CelticsBlog: state of the blog address

Periodically I like to try to address the readers of this blog to make sure everyone is clear with what's going on here in what I call a "state of the blog address." I admit, at first blush that sounds pretty silly. I'm not the president and we're just talking about sports here. On the other hand, this little blog has grown a lot over the years and people care about the community here. Like, a lot. Which is a huge compliment and a huge responsibility that I take very seriously.

I'd say that the site has grown so much that it doesn't even do it justice to call it a community anymore. It is kind of a city at this point. There are different neighborhoods, each with their own style and identity (front page, forums, chat room, etc.). The moderators are city government of sorts. I suppose that makes me the mayor (and you "re-elect" me by supporting me with your support and readership). I guess this analogy is apt since we are just a city (though a big one) in the country of SBNation.

Which brings me to the re-design code-named SBNation Unitied. The site changes are here to stay but I do want to stress that the tech team is daily looking into tweaks, upgrades, and in some cases wholesale reworks (as in the case of the mobile design which is stripped down and a lot faster to load now). So your voices were heard loud and clear - thanks very much for all the feedback.

Hopefully you've had a chance to get used to the new look/feel of the site and can appreciate the added benefits it allows bloggers like myself and my staff to bring you all the latest content in a sleek, modern design. Again, I understand that my audience is full of people who love tradition and routine. But I'm not going to stop advancing the blog and pushing us forward when I see opportunities for growth and breaking new ground.

Which brings me to the video content, which was one area where we were considerably lacking. The written word is likely always going to be our central focus, but video content just opens up a whole new dimension. Knowing that our current staff wasn't equipped well enough to truly tap into this area, we outsourced it (so to speak). Teaming up with CLNS Radio has been a huge success so far and I strongly encourage you to check both their audio programs (Celtics Post Game Show) and of course their video content.

The "Three at the Buzzer" show is designed to be a quick-hit, post game report that focuses on 3 main stories from the game. These go up pretty quickly after home games, so be sure to look for them then. The longer, more involved program is called "The Garden Report" and features bloggers from around the web covering the post game in detail. Big hats off to the CLNS team and our own SBNation video group for putting all that together in a professional way.

So what's next for CelticsBlog? I'd like to expand our social media imprint a bit more. We brought on a Social Media Administrator to focus on improving the site's Facebook page and I'm thrilled with the progress thus far. Without going into details, we're working on expanding into different platforms as well. So look for that soon.

What else? Well, much and more but the central focus will always be on the content and the community here. So we'll still bring you all the latest news, notes, rumors and feature articles. We'll always be looking for ways to keep you engaged (FanPost Fridays are one way we are trying to encourage and promote the FanPosts for example). So keep commenting, chatting, posting, and writing all over the site. We can't get enough (and if you are a lurker, get in here and give us your take - don't be shy!).

That's all for now. I'm not sure if I have any inspirational closing remarks but I do want you to know that all of us here deeply appreciate your participation in this blog. If I could give you all one big group hug I would do it but instead I'll just lead you in a chant.

Let's go Cel-tics! (clap, clap, clap-clap-clap)
Let's go Cel-tics! (clap, clap, clap-clap-clap)
Let's go Cel-tics! (clap, clap, clap-clap-clap)