This week’s theme at the b5media Sports Channel is “Feelin’ Good.” Today we highlight the feel good stories, charity work and other positive aspects from the world of sports. Oftentimes, we hear more about the negative news and don’t accentuate the positive impact of athletes and sports.

Let’s look at our rundown about what has us feelin’ good about sports today.

• Allison at BCS Frenzy talks about Fighting Illini coach Ron Zook and Coaches vs. Cancer.
• Blake at All Poker Addicts tells us about what makes him feel good in poker.
• Michael at Jab and Grapple discusses the WWE and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
• Sandy at Green Posse tells us about warming up before golf to make sure that you feel good.
• Jeanne at Light the Torch was feeling good about her interview with gymnast Paul Hamm.
• Cherie at Dejuiced lets us know about Greg Oden and his charity work.
• David at Every Morning Quarterback talks about the NFL rookies and their visit to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
• Tony at Inside the Ballpark discusses Astros first baseman Lance Berkman and his charity work with kids.
• Tim at Do You NASCAR talks about Marcos Ambrose and the Wood Brothers return to prosperity.
• Don at Getting Reel tells us about Elton Luce Jr. and his support of The Armed Forces Foundation.
• Jyle at The Footie discusses the many charities of David Beckham.
• Ryan at College Fastbreak talks about former Tennessee guard Chris Lofton and his quiet victory over cancer.
• Stephen at Hoops Fantasy lets us know about David Robinson and his Carver Academy.
• Stephen tells us more at Knuckle Curve concerning Josh Hamilton’s battle back from injuries and drug use.
• Joe at Ladies Court discusses how the Phoenix Mercury are giving back.
• Lyndsey at Girls Dig Sports talks about “Lil’ Bit” Shannon Bobbitt and her road to the WNBA.
• Jodie at Gossip on Sports tells us how a sports bra saved an alpine hiker.
• Erica at Rackets and Balls lets us know that John McEnroe is selling a Warhol portrait to benefit Habitat for Humanity.
• Jeanne at Hockey Beat tells us about the NHL’s “Hockey Fights Cancer” campaign.
• Kori at The Fantasy Kickoff discusses George Martin’s cross country journey to support Heroes of Ground Zero.

Photo credit: istockphoto

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What’s hot on the b5media sports channel? Everything from Jessica Simpson’s sex life to Jared Allen’s fight against alcohol. Check it out!

Post from: Knuckle Curve

Some of you may know me from my fantasy basketball blog, Hoops Fantasy, here on b5media. I hope to bring that same passion for writing to baseball.

Baseball was my first love growing up and I played all the way through high school. I watch the game as much as possible and I expect that I’ll watch even more now that I’ll be blogging about the sport. Oddly enough, I don’t have a favorite baseball team. I’m more into following the storylines of each team and tracking the numbers. In the playoffs, I’ll usually root for the underdog – but that isn’t always the case. Basically, I’m just a baseball fan who loves the game and follows each team closely.

My goal is to blog at least twice a day and cover as broad a scope as possible. If it happens in the baseball world, I’m going to try to cover it.

Thanks for reading and I wish Geoff much success.

Image details: Baseball glove and ball served by picapp.com

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• BCS Frenzy: The Five Best Sports Video Games of 2007
• BCS Frenzy: The Ten Hottest Quarterbacks of 2007
• Gossip on Sports: Best and Worst of Sports in 2007, Part I
• Gossip on Sports: Best and Worst of Sports in 2007, Part II
• Hockey Beat: Top NHL Plays of 2007
• Hoops Fantasy: Top Ten Breakout Players for 2008
• The Fantasy Kickoff: Top Ten Fantasy Football Surprises of 2007
• The Footie: Best Soccer Goals of 2007

Be sure to stop by and say hey when you have a chance. From all of us at the b5media Sports Channel, have a safe and happy New Year!

Post from: Knuckle Curve

My wife and I drove up from San Diego Wednesday afternoon and arrived just in time for dinner and drinks with my fellow b5ers. Finally got to see people face to face that I’ve been interacting with electronically for a very long time: Jeremy, Saleem, Darcie, Kevin, Mary Jo, Leora and Ariel, Aaron, and others I probably met after too many beers.

On Thursday, I attended three sessions in the sports track, hosted by SportsBlogs Nation. Panelists included Will Leitch (Deadspin), Chris Ballard (SI.com), Rob Neyer (ESPN), Tyler Bleszinski (Athletics Nation), Jamie Mottram (Mr. Irrelevant), Dex Bustarde (Gaslamp Ball), Al Yellon (Bleed Cubbie Blue), Larry Borowsky (Viva El Birdos), Matt Cerrone (MetsBlog), and Adam Morris (Lone Star Ball).

As you can see, there was a heavy emphasis on SB Nation blogs and on baseball in particular. To the sessions:

Sports Bloggers and Sports Journalists

• Some bloggers are journalists, some aren’t.
• A blog is in the eye of the beholder; the distinction between blogging and journalism is becoming blurred.
• Interaction between providers of information and consumers is key.
• Is there value in giving bloggers access to press box/clubhouse/locker room? How does this benefit teams, players, and fans?
• To what degree is the relationship between blogs and mainstream media competitive, and to what degree is it symbiotic?

Sports Blogging: A Struggle for Respect

• Whose respect are bloggers trying to earn — that of the fans? the media? the teams and/or players?
• Write well, earn respect.

How to Build an Audience for Your Sports Blog

• Talk to other bloggers in your niche, as well as traditional media types; real dialogue, not just, “Hey, here’s this thing I want you to do for me.”
• Be honest, be yourself; people can tell if you’re full of crap.
• Frequent and consistent posting helps create an expectation among readers.
• Being part of a network (such as SB Nation or b5) helps because you have built-in traffic.
• Content is king.
• Focus on readership, not traffic; growth, not spikes (e.g., from Digg). The goal is to have people read your stuff, not stumble onto your site once and then never return.

At various points during the day, I had the opportunity to chat with Dex, Larry, Rob, Jamie, Tyler (aka Blez), and the Baltimore Sun’s Bill Ordine. The sessions were entertaining and informative, but the one-on-ones were at least as invaluable and rewarding. Hanging out with like-minded folks who are getting things done is a very inspiring, motivating, and often humbling experience. Also, I learned that Larry is a fellow Beatles geek.

There was a big party Thursday night, but I was exhausted and fell asleep in my hotel room watching “30 Rock.” That is probably something I shouldn’t admit, but there it is.

On Friday, we had three more sessions. Same speakers, more bullet points:

Sports Blogging and Access

• Build relationships with reporters, people in organizations, etc.
• Is access necessary for all blogs? It may not be appropriate for everyone (e.g., if you prefer to maintain an outsider’s perspective).
• There may be a perception among some readers and bloggers that access could compromise integrity; the issue of “street cred.”
• Access can be helpful in getting as much information as possible to offer a more informed opinion.
• It may be possible to enter via “back doors,” i.e., unofficial channels.
• Be professional.
• Once you gain access, be sure to have good questions. Respect the interviewee and the readers.
• What are we, as bloggers, going to do differently with this access, as opposed to traditional media? How will we “fill the service gap” (Borwosky’s phrase)?
• Ask beat writers for opinion — they are not always allowed to offer theirs as part of job, but might have some they’d like to share.
• For baseball, tap the minor leagues. Access may be easier to come by, and you’ll have a chance to develop and sustain relationships as players move up the ranks.
• When approaching an interview subject, give him/her an idea of the types of questions you’d like to ask. [Ed note: When I've been on the other side of the proverbial fence, I've found this to be enormously helpful in preparing answers that don't suck.]
• Consider providing a copy of the finished interview to your guest prior to publication as a courtesy.
• Ask questions that others aren’t asking (again, “fill the service gap”).
• Frame your request for access in terms of their need, not yours. Have something to offer; demonstrate that you will help their bottom line.

David vs Goliath: Sports Blogs vs Traditional Media

• Blogs help keep the mainstream media accountable.
• Neither side is going away.
• We’re starting to see Goliath investing in David; traditional media is trying to capitalize on advantages that blogs can offer.
• More competition -> more accountability -> better quality.
• Will box scores and statistics disappear from print newspapers now that they are available 24/7 in real time online?
• The fast and furious nature of blogs may influence the way mainstream media does business and the types of stories it covers.
• How should long form pieces be presented on web? Blogs and traditional media need to add value beyond just text — slideshows, sidebars, etc.

Sports Blogging: Where Do We Go from Here?

• With more people blogging, we’re seeing better quality (but also worse).
• Maybe more player blogs (e.g., Curt Schilling), or even GMs, CEOs, etc.
• There will be less “dumbing down” of content as technology allows writers to point elsewhere for basic explanatory information instead of rehashing it in their article.

Again, I got to speak with many of the presenters and attendees throughout the day. In addition to many of the folks I met on Thursday, I also spoke with Matt from MetsBlog and Will from Deadspin. At the risk of sounding like a complete suck-up, I can’t stress enough how cool it was to talk with these folks about blogging, sports, and life in general.

I also spent some time at the b5 booth to hang out with more cool peeps. Among other things, I finally got to meet Christina.

Mark Cuban

After the sessions were over, Mark Cuban delivered the closing keynote. Tris has posted his notes on the affair and links to other sources. With the understanding that I don’t necessarily agree with everything Cuban said (although I found all of it fascinating and relevant — the guy knows his stuff), here are my bullet points:

• Blogging is a way for the truth to come out, to create a forum for the exchange of ideas.
• Blogging is about honesty; fight the temptation to pander to readers — this makes you no better than the mainstream media.
• Honesty and willingness to put in time leads to building a personal brand.
• If you’re in the business of blogging, you have to compete against non-bloggers.
• Are you still a blogger if it’s all about the money?
• Resist the urge to use blog as baseball bat — it will catch up to you.
• AdSense cheapens blogs.
• With anonymity on comments, “people say the darndest things.”
• Content is king, customer comes first.
• There’s no shortcut for getting people to give you their attention.

Whew. I think that about does it. Finally, I’ll just say that if you missed this year’s event and you have any interest in the future of blogging, you should strongly consider attending in 2008. As I’ve said before, the sessions were informative, but more than that, it was very, very cool to meet a lot of these folks in person and exchange ideas in an environment that is less restrictive than electrons passing through the ether.

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All Poker Addicts by Blake Butler
BCS Frenzy by Allison Boyer
BIGPLAY Radio NFL Podcast by David Kindervater
College Fast Break by Rich Carlson
Do You Nascar by Tim Zaegel
Dejuiced by Albert Bianchi
Every Morning Quarterback by David Kindervater
Getting Reel by Don Zaegel
Gossip on Sports by Jodie Lynn Boduch
Green Posse by Michael Stramba
Hockey Beat by Jeanne Dupuis
Hoops Fantasy by Stephen Kersey
Jab & Grapple by Kris Karkoski
Knuckle Curve by Geoff Young
Ladies Court by Joe Ruiz
Light the Torch by Sasha Manuel
NBA Obsessed by James Edwards
Rackets and Balls by Erica Beck
Real Muscle Online by Ramsay Taplin
Six and Out by Dinsa Sachan
Squib Kick by James Edwards
The Fantasy Kickoff by Kori Ellis
The Footie by Jyle Dupuis
Ultra Sports Bet by T.O. Whenham

To celebrate the launch of the new blogs and the continued excellence of the existing blogs, we are holding the Sports Channel Launch Contest.

What’s up for grabs?

Prize Package #1:

• $50 Amazon Gift Certificate
• Five Lebron James basketball cards, including a 2004 Upper Deck Rookie Card graded a Gem Mint
• Ohio State Buckeyes Rug from Milliken Rugs

Prize Package #2:

• $50 Amazon Gift Certificate
• David Beckham Bobblehead
• Soccer Bear from The Vermont Teddy Bear Company

Prize Package #3:

• World Poker Tour Chip Set
• Other World Poker Tour Merchandise
• UFC Classic DVD Set

Prize Package #4:

• Fox Sports Tailgating Handbook: The Gear, The Food, The Stadiums
• “Haunted Baseball” by Mickey Bradley and Dan Gordon
• “Greatest Team Ever” (Dallas Cowboys) photographs by Ron St. Angelo, essays from Norm Hitzges
• Florida Gators Rug from Milliken Rugs

Prize Package #5:

• Six Brett Favre Football Cards, all mint condition or better
• Fox Sports Tailgating Handbook: The Gear, The Food, The Stadiums
• Autographed copy of “Romo – My Life on the Edge: Living Dreams and Slaying Dragons” by Bill Romanowski
• Family Guy Stewie football

Prize Package #6:

• Mio Fitness Watch
• Hockey Bear from The Vermont Teddy Bear Company
• World Poker Tour Merchandise

Prize Package #7:

• 2007 Topps Series 2 MLB Cards – Sealed Box
• Life Fitness Watch
• USC Trojans Rug from Milliken Rugs
• Family Guy Stewie football

Each package will also include a copy of “Ricky Barry’s Super Sports Trivia” from Square One Publishers and Dr. Adrianne Ahern’s “Snap Out of It Now!”.

There are two fun ways to win. You can enter our sports trivia contest, or you can write on your own blog about one (or more) of the b5 sports blogs.

You must enter the contest before Friday, October 12, 2007 at 12:00 noon ET.

CLICK HERE to get all the details on how to enter and win!

We want to thank all the sponsors who provided the contest prizes.

Good luck !!!

Post from: Knuckle Curve