Welcome to Silver Screen and Roll, a brand new blog devoted to the Los Angeles Lakers! As an introduction, I'm going to tell you a little about myself, my goals for this blog, and what you can do to help me make this the best Lakers blog on these internets.
About Me
At the end of the day, I'm just a guy, with a variety of interests and skills, like the rest of you. As you've already figured out, one of those interests is NBA basketball and, more specifically, the Los Angeles Lakers. As for skills, I happen to possess a penchant for the analytical and a love of writing, the combination of which is what has led me here.
I set out on the path towards becoming a blogger with RespectKobe.com, a website which may be familiar to some of you. While I don't actually consider Respect Kobe to be a blog, in the truest sense, it put me in contact with several other bloggers and introduced me to the wonderful world of sports blogging. Soon, my interests (as far as sports writing goes) expanded beyond those things which relate to Kobe Bryant, to all things concerning the Lakers, and many others concerning the Association at large.
I could go on all day about Kobe Bryant and the website I created to address the larger Kobe Bryant discussion, but that is neither here nor there. If you're not familiar with Respect Kobe, click here to find out what it is, why I created it, and why you might want to check it out from time to time.
At times, I have written Lakers-related articles for MVN.com and general NBA-related posts for the fantastic Hardwood Paroxysm. I have been linked on occasion by ESPN's TrueHoop, and even inspired a Kobe-related discussion that became front page material on ESPN.com's NBA page.
And now, I am joining the largest sports blogging network as their Lakers blogger.
Silver Screen and Roll
The Lakers... you know them well. But then, who doesn't? They are, and always have been, the team that brings the glitz and glamour of Hollywood to the hardwood floor of NBA basketball. They're as entertaining as Thursday evening television, as exciting as an action movie, as dramatic as a soap opera. They bring with them the history and tradition of former champions, the expectations of future champions, the largest fan base in the world, and more drama than a basketball fan's favorite cable channel, TNT.
And we love it.
Fans and bloggers of other teams will criticize the Lakers for their flashiness on the court, or their occasional prima donna attitudes off it. They will criticize Laker fans for showing up late and leaving early, accuse us of being fair weather fans, and even hate us simply because our team is so popular.
Here at Silver Screen and Roll, we don't apologize for any of that. As far as we're concerned, a flashy team can be a good team, we win because we expect to (not the other way around), "We want tacos!" is as much a cry for defense as it is an expression of hunger, and the fact that we're leaving a few minutes early to beat some of the worst traffic in the country doesn't mean we don't care about the outcome of every single Lakers game.
This is where Hollywood meets the hardwood — where the Silver Screen meets the Screen and Roll — and we love and embrace every minute and every aspect of it.
Vision
My goal for this blog is simple: To make it the best Lakers blog in the world — in fact, the best team sports blog, period. I intend to make this your one-stop shop for all things Lakers. At the same time, I want this to become a community for fans of the best team in the world to come together — a virtual sports bar, with the Lakers playing on every screen in the house and a thoughtful, informative commentator at every table and booth.
It's a simple enough vision, and SB Nation provides the network and technology to make it possible. The last ingredient is you: The level of insight and discussion you provide is what can really make this a great blog.
Along the way, I'm also hoping you'll share with me any ideas you have for making this blog everything that you, the readers, want in a Lakers blog — and that you'll be willing to participate, wherever possible, in turning those ideas into reality.
This is not a one-man show.
What I Ask of You
At this point, I only have a couple requests of you:
- Be respectful of others. Whether they be fans or haters, or even Celtics fans, every person on this board deserves common courtesy. Though they may not show us any respect, I expect Lakers fans to "be the bigger person" and "do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
- Tell me what you want to see. Is there a certain type of regular post you'd like me to incorporate? Let me know. Is there a topic you'd like Silver Screen and Roll to address? Let me know. Is there a feature you'd like to see added to the site — something really cool that somebody out there is doing, that you'd like to see happen here? Let me know! I'm no magician, but I do want to make this the greatest sports blog out there. If this isn't your favorite Lakers blog (or for that matter, the best team blog out there, period), let me know what I can do to change that. If you let me know what you want to see when you come here, I'll do my best to make it happen.
Now Hiring
Okay, "hiring" is the wrong word, because I can't pay you. But I do want to let you know that before too long, I want to bring on some volunteers to help make this a great blog. In my experience, some of the best blogs out there are those with multiple authors, or those with a lot of reader involvement. That's my goal.
I'm looking for people who are interested in writing an occasional game preview or recap, hosting a liveblog every now and then, writing a supplemental commentary or analysis piece from time to time — or even coming up with your own idea for something interesting that will be of value to the Laker community. If that's you, this is your chance, and over the next few weeks, I'll be watching the comments, looking for thoughtful and insightful analysis and commentary from people who might want to become more involved in what we're doing here.
Show me what you got!
Go Lakers!
That's all from me for the moment, but check back often, as Silver Screen and Roll is about to become your Lakers Central. Here's to hoping for three more regular season wins, a Cleveland loss, and a playoff run that ends better than last year!