Writer's strike be damned--this ain't no pinko union shop. The 2007 CFBAs are here, and it is time to recognize only the most eloquent, witty, and fart-joke encrusted verbal distractions from around the blogosphere for this year's round of awards. (Joel and T. Kyle have already made their announcements earlier today. Check them out, since we're bound to leave out important information, like how to nominate people, when they're going to be awarded, or what they are in the first place.)
In an effort to do what we fail in flames to do every day here at EDSBS.com, we will focus on the details, particularly of the nomination process.
What: The College Football Blog Awards 2007
Who: Any blogger with a functioning, active college football-centered blog really, though a committee protects the people's interests: Brian Cook from MGoBlog, T. Kyle King from Dawg Sports, Joel of Rocky Top Talk, Peter Bean of Burnt Orange Nation, and yours truly.
You might be thinking: when did a "People's Committee" picked by fiat ever result in someone NOT getting shot? Well, we encourage questions, comrade...but isn't that question a bit...subversive? BLAMMO!
Why? To recognize the finest in college football blogging in all its shades and varietals:
funny, analytical, bitter, snarky, hopeful, speedy, thorough...we hope to catch them all. You don't blog for the money, you do it for the joy of clearing fifteen hundred Russian spam messages from your inbox at 1:30 a.m. on a Wednesday morning. Take some lagniappe for being good at what you do, or nominate someone who deserves a laurel and hearty handshake for what they do every day for next to nothing.
How?
The categories will follow, but in short here's how to make nominations, as written up by Joel after much careful deliberation via IM. (Read: two--at least two--Google Chat sessions of largely assenting to whatever the lawyers said.)
Best, for bloggers: Treat it like a multi-post roundtable. Nominate, in a post on your site, whomever you like for whatever you like (two or three blogs/posts for each category). Spread them out over the week and provide some commentary for why you believe the nominee is worthy. This commentary has a good chance of winding up as a quote and link in the award presentation post if your nominee wins or is a runner-up. Once you finish your nomination post(s), DON'T FORGET to post a link to your nomination post in the comment thread of this post, or else we might not ever see them.
Better, for bloggers: Treat it like a single-post roundtable. Do the same as above, but do all of your nominations in one post.
Good, for bloggers: Link dump, no commentary.
Best, for readers. Post your nominees in the comment section of your favorite blogger's nomination posts.
Good, for readers. Use the nomination gizmo.
Important: Bloggers, you can't nominate yourself or any of your own posts for any of the awards. Also, please keep in mind that just because you make a nomination or are nominated for an award does not mean that you will make the final list of 3-6 official nominees. Each category will have 2-4 official nominees that we'll select by looking at who/what received the most nominations and one or two "editors choice" nominees in an effort to get deserving but less popular blogs in front of the voters.
Please don't neglect the individual post awards, as we expect nominations in that area to be a little thin.
The Categories:
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Award |
Criteria |
Winner determined by: |
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Best new blog |
FOR: The best blog started within the past year. CRITERIA: Must have launched sometime after the prior year's national championship game. Transitioning to a new blog or affiliating with a network mid-stream doesn't count. |
Committee |
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Best community |
FOR: The blog with the best community interaction. CRITERIA: A regular solicitation of input from readers and utilization of reader-produced content. |
Committee |
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Best writing |
FOR: The blog with the most consistently expressive and excellent writing. CRITERIA: Mechanical competency, yes, but the ability to turn a devastatingly funny phrase or write something compelling is probably more important. This isn't an award for copy editing; it's an award for kickin' prose. |
Committee |
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Best post |
FOR: The finest individual post of the college football year. CRITERIA: Best post for whatever reason. |
Committee |
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Funniest blog |
FOR: The funniest blog. CRITERIA: The funniest college football blog. |
Blogger vote |
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Best analysis |
FOR: Cogent, interesting analysis. CRITERIA: Emphasis placed on statistical manipulation, well researched pieces that reveal something new, and/or solid argumentative pieces that function as the authoritative last word on a subject |
Blogger vote |
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Best MSM blog |
FOR: The best blog rocked by an Official Journalist. For the purposes of this category, "Official Journalist" is anyone blogging in said capacity at either a newspaper website or one of the big internet sites like SI.com or ESPN.com; Official Journalists with indie side projects go elsewhere. |
Blogger vote |
|
Best looking blog |
FOR: The coolest-looking/prettiest blog, the best layout and design. CRITERIA: An aesthetic appeal, whether from a stylish banner, a pleasing layout, or an eye-catching incorporation of blog technology. |
Blogger vote |
|
The Job Award |
FOR: The blog that has suffered through its chosen team’s dismal season with the most dignity. CRITERIA: Continued engagement in the face of crippling, misery-inducing defeat. A stiff-upper lip and sane reaction to everything crumbling to dust. |
Blogger vote |
|
Best audio |
FOR: A somewhat abstract category, this is either for the best semi- or regularly-produced college football podcast or the single best piece of audio put out by the college football blogosphere during the year. CRITERIA: Uh, must be audio. And about college football, you know. Note that this is "podcast" in a really broad sense. Parody songs, incoherent ravings, and whatever else you've got are nominateable. One restriction: it has to be self-generated. |
Blogger vote |
|
Best regular feature |
FOR: The best recurring feature of the year. CRITERIA: The feature should be posted weekly and be generally good and stuff. |
Blogger vote |
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Best photoshop |
FOR: The best doctored picture CRITERIA: Must be a picture that’s been altered in some way to make it funny, poignant, whatever. |
Blogger vote |
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Best YouTube |
FOR: The best video of the college football blogosphere during the year. CRITERIA: Like the Best Audio, but video. Parodies, etc. Highlight reels may qualify if they are particularly creative. |
Blogger vote |
|
Blogger Championship Series |
...it's just like that other BCS except completely different. We'll be handing out Best Blog awards for each of the BCS conferences, plus one for mid-major coverage (including all independents other than Notre Dame), and one for more general, national coverage blogs. After long debate we decided to put Notre Dame blogs in with the Big East, as the "non-BCS" category is supposed to be an award for mid-majors, which Notre Dame is certainly not. Since ND shares bowl affiliations with the Big East and plays the rest of their sports there, it seemed the logical choice. |
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Best ACC blog |
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Blogger vote |
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Best Big East/Notre Dame blog |
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Blogger vote |
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Best Big Ten blog |
|
Blogger vote |
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Best Big 12 blog |
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Blogger vote |
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Best Pac-10 blog |
|
Blogger vote |
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Best SEC blog |
|
Blogger vote |
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Best Non-BCS blog |
|
Blogger vote |
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MNC |
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Blogger vote |
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People’s Champ Award |
Just like the MNC, but voting is open to everyone, not just bloggers |
Public vote |
When: You have one week, or until next Sunday night, January 27 at midnight, to make your nominations.
Keep 'em coming! And when the time comes, hopefully you can be as eloquent in victory as ODB was. Even if, like ODB, you actually didn't win anything.
Link this in today's posts! Spread the word! Or be accused of being a running dog of subversive elements!