Have you found this gold mine sports site?

Submitted by Blueverine on

After reading an article on Sports Business Daily, I checked out The Players Tribune. It's a site with content "written" by athletes to communicate directly to fans.  Won't go into the business model stuff, but it's CHOCK FULL of articles "penned" by Michigan athletes.  Just read two great articles from Jake R. and Jabril and there are a lot more that I haven't read yet.

I use the quotation marks because the articles are written with help by real writers, but the stories are cool. Learned a couple things I didn't know like how Harbaugh uses the analogy of channel surfing to go through a QB's progression.

This site will be bookmarked in my browser.

http://theplayerstribune.com

[Hope this link works.]

MGoBoard
Football
Dad Rudock
athlete stories

DreisbachToHayes

January 8th, 2016 at 10:17 AM ^

Yes.  Yes I have found that site.  

I believe everyone in the sports world has found it, especially after Kobe Bryant posted his 4th grade poetry assignment on there upon announcing his retirement.

Joined: 12/04/2012

MGoPoints: 9311

LSAClassOf2000

January 8th, 2016 at 1:56 PM ^

As long as you didn't use AltaVista or one of the back in the day browsers, before search algorithms were good at bringing back quality or relevant results. A search for Thai sticks, for example, probably would have probably netted you Styx albums, although that's not as bad as AskJeeves was able to manage for strange results. 

Joined: 01/07/2011

MGoPoints: 130679

Hotel Putingrad

January 8th, 2016 at 10:44 AM ^

but I thought I'd take this opportunity to mention I received my first spam email today from MSU ("make business happen with MSU programs online," because apparently, "every organization needs a Spartan," and "Spartans make great leaders."). I could not unsubscribed quickly enough.

Joined: 12/10/2014

MGoPoints: 212633

MGoRob

January 8th, 2016 at 10:51 AM ^

There certainly are some gems there, but there are total stinkers too.  For instance, the Ha Ha Clinton-Dix contribution is all "we're alabama, we're better than everyone else, here's why we're great".  It's dripping narcissism and definitely does not deserve a read.

Joined: 03/14/2010

MGoPoints: 4429

moserd

January 8th, 2016 at 10:53 AM ^

Daily reader here...I haven't seen the site linked here before either. Was talking to a fellow fan after the Citrus Bowl and he mentioned it. Great reads by both. I wasn't aware of Peppers turbulent upbring.

Joined: 07/13/2009

MGoPoints: 119

Everyone Murders

January 8th, 2016 at 11:22 AM ^

You state that the articles are "written" by the athletes.  You go on to suggest that "real writers" are behind the articles.

What gives? Do you have intel that these are really ghost-written?  Are athletes incapable of being "real writers"?

Honest questions, btw (although the second one is a tad hyperbolic). 

Joined: 12/14/2010

MGoPoints: 65552

SWHarrison

January 8th, 2016 at 11:27 AM ^

Think he means that contributors help the athletes write the pieces. Sort of like any book written by an athlete that has a "with ... (Insert author)." See Ray Lewis recent book for example. I'm sure all the material is original from the athletes, the 'real writers' he mentions likely just edit and structure it in a readable, compelling way.

Joined: 10/13/2014

MGoPoints: 52

Everyone Murders

January 8th, 2016 at 11:35 AM ^

I understand your point, but the athletes who are writing on that site are credited as "Contributor" and I haven't seen any "with [insert author]" attribution.

It certainly seems that the pieces are edited (there's an apparent stylistic commonality between the pieces), but that's common for many publications.  I'm wary of assuming that pieces are co-written.  I'm not saying the OP assumed that here - just curious as to the OP's basis for the assertion.

Joined: 12/14/2010

MGoPoints: 65552

Blueverine

January 8th, 2016 at 11:29 AM ^

"The company employs 35 people, including experienced journalists who work to help athletes tell and illustrate their stories."

Also,

"There has been criticism along the way including that the site is not being totally honest in portraying athletes as writing the stories, when in fact journalists are interviewing athletes and working with them on the pieces, often without credit. The editorial titles that The Players' Tribune has given to athletes have been the subject of some snarky remarks by members of the sports media." 

[I didn't make that last line up. By now, I am comfortably numb to the posts and am anxiously awaiting my push off the front page by new OPs.]

Joined: 11/07/2014

MGoPoints: 1118

Everyone Murders

January 8th, 2016 at 11:40 AM ^

It seems then that the problem is you can't tell who really wrote their own story and who did not.  I suspect that some athletes are accomplished writers and don't need much "rough sanding" at all, while others are getting a ton of help. 

Seems unfair to the athletes who are capable writers, but I suppose it puts the website in a bit of a pinch.  It would be awkward to tacitly ID some as poor writers with a "co-written by" tag and leave others with full credit for authorship.

Anyway, thanks for the info and the good spirit in which you relayed it.

Joined: 12/14/2010

MGoPoints: 65552

Mr. Elbel

January 8th, 2016 at 11:59 AM ^

I actually just discovered all that was really on it last week bc of the Rudock story. Already knew it existed and actually remember Jeter talking about it. I remember thinking "that sounds dumb" at the time, but it's not really dumb at all. very cool pieces in there that I hadn't seen before. fill in the blanks are funny and interesting and give a behind the scenes look at some players. very cool indeed.

Joined: 03/02/2014

MGoPoints: 21402

philclar

January 8th, 2016 at 2:18 PM ^

Man this Yoohoo is good, you know what else is good, smoking dope. I ain't gonna rat you out. You know, puffing the cheeba, go by the see saw smoke a j. You know what I'm talking about?

Joined: 12/23/2008

MGoPoints: 404

MIGHTYMOJO91

January 8th, 2016 at 3:17 PM ^

but damn you people are brutal albiet in a funny way! I did find the Jabrill read a very good one though.

Joined: 11/28/2015

MGoPoints: 4532