2019 FALL “HOT” TAKES: The Blog is dying

These are dark times there’s no denying. I feel like a broken record in the group chat just badgering people to fill out responses to things that barely even have to do with DIII tennis (see newCentral’s “Hot” Take). I don’t want to be that guy. Nobody wants me to be that guy. Let’s hope we look back on this simply as bulletin board material for the spring. That is what drove The Blog’s popularity to begin with, providing bulletin board material (chipmunk voice for the people in the back). The current over/under for season previews in December is 5.5, and it doesn’t take the Bloggers’ Betting Chat to tell you to bet the under. Enjoy my despair, boys and girls.

NE TAKE/DEFENSE

The Blog is tanking harder this fall than it ever has before, and for the first time I’m honestly worried about its future. Look, our audience hasn’t decreased, and it won’t until there is another site that gives a flying hoot about DIII tennis, but it’s only natural that the farther removed you are from your playing career the less you care. D3AS is now 8 years out of school. AVZ is like 39 years out. AS will tell you it’s that he just doesn’t care about fall tennis, but these are warning signs, people. If anybody out there wants to celeb shot some articles this year just HMU @D3Northeast or D3Northeast@gmail.com. Something tells me we’re going to be looking for content… 

RegNE/C: I’m only surprised that we’ve lasted this long. Even when I was right out of school, I didn’t have the energy or desire to commit the way the real legends of NE, ASouth, CHB, Guru, and AVZ did in the past. And now as I get further removed, what was once perhaps the biggest and most important part of my life just doesn’t hold the same weight anymore. The amount of work that the main Bloggers have put in for YEARS now is ridiculous, and the standard has been set perhaps a bit too high for us to continue to maintain, especially as the original Bloggers really start moving onto the next stage of their life. I’m not ready to throw in the towel at all and I know we’ll still have a solid spring, but I think the future of the Blog is going to require either some new lunatics that are ready to commit a ton of time/effort, lower expectations, or a combination of both. 

WestWomens: I can for sure relate to the tanking this fall, but thankfully this amazing #squad on the women’s side has covered for me while I went AWOL. What have I been doing you ask? Uh…uh…*looks guilty*…studying. Let’s go with that. However, I have no doubt both I and the men’s side of the Blog will pull a Hopkins “tank and tree” special when it counts. There’s just something about D3 tennis that ropes me back in whenever players pick up their rackets and start knocking the fuzz off the ball for real come spring. I get so caught up in the excitement of each season’s storylines and players taking big leaps forward that I can’t help but draft late-night articles. I want to highlight that I’m not sprouting gray hairs like AVZ. But I’m not that naive — I’ll one day reach the age where all us women’s bloggers are playing bridge or whatever the old-people equivalent of “words with friends” is. And when I reach that age I’d like to think I’ll still have that passion for D3 tennis, even if I’m #TooOld2Blog. And I’m not worried about young blood stepping up to fill the void. If this blog has taught us anything, it’s that love for D3 tennis extends far beyond the Guru’s keyboard, and that we are so lucky to be surrounded by such talented and motivated people whose lives were changed forever by their experiences. Or maybe I just forgot to take off my rose-colored glasses today because I’m already old.

newCentral: I still really enjoy reading the blog even though I’m now a contributor, so I would absolutely love to see some celeb shot articles (would be fun to hear from the players and coaches we write about). D3NE says that the Blog is tanking. The Blog may be tanking the Fall but I think that just comes from experience, after all these years the bloggers know how long the winter preview season (I mean… I didn’t technically finish them) and the spring actual tennis season can be. Perhaps we could typify the Blog’s performance (mainly mens, womens side broke through the top part of the graph and hasn’t stopped balling) not as tanking but as Load Management. The blogging season is long – it’s not anyone’s first rodeo anymore, so it makes sense to pace ourselves through the Fall (which has still been solid, we haven’t super tanked into blasting 2nd serves yet). I disagree with the tanking characterization by D3NE. I think it’s fairer and more accurate to characterize the current performance as load management, which means that we are due for blogging greatness in 2020. eheHUHHUHUH!

RegAS: I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t pulled an equal load this fall and I apologize to all the fans/readers out there. The path that has been paved by the OGs is pretty damn incredible. D3NE is the biggest rockstar in terms of keeping this thing rolling and D3ASouth’s clever writing and ability to churn out articles on command  is something that I respect and wish I could do. Moving forward this Spring, I will be more engaged and hold myself to a higher standard. The response for Dogs of D3 was AMAZING last year and even though we broke the website and had some kinks to work out in the polls, it was still great, which means this year we just need another creative article series and suggestions will be welcome. I’m also going to echo RegNEC’s sentiments regarding the next generation of bloggers as well. We always welcome the crazy passionate, almost to the point of insane individuals who are invested, so you graduating seniors, don’t hesitate to reach out to help save the future of the blog. 

NEWomens: ASW has really been picking up the slack for us on the women’s side this fall, so shoutout to hear for putting the team on her back, and also our fall MVP the new Women’s Central! I’ve def been feeling that tank this fall, but after a much needed winter hibernation, you can bet your bottom dollar that I’ll be back in action for that NE spring kick-off.

AS: I moved my answer down because I wanted everyone to read newCentral’s response first. This winter has truly been load management for me. I will get some more articles out there, especially in the Spring, but my life is extremely busy right now. I need to actually make money so I can write this Blog in my free time for fun. But, the rest of the team has held it up for the most part, so I will say that NE IS WRONG. THE BLOG IS NOT TANKING!!!! Watch us come back in the Spring season and win the championship just like Mr. Load Management himself, Kawhi Leonard. What it do baybeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

NewRegional: It hasn’t been the most incredible fall, BUT I do think we did a great job last spring, so I don’t think it’s time to sound the alarm just yet. Having said that, it’s up to NEC, RegAS, IIIWest, newCentral and I (or some fresh faces!) to pick up the slack. ASouth, NE, AVZ, CHB and the GURU have put in too much blood, sweat, tears and late night articles over the last nine years developing a large and dedicated following to let our presence in the D3 tennis world decrease.

ASWomens: The real question here is why does NE still care so much? He’s no spring chicken himself so how does he find that passion year after year? There certainly has been a lull in new men’s writers in recent years but I’m not sure if that’s on purpose or not. If there’s anything I’ve learned as a blogger it is that there is always someone willing to answer the D3 tennis call so I’d be surprised if there really is no one willing to provide Blog-worthy content. Maybe it’s time for some springier chickens. Women’s side on the other hand has a much lower standard so compared to last year we’ve actually been doing pretty well with the fall blog, thank you very much. We’re just resting up and getting ready for spring. We’d be happy to contribute to the D3AS Life Alert fund though.