By Elliott Turner

We live in delightfully strange times. Despite the prospect of a global double dip recession, some exciting new businesses dot the internet landscape. I speak of the new sports sites Grantland and the Classical, and soccer ePublication the Blizzard. A cynic would say we are internet-sourcing our entertainment because it’s cheaper. As an optimist, I prefer to view the glass as half full: each of these media enterprises offers a fresh take on sports. For folks seeking more than bland match recaps, your time has come.

First, some background. As an American, I am no stranger to the literary mixing it up with sports. One of the best American novels of the last century, “The Natural,” used the American pastime of baseball to explore timeless themes of dreams, integrity, and second chances. A more recent novel, “The Art of Fielding,” also uses baseball to examine relationships, decisions, and that netherworld when childhood dreams give way to adult realities. These novels are important in two aspects. Stylistically, some great pens are putting out prose about sports. Thematically, sports have expanded beyond their self-contained worlds. Basically, writing about sports does not have to entail trolling about losing last night’s game because the coach played the wrong player.

And what’s so surprising is why it’s taken this long. The humanities have always been a Rocky Horror Picture show of insecurity, threesomes, and break-ups. Are Psychology and Sociology really that different? Are Political Science and International Relations worthy of different majors? In today’s world, people answer yes. They haven’t always agreed and still don’t. Yet in the sports writing world, that land of match reports, player grades, and standings, journalists have fought off English majors with a club. Why has the written word stubbornly stuck to either bland goggles-and-beakers analysis or shock-jock radio transcripts? We may never know, but, God be merciful, let the new era begin.

Each of these sites/publications will give you what could be dubbed “sports plus.” But will you like each one? I’m not sure, so I’ve developed a college-themed curriculum to help guide us. Please note that all three sites/publications are in early development, so all my observations are first impressions.

First, Grantland.

A long time ago, Bill Simmons got spurned by the Boston Globe and became ESPN’s “The Sports Guy.” His sense of humor, intelligence, and fan-focus perspective resonated with a lot of fans sick of seeing their heroes getting convicted of felonies, and even sicker of reading drab yellow journalism about their heroes getting convicted of felonies. All of a sudden, we, the fans, were important! Simmons’ best work is akin to a laid-back, lunch time chat with a smart friend – it will sharpen your own ideas and load your brain with eccentric facts, but not push you anywhere too uncomfortable.

A few years ago, Bill wrote his magnum opus, the Book of Basketball. Since then, he appears to have realized that Youtube and the internet are the next wave in the media evolution. ESPN’s cable revolution won two decades ago because it gave consumer’s choice as compared to the stagnant networks. If you just wanted sports 24/7, then you just got sports. Today, the internet, and blogging, offers even more specificity and more choice. Thus, Bill has landed some great bloggers and writers, such as Brian Phillips of the Run of Play and Carles of Hipster Runoff, and used his ESPN connections and cash to expose a larger audience to some great writing.

Grantland has come under fire for not really advancing the blogosphere in terms of innovation, but that never appeared the goal: rather, at least in the early stages, Grantland is a portal for the masses who have not yet found great blogs. Here they are. Read them. Enjoy them. Early highlights include Brian Phillips’ take on the US-Mexico rivalry and Carles’ look at the Friday Night Lights Culture which enables Tony Romo. Yes, the early soccer coverage has been EPL-centric, in almost total ignorance of MLS. But they also cover the NBA and not the Euroleague, so it all evens out.

If you were on a college campus, then this site would manifest itself as the dining hall with drastically improved options. Instead of match report sloppy joes, you would find two and three course meals with the occasional grilled salmon or filet mignon. You still are not going to eat at the dining hall for every meal, but it’s now a tempting option.

Key Players: Bill Simmons, Brian Phillips, Carles
Corporate Structure: Spin-off from ESPN.
Business Model: Sponsors and banner ads.
Visual: Bill spreads the wealth among talented bloggers and brings along his ESPN flock.
New Media Model: Best of the blogosphere.
Focus: All Sports, plus TV, music & film.
Style: Pretty Op-Edy.
Media Spectrum: An escalator between Slate & the NYTimes.
Relevant College Major: English.
Emotional Investment: Little. Feel free to browse casually. 
Favorite Wrinkle: The weekly “Best of Our Own Site” is either incredibly brilliant or egotistical. Or both.
The Haters Say: FakeGrantland on twitter thinks they’re too pretentious. The opposite may be true.
At it’s Best: A column’s clear prose and a clever motif will make you smile.
At it’s Worst:  A column will be too ESPN and not sufficiently blogpost.
Journalistic Disclosure: I have written several guest posts for Brian Phillips’ soccer site Runofplay.com. We also tweet.
Verdict: You will neither love nor hate Grantland. I enjoy it, especially anything by Brian and most things by Carles.
Check it out here: Grantland.com.

Second, the Blizzard.

Sometimes we read a match report, player grades, or a gamecast, and feel a tinge of sadness. No, not because our team lost, but because the author on the other end feels so close, so bright, and has so much more to say and we know it. We the reader want a deeper connection but a wall separates us. That wall is pageviews, which increasingly dictate headlines, topics, and article length. However, Jonathan Wilson of the Guardian and a publisher in Sunderland, UK have started a quarterly rag to break these shackles: the Blizzard.

The Blizzard has “no editorial line” and premises itself upon letting the talented writers choose their own topic. The result is a quarterly fanzine in the spirit of When Saturday Comes but with long-form journalism. Most of the articles are novel-chapter length, akin to a Kindle single. For my generation, the music term “single” got a negative connotation as a repetitive and bland chorus-based two minute stab at thirty seconds of fame. In journalism terms, it’s the opposite: a long and well-researched investigation into an often obscure or uncovered topic. For example, in Issue One, James Montague wrote a neat article on the history of Israel’s first national team. Be sure your bifocals are bedside before your first issue of the Blizzard arrives.

If you were on a college campus, then this publication would manifest itself as you getting lost in the underground catacombs of the main library. Upon entering this labyrinth, avid readers will lose track of the hours in a day and the days in a week, their loved ones sending worried S.O.S. text messages.

Key Players: Jonathan Wilson, Michael Cox. Simon Kuper
Corporate Structure: Start-up publication with studly revolving roster of journalists.
Business Model: Pay for quality, not pageviews.
Visual: Big guns take turns subletting a refurbished condo in a gentrifying part of historic downtown.
New Media Model: Quarterly digital fanzine turned swinging Kindle singles bar.
Focus: Soccer.
Style: Long-form journalism.
Media Spectrum: Straight A student offspring of the Guardian and When Saturday Comes.
Relevant College Major: History.
Emotional Investment: Moderate. Only your total and undivided attention every 3 months. 
Favorite Wrinkle: The pay-what-you-like digital editions and PDF/Epub/Mobi options.
The Haters Say: Will a publication with “No editorial line” eventually flounder? Or is the absence of an editorial line an editorial line?
At it’s Best: An easily digested and well researched long-form article on an eccentric aspect of soccer history.
At it’s Worst: A bland, overly factual, and way too long article on something esoteric you don’t care about.
Journalistic Disclosure: I tweet about with a few of these folk. I have read every issue so far, yet embarrassingly am not a subscriber.
Verdict: You will really like the Blizzard. I really like the Blizzard.
Check it out here: theBlizzard.

Third, the Classical. 

I was admittedly late to the Freedarko party, but even my 11th hour arrival gave me a glimpse of pure, joyful postmodern sports writing pandemonium. Both books were fantastic and the blogosphere misses their energy. Luckily, the Classical features several FreeDarko alums, Eric Nussbaum of Pitchers & Poets, and, for soccer fans, Fredorrarci of SportisaTVshow fame. The site won’t launch until probably January, so my predictions for the site are based on the fine writers’ body of work plus their own statements.

In their KickStarter video, the Classical laid out a simple premise: a site for smart people to talk about sports. Another contributor,NoCoastOffense, described their goal as a “journal of ideas.” What that translates to is anybody’s guess, but I’m anticipating quirky essays, some long-form journalism, and very little run-of-the-mill topics like Fire Coach X for Reason Y. Based on writing talent alone, the prose should be spectacular. Expect some strong opinions, with the occasional combativeness of an academic debate.

In terms of the business model, in NoCoastOffense’s interview, he stated that they Kickstarted to cover costs for the first year. Ultimately, the early plan is to hire a salesperson on a salary to turn some bucks. This could result in banner ads, sponsorships, etc. No subscription model or paywall has been contemplated. The goal is an Awl content-driven community of loyal readers. I am intrigued and hopeful – I was involved in a Soccer Network, the Simplest Game, where we had the content and decent pageviews, but nobody had the sales savvy or connections or time to seek and close deals. Without that driving force, we drifted our respective ways. The business side is the only aspect that worries me about the project, but more in an existential sense.

If you were on a college campus, then this site would manifest itself as your favorite eccentric professor. One day he or she would pull you aside and show you the books he or she really reads and the university won’t allow on the syllabus.You’d either love the books and now see the professor as a God/dess, or freak out and change courses mid-semester.

Key Players: Bethlehem Shoals, Eric Freeman, Fredorrarci, Eric Nussbaum.
Corporate Structure: Start-up website with great ensemble of bloggers, authors, tumblrs & trapeze artists.
Business Model: Kickstart then sales-sells (TBD).
Visual: Anonymous’ digitized organic brain leaves imageboard4can for a proper domain and day job.
New Media Model: The Awl’s divorce from Gawker. 
Focus: All Sports.
Style: TBD.
Media Spectrum: TBD.
Relevant College Major: Postmodern Critical Theory Studies.
Emotional Investment: High. Neurotically re-fresh your browser. Daily.  
Favorite Wrinkle: During the Kickstarter campaign, if you contributed enough money then you could commission an essay.
The Haters Say:  Does B.A. + M.F.A. = M.B.A.?
At it’s Best: Brilliant writing, uncanny observation, and an odd angle will open your eyes.
At it’s Worst: The super-smart kids cannot comprehend why the non-super-smart kids don’t simply love them.
Journalistic Disclosure: I have written guestposts at Fredorrarci’s site Sportisatvshow and tweet about with some of these fine folk. I also helped them Kickstart.
Verdict: You will probably either love or hate the Classical. I will love it.
Check it out here: Launches in a few months, but here’s the URL: theClassical.org.

So there you have it – abandoned houses litter exurbs and empty buildings dot the strip malls of our youth, yet three new sites/publications offer some cool and refreshing takes on sports. Be sure to give them a read and here’s hoping they stay to play.

Elliott Turner blogs about soccer at Futfanatico.com. His soccer eBook, “An Illustrated Guide to Soccer & Spanish”, is available for only $5.99 on the Amazon Kindle. Check out a free sample here.