Today Rob Neyer has confirmed what we all already suspected. He has left ESPN for sports blog network SB Nation. It’s hard not to look at this as another small victory for the longevity of the “sports blog”.
In Neyer’s first SB Nation column, he talked about an “us” versus “them” mentality. He writes:
I’ve never thought of myself as a member of us rather than them.
…
There are a lot of things to love about SB Nation, which is why I’m here. But among them is that they — excuse me, we — don’t see us as us and you as them. We’ve got bloggers who most professional writers probably consider them … but we know better. We know that some of our writers are every bit as talented and knowledgeable as anyone you’ll find working for newspapers or the Big Boy websites. We also know that today’s readers are tomorrow’s writers, and that often the only difference is opportunity (one fantastic thing about the Web is that opportunity is everywhere).
It’s fine not to look at the internet as a battleground, and thus there is no “us” versus “them.” Although, there are numerous differences between any major “big boy” website and even the most established blog. My contention is that there is room for both. I believe that it has been proven that both can not only survive, but even thrive in the current landscape.
For me, Neyer’s move only makes that belief grow stronger. As I started this post with; it’s a small victory for the longevity of the “sports blog.”
Unfortunately the terms of Neyer’s new deal with SB Nation have not been disclosed. That’s a number I would be extremely interested in seeing. I can’t see Neyer take a massive paycut, and I’m sure he was making great money at ESPN. Thus, I’d be willing to bet that SB Nation has a new highest paid employee.
Neyer’s last ESPN column can be read here. You can read his first post by clicking the link below.
Rob Neyer Joins SB Nation, Becomes Part Of ‘Us’ Not ‘Them’ [SB Nation]

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