The Blog Retirement Article

Well hello there! I don’t need to tell you that the Blog has been pretty much dormant for the past year-plus. There are more than a few reasons for that, and it’s not just Covid. Yes, the season being cancelled last year took a lot of wind out of everyone’s sails, and while there is tennis being played and a national champion has been crowned, there’s no denying the fact that this season just hasn’t felt quite right. Honestly, as Bloggers we never even really discussed the fact that we weren’t going to Blog this season…it just kind of happened. The writing has been on the wall for some time, but let’s make it more or less official—we’re retiring. 

The Blog started in 2007(?) and has been such an awesome, awesome thing. For myself, I’ve experienced it as a high school recruit learning about college tennis, a college player who got to read about myself and competition (and how we would lose 9-0 to Emory’s C team), and then as a Blogger and part of an incredible group of fellow D3 Tennis alums. But 2007 was a loooong time ago and collectively, I don’t think any of us have the same time or desire to dedicate to D3 Tennis that we once did. Half of us are married already, I wouldn’t be surprised to see some Blogger babies in the near-future, and the fact that none of us have the same connection to the current crop of D3 Players has made it a lot tougher (and less fun) to write when we’re just basing everything off of box scores and live streams.

So what exactly does this mean? I’m not even sure, but I thought some closure would be good as we wrap up the season. I still expect to pop onto Twitter and tweet every now and then, and I bet most of the other Bloggers will as well. And I’m definitely not ruling out the occasional un-retirement guest post from any of us if the mood strikes. Basically, we’re all going to adopt the AVZ-style of Blogging. 

Before I give the floor to my esteemed colleagues, and more importantly, friends, to add their thoughts, I just have to say THANK YOU to everyone that’s made the Blog what it is. The emails, comments, tweets, donations, and all the interactions over the years have been incredible. I’m just so damn proud of the awesomeness of the D3 Tennis community and to have played even a small part in facilitating that and connecting people has been amazing. 

So off we go to ride into the sunset, sipping cocktails on the beach in Blogger retirement. Thanks for everything, and to you, the reader, don’t be a stranger—Twitter still works in the Blogger old-age home!

–D3RegionalNEC

D3Northeast: Look, I don’t want this to be goodbye. I loved this stupid blog and every single one of us who has put WAY too much time into it for about a decade now. I loved it when the Guru was writing as a player. I loved it when CHB was pranking us every April 1. I loved it when D3AS was a defacto D3NE because nobody else was doing it. He used a giant photo of a tiger to describe Williams as “lurking” (I’m still convinced that spurred them onto their national championship), that’s hero stuff. I even loved it when D3AS wrote about me (when i was a player) by saying “that’s when the talent really runs out”…he wasn’t wrong. I loved the Blog after I graduated when I had to try out with an audition article even though (unbeknownst to me) nobody else wanted the position. I loved my first couple years when AVZ and I were new and I was desperately seeking the approval of the Guru (still waiting). I love that I’m now thought of as one fo the OG bloggers. I loved when we added D3Regional and his roundup, DeRegNEC and his love of the little guy/team (and really the entire sport), D3RegAS and his dogs, NewCentral and his memelord status, NewReg and his teeth brushing blog enthusiasm. I love that we legitimately lost bloggers along the way, they were simply strong enough to do what we could not and put some healthy distance between themselves and something they used to do in college. I loved adding Player of the Week and compiling Power Rankings as a group on Tuesday or Wednesday nights because not one of us could keep all the previous week’s results straight. I love that we created a Division III Tennis Daily Fantasy Contest for Indoors. Come on, how could I not love that I just used the phrase Division III Tennis Daily Fantasy Contest in total seriousness?! I loved my walls of text and more than that I loved that you all kept reading them. To all of you, from the most passionate Blog fans who interact with us daily to the players who still only talk about The Blog when their coaches aren’t around, thank you! You are the reason we did this. Perhaps…you could be the reason it continues

As I said, I don’t want this to be goodbye, so maybe it isn’t? It’s true, now that some of us are about a decade removed from playing the sport, there are simply priority shifts in life. If others want to continue The Blog, I will try to stay involved however I can. Let’s be honest, I’m not sure I would be able to fully let go anyways. That said, the days of me constantly reminding my friends that they PROMISED their UW-Whitewater season preview in December (it was March) are gone. If you are interested in reviving The Blog in some way, shoot me (or any of us) an email or a DM (I hope you know by now but D3Northeast@gmail.com or @D3Northeast).

I’d love to hit you with some extremely poignant and important final lines here. A real goosebumps walkaway, if you will, but that just wouldn’t be our style. As one of history’s greatest poets wrote, every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end. So let’s call this a new beginning…

AVZ (d3centraltennis): I am typically not the sappy sentimental guy, but with my old age, I think I am becoming one. I am going to spend zero of my time talking about D3 tennis. I just want to share with you all (and with them) how much this group of odd balls means to me. I can honestly say they are some of my closest friends. Even as the blog and tennis talk has dwindled over the past couple years, the blog whatsapp chat remains very active. We all come from different backgrounds, went to school in different eras, and now even more geographically spread out. It’s been a wild 7-8 years where my friends I met over the internet (try explaining that to a girlfriend) have become the guys that I turn to when I want a good discussion about a wide variety of things. Side chats in whatsapp that I am a part of is Life Planning chat with the OGs, Crypto chat with the crazy guys who rode the crazy wild 2017 Bitcoin boom and still doing so. Betting side chat for the degens in states where sports gambling is now legal. Poker/CBB chat for those who have joined my online poker ring (anyone want to join, message me!).

We came together for one common cause to give attention to the teams and players that are deserving and evolved into a group who looks for times to get together to reminisce about the good times, bash on the teams and players we used to despise, and support each other through whatever life event is next. I have attended weddings, enjoyed lunch at Torchy’s, blogger brunch with the guru, attended two NFL games on back to back days, and even hosted a roommate for 5 months. Some days I feel like the old guy in a group where I am not sure I belong, but most days I felt like the big brother offering up sage advice as well as I could. I have enjoyed every second of it. 

My goal as a blogger was always to respect the teams that didn’t get as much attention as they deserved. That was my playing career and even turned into my coaching career. One of my proudest moments was the first time Earlham got mentioned as a team to watch out for. It’s sad that something so small had a profound impact, but it truly means the world for those who go underappreciated. For those who have followed the blog for years, thank you. We did this for you all (players, coaches, parents, alumni). Like D3Northeast, I will always have a small foot in the D3 world. It has shaped my life for the better part of two decades (yikes!). To my fellow bloggers, your friendship is what will last well beyond this blog and I cannot be more thankful for each of you (even the one who came in hot and I despised for a good time!). The jokes will always be welcome and I look forward to the next time we are all together again (except for CHB). 

D3RegionalASouth: Goodbye blog, either you die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain. Just kidding. Honestly I don’t even know where to start, and I just wanted to use a cool quote like Northeast somewhere in here. Time to crack open a beer one more time for good ole times sake. First and foremost, I want to just say thank you. Thank you avid readers who always continued to read and comment. Thank you to all the Twitter followers who invested time reading tweets and reaching out to discuss all things D3 tennis. Thank you to the bloggers for welcoming me into the group and always being supportive, not only with tennis related pieces, but with all other aspects of life. 

I remember when I first discovered the blog and began reading about my small Northeast team that had “less depth than the shallow end of a kiddie pool.” Regardless of what was written, something was still written and that was cool. When trying to explain to people what this Blog was all about, I would say, “it’s like an ESPN for small tennis schools that don’t normally get a ton of coverage.” That’s when I knew I wanted to join this blog when I graduated. The blog provided a way for current/former players, parents, coaches and the Sonny Dearth’s of the world to follow and root for their favorite team. They could see season previews, matchup breakdowns, spring break recaps and even NCAA tournament predictions. It was amazing watching the blog grow as a player, and then as a writer, watching it expand from covering not only the perennial powerhouses to covering teams in the SAA, USA South, CAC, Empire 8, MAC, and so many more. I’m sure RegNEC could probably name at least 20 more.  Pardon my French, but that’s really f*cking cool, especially for smaller schools. 

As for the bloggers themselves, they’re just the best group of people you’ve ever met. Guru was/still is an inspiration. ASouth provides the tough (but necessary) love that everyone needs a good dose of in life to grow as a person. Northeast was always pushing us to be better and do more, while making sure we were doing alright at the same time. CHB was more than willing to share medical knowledge when I thought I was dying, but really was just hungover. Regional is the friend that’s sometimes hard to get in touch with, but once you finally catch up, it’s like you never missed a beat. RegNEC, a brother who’s always there for you whether it’s going to an impromptu baseball game in the city or navigating the roller coaster that is D3 coaching. AVZ, a great grandfather figure who is always willing to share wisdom (and a spare room) that he acquired over his decades upon decades of life. NewCentral might be the sharpest, wittiest person that I ever met and is unbelievably gifted as a writer. And finally NewRegional is always there to lighten the mood and provide the HOTTEST of takes.

At the end of the day, even though this is a “farewell”, I feel like the blog will find a way to live on in one way, shape or form. Whether it’s the shared memories of bloggers, players and readers or if someone else decides they want to pick up the mantle. Also, if you’re ever in Indianapolis and want to grab a beer, you know how to find me. Once again, thank you all (fellow bloggers, players, coaches, team mates, parents, readers) for making this such a special part of my life for so many years. One more time, RegASouth out.

NewD3Central: WHAT I LEARNED IN BOATING SCHOOL IS…For someone who loves words, I’m at a loss – I really have no idea what to put in this blog capstone. Maybe I’ll start big: D3 tennis is the weirdest little cult I’ve ever been a part of, and if you’re a current or ex-player, a family member, or even a fan that closely followed the enigma of nerves and heart that is D3 tennis you probably know what I’m talking about. Maybe it has something to do with our widely held belief (cuz it’s true) that we all could’ve gone D1 and that tennis is different than other sports, or maybe it’s in the celebrity that can be gained in a niche community, or maybe it’s our shared love over a sport that we all just love to play and dedicate our time to: now and in the future. All I know for certain is that the D3 tennis community is irrational…irrationally tight knit, irrationally loving, and irrational for all things tennis.

From my time as a player, to my time “in-the-know”, the Blog has been an integral part of my d3 tennis experience. I think it’s because everyone loves to receive notoriety for something they work incredibly hard towards and d3 tennis players are no different. Checking the Blog was a constant occurrence during my four years of college tennis and seeing my name or names of people I’ve played was always a treat no matter the context. It was weird to transition to the Blog side, but I think it was inevitable (my teammates can confirm). I always tried to flood my articles with pictures, memes, jokes, pretty much anything to spice up a box score here and a box score there. I may not have followed through on every article idea but I hope I added some flavor to the Blog and every reader’s experience. I’ve had a few people DM me trying to figure out who I am, but only one person was on target…granted they did posit over forty guesses. (Dàntóu wánjù) I don’t think this is the end of my blogging/tweeting career as I’ll pop up when you least expect it. I love d3 tennis and I’m thankful to have been a Blog writer: the best damn tennis blog in the world. 

Selfishly, I’m thankful for the the bloggers that make up the Blog – not only are they some acolytes for d3 tennis – preaching the good word with me, but they’re incredibly good people as well. I don’t want this to get too sappy or self-indulgent but they’re a diversely talented group of witty, compassionate people that I’m lucky to call my friends. 

D3RegionalNEW: As the newest member of the squad, I think I probably wrote more content as a player commenting on articles and twitter than I did as an actual blogger. It used to be: wake up, brush my teeth, read an article and drop a comment. I would pore over the season previews, weekend previews and power rankings, hoping to see my team mentioned and to read my name.  I don’t think I truly appreciated the amount of work and dedication that went on behind the scenes to provide that content. The personal touch and creativity with which articles were written made them a more enjoyable read than any sterile bleacherreport or espn nonsense. I stumbled upon the blog when I was in high school, and I remember thinking “wow, there’s national coverage for D3 tennis?” That was how official and legit the writing seemed to me – I wonder if anyone thought that after reading one of my microwave Saturday morning articles…maybe?? Anyways, seeing school newspapers and websites quote articles, or put out reports if a player was named the “Division III Tennis Player of the Week” was cool, and it wasn’t an uncommon phrase to hear, “yo, did you see what D3NE wrote about us? Damn…” after a weekend preview dropped and we were given one liner akin to “they might be able to scrape out a doubles point, but I wouldn’t count on it”. The Blog provided the bulletin board material, and then the rackets did the talking.

Besides the bulletin board material, there were moments of serious reporting by our resident investigative reporter (AVZ) on hazing scandals, Punchgate, funding discussions – all important issues that otherwise would have never seen the light of day, but instead were given the attention they deserved and provoked thought and discussion.

Above all, the Blog is a group of guys who all share/shared a passion for D3 tennis and wanted to help grow and strengthen a community that meant a lot to them, and I think that mission was a success. Everytime I see a tweet from one of our accounts or re-read an old article, I am immediately transported back to my 4 years of college tennis and the memories start flooding back as I remember some of the happiest moments of my life. As a player, the Blog brought me entertainment and enjoyment. As a writer, The Blog has brought me 9 new friends who I talk to on a daily basis and use as a sounding board for Daily Fantasy Lineups (ASouth), 401(k) advice (AVZ) and general life discussions. I hope to meet you all in person one day so I can drop the “online” qualifier when referring to you as my friends. Thanks to all the writers, readers, commenters and coaches who have contributed to building this community. I’ll close with a word of advice to any youngins reading this – if you’re added to a new group chat of teammates or coworkers, wait until after SantaCon to join 🙂

D3AtlanticSouth: 

I wanted to start this off by saying I apologize for not having any content on the Blog this year. Actually… Hold that thought.

https://media1.tenor.com/images/e44b37e51452f4644581e4e4c5bdc9c0/tenor.gif?itemid=14733432

That’s right, even though I haven’t written an article in my 30s, I still got it. That being said, even when you know you still got it, sometimes you know when it is time to officially retire. And for us, that time is now. Yes, as the other bloggers mentioned, we will still be accessible via email, twitter, and who knows, maybe throwing an article in here and there. But for all intents and purposes, this is our retirement article. It’s been 9 years since I first started blogging and 12 years since I started reading the Blog. I could say a lot in these paragraphs but I will try not to bore you all with my reminiscence. 

Seriously, what a fcking run it has been. I’m not going to sit here and chuff up what the Blog has done over the years for DIII Tennis. I think now that this is over for me, I hope that anyone that has read any article, interacted with any tweet, participated in any t-shirt contest, or listened to any podcast has enjoyed it. That’s really all there is to it. This was a fun way for us to stay involved with a sport that is largely ignored and I can say that from my side, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Even digging through comments from LoveD3Tennis or people that would point out my typos was enjoyable in it’s own weird way. DIII Tennis players deserved a platform and continue to deserve a platform to feel good about their accomplishments (I won’t say anything about failures). 

I also want to put forward a thank you to anyone who has donated to the Blog over the years. There have been many of you and for some of you, a significant amount. Thank you for recognizing the work we put into this and supporting us. It really did and still does mean a lot to us that people would donate to us talking about DIII tennis. Donations probably kept me going the last two years of the Blog, to be quite honest. So, wanted to thank those people that donated in particular. 

To the general reader population – it’s definitely been a love/hate relationship for us. Mostly love, for sure. My friends that know I am a Division III Tennis Blogger often look at me like I think Ariana Grande is a better artist than Taylor Swift. Basically, “wtf?” But for those of you in the Division III Tennis world, I know this Blog meant a lot more than just random people talking about DIII tennis. We put a lot of fcking work into this. You spent a lot of your time reading what we wrote. We made it onto our own section of Tennis Recruiting, ZooTennis, and were often cited on school websites. I’m really sad that will come to an end now, but who knows, maybe someone will step up. I hope that we made an impact on your lives, big or small, over the past decade plus of this Blog. For me, it contributed to my growth as a person. Interacting with a vastly different set of people that have a common interest is really an interesting exercise. I’ve gotten to talk to parents, players, coaches, fans, and siblings of those involved in DIII Tennis. I’ve watched live streams of so many different teams, from Coe to Emory and everything in between. To be quite honest, no one is going to do this again like we did – so I hope you all enjoyed the wild ride it was. I know I did. So, thank you for taking that journey with us.

Last but not least, shout-out to the other Bloggers. I won’t make this like a Mother’s Day post to your mom who isn’t on social media. Let’s talk about it on the group chat. You all know that we are lifelong friends. That’s pretty cool (and admittedly weird as AVZ mentioned). 

If you have a story or moment or memory of the Blog that you’d like to share, I’d love to read it in the comments. Yes, I’m stanning for comments in the final Blog article. Reliving some of our memories will certainly give me a chuckle. I know we’re sharing some of ours below. If you want to get in touch or share a personal memory with me, you know my twitter and email. Happy to grab a drink (non-alcoholic, gotta think of the kids) with you if you’re in my area. I live in New Jersey by the way and used to live in NYC. So, let me know if you’re in town and maybe we can make something work. Or, I’ll ghost you and we’ll laugh about it on a twitter interaction. Either one is fine with me. With that, it looks like the Blog’s story (as we know it) will come to an end. So, for the final time… ASouth, out. 

GREAT MOMENTS IN BLOG HISTORY:

• A bunch of us getting together for ASouth’s wedding!
• BLOGGER BRUNCH—RegASouth got drunk, tipped the waitress 50%, then went home, passed out and slept through a date he had planned for that night. He also was forbidden from sitting on The Guru’s couch because he was too sweaty.
• ASouth and CHB sending over 500 messages of pure venom as they argued about grocery store produce.
  • NewD3Central jumping into the argument with the greatest use of a meme ever

• RegASouth asking the groupchat “Who is the guru?” and never ever hearing the end of it.
• Blogger tennis tournament between The Guru, RegNEC, RegASouth, and Regional.
• When all the Bloggers at the time besides CHB met up for tacos and margaritas in NYC—including an overnight megabus trip from D3Northeast to make it and sending a tipsy RegASouth onto the street to track him down.
  • RegASouth texting the group that he got to the bar early and was drinking with a girl he met named Regina….who turned out to be D3Regional making a surprise appearance!
• LoveD3Tennis getting banned but continuing to try and submit comments for years. AS Edit: Making me hate the “as the crow flies” calculator, hating Whitman as a team, learn how to add “auto-spam” on gmail for a specific email address, etc.
• NewD3Central putting that he was a Blogger for the division3tennis.com blog on his very public facing bio for his job.
• Van Zee’s Vault
• Our foray into Podcasting
• The effort (and complete lack of follow through) on building a D3 Recruiting Hub
• Adding a really solid amount of women’s coverage with some awesome writers. This was overdue but it was amazing to see this finally happen!
• NewD3Regional setting up his blog email address for the first time and putting his actual first and last name for his anonymous blog account before being called out by ASouth. 
• Dogs of D3.
• AVZ’s T-Shirt contest at Nationals in Mason, Ohop.
• My (ASouth) old coach telling the team “don’t listen to what the so-called experts” are saying when I came back to watch my old team play a match. 
• The Guru saying I (ASouth) was a “under the radar freshman talent” when I was an incoming freshman in 2008.
• Any argument between me (ASouth) and CHB about something totally stupid but not giving up because he’s normally wrong.
• Christian Heaney-Secord thinking that I (ASouth) made a mistake by putting him at the bloggers table at my wedding because he didn’t know any of them and moving tables like the moron he is. 
• Someone getting mad at me (ASouth) for cursing in my article and saying that his 10 year old sister reads it and it was a bad influence on her. ALong the same vein, someone getting mad at me that I referenced alcohol in my article (I believe a parent) saying I encouraged destructive behavior.
• D3Central calling me (newcentral) the streakiest player ever and not being wrong about it