"Life goes on, just like always.'

[FurmanATT]

Mike Bothwell said that in the media room afterwards.
Elena Davidson, who did a great job taking photos in the tournament and got a lot of great experience being there and seeing how it all operates, texted me when she got home that she was still numb and had no words.
No such option for yours truly. When I got home, I had her photos to go through (maybe I'm too much the perfectionist, but pics take a lot of time) and the story to finish. I got done at 3 a.m. No big deal. I'm often up to the wee hours.
The good news is that FurmanATT.com had the highest page views since the aftermath of the Wofford football game. I did my damn level best to cover that tournament, and I think I rose to the occasion, even if the occasion fell.
The bad news is that it is still underachieving. It hasn't "caught on," which happened on the Laurens County site when PC fired Tommy Spangler as head coach. The long run of Presbyterian insanity went from Spangler's winning record through Kevin Kelley's radical disaster, and it took the site regional instead of local, and it has maintained that slightly larger niche.
FurmanATT.com exists because I try to restore coverage in the void of the slow death of newspapers. It's not as simple as that, though. Fans have gotten out of the habit of reading. I met one of my best friends for a beer while in Charlotte covering Presbyterian's games in the Big South, we spent a couple hours (that one beer was seriously sipped) talking about our profession.
Furman has a fan base that is literate in a market that is large. The site has slowly grown, but it still lags far behind LaurensCountySports.com, which has been up for almost two years now.
I'd appreciate if you'd help spread the word about the site. It's as comprehensive as time allows. It's dedicated to Furman, but it's also independent, and I believe fans want the whole story. When my work angered someone during the NASCAR, I used to say, "You think I'm tough. You should read my mail. I'm Fans Light."
I get to do theses sites my way. If they don't prosper, it's ultimately because my way is wrong.
There's a long dry spell coming after basketball. No baseball. Baseball's big in Laurens County. That dry spell is also useful because advertising that involves chains and brands and central offices take time. But improving the analytics of the site is crucial to that.
I talked to a lot of Furman folks at the tournament. I get more column stuff hanging around a gym than I do from the actual game. I'm still surprised at fans, often old friends, who aren't aware the site exists, or who just say, "oh, yeah, I heard about that."
As we used to say in pickup games, "Hey, little help.."
I appreciate you. I am enriched by reading here what you have to say. It shapes my coverage. It enriches my knowledge of what I do.
Sorry to be self-serving. -- MD

[Affirm]

Mike Bothwell said that in the media room afterwards.
Elena Davidson, who did a great job taking photos in the tournament and got a lot of great experience being there and seeing how it all operates, texted me when she got home that she was still numb and had no words.
No such option for yours truly. When I got home, I had her photos to go through (maybe I'm too much the perfectionist, but pics take a lot of time) and the story to finish. I got done at 3 a.m. No big deal. I'm often up to the wee hours.
The good news is that FurmanATT.com had the highest page views since the aftermath of the Wofford football game. I did my damn level best to cover that tournament, and I think I rose to the occasion, even if the occasion fell.
The bad news is that it is still underachieving. It hasn't "caught on," which happened on the Laurens County site when PC fired Tommy Spangler as head coach. The long run of Presbyterian insanity went from Spangler's winning record through Kevin Kelley's radical disaster, and it took the site regional instead of local, and it has maintained that slightly larger niche.
FurmanATT.com exists because I try to restore coverage in the void of the slow death of newspapers. It's not as simple as that, though. Fans have gotten out of the habit of reading. I met one of my best friends for a beer while in Charlotte covering Presbyterian's games in the Big South, we spent a couple hours (that one beer was seriously sipped) talking about our profession.
Furman has a fan base that is literate in a market that is large. The site has slowly grown, but it still lags far behind LaurensCountySports.com, which has been up for almost two years now.
I'd appreciate if you'd help spread the word about the site. It's as comprehensive as time allows. It's dedicated to Furman, but it's also independent, and I believe fans want the whole story. When my work angered someone during the NASCAR, I used to say, "You think I'm tough. You should read my mail. I'm Fans Light."
I get to do theses sites my way. If they don't prosper, it's ultimately because my way is wrong.
There's a long dry spell coming after basketball. No baseball. Baseball's big in Laurens County. That dry spell is also useful because advertising that involves chains and brands and central offices take time. But improving the analytics of the site is crucial to that.
I talked to a lot of Furman folks at the tournament. I get more column stuff hanging around a gym than I do from the actual game. I'm still surprised at fans, often old friends, who aren't aware the site exists, or who just say, "oh, yeah, I heard about that."
As we used to say in pickup games, "Hey, little help.."
I appreciate you. I am enriched by reading here what you have to say. It shapes my coverage. It enriches my knowledge of what I do.
Sorry to be self-serving. -- MD

Hear what you’re saying, and I certainly wish you the best. At the same time, I will say what you are well aware of: trying to get your request out via UFFP, which apparently has very small readership, may not succeed. I don’t know the answer to your situation. I guess you’re trying every possible means that may be available to you, of which putting the above on UFFP is only one.
By the way, I myself have too much to read already. To attract me to your readership, you’ll have to have some very good , dependable, regular info. Also from my perspective, it detracts from the attractiveness of your product that you are not focusing totally on Furman. My interest in Laurens County sports is zero; and in Wofford and PC, close to zero.
I will add: I generally enjoy reading your posts on UFFP.

[FU69]

Mike Bothwell said that in the media room afterwards.
Elena Davidson, who did a great job taking photos in the tournament and got a lot of great experience being there and seeing how it all operates, texted me when she got home that she was still numb and had no words.
No such option for yours truly. When I got home, I had her photos to go through (maybe I'm too much the perfectionist, but pics take a lot of time) and the story to finish. I got done at 3 a.m. No big deal. I'm often up to the wee hours.
The good news is that FurmanATT.com had the highest page views since the aftermath of the Wofford football game. I did my damn level best to cover that tournament, and I think I rose to the occasion, even if the occasion fell.
The bad news is that it is still underachieving. It hasn't "caught on," which happened on the Laurens County site when PC fired Tommy Spangler as head coach. The long run of Presbyterian insanity went from Spangler's winning record through Kevin Kelley's radical disaster, and it took the site regional instead of local, and it has maintained that slightly larger niche.
FurmanATT.com exists because I try to restore coverage in the void of the slow death of newspapers. It's not as simple as that, though. Fans have gotten out of the habit of reading. I met one of my best friends for a beer while in Charlotte covering Presbyterian's games in the Big South, we spent a couple hours (that one beer was seriously sipped) talking about our profession.
Furman has a fan base that is literate in a market that is large. The site has slowly grown, but it still lags far behind LaurensCountySports.com, which has been up for almost two years now.
I'd appreciate if you'd help spread the word about the site. It's as comprehensive as time allows. It's dedicated to Furman, but it's also independent, and I believe fans want the whole story. When my work angered someone during the NASCAR, I used to say, "You think I'm tough. You should read my mail. I'm Fans Light."
I get to do theses sites my way. If they don't prosper, it's ultimately because my way is wrong.
There's a long dry spell coming after basketball. No baseball. Baseball's big in Laurens County. That dry spell is also useful because advertising that involves chains and brands and central offices take time. But improving the analytics of the site is crucial to that.
I talked to a lot of Furman folks at the tournament. I get more column stuff hanging around a gym than I do from the actual game. I'm still surprised at fans, often old friends, who aren't aware the site exists, or who just say, "oh, yeah, I heard about that."
As we used to say in pickup games, "Hey, little help.."
I appreciate you. I am enriched by reading here what you have to say. It shapes my coverage. It enriches my knowledge of what I do.
Sorry to be self-serving. -- MD

Monte:
I’ve always enjoyed your journalism in past years. And being an FU fan, as you are, I am delighted to support FURMAN ATT Via Patreon. I only wish I could donate at a higher level. And I received the t-shirt merch

[FurmanATT]

I really appreciate the support, particularly that of patrons. I don't think there's any alternative to the site being free to anyone who wants to read. I'm no pro at advertising, but I try. I have 3 part-timers and I get a lot of enjoyment out of teaching them how to cover sports, and every single one of them finds out that it's harder than they think.
In terms of Furman, well, I DO focus on Furman. Laurens County Sports gets less of my personal attention in terms of being at events. Please take a good look at FurmanATT.com before you dismiss it as not being a comprehensive site. It's as comprehensive as I can make it. The photo galleries are massive, and that takes a lot of time, too.
Without baseball this spring, my plan is to do a lot of features, looking back and ahead. I'm kicking myself because I haven't been able to get out to a spring football practice yet, but I'll be at the spring game and keeping up with what is on the horizon at Furman.

-- MD

[Paul C]

Monte - count me as one of your supporters, and I appreciated the T shirt. It's actually one of the more comfy ones I wear around. It fits guys like us pretty well

Suggestion....interviews with coaches, a little "inside" info as much as they are comfortable sharing. For example we are in the middle of spring practice who is stepping up, who looks improved, how do the youngsters look.

Need more than what's in the press releases or video interviews. I get that's time consuming and tough but I'd pay for a couple good insightful articles per month.

It's ultimately about quality not quantity.

[dornb]

Monte, at the top of this page, under the "Links" icon, there are links to the official Furman athletic site and the Furman Sports Report. Perhaps you could get one of the administrators to add a link there to FUATT.

[apaladin]

Monte - count me as one of your supporters, and I appreciated the T shirt. It's actually one of the more comfy ones I wear around. It fits guys like us pretty well

Suggestion....interviews with coaches, a little "inside" info as much as they are comfortable sharing. For example we are in the middle of spring practice who is stepping up, who looks improved, how do the youngsters look.

Need more than what's in the press releases or video interviews. I get that's time consuming and tough but I'd pay for a couple good insightful articles per month.

It's ultimately about quality not quantity.

Paul C what are these press releases and video interviews you speak of? Only press release I have seen is the one stating practice was starting. Please share.

[FurmanATT]

Two small points.
I have requested a couple times to have the site linked here.
I have been so smothered by basketball that I haven't had a chance to get out to football practice ... yet.
There's a lot going on right now, but without baseball, I will be writing the kinds of stories -- features, interviews, etc. -- that you suggest.
Since Caleb Gilbert left -- we're still great friends and stay in touch -- it's 2 websites, me and 3 part-timers.
Till the site grows more, that's where it's going to be.
Again, I appreciate all the support and kind words. -- MD

[Flagman]

Send the link to Stumpy.

[FUBeAR]

Send the link to Stumpy.

Who?