Hugging Harold Reynolds: BWBVegas

Showing posts with label BWBVegas. Show all posts

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Blogs With Balls Radio, Episode 25

This week’s Blogs With Balls Show on the JoeSportsFan Radio Network is now available.

Download Episode 25 here, or subscribe via iTunes.

We kick the show off this week with a very pointed voicemail we received from the incomparable Softball Guy, who was not all that thrilled with our guest selection this week: Matt Sebek from our podcasting partners JoeSportsFan.com.

An Exclusive, Emotional Interview with Softball Guy from JoeSportsFan.com on Vimeo.

Long before partnering up on the Internets waves, JoeSportsFan was a everyday read for HHR.

Matt's experience as an online programmer has helped take the site's brand to a new level of online media that includes blogging, and the incorporation of both audio and video.

About a month ago, JSF launched JoeSportsFanSTL.com which focuses on sports in the site's home town of St. Louis, and puts out a weekly Basketball Jones-esq video segment covering the latest hot topics surrounding the city's teams and athletes in the offbeat tone JSF fans have come to know and love.

Ep. 3: The One with Derrick Chievous from JoeSportsFan.com on Vimeo.

The city-centric, or "hyper-local," approach to online sports coverage is one we have been keeping a close eye on leading up to BwB3 in light of national companies like ESPN and Comcast, and regional ones like NESN and SNY going full force into blogging and multimedia/online platforms. We talk about how this could affect team and city-based sites, including the new JSF STL.

The guys that run the site have also dabbled in AM radio, and Matt talks about the advantages to working online as opposed to the terrestrial waves.

For any aspiring podcasters, and those bloggers looking to attempt video, this week is a must listen, as Matt let's you know from his experience what steps you can take to make your show(s) better and differentiate them from the field that is rapidly saturating.

This week's sites of interest:

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Tuesday, March 16, 2010

From BwB Blog: The Localization of Online Sports Media & The 700 Level Goes Corporate

Yesterday, Enrico announced what can probably be seen as the inevitable:

Today, I’m excited to announce that The700Level.com has entered a new stage in its history. We have officially partnered with Comcast SportsNet and CSNPhilly.com. The700Level.com will retain editorial independence, while tapping into the unique access, technology, and resources of Comcast SportsNet in Philadelphia.

View full post here.

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Monday, March 15, 2010

Athletes of Cirque du Soleil [Mathieu Bolillo]

When in Vegas for BwB 2.0, we stopped by Cirque du Soleil to see and interview some of the amazing athletes that Vegas has to offer. We got a chance to speak with Mathieu Bolillo, a former French gymnastic champion who now performs with Cirque du Soleil. Here Mathieu gives an inside view of what it takes to perform at this new level for almost 20,000 people a week.

Athletes of Cirque du Soleil [Mathieu Bolillo] from HHR on Vimeo.

Special thanks to our friends Ben Eckstein (Beryllium Pictures) and Rob Baker (Kabimba Media) for their help filming and editing.

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Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Blogs With Balls Radio, Episode 12

This week’s Blogs With Balls Show on the JoeSportsFan Radio Network is now available.

Download Episode 12 Here.

This isn't 'Nam. This is bowling. There are rules.

True to his word, Chris found a blog with (16 lb.) balls - The BM Report - a bowling blog that isn't overly-saturated with Big Lebowski references and is actually informative.

Sadly, he doesn't drop any "Donny" quotes on me.

We have an awesome guest this week - FanHouse.com's Kevin Blackistone.

In addition to being a national columnist and commentator at FanHouse, he is a regular panelist on ESPN’s "Around The Horn," is a former award-winning sports columnist for The Dallas Morning News, and is the Shirley Povich Chair in Sports Journalism at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland.

We come out of the chute getting KB's take on the Tiger PR fiasco, and also talk about his perspective on the changing sports journalism landscape and how it has affected not only those currently in the field, but how the next generation of reporters has to prepare for it.

This week’s links of interest:

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Friday, November 20, 2009

Blogs With Balls Radio, Episode 10

This week’s Blogs With Balls Show on the JoeSportsFan Radio Network is now available.

Download Episode 10 Here.

Today we feature our good friend John Karalis' RedsArmy.com as the Ballsy Blog of the Week.

You may remember John as the star of our pre-BwB 1.0 Kobe spoof video:

Blogs With Balls from BLOGS WITH BALLS on Vimeo.

You should remember him for the fantastic work he puts out on RedsArmy.com.

Reds Army is continually evolving and bettering itself and has become a standard-bearer for team-oriented sites. In addition to posts, John and cohort Chuck "talk Celtics, the NBA, and whatever else come to mind" on Blog Talk Radio's The Two-Man Game, and John is 1/8 of the The 8th Seed Podcast.

This week we dig into a big issue always on the minds of sports bloggers - monetization.

We talk with Rich Gallagher, Senior Account Executive for Digital & Emerging Media at Taylor, a "sports, lifestyle and entertainment public relations firm" that has been very active in engaging sports blogs in promoting its clients.

One of those brands - Diageo Liquors (whose portfolio includes Guinness, Captain Morgan and Cuervo) was an early and energetic part of both or our Blogs With Balls events. We talk about what the brands are looking for in online partners, how they see the value in events like BwB, and we touch a little on the FTC's new online disclosure guidelines.

Rich shows just how forward-thinking some brands and firms can be in embracing online media.

This week’s links of interest:

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Thursday, November 12, 2009

Blogs with Balls After Dark With Matt Sebek

A special thanks to “host” Matt Sebek who goes ahead and breaks down the film quite eloquently at JoeSportsFan.

Blogs with Balls After Dark With Matt Sebek from HHR on Vimeo.

From the afterparty at the ESPNZone to the Blogs With Balls Charity Poker Shootout, JoeSportsFan's own Matt Sebek brings you a behind-the-scenes look at the late-night side of Blogs With Balls.

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Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Annie Duke Talks BwB Charity Shootout & Ante Up For Africa with Dan Levy

From On the DL Podcast:

What started out as an idea to have a bunch of people from Blogs with Balls and Blog World network over the felt, turned into one of the best charity events any of us could have imagined.

Annie Duke was gracious enough to let a bunch of bloggers use her name to promote a poker game we decided to run in Vegas -- and of course, turn the event into the Blogs with Balls Charity Poker Shootout where we raised $10,000 for Ante Up for Africa.

Dan catches up with Annie to recap and promote the event and charity, and talk politics and poker On the DL.

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Tuesday, October 20, 2009

BwB 2.0 Recaps, Round 1

Puck Daddy in Vegas: 21 observations about hockey, gambling, new media journalism and Blogs With Balls 2.0 (Yahoo! Sports' Puck Daddy)

"My Blogs With Balls panel dealt with blogger access to sports, and it was a pleasure to debate with the issues with Mitch Germann, the vice-president of communications with the Sacramento Kings; John Karalis of the Boston Celtics' blog Red's Army; Patrick Wixted of New Media Strategies; and our moderator Dan Levy of On The DL.

...I think every blogger who wants access, and can demonstrate that his or her audience will be better served with access, should have the chance to gain it. That goes for burgeoning journalists or fan bloggers."

Blogs with Balls in Las Vegas Wrap-up (Gunaxin)

"HHR Media and Friends put on a hell of a show, again. Don, Chris, and assorted friends have pulled off another fabulous event, and left everyone in awe of their ability to pull shit together. First rate communication via the website, Facebook, e-mails, and even the printed program once we arrived at the event made it easy for attendees and panelists. From the professionally produced intro video and the folks documenting the entire event on film and video, all details were taken care of in an expert manner."

Top Sports Bloggers and Poker Celebrities Join Annie Duke for Blogs With Balls Charity Shootout Benefiting Ante Up for Africa (GreasieWheels Blog)

"On Friday, October 16th, professional poker players and top sports bloggers representing ESPN, Fox Sports, Yahoo, AOL, Sports Illustrated, Gawker Media, Yardbarker, SB Nation, and many more came together for Blogs with Balls, a charity poker shootout at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Poker Lounge. The fundraiser was held in conjunction with the BlogWorld & New Media 2009 Expo in Las Vegas...

The event raised awareness and $10,000 for Ante Up for Africa, a charity founded by Duke and award-winning actor Don Cheadle to aid relief and support human rights efforts in Darfur."

Jalen, Vegas, and why it matters to you (Red's Army)

"So while I loved the excuse to get out to Vegas, this trip really was about you... the readers. In the coming months, we hope some of these meetings manifest themselves in cool new features and guests. We have some things in the works now and we're hoping to bring them to you either by the beginning of the Celtics season... or shortly after they begin."

Fear, Loathing and Blogs in Las Vegas (Sporting Madness: Part I, Part II, Part III)

"There are too many people in the blog world who focus on trying to replace the mainstream media, and too many mainstream journalists who are worried about being replaced by blogs and Tweets."

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Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Blogs With Balls Radio, Episode 8

This week’s Blogs With Balls Show on the JoeSportsFan Radio Network is now available.

Download Episode 8 Here.

Viva Las Vegas!

We're heading out to the desert tomorrow, so this week's show gets an early release.

We talk with Mike Tollin, director of ESPN 30 For 30 documentary Small Potatoes: Who Killed the USFL.

Tollin's resume also includes sports classics Ready to Rumble (executive producer), Varsity Blues (producer) and Lucas favorite, Summer Catch (producer).

We talk about the one-man firestorm Mike caused in Trump Towers recently, as well as his distinction as the USFL's equivalent to NFL Films, the ongoing relationships he has with primary figures and players associated with the league and other aspects of his distinguished career.

On Thursday, Tollin will be co-hosting the Blogs With Balls/BlogWorld Expo "ESPN Zone 30 For 30 VIP After Party" with ESPN.com editor-in-chief Rob King. That event will feature a sneak peak of "Small Potatoes" and will include dinner and an open bar courtesy of Diageo Liquors. If you are going to BwB/BWE and haven't already RSVP'd, do so soon as space is quickly filling.

This week’s links of interest:

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Monday, October 12, 2009

Dan Levy Puts BwB Panelist Bethlehem Shoals OnTheDL

"Whenever you have a conversation with Nathaniel Friedman, aka ‘round the internet as Bethlehem Shoals, you have to factor in two things. First, whatever questions you ask will be answered honestly, candidly and thoughtfully. Second, hold on for dear life."

Read the Post and Listen to the Podcast.

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Friday, October 9, 2009

BwB Speaker Jalen Rose Talks with Hoops Addict's Rashad Mobley

"I recently sat down with Rose for an entertaining 30 minute conversation. In it, we discussed the importance of the social media, the responsibility of athletes, how he thinks the Washington Wizards will do during the 2009-2010 season, how he knew it was time to retire, and a host of other interesting topics."

Listen to the interview here.

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Thursday, October 8, 2009

Blogs With Balls Radio, Episode 7

This week’s Blogs With Balls Show on the JoeSportsFan Radio Network is now available.

Download Episode 7 Here.

Once again, we get into an in-depth conversation with our guest and have to cut the beginning of the show short.

We have a phenomenal conversation and go "Skyped Up" with ESPN.com Editor-in-Chief Rob King, who talks about his role, True Hoop, NFL Blog Network, ESPN Local, "What does Bill Simmons have to do to get fired," and more.

You can catch Rob alongside Jalen Rose, SB Nation's Jim Bankoff and SLAM Magazine's Lang Whitaker in Vegas next week at Blogs With Balls and the BlogWorld & New Media Expo.

Tickets are still only $100 for the whole shebang.

If you're out there and are interested in joining us at an exclusive, space-limited ESPN after-party featuring free booze, food and game cards courtesy of the WWL, drop us a line. The party will be co-hosted by Rob and Who Killed the USFL? director Mike Tollin.

This week's links of interest:

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Talking BwB on Sports Media Weekly Podcast

Chris joins Keith Thibault and Ken Fang to talk about the conference, as well as in a discussion of TBS’ coverage of postseason baseball, who will have the inside track to the American television coverage of the Rio Olympics, ESPN’s hot ratings for Monday Night Football and the debut of the 30 for 30 documentary series.

Listen to the podcast here.

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Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Blogging with Spencer Hall

As Spencer himself so eloquently put it:

"If you’re around in Las Vegas next week, feel free to come down, plonk down some coin, and watch us mix vodka with brain at Blogs with Balls 2.0: Vegas Edition. What happens when you do that on stage? This, of course..."

What You Missed at BwB 1.0: On Blogging with Spencer Hall from HHR on Vimeo.

Spencer Hall gives valuable insight into how to make blogging feel like a step-up from your "other job." Baby seals not included.

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Monday, September 28, 2009

Announcing: “Blogs with Balls Charity Poker Shootout”

Top Sports Bloggers and Poker Celebrities, Including Annie Duke, to Join Up For Charity
BLOGS WITH BALLS CHARITY POKER SHOOTOUT SET FOR OCTOBER 16TH IN LAS VEGAS

Las Vegas, Nevada (September 28, 2009) – On October 16th, many of the top sports bloggers and poker players in the world will get together for the Blogs with Balls Charity Poker Shootout, held in conjunction with BlogWorld & New Media Expo in Las Vegas.

Each table in the 100-person Shootout, generously underwritten by Carbon Poker, will feature sports writers from the leading sports media companies, including ESPN, Fox Sports, Yahoo, AOL, Sports Illustrated, Gawker Media, Yardbarker, SB Nation and more. In addition, each table will feature one of the best professional poker players in the world, including Annie Duke – a WSOP bracelet winner and runner up on Donald Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice on NBC.

The Shootout has been organized to raise money and awareness for Ante Up for Africa, a charity founded by Duke and award-winning actor Don Cheadle to aid relief efforts in Darfur through poker events. In the last three years, Ante Up for Africa has raised more than $5 million dollars to help support human rights work in Darfur.

In addition to raising money for charity, the event will have both cash and prizes for the top finishers, as well as knockout bonuses and other fun and valuable giveaways from sponsors. An announcement with additional sponsors and full list of professional players signed on to play will be forthcoming.

The event, taking place at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino’s new poker lounge, begins at 8pm. For more information on the Shootout, including sponsorship opportunities and media/interview requests or to get a seat in the tournament visit blogswithballs.com or email info[at]hhrmediagroup[dot]com.

About Blogs with Balls

Blogs with Balls is a series of social sports blogger and new media gatherings featuring speakers and panelists specifically focused on sports fans, writers, sites, teams, athletes and companies; and their ability to maximize new media outlets for promotion and advancement.

In addition to writers and executives from the largest online sports outlets on the web, speakers at BwB 2.0 at the BlogWorld & New Media Expo include former NBA star Jalen Rose, television, web and print personality Kevin Blackistone, representatives from ESPN and The Sports Illustrated Group, Sacramento Kings VP of Communications Mitch Germann, and many more.

For a full list of speakers, panelists and scheduled discussion topics, please visit blogswithballs.com/panels-20. For more information on BlogWorld & New Media Expo, please visit blogworldexpo.com.

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Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Blogs With Balls Radio, Episode 5

This week’s Blogs With Balls Show on the JoeSportsFan Radio Network is now available.

Download Episode 5 Here.

This week we formally announce our collaboration with ESPN to help provide tickets to Blogs With Balls at Blog World Expo for only $100. The price of admission to the sports track also includes an exclusive after party at the ESPN Zone as well as a charity poker tournament.

This week's Blog With Balls is DudePerfect.com, a trick basketball shot site recently featured on BwB 2.0 Panelist JE Skeet's Ball Don't Lie blog at Yahoo! Among the interest in the site is the proprietor's unique way of using it to raise charitable funds.

Our guest this week is the new Senior Editor of BwB 1.0 sponsor SB Nation, Chris Mottram - renowned athlete stalker, one half of Mister Irrelevant's Brothers Mottram and formerly of Fanhouse and The Sporting Blog. Chris discusses his journey from student to blogger to his staring role with some of the web's foremost sports news and opinion outlets, as well as the revamped SB Nation and its position among blog networks. He also takes a crack at naming that DC sports figure/personality in this week's edition of "Skyped Up."

This week’s links of interest:

You can drop us comments, suggestions and hate mail at podcast[at]blogswithballs[dot]com.

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Tuesday, September 22, 2009

BwB & ESPN

Big news out of Blogs with Balls land this week. The Worldwide Leader has gotten involved and provided a ball subsidy: From now through 9/28, if you visit blogswithballs.com/2/espn you can request a free discount code that brings the price of BwB 2.0 in Las Vegas down to $100.

Blogs with Balls is proud to collaborate with ESPN to offer a special discounted rate for Blogs with Balls 2.0 in Las Vegas. Simply provide your name and email address via the link below, and you will receive in the mail a discount code to receive $100 tickets to BwB at Blog World Expo.

With the ticket, in addition to the panels and speakers listed below, you will also receive an invite to a VIP after party at the ESPN Zone. Other great events will be announced soon, but don’t miss out on this limited-time ticket special.

Special Featured Speaker: Jalen Rose

PANEL 1: CONNECTING DIRECTLY

A discussion about what athletes being able to speak directly to their fanbase via blogs & Twitter means to sports media, bloggers, and fans.

Mike Germano (President, Carrot Creative)
Pete Vlastelica (CEO, Yardbarker.com)
Ron Wechsler (VP Series Production and Development, ESPN)
John Thornton (NCAA All-American, Cincinnati Bengal, Founder & Co-CEO: JockBiz.com)

Moderator: Matt Sebek (JoeSportsFan.com)

PANEL 2: THE FUTURE OF SPORTS MEDIA

A discussion between traditional journalists and bloggers about the rise in prominence of sports blogs as members of the media and how the two parties can work together to compliment one another instead of taking an adversarial tone.

Bethlehem Shoals (FreeDarko, Bloomsbury USA, The Sporting News’ The Baseline)
Matt Ufford (WithLeather/Kissing Suzy Kolber/Warming Glow)
Kevin Blackistone (Around the Horn/FanHouse/Shirley Povich Chair in Sports Journalism at the Univ. of Maryland)
Amy K. Nelson (ESPN.com)

Moderator: Dan Shanoff (DanShanoff.com)

PANEL 3: ACCESS

Certain teams and leagues have embraced bloggers and recognized their value in promoting their respective brands. Several have allotted bloggers many of the same privileges they do member of the traditional media. Many, however, are still guarded and protective of their product in this regard. We discuss the pros and cons of the various policies.

Mitch Germann (VP Communications, Sacramento Kings)
Patrick Wixted (New Media Strategies)
John Karalis (RedsArmy.com)
Greg Wyshynski (Puck Daddy)

Moderator: Dan Levy (OnTheDL Podcast, The Sporting Blog)

PRESENTATION 1: BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: BUILDING YOUR BRAND & GROWING YOUR BOTTOM LINE

A presentation from the Sports Illustrated Group on strategies you can use to leverage your voice and your audience to reach marketers, advertisers and editors.

Jeff Griffing, VP of Ad Sales for the Sports Illustrated Group
Paul Fichtenbaum, Managing Editor SI.com
Ken Fuchs, VP SI Digital

PRESENTATION/Q & A: STATE OF THE UNION

3 of the top sports bloggers on the web talk about the direction the genre has taken, the direction it’s headed, and answer questions from attendees.

Jamie Mottram (Yahoo!/Mr. Irrelevant)
JE Skeets (Ball Dont Lie/The Basketball Jones)
AJ Daulerio (Deadspin)

Moderator: Spencer Hall (EDSBS, SB Nation)

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Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Blogs With Balls Radio, Episode 4

This week’s Blogs With Balls Show on the JoeSportsFan Radio Network is now available.

Download Episode 4 Here.

This week we have a big announcement (that we can't really announce). But the important detail we can share is that later this week, we will announce that a very prominent partner has come on board who will sponsor registration for a limited time that will result in $100 tickets for Blogs With Balls-only attendees at Blog World Expo. This price will not only include the formal program, but also an invite-only party sponsored by the partner, as well as the rest of the goodies/watch parties/fun-and-games we have lined up for our sports-bloggin' brethren. Plus, you know, it's Vegas.

Our Blog With Balls of the Week is "Going Pro" - a triathlon blog. Didn't know they existed did you? An interesting pick indeed, but Chris justifies its nomination well - not only does the author have a unique audience, but he's a damn good writer. These two things, if focused properly, could position the site favorably in an under-served market.

Our guest this week is the incomparable Gary Vaynerchuk. Before the event, Gary was considered by many a somewhat odd choice as our featured speaker at Blogs With Balls 1.0, but gave the audience a talk they'll remember and certainly should have learned from. VaynerMedia, a social media firm he and his brother AJ started and run, represents BwB2.0 featured speaker Jalen Rose, among other sports figures and entities. His first book, as part of a 7-figure deal he signed with Harper Studio is due out in October and is currently available for presale.

Of course, no guest appearance would be complete without challenging them to a game of “Skyped Up.” We mix two of Gary's favorite things - wine and sports.

This week’s links of interest:

You can drop us comments, suggestions and hate mail at podcast[at]blogswithballs[dot]com.

Follow us on Twitter@HHReynolds or Click Here to get HHR in your inbox.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Blogs With Balls Radio, Episode 3

This week’s Blogs With Balls Show on the JoeSportsFan Radio Network is now available.

Download Episode 3 Here.

We proudly announce the addition of former NBA star and current ESPN basketball analyst Jalen Rose to the already stellar lineup of speakers at Blogs With Balls at Blog World Expo.

We highlight our Blog with Balls of the week, Radovich's Revenge, a blog authored by a lawyer who has the stones to break down the NFL's collective bargaining agreement in layman's terms (and with humor).

Today our guest is Mitch Germann (@MCG5), Vice President of Business Communications with Maloof Sports & Entertainment (Sacramento Kings and Monarchs), and panelist on the "Access" panel at Blogs With Balls.

With Mitch we preview some of the topics that the Access panel will address, including, among other things, dealing with players using social media as representatives of the teams/company and the receptiveness of the Kings and NBA's embrace of new media members.

The team has worked hard to engage local blogs and went so far as to invite them to preseason work outs and intend to invite them to media day and training camp with the ultimate goal of credentialing them for games.

"We have just recognized through observing this space that there’s some blogs in Sacramento that work hard and that cover the team...There’s a lot of interaction, there’s a lot of comments, a lot of fans are loyal to those sites and really as an organization our philosophy is that we want to be where our fans are We don’t expect to hold everyone hostage and make everyone come to Kings.com for what they want."

Of course, no guest appearance would be complete without challenging them to a game of "Skyped Up." We see how well Mitch knows his "kings."

This week’s links of interest:

You can drop us comments, suggestions and hate mail at podcast[at]blogswithballs[dot]com.

Subscribe to the Joe Sports Fan Radio Network in iTunes.

Follow us on Twitter@HHReynolds or Click Here to get HHR in your inbox.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Blogs With Balls Radio Premiers on the Joe Sports Fan Radio Network

Welcome to the premier of Blogs With Balls Radio on the Joe Sports Fan Radio Network.

From JSF:

Over the past few weeks on our regular installment of the "JoeSportsFan Show", we teased the fact that big news was coming down the podcasting pipeline here on JoeSportsFan.com. Yesterday, you saw the initiation of this news as our own Patrick Imig and Jason Major debuted their first weekly show entitled, "The Steel Cage".

Today, we're happy to announce a partnership of sorts with respected cohorts that will deliver complementary content to our own internal lineup. Without further ado, we're pleased to unveil the "JoeSportsFan Radio Network".

We couldn't be more thrilled to be a part of the team.

Download Episode 1 Here.

Today we kick off with a show intro to let you know where we plan to take the show, and highlight what’s going on with the planning of Blogs With Balls 2.0 at the Blog World & New Media Expo.

We point out our first Ballsy Blog of the Week, IanPoulter.com.

Poulter’s site is no small reflection of the confidence he has in his game and his style.

We also have our first guest of the show, NCAA All-American from West Virginia, former 2nd round draft pick of the Tennessee Titans, former Cincinnati Bengals captain, and Founder & Co-CEO of JockBiz.com, John Thornton (@JohnThornton).

In his post-playing career, John blogs at AllProBlogger.com and offers full-service consulting for players in everything from nutrition and dieting to social media development at Jock Biz.

We are also honored to have John join Mike Germano (President, Carrot Creative), Pete Vlastelica (CEO, Yardbarker.com), Ron Wechsler (VP Series Production and Development, ESPN) on the “Connecting Directly” Panel at BwB2, where the group will look at what athletes being able to speak directly to their fanbase via blogs & Twitter means to sports media, bloggers, and fans.

John offers a preview of the discussion on today’s show.

Regarding how the media, namely those covering the Bengals, see their roles changing as guys like Chad Ochocinco circumvent the traditional athletes and take their message directly to fans:

“The media people that we talked to they were all sort of afraid for their jobs because they feel like they’re going to get cut out. Chad was actually on that panel and he said he wants to cut the middle man out because he’s been portrayed in a certain way…

I think the role of the media initially was to cover the game. Whether you’re supposed to tell what happened, but I think over time the media got so much power and they start to give their own opinions, their personal opinions. Now…the media has to reinvent themselves. You got to use social media…

You can’t be afraid of the athletes Tweeting or using their blogs or Facebook, you know whatever. You just gotta use it. You got to find a way to reinvent yourselves because it’s not just the newspapers anymore. Everybody’s online. Everybody’s on their cell phones. You just got to use that and incorporate it into your own story.”

Regarding how players interact, specifically those John consults with or is familiar with:

“We really try to let the guys know hey it’s cool to have fun, it’s cool to put yourself out there, but - you know - it’s public…

But then there’s guys that don’t care. There’s guys that I played with that I follow on Twitter that I’m like, ‘Why are you saying that? Why are you talking like that?’ But its really, its how they are...

This is your public image…”

Finally, we put John on the spot for a game we dubbed “Skyped Up” where we see just how familiar he is with the sports personalities his clients potentially have to interact with.

Look for more great things to come both with our show (which will be available each Wednesday), as well as the other personalities that will be announced on the JSF Radio Network in days and weeks to come.

This week's links of interest.

You can drop us comments, suggestions and hate mail at podcast[at]blogswithballs[dot]com.

Subscribe to the Joe Sports Fan Radio Network in iTunes.

Follow us on Twitter@HHReynolds or Click Here to get HHR in your inbox.