Posted 9/30/08

One of the ideas we acknowledge on a regular basis, is the thought that if you write about hot topics early on or immediately, then Google will reward you and your search rankings will be high enough to bring you some significant traffic. 

Certain things like our weekly NFL power rankings tend to get great results if we post them first thing Tuesday morning right after the Monday night game for the week.  We may not see the top spot in the actual Google rankings, but we rank very high in the Google blog search rankings.

The same thing happened during our Olympic Google Logo coverage.  We tried to be as timely as possible with those logos and sure enough, we managed to be top 3 throughout the Olympics on page 1 of the search rankings.

Continuing to be timely or the first to cover a topic should definitely be one of your goals.  Obviously, this is a difficult task to continue to “break” news every day, but if you can manage to do it a couple of times a week, you should be in good shape.  Plus, who wants to read 2 day old news?  (Yes, I know I was late on the PageRank update.  Just this once!)


Sell your 125x125 ads easier with Performancing Ads!

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/30/08

We were gone all weekend and had no idea that Google dished out its latest PageRanks!  It is a good thing Cuzzy let us know last night, otherwise, we could have gone for days without actually noticing.  Luckily for us, our PageRank jumped up to a 4!  Woohoo!

Of course PageRanks seems to be less and less important these days with the overall focus from many measures really being the key to success on your blog.  In fact, as our Alexa rating has dropped, we have a seen a lot more activity through sponsors and potential advertisers than when our PageRank changes.

Anyone notice a significant increase or decrease?  Anyone completely disappointed from this update?


Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/30/08

Once again the NFL proved that parity is the name of the game for the number one sport in America.  This is also likely the reason we all love this sport so damn much.  An even playing field is the way we’d all like to see our lives run wouldn’t we?

1.  New York Giants
2.  Dallas Cowboys
3.  San Diego Chargers
4.  Pittsburgh Steelers
5.  Indianapolis Colts
6.  Buffalo Bills
7.  Tennessee Titans
8.  Jacksonville Jaguars
9.  Denver Broncos
10.  Philadelphia Eagles
11.  New Orleans Saints
12.  Tampa Bay Buccaneers
13.  New England Patriots
14.  Carolina Panthers
15.  Washington Redskins
16.  Green Bay Packers
17.  Chicago Bears
18.  New York Jets*
19.  Baltimore Ravens
20.  Minnesota Vikings
21.  Seattle Seahawks
22.  San Francisco 49ers
23.  Arizona Cardinals
24.  Cleveland Browns
25.  Houston Texans
26.  Kansas City Chiefs
27.  Cincinnati Bengals
28.  Oakland Raiders
29.  Atlanta Falcons
30.  Detroit Lions
31.  Miami Dolphins
32.  St. Louis Rams

*The New York Jets may not be the best team in their conference or division, but they sure as hell are more than compelling to watch.  Not only do they have arguably the greatest quarterback in the history of the game playing for them, but they are capable of putting up 56 points?  So much for that slow learning curve for the old man, eh?

Make sure you continue to check out the Sports Blog NFL Power Rankings over at NE Patriots Draft.  We are a part of their weekly collaboration to determine the top ranked NFL teams according to blogs.


Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/29/08

The crew over at Untwisted Vortex dropped a review on us today that you should go check out.  They said some very nice things and even happened to like our little ol' blog somewhat.  (Always makes a blogger feel good when a fellow blogger says nice things!)

I definitely agree with the reviewer over the thought that we are not an MMO blog but lean more towards the sports niche.  We are simply here to talk sports and talk about how to make your sports blog better.

If you'd like a review by them, stop by their site and submit your info.


Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/29/08

Entrecard users should have received an email today discussing 8 changes for the site going forward.  This comes just days after they decided to sell the site, only to pull it back off the market with new energy to make it succeed, just days later.

Here are the 8 bullet points from the email:

1.  Buy credits for less – 1,000 Credits now $6.  Whoo-freakin-hoo.
2.  More pricing increments – Ad rankings/pricings are changing.  Still going to be the same blogs at the top.
3.  Members are not allowed to sell credits – No more private sales of credits.  Who was actually doing this anyway?
4.  Credit transfer limits – Can only transfer 1,000 credits per week.  No more 10,000 credit contests!
5.  Transfer tax – Taxing your transfers.  Wow.  Ok.
6.  Blogs cannot be unlinked – No unlinking of blogs unless you email them to delete it.  Who cares.
7.  No more coupons – No idea what a coupon was anyway.
8.  Shop closed – No idea how to use the shop anyway.

None of these really matter to me as someone that has stopped using the service, but for those still deeply involved, it looks like it could change some of the experience.  The new 1,000 credit transfer rule is pretty ridiculous and I’m not recognizing the reasoning behind it at this point.  So much for big contests and buzz worthy giveaways!

From the looks of it, the owner decided to sell because the Entrecard Economy was about to explode much like ours here in the United States.  He then put it up for sale, and everyone started asking “Why, why, why!” which must have garnered a ton of responses from internet and business gurus around the interwebs.

You can see that in just 5 days from putting the site up for sale, he magically came up with 8 quick fixes that completely change the way the site is run.  Someone must have been given some advice!  It seems odd that he needed to put it up for sale to get solid advice from people.


Sell your 125x125 ads easier with Performancing Ads!

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/29/08

Some of you may have seen the Sitepoint link or the actual Entrecard blog last week listing that it was up for sale.  The owner ran through some sort of feel good or sob story on how big Entrecard had become and how he could no longer handle it.  He also spouted off about the next owner and how he'd make sure that the person was on the same page as him and the future of Entrecard would not be in doubt!

Well the sad story only lasted for a day as the site was basically pulled from Sitepoint and a new feel good story was written on the Entrecard blog.  This time, with the owner talking about the horrible situation of Entrecard and how he was in it for the long run.

My guess?  Entrecard wasn't actually worth what he thought.  He claims he was conctacted by numerous business development folks interested in the site, but turned into an eye opening experience ending in his decision to keep the site.

Good for him if he really thinks Entrecard is a site that will stick around through the long run, but if I were him, I would have taken the $500K and ran with it!

Anyone still using Entrecard? And if so, has anything changed for the better or is it the same ol' schtick?


Sell your 125x125 ads easier with Performancing Ads!

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/28/08

How about a late night, weekend edition of the DollarBall to send us into the new week!

•  Opening in New York theaters, (Mets) Choke. 

• Oh Anquan Boldin.  You OK buddy?

•  And another big hit!  This one straight out of Miami.

• The Oklahoma Sooners take over the number 1 spot in college football after everyone else on the planet loses.

• Coach of the Toronto Raptors, Sam Mitchell, says he will stop swearing?

• Bruce Springsteen will be taking over the Super Bowl Halftime Show.  Didn't we already know this though?

• BallHype posts its NFL All Thug Team.

• Not a fan of him, but Mike Mussina has possibly pitched his last game.  He may also be the last guy to ever come close to 300 wins again.

• NBA Championship odds have been updated!  Is Bynum the reason for the Lakers being ahead of the defending Champs?

•  Manny for MVP and CC for Cy Young?  Can you win an MVP after only playing 53 games?

• Final Shea Stadium memory?
  

•  The Ducks sign Teemu Selanne.  Wait, what?

• A look at NBA 2k9.  I''m actually impressed...
  
  
  

Sell your 125x125 ads easier with Performancing Ads!

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/26/08

The weekend has finally arrived!  Kellex and the SD need some much needed beach time, so I'm out for the weekend.  Next week we should be back to our full schedule of regular posts and I apologize if this week was lacking.

The NFL season is rolling, the NBA is almost upon us and I can't wait for it all.  Times will be busy for a while, but I wouldn't have it any other way.  Have a great one all, and we'll see you back here on Monday morning.


Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/26/08

NFL Pick of the Week brought to you from Eric of Unlocked Sports, your source for sports predictions .

Pick: Tennessee -3

There are few games this week that are worth betting. However, betting on Tennessee to beat Minnesota by more than 3 points is about as good as it gets in terms of finding a secure pick for week 4.

The Titans have been one of the most surprising teams this year. They are currently 3-0 overall and against the spread. The key to their success has been their outstanding defensive performance. They have allowed an average of only 240.3 yards per game and have limited their opposition to an average of just 9.7 points per contest. They rank third and second in the league in both defensive categories.

Minnesota has struggled immensely on offense thus far this season. They benched QB Tarvaris Jackson last week in an effort to spark their offense. Gus Frerotte got the start and threw for 204 yards and a touchdown and the Vikings defeated Carolina 20-10. Frerotte is a good quarterback but not a great one. Minnesota lacks substantial depth at the quarterback and receiver positions. Their main offensive threat is their running game led by pro bowl running back Adrian Peterson who is averaging 5.2 yards per carry. Although Peterson has had some success running the ball, he only has one touchdown this season. Gus Frerotte did not feel much pressure against Carolina. You can expect that the Titans’ pass rush will make Frerotte look as bad or even worse than Tarvaris Jackson did in his first 2 starts.

Minnesota’s defense has performed quite well as they currently rank 7th in yards allowed and 8th in points allowed. Tennessee’s offense appears to be functioning better with backup QB Kerry Collins since he is a better passer than Vince Young. Tennessee now has a more balanced form of attack between its running and passing plays which makes their play calling much less predictable to the opposition. Minnesota is averaging 4 more yards on offense than Tennessee is but the Titans are averaging 7 more points per game. This game will be a defensive battle where both teams will focus heavily on running the ball and maintaining possession. The bottom line is that the better defense will win. The Titans have the better defense and the better QB. Expect Tennessee to win this one and cover.

On a weekly basis, Unlocked Sports.com analyzes many of the upcoming matchups and offers there detailed 2008 NFL predictions free of charge.

Prediction: Tennessee 20 Minnesota 13


Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/25/08

I officially hate football.  My football pools all suck.  I'm losing constantly.  I'm picking horribly.  No one is winning that should be.  I hate it!  With all that said, how about our newest rankings!

1.  Dallas Cowboys
2.  New York Giants
3.  Denver Broncos
4.  Philadelphia Eagles
5.  San Diego Chargers
6.  Pittsburgh Steelers
7.  Indianapolis Colts
8.  Buffalo Bills
9.  Green Bay Packers
10.  Tennessee Titans
11.  Tampa Bay Buccaneers
12.  New Orleans Saints
13.  Jacksonville Jaguars
14.  New England Patriots
15.  Carolina Panthers
16.  Baltimore Ravens
17.  Washington Ravens
18.  Minnesota Vikings
19.  Seattle Seahawks
20.  Arizona Cardinals
21.  Chicago Bears
22.  New York Jets
23.  San Francisco 49ers
24.  Atlanta Falcons
25.  Oakland Raiders
26.  Houston Texans
27.  Cleveland Browns
28.  Kansas City Chiefs
29.  Cincinnati Bengals
30.  Miami Dolphins
31.  St. Louis Rams*
32.  Detroit Lions

*Are the St. Louis Rams the worst team in the history of the NFL?  Is it also possible to have that many stars on offense, yet be this bad?  Ok, well let's say that they aren't the worst in the NFL because we are leaving that title to the Lions, but they are sure as hell making a case for it.   I mean seriously, who benches their quarterback for Trent Green?


Sell your 125x125 ads easier with Performancing Ads!

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/25/08

Everyone loves to have a solid group of friends that will submit their stuff to social media sites, right?  You feel like your work is starting to mean something, people are interested in your work, and you are finally writing some quality material that wouldn’t embarrass someone to submit.  This is a pretty cool time for any sports blogger!  Plus, the social media sites won’t hate on you for submitting your own garbage anymore!

But there are a couple of things that should be pointed out if you are one of those ever so generous folk that submits other’s work.

1.  Post titles, double check them!  If you submit a story for someone, make sure you get the title correct.  There is nothing more frustrating than your story getting submitted by someone to Digg and then have the title wrong. 

2.  That title was written for a reason!  Try not to change the title of the post when you submit to a social site.  Almost all of them let you type in your own title, but to tell you the truth, it comes off as a little disrespectful.  It’s like telling me that the title I created on my own post, sucked.  Be careful.

3.  Category is soooooooo important!  Make sure that the category you choose fits with the original post or material.  If I write a story about the TV show Survivor, please don’t list it in “Action Movies”.  Don’t be afraid to ask the site owner which category they’d like it listed in.

4.  Your negative profile is killing me!  If you have negative or low “rep” on a social site, please do not submit others’ posts.  Yeah, that sounds a little negative but seriously, if I work extra hard on some linkbait piece and the wrong person submits it to a site, all that hard work basically just swirled and swooshed right down the drain.

Anything else anyone has to point out when others submit your work to social media sites?


Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/24/08

I know, I know, this is all very hard to believe, but it is true.  Matt "Time to Drive a Chevy" Millen is finally out as Lions GM!  Woohoo to Lions fans!  Actually, Woohoo to everyone that loves the NFL!

Some links about it:

• Fanhouse loving life.
  
• Outside the Beltway in on the action.
• Dan Shanoff obviously.
• And of course Deadspin weighing heavily in.
  

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/23/08

Still working on the negative side of life today, here is one other note that is likely to get you little to no stumbles and some possibly thumb downs.

Note:  Sending daily stumbles of your own material and throwing in the "Please stumble, and don't forget to send yours as well!" remark.

Not only do major SU members become annoyed that you have sent a post each day for the last 3 weeks from your own blog, but they also don't need to be insulted.

Reasons you are doing this?

• You are still living off the hope that your pages will garner 500+ visits in 30 minutes like they did during your first week of self-stumbled pages.
• Your friend list was very generous in handing out thumbs initially.
• You built a decent friend list and think that your content will grab even more thumbs as long as you keep sending it out!

Stop doing this!

I'm telling you all this because your stumbles will be much more effective if you will all stop OVER-stumbling your own site.   

Why?

• Stumble Upon has a ratio for each user and each site they stumble.  Each time you stumble a site, your effectiveness will start to wear down.  If you stumble your site evey single day on every post, you will quickly run out of stumble power.  Make sure you are constantly stumbling other people's sites!  (And leaving reviews!)
• Your friends have a ratio on your site too!  Yes it's true.  If your friends stumble you every day, their effectiveness on your site wears down as well.  Give it a rest and submit only your BEST material.

OK, hopefully that is enough venting for one day.  Negativity is never any fun!


Sell your 125x125 ads easier with Performancing Ads!

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/23/08

Tuesday mornings tend to call for a little venting!  Sorry to start off everyone's day with this type of a post, but the earlier the better for me.  Unfortunately, this is one of those subjects that needs to be explained to everyone over and over again.

Stop Sending EVERYTHING to EVERYONE.

At some point, you will realize that sending out everything single one of your posts to your entire BallHype friends list will not get you anywhere.  At some point you will also realize that by sending all of your posts to the same people on Stumble Upon, you are weakening the potential of the tool.  At some point, you'll realize why all of your Digg posts keep getting buried or grab a whopping 20 Diggs.

Loving Yourself is OK, Sometimes.

Come on people!  I know we all whip up that quick post, throw a picture on it, a catchy title and think, "Wow, let's send this out! We could hit the front page of BallHype!"

Seriously, please stop.  There is nothing wrong with loving what you write every time you finish a post, but do you really think every single post is worthy of 150 shouts?  The next time you reach for that "Send to Friend" button, stop and think for a second.

Stop and think, "If someone else wrote this, would I Hype it?  Would I care at all about this?"  And then you also need to stop and say to yourself, "If I got a 'I thought you might like this!' message from the same guy every single day on some average post, would I not be completely irritated?"

If you can seriously answer those and not cringe a little, then maybe you just need Momma to stop making you that Me, Me, Me flavored Kool-Aid.

Save it for Your Best!

The bottom line here is that you should only submit your best stuff to any of the social bookmarking/networking sites.  If it's good, there is a pretty solid chance that someone will end up submitting it for you anyway.  (Self submitting is another topic all of its own.)

Not only will you gain some respect by not submitting EVERYTHING, but you'll stop annoying and spamming the hell out of people.

And one last suggestion - Submit someone else's stuff for once!


Sell your 125x125 ads easier with Performancing Ads!

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/22/08

The best sports blogs are always easy to pick out from the crowd, and for the most part, deservedly so.  What is it that makes them stand out?  What makes you return and continue to read it?  What makes a sports blog great? 

The Author

For a blog to succeed, its author does not have to be a great writer, but it definitely helps if they have a giant personality.  In most cases, we don’t continue to read a blog just because it has solid content.  We tend to return to blogs because their author has said something that either offended us, gave us insight, or entertained the hell out of us.  Blogs should be based on opinion or at the very least, be somewhat influenced by the author’s views.  If your sports blog became just another recap site, would your readership become bored over time?  Would you growth come to a halt?

The Content

It has been well documented that your blog cannot succeed unless it has pretty solid content.  And I’m sure you are all sick of hearing “content is king” over and over again by every other damn blog out there.  So I’ll stray from that concept because we know that content alone will never get you anywhere.  Instead let’s focus on the presentation of your content.  Have you ever thought that maybe your approach isn’t working within your niche?  Maybe it’s time to re-invent the way your voice comes across?  Don’t ever settle; you should always be looking at new angles and strategies to spice up the content of your sports blog.

The Marketing

In order for your blog to be great, you better be sure that people know it exists.  The greatest blogs out there are likely founded by some of the greatest marketers out there.  Why is it that you see the same big time blogs on the front page of Digg, BallHype and Yardbarker?  Not only do these bloggers have great personalities and write compelling content, but they have created networks with other bloggers to help their content find maximum reach. 

The Network

A great blog would not be able to grow without a solid network of readers to spread its word.  It knows just the right questions to ask its readers to gain worthwhile responses and stir up conversation.  Isn’t a great network like an automated promotional machine?  I would guess that about 50% of a great blog’s links come from the same network of blogs, over and over again. 


Is your blog on its way to the level of “great”?  If not, are you doing everything in your power to make sure it gets there?  Becoming “great” is no walk in the park, and in order to get there, be prepared to work, work and work.  The competition in the world of sports blogging is stronger than ever, but the opportunity is also greater than ever.

Need feedback on your blog?  If you’d like us to take a look at your blog and provide you with some tips to get the ball really rolling, feel free to shout us up through our Contact Page.

_____________________________________________________________________
Come on down to America's favorite sportsbook - BetUS.com - for football betting and get all the latest football betting odds & lines for your betting needs.

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/22/08

I just wanted to remind everyone that we are still offering cheap advertising here at the SD for the next 8 days!  If you missed the last post on the deal, you can check it out here and it will detail the whole process.

We've already had a few people take us up on the text link deal and the 125 Performancing Ad deal.  Let us know if you'd like to get a text link up! And of course, for the Performancing Ad spots, you need to hit us up through there.


Sell your 125x125 ads easier with Performancing Ads!

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/22/08

The Google logo today welcomed everyone into Fall!  As many of you know, Google tends to change their logo for events they've deemed as significant.  The last one being for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) which, to tell you the truth, is a little scary.  Although I have no real idea what it is.

They also ran a series of logos for the Olympic games which we documented.


Sell your 125x125 ads easier with Performancing Ads!

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Data Recovery Software

Posted 9/19/08

We learned about the Sports Blog Net a few weeks ago from Cuzoogle and decided it was something we should probably join as well.  Luckily, their owner is a great guy and welcomed us right in to the SBN!

As a sports blogger, this is definitely a site you should be checking out and trying to join.  Here is a list of the things the SBN can do for your blog:

• Increased Traffic: We feed a portion of your post through SportsBlognet.com and link back to your site

• Link Trade: Most of the other websites in SportsBlogNet are ready and willing to trade links with your site

• Increased Revenue:  We will offer your site to our advertising contacts on a daily basis

• Ability to network with other Bloggers: Not only will you be able to trade links but all the bloggers in the network are looking to network with new bloggers as away to promote eachother’s site

• Blog Tips: Periodically we will send out a newsletter with Blog tips on how to drive more traffic to your website

Sounds like a "no brainer" to me?  Obviously networks are great for any blog, but when you have one specifically built with the goal of helping your sports blog, how could you ever turn it down?


Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

NFL Pick of the Week brought to you from Eric of Unlocked Sports, your source for sports predictions. Pick: Atlanta -5.5 I am completely confident that the Falcons will cover a 5.5 point spread because they are playing at home against arguably the weakest team in the NFL. The Chiefs are starting their third string quarterback, Tyler Thigpen. He replaced Damon Huard last week and completed only 42.4% of his passes and had a rating of 58.0. Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons’ offense were absolutely and completely shutdown on the road against the Bucs. Ryan only completed 39.4% of his passes and had a rating of 29.6. The Falcons only netted 234 yards including 105 yards on the ground. When Atlanta opened the season at home against Detroit, their offense fired on all cylinders as they netted 474 yards, including 318 on the ground and won the game 34-21. Matt Ryan was impressive in his rookie debut, completing 9/13 passes, including a touchdown on his very first NFL pass, and had a rating of 137.0.  Expect Atlanta to have the same kind of success they had against Detroit on Sunday for three reasons. The first is that since the preseason, Matt Ryan has played either fantastic or quite poor. Every game he has played poorly, he rebounded the next game with a rating of at least 97. Second, the Chiefs are ranked second last in the league at stopping the run. Michael Turner is definitely a strong pick as a fantasy football starter. He and Jerious Norwood will easily gain big chunks of yards on the ground. Third, the Chiefs will do very little offensively with Tyler Thigpen. Every week Unlockedsports.com provides free nfl predictions. For a limited time we are sharing our premium 2008 NFL predictions free of charge. Prediction: Atlanta 33 Kansas City 13

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/19/08

Is anyone excited about this year's Ryder Cup?  No Tiger.  No Montie.  What's the point then right?  I'm sure there will be song very intriguing stories to come out of it, like some rookie playing out of his mind and stealing the show.  But really, you have to admit how difficult it's going to be to actually watch this thing.  So how about we give you a few reasons!

7.  Val "Holla!"

The name of the course brings the Ryder Cup enough "street cred" to make T-Pain proud.  Err...Lil Wayne proud...err <insert someone with actual "street cred" here>.  OK, so maybe it's not that gangster, but at least it's in Kentucky!  Kentucky...

6.  Anthony "Don't Call Me" Kim  

The guy plays the game the way it should have always been played.  He plays fast, fierce and with some f-ing attitude.  He doesn't mess around with that 10 minute pre-shot routine and 2-3 backoffs from a putt.  You damn senior citizens and rednecks need to take a page out of this guy's book.  Plus, can't you already see Sunday night's headline?  "Tiger Who?"

5.  Uniforms Baby!

Each year the Ryder Cup uniforms for both teams steal the show.  I don't know who ends up designing these ridiculous things, but they sure as hell make the Swiss Olympic uni's look tastie.  How bout these bowler-esque two pieces?

4.  Slight chance that Faldo and the Zinger Throw Down.

They've been co-workers and enemies and friends and everything else you can think of.  But we all know deep down inside that Nick Faldo is your classic Euro prick.  He'll pull some shotty move and the Zinger will come flyin' across the course on an electric Benz in knickers with a sand wedge!  OK, unlikely, but at least your brain is cranking now, right?

3.  Sergio's Moment to Shine.

I know what you're thinking, and yes, I hate Sergio as much as the rest of you.  Is there anything funnier though, than "Serg" winning a couple of matches, actually thinking he can win the big one for that split second and then realizing he never has or will?  Nothing makes an American glow more than the rise and complete tumble of Sergio Garcia.

2.  Tiger Sighting!

What has elevated the world of golf to enormous heights over the last 10-12 years?  Mr. Tiger Woods.  And what would make you actually watch this year's Ryder Cup?  A Tiger sighting!  It would be just like Eldrick to show up on Sunday during the final sets of match play with his EURO wife, while Justin Leonard storms the 18th in a throwback after dropping birdie to take out Garcia and Padraig to win 1-up.  (Ok, pits are sweating.)  Who's excited now!

1.  Mohammed Ali Approves.

I think that says it all!


And if you ever wondered what wives of the Ryder Cup look like, our friends at Cuzoogle have you covered.


Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/18/08

• Ever find yourself confused by athlete's names?  Here are your answers.

• Here are some reason why college football really sucks.

• Shaq and his kids are definitely dancing superstars.  Please retire already.

• With the NBA season creeping up, it's never to early for some previews is it?

•  Ryder Cup wives are just not that hot.  Just more proof that the US team needs Tiger.

• I guess I didn't realize it would cost $18 million to have recess.  Sad.

• Nike is lazy with their uniforms?  I'd say they just don't care about shitty schools like Buffalo.  Did everyone actually think they customized each school's uni's?  Laugh.

• This guy at the Cowboys/Eagles game stole the show.

• Empty the Bench continues doing fabulous interviews.  This one with Adrian Wojnarowski in Part 1 and Part 2.

• College football games still dominate the NFL for fan arrests.

• Al Jefferson injures his MCL?  Now you really are stuck with Kevin Love.

•  Only 4 games remain in Yankee Stadium?  I hate the Yanks, but that is pretty sad news.

• 10 Championships that vindicated.
  

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/18/08

Yesterday, the Digg elite took down a ton of up and coming power users due to the use of scripts.  Is this the final straw?  Are they taking their bans too far?  Are they favoring old time power users?

Our buddy Cuzzy was included in yesterday's onslaught and is not very happy about.  The guy put a ton of work into building a solid profile and was not even warned about any sort of illegal use.

Of course many of you also saw the ban of Brian Cuban and his front page worthy post on his entire debacle.

You suck Digg.

So what does this mean for Digg?  I can say that it once again puts a huge damper on my feelings towards the service.  How is anyone supposed to use the service for what it was originally intended?  Any old user can't just submit a story and have it hit the front page anymore.  You have to find a power user (that didn't get banned) and hope they like your site enough to submit it for you.  Or you can spend the next 6 months building the hell out of your profile and making 300 friends, while digging everything on the planet they submit.

Who has time for that shit?  I was done with Digg long ago and I think this may be the final straw for me.  Well, unless Cuzzy starts working his magic again and invites me into his inner circle.


Sell your 125x125 ads easier with Performancing Ads!

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/17/08

Can the NFL be any more frustrating this year?  How many teams have been complete flops or just disappointments?  My pick'em leagues are a mess and have forced me into picking blindfolded in order to compete with the newbs of the leagues that actually chose Carolina and Denver to beat San Diego.  Bah!

1.  Dallas Cowboys
2.  Pittsburgh Steelers
3.  New York Giants
4.  Indianapolis Cults
5.  Philadelphia Eagles
6.  New England Patriots
7.  Carolina Panthers
8.  Denver Broncos*
9.  Green Bay Packers
10.  Buffalo Bills
11.  New Orleans Saints
12.  Tennessee Titans
13.  San Diego Chargers
14.  Tampa Bay Buccaneers
15.  Arizona Cardinals
16.  Jacksonville Jaguars
17.  Chicago Bears
18.  New York Jets
19.  Cleveland Browns
20.  Minnesota Vikings
21.  Washington Redskins
22.  Baltimore Ravens
23.  Seattle Seahawks
24.  Houston Texans
25.  San Francisco 49ers
26.  Oakland Raiders
27.  Atlanta Falcons
28.  Kansas City Chiefs
29.  Cincinnati Bengals
30.  Miami Dolphins
31.  St Louis Rams
32.  Detroit Lions

*How about them Broncos?  It really pains me to talk about them in any sort of positive manor.  I was of course forced as a child to watch almost all of their games growing up in Montana and also forced to watch "Horsemaster" Elway whine, get fat, and sell cars.  But hey, I guess they are still winning right?  And against some solid football teams.


Sell your 125x125 ads easier with Performancing Ads!

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/17/08

We talk a lot about Stumble Upon and for good reason.  After taking a quick look at our stats, Stumble Upon seems to provide about a third of our traffic each month due to a pretty solid profile and some decent content.  We are constantly looking for new ways to grow our profile and strengthen our submissions and this newest way should do you well.

The New Trick

Step 1 - Stumble your own profile page.  This isn't technically a form of submitting your own content since your profile isn't necessarily your blog.  Please don't feel bad about doing this!  By submitting it, you make it available for Stumblers to hit on. 

Step 2 - Add "Stumblers" as one of your "Interests".  This allows other users' profile pages to pop up when you are Stumbling through pages.  What's the trick here?  I'll get to that.

Step 3 - Start saying "I Like Them".  When you are Stumbling and a profile page pops up, the "like" button changes to "I Like Them" and is almost like doing a speed review for the profile.  Before you say you "like" someone's profile, take a look at some of their stats.  If they already have more than 200 fans, you may want to think twice.


I've been running these new tricks for about, oh, 1 day now and I've managed to gain another 7-10 mutual friends on SU.  That may not seem like a world dominating trick, but it's definitely working.  Isn't the goal to get as many solid mutual friends as possible?  Multiply that times a week or so and you've almost hit that 200 mutual friends number.

By "liking" profiles that have room to add you as a friend, you are only setting yourself up for success.  You can even take this a step further and after giving them a thumbs up, you can friend them, which will show them you are even more anxious to be mutual friended.

And if you haven't added me already as a friend, please do so now.  I've been known to "blow up" a few sites from time to time.  Ask James!

Check this out and let me know of your successes!  

_____________________________________________________________________
Come on down to America's favorite sportsbook - BetUS.com - for football betting and get all the latest football betting odds & lines for your betting needs.

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/16/08

How about a little fun on a Tuesday?  Think about some of the major blogs out there, and then think of what type of cocktail they might be.  We see comparisons like this all the time, but I don't think anyone's gone this metro!


The Jack Daniels Straight Up

These would be the blogs that burn as you suck them down.  They are not real smooth and you feel a little dirty as you squirm through them, but they definitely do the trick.  We've all sucked some down from time to time but we don't necessarily remember it or like to brag to everyone about it.

• Busted Coverage
  
• Deadspin
• With Leather
  

A Shot of Tequila

When you need a quick fix to pep up that night, your shot of tequila always does the trick.  You can toss 3 or 4 in a row to prepare you for the rest of the evening.  Of course if you get too much, you become that annoying guy that knows way too many funny internet tid bits.

• SPORTSbyBROOKS
• The Big Lead
• SI:  Extra Mustard
  

The Spanish Coffee

The blogs that really put on a show.  Their glass gets lit on fire, some cinnamon is shook over the top, and the whip cream is just the finishing touch you were looking for to go with that 151 rum.  Fun, spicy, hot and entertaining are these blogs.

• Cuzoogle
• World of Isaac
• Epic Carnival

The Martini

A little elitist, but the quality is still superb.  They have reason for tasting so damn good in that pretty little glass.  They've worked hard and have been in the game for quite some time while always remaining classy.  Cheers.

• True Hoop
• Ball Don't Lie

The JagerBomb

You know that drink that guys order at the bar that makes you just laugh and shake your head?  Well that's where this cocktail sports blog category takes us.  This is in no way me taking a shot at these blogs, but is simply categorizing them as funny as hell.

• Kissing Suzy Kolber
• Hugging Harold Reynolds
• Awful Announcing
  

The Cosmo

As a dedication to the wonderful world of women in blogging and this fruitful little pink drink, we bring you the Cosmopolitan category.  So sexy, sweet and curvy.  How can you go wrong here?

• And One
• Women Like Sports
• Babes Love Baseball
  

The Whisky Ginger

This would be the category I created especially for myself.  Seeing as this is the greatest drink on the planet and the fact that it doesn't really fit into a category, I thought I'd leave it open just for me.  So tasty, refined, yet still completely random. 

• The Sports Dollar
  

So now, tell me, what kind of cocktail is your sports blog?


____________________________________________________________________
Want to win a $250 Gas Card?

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/15/08

Ok, that title might be a little harsh but essentially their weekend performance was on par with the Minnesota Vikings.  They attempted to roll out their newest version and platform, but found out shortly after "go-live" that it was a huge mistake.

A ton of issues were noticed and the community in general was not happy with the new product.  The Sitemeter blog can explain a little more on this subject.

Also, they are looking for BETA testers to take part as they move forward with updates.  If you are interested, head over to their site to check it out.


Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/15/08

Heard of Sports Tech Now? 

This site is pretty cool if you are a sports blogger looking to get your name out there or just want to learn some more industry news.  Sports Tech Now has a free interview/review program where they ask you to send them an email by answering a few of their questions.  If you complete the questions in full with decent answers and add a banner or logo, then they'll post it on their site as a "featured site".

I love this site and have been checking it out for quite some time now to see what new blog has gone through this process.  I also have been able to find some very interesting stuff on the sports marketing subject in general that has helped to grow this blog.

Go check them out!  And if anything, at least take the time to fill out the questionnaire for their free "featured site" program and get yourself some exposure!


Sell your 125x125 ads easier with Performancing Ads!

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/15/08

I wasn't sure that I had ever actually pointed this out, but the program we use to edit all of our images and logos is a nice and free program called GIMP that I stumbled on a couple of years ago. 

As a program that is obviously not Photoshop, it sure as hell comes pretty close.  There are countless programs out there that claim to edit images and what not, but this is by far my favorite free one.

So for those of you that don't want to fork out the cash for those overpriced Adobe products, aren't into hacking proggies, or haven't found a steal of a deal on a license, you should check out our little buddy, GIMP.


Sell your 125x125 ads easier with Performancing Ads!

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/12/08

Just wanted to leave a quick note going into the weekend for everyone by reminding you all to have a fantastic time! 

There are so many big time games happening that if you aren't enjoying the last few days of sunlight and warmth, then you could easily be slumped on your sofa cheering on USC to dominate Ohio State!  What do you think? 

This week's recap:

• Don't forget that we released our winners to the Contest of Sports Sexi-ness.  Check it out to see if you've won anything or if you OWE anything.

• We decided to give away some cheap advertising to our readers, so make sure to contemplate that idea.  I promise, it's a pretty sweet deal.

• A lot of love and praise was given out to our fellow sports bloggers for not being completely obnoxious toolboxes!

• Our trend of posting about the newest Google Logos continued and some random political site picked it up giving us 5,000 visitors in about 2 hours yesterday.  That little ride was fun!

• And of course today, we found ourselves even more impressed by our good friend Apryl of Women Like Sports when she gave us this gem to end our week with.  (Thanks again Apryl!)
  

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/12/08

Guest post written by Apryl Delancey, author of the blog Women Like Sports and a freelance writer/hands on blogger/super cool chick.

I was inspired to send over this guest post after reading the now-famous “6 Types of Sports Blogger” post.  I wrote to Kellex and told him that he forgot to write about another type – the Hands-On Blogger.  I’m also throwing in some other payment/exchange info I’ve learned along the way.

What is a Hands-On Blogger?

Well, it’s quite simple.  I actually go to local events and stand on the sidelines with my camera and recorder.  For a few minor league football teams here in Southern California, I am their only press outside of their websites.  It is rather rewarding to give these dedicated athletes the coverage that they would otherwise lack.  They send my pictures, videos, and posts to their families and friends all over the world.  This equates to more traffic for me.

What goes around comes around as well.  When I was covering a local team I met a photographer that happened to show up.  It turns out that their main gig is snapping pics of an NFL team.  This photog also stories for a local paper in the off-season.  Guess who happened to need a writer at that time?  Guess who made some money in a print publication as a sports writer?  Even better, it certainly makes the resume shine a bit more with published bylines.

I’ve also interviewed some bigger names in the world of sports.  Lisa Guerrero, Fred Roggin, Phil Shoen, and many other local and national sports names have been featured on Women Like Sports.  I just got out there and started my own buzz and asked for it.  It worked.  I felt rather special when a big sports name actually called me personally to give me an update to post on my blog.

Other Ways to be Hands-On: Merchandise

I’ve written for a site that paid a token amount for posts but assured me that their writers are quite happy.  I took a chance and sure enough I am.  I’ve received a token amount of cash and a substantial amount of merchandise.  Stuff I actually use and would have bought myself if I hadn’t written for this company.  The moral of the story?  Payment is not always in cash.  I’ve done this arrangement with a few other places and I don’t have to spend any money on holiday gifts for my nephews this year.  Of course, this is only viable if you will actually use the tradeoff merchandise.  Don’t blog for a free set of dishes when you’ve got an entire cupboard full.  That is - unless you can give it as a gift and get value that way by pocketing the money you would have spent.

Tickets

Yeah, you can get a quick set of tickets to a particular game for writing about it.  Many times, the ticket agency will contact you once your blog is above a certain page rank or other benchmark.  This counts as payment.  They ask that you say that you got the tickets from them using their online system…yadda yadda.  I’ve had offers for this but never done it.  It is probably because I refuse to sit anywhere “less desirable” than Field Box or Loge between the bases at Chavez Ravine and above the 200s at the Staples Center.  So be it.

Don’t Expose Yourself

The “exposure” tradeoff is tricky.  Remember – if you have your own blog you are getting exposure.  Those folks asking you to write for them for exposure found you, didn’t they?  Start out by syndicating a post or two.  Give them the first paragraph of a post that you particularly like and then have a “click here to read more” that takes you to the full article on your site.  A good analytics tool will tell you how much traffic you are getting from them so you can decide how you want to proceed.  Just because someone has a fancy title for their blog and it doesn’t look like they are a one-person operation like you does not mean that they aren’t.  We’ve all written for free at some point to hone our skills so don’t discount exposure completely.

The reason I even bring that up is because of the requests I get to write “for exposure”.  I once had a site tell me that they were really looking for a woman to write sports and they were going to put all this time and effort into promoting the sports-writing gal…and not pay me.  Great.  All of that promotion and effort will surely generate income for them – where’s my cut?  Exposure is necessary but it isn’t very cool to have someone else reap the benefits of your hard work.  Expose yourself wisely.

Remember

Sometimes you don’t get paid right away and sometimes you get paid by other means than cash.  Whatever you choose, I highly recommend getting out there and actually covering local events in your area.  Be a Hands-On Blogger.  There are minor league teams of all sorts everywhere in the country that are dying for press.  Give it to them.


Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/11/08

Earlier I posted my NFL Power Rankings which I also submit to James over NE Patriots Draft every week for the NFL Blog Power Rankings.  The week 2 rankings are up!

I must say that this is a pretty cool way to do NFL Power Rankings.  Give it up to James for such a solid idea.  And stay tuned throughout the season to see where all the participating blogs have each team ranked.

And also remember, that this should probably be the system to make you a gajillion dollars or something because we are all such geniuses.  Right...


Sell your 125x125 ads easier with Performancing Ads!

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/11/08

Week 2 in the NFL already?  Damn week 1 just flew by!  We realized our rankings were completely off in about the first 5 minutes on Sunday.  So obviously, some major changes were needed to be made to this week's and we feel these should be a little more up to par.

   1. Dallas Cowboys*
   2. Pittsburgh Steelers
   3. Philadelphia Eagles
   4. Indianapolis Cults
   5. New York Giants
   6. San Diego Chargers
   7. Jacksonville Jaguars
   8. New England Patriots
   9. New Orleans Saints
  10. Carolina Panthers
  11. New York Jets
  12. Chicago Bears
  13. Green Bay Packers
  14. Buffalo Bills
  15. Denver Broncos
  16. Arizona Cardinals
  17. Atlanta Falcons
  18. Cleveland Browns
  19. Tennessee Titans
  20. Minnesota Vikings
  21. Washington Redskins
  22. Baltimore Ravens
  23. Seattle Seahawks
  24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  25. Houston Texans
  26. St. Louis Rams
  27. San Francisco 49ers
  28. Kansas City Chiefs
  29. Cincinnati Bengals
  30. Miami Dolphins
  31. Oakland Raiders
  32. Detroit Lions

*The Dallas Cowboys may seem like an obvious choice for #1, and that's fine.  Who else would you put there?  Everyone else in the league looked horrible compared to expectations except for my least favorite team with my least favorite player.  They completely dominated the Browns in every facet to the game.  The best part?  They stopped playing Roy Williams in the nickel! Guaranteed Super Bowl victory?


Sell your 125x125 ads easier with Performancing Ads!

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/10/08

Today marks the official "skip the hell out of work to golf day" for the Sports Dollar.  So instead of random Kellex ramblings, you get some hot links for the day!

• Completel confused by this post with the US Open finishing up on Monday.  Maybe on205th is talking about next year?

• Fake Kenny Anderson gets busted!

• Bugs and Cranks looks for Mark McGuire.  What has he been doing?

• Are the Cubs really melting AGAIN?

•  Obama and McCain rock ESPN the Mag. 

• Does anyone actually think Ashton Kutcher can play/coach soccer?  The guy is a fruitcake.

• The Packers with the loss of old man Favre, have become the youngest team in the NFL.

• Epic Carnival says that David Ortiz is the new Man-Ram.

•  Waiting for your week 3 college football picks?  T-Roc is on it.

• And of course, Oden went all N'Sync on us...

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

9/10/08

Did you notice the new Google Logo today?  It would be a picture of a Large Hadron Collider (LHC)...

Yeah exactly, what the hell is that?

• Wiki Page for Large Hadron Collider
  

Don't forget that Google also ran a series of Olympic Logos for each day that the Olympics were running.  You can check those out HERE.


Sell your 125x125 ads easier with Performancing Ads!

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/9/08

There are days that I become even more excited and proud to be a sports blogger.  Those days usually include a couple of stumbles through some marketing or entrepreneurial blogs that are filled with complete crap or spam followed by a quick perusing of BallHype only to find 50 stories that catch my attention or make me laugh.

Today I actually ran across one of the major "make money" blogs that posted a guest post informing readers how to gain "worthwhile backlinks".  So what was wrong with the article? Oh, only the fact that we've heard and seen this list about 10,000 times.  This is exactly why I love sports blogs and sports blogging; we always have brand new and interesting material to write about.

Here are the 5 things I'm glad sports bloggers have ignored in the blogosphere...


1.  Personal Video Blogging (Vlogging) - Certain "pro" bloggers have made this suggestion the most obnoxious form of online chattering ever.  There have actually been posts on this blog destroying the idea that "vlogging" is the future and thank whoever your lord is, that sports bloggers have pushed this toolbox of garbage away.

2.  Affiliate Spamming - I'm sure sports bloggers could abuse affiliate marketing almost more than anyone.  Fan gear is a huge industry, especially online, yet sports bloggers find that displaying their affiliate banners and ads in their sidebars work just fine.  Instead of all the trickery and in-post spam, sports bloggers really gear towards a specific niche of readers that can be monetized without going, well, almost blackhat.

3.  Repeating Worthless Content - A new sports story pops up almost by the minute!  Instead of re-writing that "top 9 ways to gain traffic!" post, sports bloggers focus on breaking the most recent news while spinning their opinion on it.  You see, the online marketing and "make money" worlds have run out of ideas and instead, either fill up your space with the newest affiliate network or a re-write of those quick and easy money making tactics.  Blah.

4.  Preaching about your Greatness - It really excites me to know that zero sports bloggers have used their own name as their blog's title.  Can you get anymore egocentric than that?  Rather than posting how many links, traffic or money they've made the past month, sports bloggers continue to work on breaking the next up and coming topic.  The reason sports blogs continue to thrive has everything to do with their work ethic and a selfless attitude.

5.  Money is Not the Number One Goal - I would guess that 90% of sports bloggers start their blogs without any thought of making money.  My NBA blog was started because it gave me a forum to vent all of my (supposed) NBA knowledge.  It also gave me a chance to talk with thousands of other NBA obsessed fans instead of annoying my friends and family all the time!  Other bloggers have started in this business with one goal, to make money.  I can't hate completely on them for this, but the transparency of their product is a dead giveaway.

I love you fellow sports bloggers!


________________________________________________________________
Come on down to America's favorite sportsbook - BetUS.com - for football betting and get all the latest football betting odds & lines for your betting needs.

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/9/08

How bout thinking of September as "reader appreciation month"?  We'll try to throw out some things that will hopefully benefit our readers.  The first thing is?  How about some super cheap advertising deals?

Here is the deal...

For the month of September, we thought that giving you some ridiculous deals on advertising on our site would be a nice touch.  Our site has grown a ton and according to Compete.com, our traffic was up almost 78% for the month of August plus we're working with a solid PageRank of 3, an Alexa rank of 136,696 and a Technorati rank of 45,028.  Times are good, so jump into this while it's available.

All advertising will be slashed for the rest of the month!  Right now we have 4 text link spots and 3 125x125 spots that are there for the taking. 

• Text Links - Usually priced at $20 per month are now just $5 for the rest of September!
• 125x125 Ads - Usually $30, can be purchased through Performancing Ads for $2.50 per week for the next 4 weeks!

If anyone is interested in the text link spots, hit me up through my Contact page and if you want a 125x125 spot, you'll have to sign up for Performancing Ads and order your ad through that service.

Here is the purchase link to our site there.

Any questions, just let me know!

(You can check out our advertising page to see our normal prices.)


Sell your 125x125 ads easier with Performancing Ads!

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/8/08

I just wanted to let everyone know that Sitemeter is undergoing an overhaul this coming weekend that will affect you, well sort of.  The new platform they'll introduce should provide more accurate info all around to help you really capitalize on your traffic.

You can check out their migration facts at the Sitemeter blog.

And for those of you not using Sitemeter, can I ask why?  It is easily my favorite traffic tracking program.



Sell your 125x125 ads easier with Performancing Ads!

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/8/08

Are you ready for our list of winners for the Contest of Sports Sexi-ness?!?

I will be contacting all sponsors to let them know which participant they need to pay out, exchange ads with, or organize a guest post for.  You should be hearing from them soon so pay attention and keep a look out!

Thanks again to everyone for participating; this contest turned out to be pretty major.  A BIG thanks to all the sponsors who helped us easily achieve what we were attempting to achieve here with this contest.

Stay tuned  for our next one, as it won't be too far out!

____________________________________________________________________
***SPONSORS***
If you were giving away Entrecard credits and you took the opportunity to send me the credits ahead of time, I will pay out the winner.  If you did not send me the credits, please go ahead and work to send the credits to the winner yourself.

***WINNERS***
 All of the sponsors will do their best to contact you, but you if you did not provide us with much contact info, then it could be difficult.  My suggestion is to leave the sponsor a comment or email with your contact information.  Let's all work together to make this as simple as possible!

(Winners listed in BOLD and as their comment name)

• The Sports Dollar - $50 Gift Card* + 10,000 Entrecard Credits - WIEHANNE
  

• NE Patriots Draft - 10,001 Entrecard Credits - DAVID
  

• Fantasy Baseball -  5,000 Entrecard Credits - BETTER INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
  

• My Sports Rumors - 5,000 Entrecard Credits + 125x125 Ad** - MITCHELL
  

• Blue Workhorse - 2,222 Entrecard Credits - THEMELIB.COM
  

• Michael Aulia - 1,000 Entrecard Credits - CUZOOGLE
  

• Juiced Sports Blog - 125x125 Ad + Sticky Forum Topic of Choice - HITSU
  

• NESW Sports - 2 Guest Posts with up to 10 Links - WEBBY CONTEST
  

• Cuzoogle - 125x125 Ad - BRIAN MCELHINNY
  

• You Been Blinded - 125x125 Ad - LOUIS LIEM
  

• The Red Zone Report - 125x125 Ad - BONORIAU
  

• Steady Burn - Guest Post with Links - RIYANNE
  

• Movie Reviews - 500 Entrecard Credits - DAVE FITZPATRICK
  

• NBAtipoff - 2 Guest Posts with up to 13 Links - CONTESTIME
  

• Women Like Sports - Guest Post with Links - NHC1987
  

• Designer's Depot - 2,000 Entrecard Credits - WECC
  

• IndoContest - 1,500 Entrecard Credits - ROSHILL
  

• SimplyWP - 1,000 Entrecard Credits - BM
  

• My Tramping View - 1,500 Entrecard Credits  - KRANJCARZ
  

• Contest Live - 1,000 Entrecard Credits - TOPEN
  

• Magpies Zone - 125x125 Ad - CAH KONTES
  

• Shearyadi's World - 125x125 Ad - CONTEST LIVE
  

All of the sponsors will do their best to contact you, but you if you did not provide us with much contact info, then it could be difficult.  My suggestion is to leave the sponsor a comment or email with your contact information.  Let's all work together to make this as simple as possible!


Sell your 125x125 ads easier with Performancing Ads!

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/5/08

While watching Roddick get smacked around last night in the US Open, I realized that tennis players have had some ridiculous hairstyles throughout the years.  You know how, during almost any broadcast you get old school pictures of McEnroe and Jimmy Connors in their "hay day" sporting those elite helmets.  Well I scrounged together a few, because there are just so many horrible ones.

And yes this is completely off topic, but I still thought it needed to be presented...


Andre Agassi

 

Bjorn Borg

James Blake (with a little Roddick on the side.)

Boris Becker

Goran Ivanisevic

Jimmy Connors

John McEnroe

Vitas Gerulaitis

Sell your 125x125 ads easier with Performancing Ads!

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/5/08

OK, I apologize and didn't realize how much time this would take, plus I had some BS come up last night that deterred me from getting the winners put together.  I hope you all won't hate me too much for delaying the winners until Monday?

And since I'm doing that, I'll throw in an extra 5,000 Entrecard Credits!  So there is an added prize for someone to take home, putting our total to over 40,000 Credits for the contest.  Pretty ridiculous.

Thanks for your patience and understanding!


Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/4/08

This is amazing...I love seeing athletes take part in activities like this that involve just your regular guy.  And watch the whole thing, or at least fast forward to the 6:30 mark to see a pretty sick dunk.

__________________________________________________________________
Come on down to America's favorite sportsbook - BetUS.com - for football betting and get all the latest football betting odds & lines for your betting needs.

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/4/08

Did you forget to enter the Contest of Sports Sexi-ness?  Today is your final day!  We'll announce winners tomorrow and hopefully move on from this beast.

Here is a quick list of the prizes and sponsors again:

• The Sports Dollar - RSS - $50 Gift Card* + 5,000 Entrecard Credits

• NE Patriots Draft - RSS - 10,001 Entrecard Credits

• Fantasy Baseball - RSS - 5,000 Entrecard Credits

• My Sports Rumors - RSS - 5,000 Entrecard Credits + 125x125 Ad**

• Blue Workhorse - RSS - 2,222 Entrecard Credits

• Michael Aulia - RSS - 1,000 Entrecard Credits

• Juiced Sports Blog - RSS - 125x125 Ad + Sticky Forum Topic of Choice

• NESW Sports - RSS - 2 Guest Posts with up to 10 Links

• Cuzoogle - RSS - 125x125 Ad

• You Been Blinded - RSS - 125x125 Ad

• The Red Zone Report - RSS - 125x125 Ad

• Steady Burn - RSS - Guest Post with Links

• Movie Reviews - RSS - 500 Entrecard Credits

• NBAtipoff - RSS - 2 Guest Posts with up to 13 Links

• Women Like Sports - RSS - Guest Post with Links

• Designer's Depot - RSS - 2,000 Entrecard Credits

• IndoContest - RSS -  1,500 Entrecard Credits

• SimplyWP - RSS - 1,000 Entrecard Credits

• My Tramping View - RSS - 1,500 Entrecard Credits 

• Contest Live - RSS - 1,000 Entrecard Credits

• Magpies Zone - RSS - 125x125 Ad

• Shearyadi's World - RSS - 125x125 Ad

Oh and the rules again for you lazy folks:

• (5 Tickets) - Write up a quick post about the contest linking back to this post!
• (5 Tickets) - Subscribe the Sports Dollar's RSS Feed
  
• (1 Ticket) - You will receive 1 Ticket to each blog in the contest that you link to in your contest post.  A chance to have an extra 22 Tickets here!
  
• (1 Ticket) - You will receive 1 Ticket for each RSS Feed of a participating blog that you subscribe to.  Another chance to rack up 22 more Tickets!
• (Bonus Tickets) - If you complete each step to the contest, you will receive a bonus of 10 Tickets! 

Pretty simple I'd say!  Join that damn thing and win yourself some very nice prizes!




Sell your 125x125 ads easier with Performancing Ads!

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/4/08 - Joshua

In my profession, sports blogger, I come across a dizzily amount of information each and every day. Much like the guy from Memento I have to come up with a system to help me remember it all.

What I have is more like a hybrid system where I use a few different techniques to help me organize information and recall it quickly.

My main job in sports is covering NASCAR. Now that would seem a pretty easy thing to do but really it is a lot more involved then anyone really realizes. There are 36 Sprint Cup races, 35 Nationwide Series races, and 25 Truck series races each year. That is a grand total of 96 races every year and I essentially cover them all.

Now given enough time I could probably remember a key factor or a solid run in each and every one of those races, but that method is horribly inefficient. Especially when we consider I have been watching NASCAR races since 1990, and sometimes it gets hard to separate a race memory from California that happened in 1998 from one that happened in the spring of this year.

That is why each race that happens all year round gets its own index card in my ever growing collection of note cards and holders.  On each note card I have the top 10 finishers, top 10 qualifiers, and all the other important race information. I use this information every day and it also enables me to be able to watch trends.

For example, last week the Sprint Cup series was in California. Now I know who won this race over the last few years’ right in my head, Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson. However in reviewing my note cards I found that Jimmie had won this race last year, finished second here in the spring, and finished third here in the spring of 2007. Based on that I can write a nice feature piece on how this race is Jimmie’s to lose.

Now I know what you all are thinking couldn’t I find all that out on the internet? Yeah, I probably could, but in note card form I can find it all a lot quicker. It is a system that works for me.

Other then that, I use a notepad to write stuff down when I read the newspaper or various magazines daily.  I use this system for all my research in sports business stories.

Generally I find something interesting in the paper and make a little note about it, and where I found it and then search the net for more information. For these stories I write down all the facts and all the sources just in case somebody wants to debate me later, and that happens more often then I care for.

Recently, I had a huge argument with some unknown internet hater about how Mark Cuban made all of his money. All the information I had said he was an original investor in Yahoo. This internet hater said he sold broadcast.com to yahoo and that is how he made his fortune. Since I had written down my source in this case Forbes.com, I went and rechecked and Yahoo did indeed buy broadcast.com but I could find no mention of Cuban with that transaction.

In fact of the Forbes list of American Billionaires it listed Cuban as yahoo and sports teams as his job and this other guy as the founder and seller of broadcast.com.

Not that I care to win fights on the internet with intellectually unarmed people but as a serious writer getting the fact right is of the up most importance.

My system works for me, and that will be different for everyone, but it is important to have one and to get the facts right. That way we can finally put my nemesis, Michael Wilbong, out of business.



Sell your 125x125 ads easier with Performancing Ads!

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/4/08

Oh the 7 deadly sins, how much fun are these?  Sports bloggers fall into almost all of these categories with regularity, and that my friends, is not always a bad thing.  In fact, I would argue that in order to be successful at this, you need to be a little “sinful”.  Of course, we are tweaking these to fit into our little scheme here, but it should still be entertaining enough.  Let’s dig right into this…

Don’t we all have a “lust for power”?  Don’t we all “lust for more traffic”?  Don’t we all have a “lust for more links”?  Lust means to have a passionate or overmastering desire for something.  As a sports blogger, I tend to have a passionate or overmastering desire to be the best, receive the most traffic, and create the most unique ideas out of any blogger.  This may not happen all the time, but it is a lust for success that drives me and probably drives most of you.

Meaning, excessive eating and drinking, gluttony can still fit into a sports blogger’s life.  The approach I look at gluttony as a “deadly sin” would be to not excessively take in everything that every other blogger writes.  I think from time to time we all start drinking a little too much Kool-Aid from some of the tops bloggers, start to mimic them and lose focus on what our blog needs to be.  We also need to not reach excessive levels in any certain topic or type of post.  Those top 10 lists and funny videos can reach gluttony type levels at times, so be careful.  On a second point, since we all live in our mother’s basement, try not to eat and drink excessively and end up like this guy.

This may be the most important of the sins and one that you really need to think deeply about.  Meaning excessive or rapacious desire, especially for wealth, the sin of greed can take you far away from your goals and comfort zone.  If wealth is the only reason you started your sports blog, then I’m not sure you should really be sports blogging.  The wealth can come in just a short amount of time if you stay focused and let your passion through sports really shine.  Sports bloggers are easily the most passionate of any blogger, but once they see a few dollars start to roll in, can get greedy.

Still wondering why you haven’t succeeded as a sports blogger?  Maybe you are flat out lazy.  Sloth means habitual laziness and is something you need to overcome in order to see that blog grow.  Actually, laziness will hold you back in any walk of life, but definitely will bring your blog’s progress to a screeching halt.  You see the big dog blogs growing in front of your eyes and they didn’t get there by waiting around or putting off that post a couple more days when in 10 more minutes you could have finished it.  Stop waiting around, it’s time to write, promote and network.

Meaning vengeance or punishment as the consequence of anger, wrath comes out in many of our writings.  Whether we are attacking another blogger, story or athlete, I think we’ve all fallen under this category.  I wouldn’t suggest you always set yourself out on a rampage, but every once in a while it is needed.  Plus, starting a nice little skirmish with another sports blogger can bring you each some much needed exposure and traffic.  So what’s the problem with wrath?  You don’t want to come off as the angry blogger every day do you?  Reading angry posts can be entertaining, but only for so long.

Sick of seeing other sports bloggers succeed?  It’s ok to envy another blogger, but you should focus on turning that envy into drive.  I know I’ve been guilty of dealing with the frustrations that come with witnessing the success of fellow bloggers, but if I was unaware of others’ successes, then I wouldn’t be a good blogger.  You should always know what your competitors are working and from what angles, the key however, is to use their success to your advantage.  Remember that your competitors are growing your niche, therefore bringing you more exposure.

You better have some pride if you ever plan on making it through life.  The definition of pride may mean a high or inordinate opinion of one’s own dignity or superiority, but who cares.  If I don’t feel good about the posts, contests, and entertainment I provide, then how will I ever make it?  And if I don’t feel good about the work I’m laying out there, how should I expect any readers to enjoy it?  Have some pride people!  It feels f-ing good.

Now, tell me your sins!


Sell your 125x125 ads easier with Performancing Ads!

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/3/08

Our favorite topic, “3 Questions” is back!  Of course, just like the first episode, we would like our readers to answer all three questions, but if you think that sucks, then just answer 1 or 2 and we’ll still love you! 

I would have to say that my favorite part of blogging is listening to readers and what they have to say about specific topics. This seems to be a great outlet for everyone to speak their minds and possibly brag a little bit.  So let me have it!

1.  As a young blog, we tend to fall back on social media for most of our traffic which we then hope to grab and hold onto as return traffic.  What tricks are you using to keep that quick burst of traffic returning?

2.  Stumble Upon and BallHype tend to be our biggest players in the social networking/media world.  Are there new services you’ve really taken a liking to such as Yahoo’s Buzz?

3.  What is your single biggest day from a social media site?  I want numbers people; it’s “blow your own horn” time!


Sell your 125x125 ads easier with Performancing Ads!

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/2/08

Part 6 - Close the “Deal”!

Your contest has run its course!  After finding sponsors, deciding on a format, promoting like mad, and then promoting even more, hopefully you hit that initial goal we talked about in part 1.

At this point you need to draw your winners (or however you decided to pick them) and release the winners to the world!  If you asked contestants to subscribe to your feed via email during the contest, then hopefully you have a valid email address that can be used to inform your winners. 

But don’t forget, you’ll also want to run a post making it clear to all participants that you have followed up on your promise to give every single prize away.  (The last thing we want after this long haul is to come off shady in any shape or form.)

Your “winners” post is your last chance to:

1.    Ask for more subscribers!
2.    Remind readers of future and past contests!
3.    Link to other successful posts!
4.    Sell readers on products or services!

In each step of your contest, you should be looking to increase your chances on reaching that initial goal and this last step should not be overlooked and could be your most powerful.

Thanks for taking part in our contest series and look for a possible PDF version soon!  Maybe you can give it away at Christmas or something…

(Part 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.)


Sell your 125x125 ads easier with Performancing Ads!

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/2/08

You can now submit your FeedBurner info to the Adsense peeps again to get your feeds enabled in their new Adsense feed service.

They had stopped taking new requests for a couple of weeks due to an overload and their clunky manual process.  But if you are still interested in testing this new ad service out (and I've heard it's legit) then head to your Adsense account now and send them your feed info!


Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/2/08

There has been a surge of blogs spreading new opinion on how they feel content has "never been king" or is "not king" and  I completely disagree.  Why?  Because over the last month, since the sale of my NBA blog, I've really been focusing on the content to this site and sure enough, it has been a record month in almost every category.

Content in masses might not be, but quality content to me will always remain king. During the month of August we hit pageview, subscription and posting frequency records!  It was a pretty exciting month with some very quality links coming through from some very reputable blogs.

Here is a quick recap of August 2008!

• We started off with our Top 50 Sports Blogs for the 2nd Quarter of 2008 which has continued to be a huge hit.

• We almost went WordPress on everyone and then backed away at the last minute with a few frustrations.

• We made our daily blog schedule available to the masses, which was awkward.

• We brought you way too many posts on our favorite new advertising program, Performancing Ads.

• The Olympics rolled through and we brought you every single Google Olympics Logo.

• We launched a massive contest, oh so cleverly named, the Contest of Sports Sexi-ness!

• We also launched a 6 part series on how to run a blog contest.  Part 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 with part 6 later today.

• The SD-mobile arrived!

• Cuzoogle's Pigskin Picks Contest began, well almost.

• And finished the month off with our biggest post to date, the 6 Types of Sports Bloggers.

Sell your 125x125 ads easier with Performancing Ads!

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/2/08

Yes, Internet Explorer sucks.  Yes, we all love Firefox.  Yes, now we can also have an affair with another browser!

Google Chrome should be released at some point today and the internets will be flooding to download to write their reviews, bash it, lick it, and spread the gospel to it.  I'll check it out and give it a go, but for me, I like to wait until some of these things are out for a while and those bugs have been hammered through.

So please, download it and tell me your thoughts!  Possible download link?

Here is some more info on the new browser:

• PC Mag - Google to Release Open Source "Chrome" Browser
• CNET - Google Chrome Update
• eFluxMedia - Oh No! Not another Browser!
  

Sell your 125x125 ads easier with Performancing Ads!

Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!

Posted 9/1/08

The Week Zero Sport Blog NFL Power Rankings are up over at NE Patriots Draft!  I'm almost positive in due time, you will be able to use this list to make millions of dollars, meaning this is a must read.  It should be up every week as the NFL season pokes along.


Fan of the Sports Dollar? Subscribe to our feed!