And thus the real season begins: Cavaliers vs Pistons, Behind the Box Score
April 17, 2016Stan Van Gundy: LeBron James can “do whatever he wants”
April 18, 2016Happy Monday, you guys. One win down; fifteen to go. Sunday was a nail-biter for sure, but the cream, as it is wont to do, rises to the top. It’s at this point where I recommend you check out Andrew’s excellent, Vine-filled post-game analysis as well as the podcast he and Craig whipped together on the spot. Oh, and stay tuned for what’s to come today—the pipeline of drafts is flowing the salmon of Capistrano.
But While We’re Waiting…
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So, in my perpetual endeavor to provide WFNY readers with various versions of our coverage, I started out this year’s playoff run by trying something a bit different thanks to Snapchat. I’ve largely been reluctant to dive in, as I was not sure what I could provide that the team or someone else already wasn’t doing—you know, the way Twitter was before the MSM folks caught on. I get that Snap is huge for brands who are trying to target the 18-35 crowd, but the services given to the average user are limited. Plus, the interface isn’t very engaging. Yes, the reach can be huge; the engagement, however, is next to zero.
Nevertheless, I decided to take my “friends” behind the scenes, showing everyone what it’s like to cover the game—from the fan fest all the way through the closing remarks. Rather than snapping and sending items out on a one-by-one basis to said “friends” to only have the items disappear (the original use of the medium), I posted them to my “story” for the day, a running diary of sorts that allows friends to follow chronologically as the game—and all additional media items—progressed.
I uploaded instant video of Fan Fest outside of The Q. Shortly thereafter was Ty Lue’s pregame availability. After that was some warm-ups. There was Tristan, then Kevin Love, then Iman Shumpert, then Kyrie Irving. Throughout the game, as pictures or videos were taken, users could add geo-tagged filters specifically for the game—I chose score updates throughout mixed in with a little “ALLin216” and “Protect the Land.”
Then when the game was over, it was back to the media room for Coach’s parting thoughts.1 This seemed like a perfect compliment to what we here at WFNY were already providing in the way of in-game and post-game analysis.
As a writer, I enjoy—you know—writing things, and having fans and followers write back. I tend to thrive on the feedback loop that allows me to fine-tune things the next time around. This was much, much different. While the results are TBD, I admit that it was fun to share the experience. Naturally, it would have been better had I had a built-in audience like I do on Twitter, Instagram, or our Facebook page, sharing the BTS items allowed me to do something different than what others are providing, and that’s always my goal. For all of the Snapchat’s shortcomings—difficulty to find individuals, the inability to reply to engaging or interesting items, the inability to repost or share items of interest—it’s great for those who have those items of interest. The service will never be for the person who wishes to chronicle things beyond a 24-hour window; it’s to share experiences in real time. Thus, for fleeting items like press conferences and pre-game warm-ups, I think it was perfect.
Good news: Early returns seem to be positive.
@WFNYScott Snaps were on fire today, great coverage.
— Alex Hitchens (@akhitchens) April 18, 2016
If you missed out on the experience and want to play catch-up, you’re in luck—the story will be out there, in totality, until 1 p.m. EST today. Save the image below to your camera roll, scan it in under the “add friends” drop down, and you’re in like Flynn.
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In Dan Gilbert’s Cavaliers’ ever-growing usage of technology, they’re officially the first Cleveland team to utilize the ticket-purchasing service ReplyBuy. If you’re unfamiliar with the application, you, a fan of a specific team, signs up for ReplyBuy and submits credit card information. From there, teams can create individual-game “campaigns” that are then directed at you, the fan. You receive a text message with an offer for a ticket—section, seat, and cost. If the offer sounds attractive to you and you wish to purchase the ticket, all you have to do is reply with “Buy.” Seconds later, ReplyBuy bills your supplied credit card and immediately sends a link that lets the fan download a mobile ticket on their smartphone.
Cavs just used ticketing by text company @ReplyBuy to offer fans lower level seats to Game 1 vs Pistons for $99 pic.twitter.com/zj3kozV6Lt
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) April 16, 2016
If you ignore for a second that the text should have said “p.m.” instead of PM, $99 for lower bowl playoff seats is a damn good deal. Factor in the complete lack of waiting time, link clicking, and captcha text entries, and buying tickets to teams of your choosing has never been better. Proof of concept is already out there. Sports Business Journal reported on how the Los Angeles Clippers sold $7,000 in tickets for a game in the middle of January after sending a text to 2,500 fans who signed up for the service.
It’s engaging and breaks down all of the barriers that make the transactions cumbersome through traditional measures. I know a certain baseball team that could certainly benefit from such a service.2
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Cleveland is in the midst of it’s driest April in 80 years. Put the hot takes away; we don’t want to start a fire. Here’s this week’s #ActualSportswriting:
“What it was like covering Kobe Bryant” by Adrian Wojnarowski (The Vertical): “If Bryant learned anything from Michael Jordan, it was this: a sheer, cutthroat desire to destroy everyone and everything in his path. Bryant had an obsessive nature that I’ve never known in anyone else. Yes, he worked harder. He worked longer. Smarter. The genius was in the details. Always. Yet he chased knowledge as a weapon – knowledge of everything.”3
“Water’s Edge” by Taffy Brodesser-Akner (ESPN The Magazine): “The Russian, pale and sour, ballet-walks heel-toe, heel-toe onto the pool deck in his bathing suit, which is designed to look like a communist-era military uniform. It consists of shorts, a real fold-down collar, actual epaulets and a black cross-body strap for ammunition.” 4
“The Full Story behind the $1,150 shoe John Wall wore All-Star Weekend” by Nick DePaula (Nice Kicks): “If you were paying close attention, you would’ve noticed that [John] Wall actually took the floor for warmups in a pair of red Italian leather Buscemi sneakers. That caught our interest because the Buscemi brand is known for their made-in-Italy ‘obnoxiously high quality’ casual sneakers, namely its 100 MM model, which incorporates metal clasps and molded handles drafting off of none other than high fashion handbags.”5
“The Thin Red Line” by Ramzy Nasrallah (Eleven Warriors): ” Will’s declaration was immediately absorbed into the tapestry of that day which began before dawn and ended with fireworks. That moment only emerged from the depths of my memory Sunday morning, after I learned Will had been murdered in front of his wife and wouldn’t get to see his three children grow up. It took a tragic night for me to remember a forgotten detail from the best one. Will was suddenly on the opposite side of the thin red line that divides the living from the dead. He was 34. That’s not fair.”6
“Kobe’s Unforgettable Finale a Perfectly Drawn Portrait of a Unique NBA Career” by Howard Beck (Bleacher Report): “You don’t argue with legends. You don’t brush off Kobe Bryant. So here I was Wednesday night, back at Staples Center once more, along with 19,000 fans and 450 media members, to watch Kobe Bean Bryant suit up one last time. To marinate in the memories. To pay tribute to one of the greatest ever to play the game. To say goodbye. I came to finish the journey. Who knew the final steps would be so, well, surreal?”7
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And finally, John Oliver taking on…Lead.
Have a great Monday out there, you guys. Fifteen to go.
- The tricky part here is that I dd all of this while shooting photographs (like the at the top of this piece), cutting and editing and uploading Vines, and following along on Twitter, sharing all of the above. Covering a game is undoubtedly work, lest anyone think it’s just a free seat. [↩]
- It’s also another rung in the ladder of sports and entertainment becoming a mobile-focused lifestyle. Those who opt for the older, more traditional experience are slowly being left in the dust. [↩]
- It’s been a weird, polarizing week when it comes to the NBA and retirement of Kobe Bryant. Say what you want about whatever, but Woj’s words ring true: It’ll never be the same. [↩]
- I’m not sure how I missed this two weeks ago, but the story is terrific and the web layout is stunning. I know very little about the author, but anyone who can write a captivating, well-reported story on a synchronized swimmer is OK by me. [↩]
- I, unfortunately, was *not* paying attention, but I don’t know what’s crazier: $1,150 sneakers existing, or John Wall wearing them on an NBA floor. [↩]
- I love a good essay and Ramzy is one of the best. Read. Now. [↩]
- Have I mentioned that I love reported-out essays? [↩]
8 Comments
10 days until the draft.
Let the countdown begin!
10 bucks says Steve won’t be reading the Kobe Bryant stories…
10 days, 10 hours, 9 minutes…
“the pipeline of drafts is flowing the salmon of Capistrano.”
Love that!
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I was going to make some snarky comment. Haha!
I agree the Indians should try that ticket tool out. Couldn’t hurt, right?
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