Thanks Will.
Leitch,

Thanks. I thank you for all your contributions to the blogging world. You claim to have the life of a loser, but you are far from it. Through your constant work and dedication you have shown the bloggers can have an impact and do rate in a greater sense.

You see, Will, I never really was one for sports. I mean, I absolutely love hockey and have a rapidly developing interest in football (soccer, or futbol). But I generally loathe most all other sports.

Once upon a time I adored baseball. I remember watching the Mariners in their nearly golden era. They never really won a lot, but they had unmatched character. It was when Jay Buhner and Ken Griffey Jr. played. And Joey Cora and Alex Rodriguez. Oh and Edgar Martinez. Every once in a while Raul Ibanez would be called up from the minors. I enjoyed it. I went to a few games in the Kingdome before it was blown up.

But things weren’t the same. Griffey left. Buhner and Martinez hung their bats up. Then, Alex fucking Rodriguez left for what he claims were not monetary reasons. The number that broke my heart? 252. That’s how many millions Rodriguez went to Texas for and after that I couldn’t bring myself to watch anymore baseball. I tossed my mitt into storage and chucked most all of my Mariners stuff I compiled over the years. I was done.

My teen years saw me as ridiculously geeky and painfully awkward (though I argue some of that is still intact). The parents were in a nasty divorce and I was facing junior high sans my best friend because she moved. I pretty much worked myself over in academics and hated myself for it. Throwing myself into numerous honors classes and not making a whole lot of friends. It was a whole lot of the same through high school. Until someone slid me a web address to an on line journaling site. The word blog is repulsive, I think. Anyways, I could take all my teen angst bullshit out on it. And I wrote and wrote and wrote.

I ditched some of the academic workload in high school, figuring taking on extracurriculars was more noble or useful or something. I took debate which I was mediocre at. I was rather fabulous at student congress. I left debate just before the coach got busted for embezzling the team budget. I moved onto DECA snagging a few trophies, then left because the teacher was more interested in coaching girl’s cross country.

I ended up in a creative writing class and people liked what I wrote and wanted me to write more. And I did. I decided I would go to college, get a degree in journalism because I am a whippersnapper with a lot moxie, I would change the world and all that through writing. I then remembered I hate newspapers, magazines were tanking due to corporate buyouts or shitty writing in general. Fuck.

Somehow that all leads me here and the creation of my little blogabode here. The whole blogging thing sure caught on. And I think a lot of it was because of your influence. Deadspin showed me that even if it’s a sport I don’t care about, I can still be entertained and interested. Deadspin led the way for numerous other sports blogs. These are some passionate people, who do this out of sheer love and not really expecting to make any money off of it. I am just glad when I can sell a tshirt and make two bucks. They are really fucking talented and are happy to kick small little sites like me a link here and a again.

By the way, you left a great crew in charge of the NHL Closer. The MYFOs do amazing work and for some reason, at times, listen to a young punk like me rambling about my precious WHL team and some out of control netminder named Dustin Tokarski.

I might go back to watching baseball.

I wish you the best, sellout.
-Wrap

PS, I am only joking about the sellout part. Also, don’t ever grow that emo hair again.