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Throughout much of last season, Comcast sponsored blogs like Stampede Blue for the plain and simple truth that we are awesome. You don't see me tooting my too horn often, but our blog is one of the most high-trafficked blogs in SB Nation's network. In fact, when you look at the numbers, we're one of the fastest growing and highest trafficked sports blogs, period. For a site that focuses solely on a small market NFL team like the Colts, to be able to compete (numbers-wise) with blogs like EDSBS, Burnt Orange Nation, and my friend John Bena's Mile High Report, it means we are kind of a big deal.

So, when a company like Comcast, who has some major deals in place with the NFL and NFL Network, wants to sponsor Stampede Blue, I consider it a big plus for our community. It gives us yet another connection to the league we know and love.

For fours years, I've worked hard not to turn this site into one big ad orgy. I've turned down and ignored advertising requests left and right. In fact, sometimes by bosses and colleagues are like "WTF are you thinking saying no to that!" My response to them is that readers come to Stampede Blue to read about the Colts, not to be sold useless crap that they don't want or need in an obnoxious and intrusive way.

That said, a sponsor like Comcast is not on par with, say, K-Y petroleum jelly ads. While I personally have nothing against K-Y jelly (and in some instances I advocate the use of the product), the fact is the company is not necessarily something you associate with NFL football played on Sunday. Thus, when the site is plastered with K-Y ads, as we were prior to Valentine's Day... yeah, it kind of annoyed me too.

Comcast, however, is something very much associated with pro football.

Hmmm, maybe the K-Y plug was a little TMI. Oh well.

The reason Comcast has chosen to sponsor us is we have a very large, very vocal football community here. They know that we are honest in our opinions, and that kind of candor is information GOLD to them. So, when they ask me to have posts sponsored by NFL RedZone (as we did for much of last season), I had no problem granting their request. NFL RedZone is an excellent service offered to Comcast subscribers, and if I personally had the option of dumping my current cable and Internet provider for Comcast, I'd do it in a heartbeat. 

If Comcast asked me to plug something that sort of sucked, they would quickly see that our community would not appreciate those plugs polluting the site's content. Again, such frank honesty about their services is gold to them.

After the jump, I have listed some of the key features Comcast will offer its customers for the upcoming NFL Draft. We will hopefully leverage these products and services to enhance our blog's draft coverage. Hey, the more video and audio goodies I can get my hands on to take the draft to the next level around here, the happier I shall be.

If you have questions or concerns about the Comcast deal, email me or post a comment here. Sponsorships like this are meant to enhance the plug's content. If you feel this kind of thing hurts our blog, let me know. As my bosses will attest to, I have no problem telling the powers that be whether or not something we're associated with sucks.

Features Comcast is offering in time for the 2010 NFL Draft:

• Comcast's cable lineup, including NFL Network, will offer wall-to-wall draft coverage including a live broadcastof the draft. If you've never had NFL Network, their live draft coverage is, in my opinion, better than ESPN's. Again, JMO.
• NFL Network on Demand on Comcast will complement all the live draft coverage with profiles of the 100 top prospects available leading up to the draft. I will work to get my hands on some of these profiles and, hopefully, incorporate them into any draft articles we write.
• Comcast's NFL programming will also include extensive training camp coverage, preseason game broadcasts and full coverage of Hall of Fame weekend. Camp coverage by NFL Network is outstanding.
• During the regular season, NFL Network on Demand lets you re-watch every NFL game as soon as 24 hours following it's original airing.
• The wildly successful and popular Red Zone will be back on Comcast for a second season.