Why is it that more athletes don’t blog?
This is a question that has perturbed me for quite some time. Out of all the athletes, I only know of two baseball players that maintain their thoughts on a website, both of which are on opposite sides of the age and career spectrum. There are countless differences between these two people, which leads me to believe that anyone could maintain this electronic diary.
Phil Hughes is a 21 year old pitcher for the New York Yankees, who has recently started his own blog to reach out to fans and keep him busy in the off-season. His posts are very simple and thought provoking in the realm of what song should play on his walk to the mound or what he should do on a Wednesday night. The amount of traffic his blog receives is enormous. Having grown up during a time period where the computer transformed daily life, Hughes uses this means as a way to build an online “friendship” with his fans. He provides a forum for them to gain insight on his personality, which in turn will only create a strong bond to the player among the fans.
Curt Schilling is a very opinionated, 41 year old pitcher for the Red Sox who blogs on a daily basis regarding anything and everything. He rarely speaks the media and uses 38pitches.com as a platform to communicate his thoughts on the performance during a game or an issue in sports or even the world.
So why don’t athletes blog more? Pitchers work every 5 days for only six to seven months a year, with all that down time it’s hard to imagine them not wanting to build a relationship with the media and fans. By being able to read player’s thoughts, I’d be more apt to root for him or have a feel of personal connection over other athletes.
Blogging provides another dimension in getting information to the fans, while avoiding having to deal with quotes that are picked apart for an excerpt in today’s paper. In an age where we can gain insight into a game from the radio, television, internet, newspaper or even word of mouth, having the words come directly from the source creates a whole new angle in being a fan.