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Jul 14 / Casey Crowe

For Bleacher Report Featured Columnists, there is no offseason

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With sports consumers seeking out content that isn’t as universally available as it is during the regular and postseasons, the down periods are prime spans to build followings for Featured Columnists.

When pro and collegiate leagues are in the beef of their schedules, the competition is heavy for the same stories. In the offseason, the task becomes producing crisp material when there is not much in the way of news happening day to day.

B/R writers are asked to maintain a consistent rate of top-shelf pieces year-round. It’s a challenge, but a worthwhile one. Readers appreciate writers who can keep them informed and updated 12 months out of the year.

For a look at how the out-of-season goodness is created, four of Bleacher Report’s top college football and NFL Featured Columnists dealt out some advice for keeping streams hot in the summer:

Michelle Noyer-Granacki
Covers: Green Bay Packers
On the site since: September 2013

How she keeps things fresh in the offseason:

Sportswriting is an ongoing conversation, and if writers come at it like they’re sitting in an empty room talking to themselves, especially during the offseason, they’ll run out of material fast. I think it’s really important to engage with what other writers are producing and think about whether you agree, disagree, or think there’s more to the story. I’m also a huge stats lover; they always reveal a story under the surface if you can do a little digging, especially during slow times in the year.

What they’re saying about Noyer-Granacki:

Between Green Bay Packers pieces and league-wide content, Michelle has shown the willingness and knowledge to write any piece of content we need covered, and she does it exceptionally well. —NFL associate editor Justin Onslow

Luke Brietzke
Covers: SEC
On the site since: December 2013

How he keeps things fresh in the offseason:

I have had great fortune to work with editors who assign and approve great traffic-oriented pieces that also offer the opportunity to be both informative and fun. My key to offseason success is tapping into topics highlighting changes and players about which readers want to read. People tend to read articles strictly from the fan standpoint, so during the offseason they want to read almost exclusively about reasons for optimism or reasons to be concerned. Coaching changes and new players or starters attract the most attention because they inspire hope, so that’s where I try to devote the majority of my attention.

What they’re saying about Brietzke:

[Luke] is a sharp writer with strong knowledge on the SEC beat. —NCAA football associate editor Eric Bowman

Kristopher Knox
Covers: NFL
On the site since: June 2013, with an earlier stint June 2009-February 2011

How he keeps things fresh in the offseason:

Remember that the offseason is your time to shine. While it might take a little more work to uncover relevant information (I tend to trust local beat writers for this), the offseason gives us an opportunity to appeal to a broad reader base and to stand out by adding our own unique spin. Major media outlets may be more focused on sports that are “in season,” but fans of your sport are still going to crave content.

What they’re saying about Knox:

Kris is a jack-of-all-trades NFL writer who never fails to hit a deadline. He’s reliable to a fault, and knows the NFL well enough to cover anything we ask of him. —NFL associate editor Justin Onslow

Zach Shelton
Covers: Texas Longhorns
On the site since: May 2012

How he keeps things fresh in the offseason:

My goal with each article is to write something that I would want to read. To me, that means learning something new every time I put one together. Otherwise, I’m just wasting my time as well as the reader’s.

What they’re saying about Shelton:

Zach is always willing to lend a helping hand and never misses deadlines. He has solid ideas. —NCAA football associate editor Eric Bowman

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Casey Crowe is Bleacher Report’s Featured Columnist Coordinator. 

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Filed under Writer's Tips
  • Bleacher Report is trash

    Way to pick three out of four writers that are just going through their first real, full off-season while at Bleacher Report…. They sure seem like some seasoned vets at how to navigate the dead period!!

    This line sums up Bleacher Report garbage at it’s best: “While it might take a little more work to uncover relevant information (I tend to trust local beat writers for this), the offseason gives us an opportunity to appeal to a broad reader base and to stand out by adding our own unique spin.”

    At least he was open and honest about it, though: RELYING ON LOCAL BEAT REPORTERS. Also known as ACTUAL journalists or reporters, these are the people who serve up the information B/R just rehashes via amateur “writers” that are rarely/never credentialed to actually cover events in person. They’re just armchair fans of X team that typically write terrible, uninformed click-bait stories about X team they’re a fan of from their basement or living room “office” using information that was actually gathered and obtained through real, hard-working journalists actually, you know, TALKING with people and doing, um, REPORTING.

    Bleacher Report has an audience, clearly, and I’m not bashing that. I just wish people (usually the writers) would give up the act that it’s some high-quality, objective news gathering organization. It’s nothing more than a sports-filled BuzzFeed staffed with under-qualified over self-indulgent fans disguised as writers piggybacking off the work of real journalists