Here at Bleacher Report, we’re always trying to stay one step ahead of the game.  There is no more applicable area for this mantra than customer service.

Our little Open Source Sports Network is home to thousands of talented sports writers, who’s thoughtful articles reach the computer screens of millions around the world each month.

Not only that, but our membership is growing.  Fast.

As increasingly more fans discover Bleacher Report, the number of questions and suggestions for our support staff has begun to pile up.  Hence complacency is not an option; our processes for answering these inquiries and putting the helpful feedback of our Community into the hands of the right employees must improve alongside the influx of new members.

It is thus my great pleasure to introduce all of you to Get Satisfaction, our new solution to customer service.

Get Satisfaction is a third party platform where we as a staff will serve our Community of passionate sports writers and die-hard fans.  The benefits of this new tool are numerous:

• Most questions can be answered without the help of a human being.  Get Satisfaction’s feedback widget that is up on Bleacher Report (click “Contact Us” at the bottom of any page and you’ll be directed there automatically) allows site members to have the majority of their questions answered immediately and without the assistance of a human being.

• The Community can get involved in customer service.  In addition to our support staff, B/R members now have easy access to perhaps the most useful tool in customer service: their fellow contributors.  Get Satisfaction allows our talented Bleacher Creatures an opportunity to answer questions or bounce ideas off of each other with ease.

• Transparency and openness will help new users figure out the mystery behind B/R.  A large portion of site-related discussions will now take place in a public forum (rather than in private email chains), much to the benefit of future B/R users.  This will help newbies in the Community get up to speed with exactly how the site works.

So what are you waiting for?  Check it out: http://getsatisfaction.com/bleacherreport

Bleacher Superstar Saraswathi Siriginia is at it again…this time, she’s taken up the cause of the female sports writer.

The result?  The Foxes in the Henhouse, a brand new section of Bleacher Report devoted to our lovely lady journalists.

Sarah has joined together with Lisa Horne, Kara Martin, Mary Jo Buchanan, Michelle Alves, and a host of other uber-talented Creatures of the better sex in creating a new Community devoted to the female perspective on the world of sports.  But don’t be intimiated guys…male fans are also welcome to join in on the fun!

Just ask College Football Community Leader BabyTate, who recently scooped the Foxes: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/112449-bleacher-reports-secret-society-of-women#

The new section can be found in the “More” menu on the front page.  Make sure to stop by and give these amazing gals the respect they deserve!

Bleacher Report is on fire– Skyfire!  Today, we are announcing our partnership with Skyfire, a free, downloadable mobile browser that delivers the PC web experience on your phone, real fast.  We’re excited about Skyfire because now you can get the full Bleacher Report experience when you’re on the go.

With Skyfire, you can follow your favorite writers, comment on articles, and keep an eye on your play-by-play anytime you want.  In a nutshell, everything you get at Bleacher Report, you can now get on your mobile phone.  Whether you want breaking news, game recaps or the latest must read, it’s all there. Skyfire is the only mobile browser that lets you enjoy all of the web’s rich media – including videos, images and animations.  We encourage you to download Skyfire today and see for yourself!

Skyfire runs on Windows Mobile and Nokia E and N Series phones.  You can download Skyfire from your phone by entering get.skyfire.com into your current mobile browser.  Or, from your desktop, you can go to Skyfire’s website to send your phone an SMS with the download link.

And yes that is the correct spelling of his name.  Here’s proof, and some more official proof.  We thought it looked strange at first too…

Moving on, yes, the great Amar’e Stoudemire of Phoenix Suns and NBA fame has joined Bleacher Report and posted a slideshow showing some of his favorite moments from 2008 and a couple more that trickled into ‘09.

Please welcome Amar’e and be sure to visit www.vote4amare.com to help make him a 2009 All-Star Game Starter!

Attention all Creatures: another member of our Community has officially landed a paid gig.

After publishing just three articles on Bleacher Report, Miguel Salcido was approached with an offer by RBImagazine.  If that doesn’t speak measures to the Open Source Sports Network’s offerings for aspiring writers, I don’t know what does.

In Miguel’s words: “I started writing on BR because I thought that it was fun and because I am a very passionate baseball fan. I never thought that it would result in an actual paid gig!” 

Perhaps not Miguel; but we did (or at least we like to think so).  Time and time again, we’ve seen what the talented members of this Community are capable of…and it’s clear the outside world is beginning to take notice as well.

I’m also pleased to announce that like others before him, Miguel has continued to publish his work on Bleacher Report alongside his new gig.  Make sure to pass on your congratulations via his Bulletin Board.

We could not have envisioned a more competitive, hard-fought finale to our inaugural season-long writing competition.

Over the past two weeks, Angel Navedo and Sean Crowe have been furiously producing B/R content in the hopes of being crowned NFL The Season Champion.

These community favorites combined for nearly 60 articles and more than 50,000 reads in 14 days, driving our NFL postseason coverage.

Our congratulations go out to Angel for claiming the title with an unblemished record. He’ll have his choice of an apparel package or a complimentary subscription to NFL Sunday Ticket.  Sean’s runner-up finish will be rewarded with a jersey of his choosing.

Thanks to everyone who participated and read along.

Super Bowl Results

1) Navedo (16-0)   28,852 reads

def.

3) Crowe (13-3)   23,601 reads

Once again, our congratulations go out to Justin Goar, this year’s b/rCS champion. We are thrilled to be able to reward his great writing with an all-expense paid trip to the BCS National Championship.

You can catch Justin’s title game coverage starting this week on Bleacher Report. He will also be reporting from Miami on Wednesday and Thursday, as Florida and Oklahoma battle for college football’s ultimate prize.

We encourage all Bleacher Creatures to post questions, comments and recommendations on Justin’s board. He plans to field and respond to as many “mailbag items” as possible during his stay.

On behalf of our college football community, we wish you good luck and a great trip, Justin! We know you’ll represent us well!

1/6:  Justin’s Weekly Brain Seepage: The National Championship Edition

1/8: Championship Game Preview