Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
scott@scottlongonline.com
As most of you know, this site has been pretty stagnant lately. I just haven't been that motivated to write, as I haven't felt like I have anything unique to offer. Before I was asked by Will to join him at the blog, I had an idea where I would create a place with uncensored sports talk, which would also feature other X-rated elements. Obviously, the Toaster wasn't the place to do this, as the sites here have a classy sensibility to them. I decided that beginning in 2009, I would explore this idea by starting a new site called NSFW Sports. Below is what I put under the category of about the site.
If you are looking for the latest sports headlines, go to one of the major sites. If you want traditional writing on sports, let me strongly mention that this isn’t the place for you. NSFW Sports is a place where uncensored views will be the norm.
I have always found it strange that the one major advantage that an independent blogger has over someone who works in the mainstream media is that they are not beholden to editors or sponsors. Despite having this type of freedom, I rarely run across a blog that doesn’t present its material in a fashion that makes the writer appear like they’re following some type of code of conduct.
I believe most of the best books and screenplays have adult themes to them. Just look at the top TV shows of the past decade. The Shield, The Sopranos, Deadwood, The Wire, Six Feet Under, Dexter…they all use(d) language and sex to push their themes at their audience in a more authentic way. While I’m not saying the quality of work here will match those shows mentioned above, I do think that the sports world should have a site which breaks it down in an uncensored way. The posts at NSFW Sports will be gratutious in their language or the links used. Get used to it. This site won’t be for everyone, especially for those reading it at work.
Considering there is too much information out there already about sports, what is the need for another blog that uses the same template the mainstream media does? Hopefully NSFW Sports will provide a unique experience for readers. Thanks for checking us out. If you don’t like it here…go F*%! yourself.
What does this mean for the Juice Blog? I'm not sure, yet. I'm hoping that it will reinvigorate myself towards more writing in general. There are things that I won't feel are a good fit for NSFW Sports, which I will want to explore here. I hope, in the meantime, you will bookmark my new site and check it out. I plan on posting on a pretty regular basis. My first take is on the Dallas Cowboys being selected the site's first honoree for a twisted version of Sportsmen of the Year.
Thanks to all my readers here. This is not a farewell speech like the one that Will did recently, just an update. And hey, maybe this will also force me to write on baseball more often.
Best Wishes for 2009
Scott Long
I think there's a fairly simple answer to that: whether or not "serious" bloggers are willing to admit it publicly or not, most of them deep down want to be professional writers, if they aren't already, so they want their work to reflect a certain level of "professionalism" that demonstrates their seriousness. Sure, if your goal is to write for Larry Flynt, or if you're Dan Savage, your language, tone and adult content may not matter, but if you want eventually get paid for writing on the internet, you probably don't want to point to a blog where every other word is "fuck" or "shit," even if it's written on a level that matches any episode of "The Sopranos."
Personally, I have never wanted to just fit in and be like everyone else. If I was as good as Josh, I would write like that. I want to find a way to stand out and maybe find a financial resource to make the process seem more worthwhile. We will see if it works, but it should be fun having the straitjacket taken off.
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