The Master Plan

So after some careful consideration, numerous coin flips, some sleepless nights, about 23 buffalo wings and 6 Dos Equis' (Sunday was a great day... how friggin awesome is Eli Manning?!) -- I decided exactly the type of blog I'd like to start for this semester. Thursday night I sat down and ranked my initial topic ideas, and lo and behold, they stayed exactly the same when it came to the deadline. #5 was a joke (and entirely too common in the faggy blogging community), #4 didn't give me enough quality material, and #3 would be too much of an incoherent rant/ramble. It came down to this: do I want to write about my beloved Yankees or about my unhealthy basketball obsession? Well, the Yanks are entering the playoffs in two weeks, and if their season gets cut short by the fuckhead Angels (which I have an awful feeling that it will), then this blog becomes just depressing for me to do. And if they win it all, I'm just a cocky prick bragging about how good my favorite team is -- that's not a distinguishable topic by any means. Either way, by November baseball is over and there ain't much to write about.

So basketball it is. My life is consumed with this sport. I've played it for 19 years, my dad has played/coached it for 40, and I spend upwards of 2 hours a day gathering information on it (in-season or not). I follow the NBA like a mad man, I watch college ball religiously... shit I used to go to high school camps to see the best players in the country when they were 16. I fucking love basketball and I'm extremely informed, passionate, and opinionated about it. I think discussing it brings out my most honest self and the best in my personality. That's why I'm gonna write about it.

Is my topic too broad? Maybe a little. I haven't quite narrowed down to a T what I'd like to write about. I can't exclude either pro or college ball because I love and follow them equally. What I intend to elaborate on are things in the game that stand out to me and that you might not hear about from the Marc Steins, the Ric Buchers, and even the Bill Simmons' of the world. I value team chemistry, effective coaching styles, glue guys, great point guard play, tough full-court defense, and positive leadership (yeah Kobe, that means the opposite of you). I don't anticipate having any trouble finding material to write about -- the season is just starting, and there are plenty of storylines to both laud and criticize. That's not even including the actual games. I'm getting antsy just typing this shit.

My audience will be the realest of fans -- the ones who genuinely invest an emotional interest in this game. Do most of them know what the hell they're talking about? Hell no. That's why they should read my shit, 'cause I definitely do. And that'll be the tone of my posts. I find it to be a more interesting read if I have a little bit of 'villain' in me. Plus I'm not usually a dick in real life, so letting that devil on my shoulder be my blogging persona could be very therapeutic for me. I'm pretty excited about that. I think that design will take on a life of its own as the blog progresses. I'll obviously be able to tell how comfortable I am in this shell and how effective I am in conveying my opinions after multiple posts. I don't always have a plan when I write... I just usually bang the keys til something sounds the way I want it to. And in the past, that's been an extremely effective method for me. So we'll see where this takes us.

One thing that has changed for me over this past weekend, though, is my preference for a title. Fuck "Sharp Elbows," I'm not cool with that one anymore. It's along the lines of what I want in a title, but it's just not the one. I want it to be a smash-mouth title -- something that evokes a feeling. I envision it to be a true basketball phrase that can also serve a double meaning. So without further ado, my possible title list...

-- "Broken Ankles"
-- "Calling Bank"
-- "The Floor General"

I like 'em all to be totally honest (leaning towards #2). Suggestions? Please, for once, I need them.