's right! Wade Redden! (Who nixed a trade for Marleau a few years ago with his NTC).

...and why is Mike Brodeur in net? Man... a lot went on last night. Off to work!