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Post-mortem of Stampede Blue's Super Bowl Coverage

We have a lot of content from our coverage at the Super Bowl which we will publish over the next few days, including interviews and conversations with coaches and players. One of my favorite interviews was with Coach Huey, the running backs coach; just a really cool guy to talk to about football. However, before we post all that, I wanted to give you all a few final thoughts on our time in Miami and what we tried to do.

This was the first time bloggers from our network were credentialed to cover an event as big as the Super Bowl. This meant the fans, real fans, were going to go to Miami and cover the biggest sporting event in the world. We were awarded the same access to players and coaches they award to people like Paul Kuharsky. We were working in media areas alongside Jason Cole, Gregg Doyel, and many of the other writers we so often voice our frustrations against. We had locker room access after the game and press seats during the game.

It was a tremendous experience for me personally, but that was not why I wanted to take the assignment to go to Miami. I took it was an opportunity for us bloggers to show the "big boys" that we could work as hard and produce superior content as they did. Joel Thorman and I wanted to prove that, with this kind of unprecidented access for our blog network, we were not going to f*ck around.

We interviewed over 30 people, recording hours of conversations.

We wrote, on average, six or seven stories a day.

We produced content not just for our own site, but for others.

We did all this with the expressed notion of showing all of you, our fellow NFL fans, what the Super Bowl was like from a fan's point of view. We felt this was our job, our duty. The Super Bowl is a very un-fan-friendly event. It is a convention for the league and their corporate sponsors. We wanted to show the convention from the eyes of the everyday fan. It is our sincere hope that after hours of running around, interviewing league people, posting articles, snapping pictures, transcribing, drinking bad soft drinks to stay awake, and driving to media events at 6:30am so we could drink bad coffee and talk with the Fili Moalas and Scott Fujitas of this game.

We did this to show you how this whole NFL machine works. After the Super Bowl, I had several established media people tell me that the work we did this past week was top notch. Some of those people were writers I've taken shots at. Their kind words are appreciated, but their words are not what I am interested in right now. I'd like yours. Let us know what you liked or disliked about our coverage. Let us know what you think.

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On many levels it was excellent

Always very professionally done, you gave the impression youve been interviewing these guys for years in the way you seemed to remain unphased or starstruck at all.

In some ways though I was kinda hoping youd ask some things that alot of journalists wouldnt. Ask some tough questions that we havent seen answered 100 times before. A few times you did manage to do this. But it would of been nice to ask Painter if he thought he was capable of being a 2nd string back up in the NFL after the two disastorous performances.

Ask jennings why he continues to give so much cushion, given hes a fast guy and opponents constantly target his cushion. I know you asked him something along those lines but it was a real softball compared to what id like from him

by ColtsUK on Feb 9, 2010 11:29 AM EST reply actions  

I thought it was very well done

Much more insightful than just ‘ripping em a new one.’

"If God had wanted us to vote, he would have given us candidates."
Jay Leno

by MarshallPlan on Feb 9, 2010 12:04 PM EST reply actions  

Good coverage.

Very much a fan point of view.

My life has been a trivial pursuit. Trivia: where three roads meet.
The more you know, the more you know that you don't know.

by SlotMachinePlayer on Feb 9, 2010 12:05 PM EST reply actions  

Kravitz can suck it

You guys did a great job, far better than the Star. I checked in time and time again each day during SB week (and the entire season), and each time there was something new, interesting, and cool to read. I just don’t think that Kravitz, or anyone at the Star for that matter, is really interested in a one on one chat with Howard Mudd, Tim Jennings (who sometimes deserves the derision from fans), or Pat McAfee.

Those are the things that feed fan support, and its nice to know that someone recognizes those needs.

Keep up the good work, and I’ll keep coming back.

GO COLTS!!!!

by RockyRippleColtsFan on Feb 9, 2010 12:17 PM EST reply actions  

Unbelievable.

Excellent coverage across the board. The thing that was most impressive was the content was skewed towards a fans point of view versus a need to conform to a journalistic mold. The questions were asked about things we the fans were interested in or getting information that wouldn’t have made it to a story done by MSM. Great work! I can’t wait to see what you get at next year’s Superbowl when the Colts win Superbowl 45! GO COLTS!!!!

by FineClub on Feb 9, 2010 12:26 PM EST reply actions  

Honestly....

I read more articles on this site than other sites combined. Although that could be because I am a Colts fan and this site caters to us. Still, it was excellent coverage from a fan. The Peter King article is a must read.

by fiftycal2004 on Feb 9, 2010 12:27 PM EST reply actions  

Very enjoyable, BBS

Thanks for giving us a behind-the-scenes look at the team we love.

by teej813 on Feb 9, 2010 12:33 PM EST reply actions  

It was awesome

Of course I would’ve loved an interview with Peyton, but we all know its easier to have a meal with the Pope.

"We’re only going to score 17 points? haha...OK" - Tom Brady

by BlueMark1821 on Feb 9, 2010 12:44 PM EST reply actions  

I still need to catch up on alot of those articles (bad internet issues at home), but I really like what I had time to read.

It’s hard to get real answers during SB week (thanks Joe N.), but I really liked what you asked. You managed to get a ton of content out in a timely fashion and when it was relevant, unlike many other media sources (I’m looking at you ESPN-I want to see the players, not Crissy Carter).

by vintagephoenix on Feb 9, 2010 12:44 PM EST reply actions  

I enjoyed it

I’m not always the biggest BBS fan, but I thought the access you guys got really let us in to a world we know little about. At times you were probably a bit too star-struck (that would happen to any fan in this situation), but overall it was great. I feel like I learned a lot more about the individuals and what goes on before the Super Bowl than I would have otherwise.

"If you don't [draft me], I promise you I'll come back and kick your ass for the next 15 years."

by psvirsky on Feb 9, 2010 1:01 PM EST reply actions  

Solid coverage.

In terms of showing that bloggers can do just the same work, if not better and more detailed work, I thought you did an excellent job.

Now, I’m a relative newcomer around this site, but as a long-time Colts fan, I can honestly say I enjoyed the coverage throughout the week and the numerous postings on the Colts and the Super Bowl in general.

I love to play baseball. I'm a baseball player. I've always been a baseball player. I'm still a baseball player. That's who I am. - Ryne Sandberg

by Bill Potter on Feb 9, 2010 2:09 PM EST reply actions  

fyi

if you punch your bathroom mirror after your team loses the super bowl… you will hurt yourself and have to go to the doctor to get your hand fixed… just wanted to let yall know

go mavs, go colts, go rangers, go baylor

by zkmavz on Feb 9, 2010 2:42 PM EST reply actions  

I'm picturing

that scene in SLC Punk when Heroin Bob did that. It turned all black and oozed green because it got infected.

"You're what they call a practice girl"

by danorocks17 on Feb 9, 2010 3:56 PM EST up reply actions  

I Liked It

it was stupendous. However, I hope the Mile High Report gets press credentials next season. No offense, it’s just because I’m a Broncos fan. Of course, we’ll have to beat Peyton the Great and his super friends so our work’s cut out for us.

Brad James

by the new Bradfather on Feb 9, 2010 4:58 PM EST reply actions  

Overall, good job

Just as there are crappy MSM writers, and good MSM writers; the blogosphere is similarly split.

Deadspin and their illegitimate love-childs like KSK were the “first” blogs going to the superbowl a few years ago; but, unlike Daulerio, you actually went to cover the game and not to pretend it was like some sort of frat party on HGH.

IMHO, that turned a lot of people off with a perception that the blogs lacked the ability to cover the real stories; but, with your work, maybe we’ll see that the damage they caused was not irrepairable.

Your comments about interviewing Peter King were also very insightful. For what it’s worth, I think a lot of the anti-PK sentiment also has its roots from deadspin. Leitch did a good job with the site at first, but, it rolled out of control, leaving destruction and idiocy in its wake. When a regular feature of a site is “telestrator dong”, I think you know all you need to know about its journalistic integrity.

Didn’t mean to turn this into a deadspin hatchet job; but, it’s refreshing to see that you guys have things turned around, and hopefully, it is just the beginning.

by GaijinColt on Feb 9, 2010 6:04 PM EST reply actions  

It was great

You posted lots of pictures and interviews and it was much better than the other few sites coverage that I looked at. Thanks!

"How could you?! Haven’t you learned anything from that guy who gives those sermons at church? Captain Whatshisname? We live in a society of laws! Why do you think I took you to all those Police Academy movies? For FUN?! Well, I didn’t hear anybody laughing, did you?! Except at that guy who made sound effects. *Laughs* Where was I?"

by Ram27 on Feb 9, 2010 6:32 PM EST reply actions  

Being there with BBS all week

Was awesome.

I learned so, so much from him and I honestly envy his ability to walk up to players and interview them as if he’s been doing it for years.

Well done, BBS.

by Joel Thorman on Feb 9, 2010 7:40 PM EST reply actions  

Great Job

I read a little and loved it. Be thankful for such an amazing opportunity, and hopefully next year you can cover another super-bowl, this time from the winning side.
Go Colts!

by Ashar H on Feb 9, 2010 9:12 PM EST reply actions  

Not a complaint at all

I haven’t read everything yet and I probably won’t read some of that stuff anytime soon (the loss stings too much) but the stuff I did read, and it was a decent amount, was unbelievable. It was stuff I’d never have been able to get if it wasn’t for you covering the event. I appreciated all the work you did over the past week and a half. That being said I wish it was me doing it lol ;-)

"Fans are the only ones who really care. There are no free-agent fans." - Dick Young

by NYKings on Feb 9, 2010 10:56 PM EST reply actions  

Good Work in Miami

BBS, told you this in Miami, but wanted to post here that I thought you did a great job in Miami. Hope all the fans here enjoyed your coverage — and to a lesser degree, certainly, mine. To the fans on this board, hope you enjoyed the season. It was some ride.

John Oehser
<a href="http://" >Indy Football Report Editor
CBS Rapid Reporter/Indianapolis Colts
And so on . . .

by John Oehser on Feb 10, 2010 3:29 AM EST reply actions  

Nice!

For such a great season for the colts, the super bowl loss hurts personally. However, a very bright point of the whole super bowl has been your coverage. Your work as a sort of “grassroots” (I’m not sure if can really use that term there) reporter was exciting in of itself. I am amazed you were able to focus and put together such a body of work that was very professional. While you were not representing any established media outlet and using that freedom to produce work as both a journalist and a fan was awesome. From a colts fan point of view, I was excited as a loyal reader of your blog for you to be there. That peek inside “their” world is priceless. Thanks.

by EBforPresident on Feb 10, 2010 3:56 AM EST reply actions  

Great job!!

I started coming to the site a couple weeks before the playoff game with the Jets. Its a bless I found this site. You both did an excellent job and was proud you represented Indiana the way you did.. Top notch and very classy!! Thank you for all your hard work. And thank you for your hard work you do e everyday on this site..

by PeytonsForeHead on Feb 10, 2010 7:48 AM EST via mobile reply actions  

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