An Alternative Sporting Website

I read a lot of sports coverage. If it looks mildly interesting you can bet I've read it. I read other news as well, but I alwyas seem to find myself floating back to the sport's page, reading about the practice squad offensive linemen for the Jaquars. But I get super worn out by reading the same article over and over again. There just doesn't seem to be any ingenuity behind it.

So my idea is for a new website to be established taking a This American Life approach to sports. I'm not saying we need to do the "they're just like us" stories, because those are played out, too. Trying to humanize larger than life athletes has been tried and done and is just kind of boring. But this website, and its team of crack reporters, is going to look for new angles. New stories. It'll be like "Moneyball", but with new content everyday. The day-to-day reporting stuff will be there, but we'll move beyond ranking the top-10 running backs in football, zany off the wall spoof pieces (what if Barry Bonds was commissioner!), and depressing this-is-so-awful-I-can't-believe-no-one-is-doing-anything-about-it pieces. Ugh. Metaphorically gag me with the proverbial spoon.

Here are some ideas:

- Has anyone ever seen an actual player contract? What does it look like? Who has to sign it? I know there are some privacy issues, but maybe we could see a blank one, or one with the names crossed out? How do the provisions and clauses look?

- Let's get a diary of a trade going. Have the principal GM's write it or assign writers to go back, get all the details, and then compare notes.

- Talk to someone who's been around, say, the NFL for 30 years and let's hear what's changed in terms of strategy. Get really in depth with it. Show me charts and what a playbook looked like in 1977 as opposed to now.

- A regular blog that seeks out and shines a light on statiscal things of note. Doesn't have to be crazy or hurtful, just things that the general public doesn't know. John Hollinger doesn't do this. He invents his own stats to prove how right he is.

- How about a podcast recorded by an NFL first round hopeful talking to other first round hopefuls? Not an interview, just hanging out and getting dialogue from the process.

- Let's get some love for international sports and lesser known sports. A weekly feature that breaks down a new one and the people who play it, watch it, etc. This could keep someone busy.

- Just be there and report on stuff as opposed to picking an angle and beating me over the head with it. Is it boring? Tell me that. It's ok.

There have been a couple cool pieces in the last few months that I saw. Matt Leinart asking NFL execs and coaches why he didn't get drafted higher was good, but no one took it seriously. Kathryn Bertine's quest to be in the Olympics has been really interesting. What else? I don't recall. Just, get some creative people involved, take some risks, and see what happens.