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Athens, GA (Sept 25, 2008) - Idaho State University (ISU) Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations Frank Mercogliano recently told Eye on Sports Media that he has credentialed a blog, IdahoSportsZone, to cover Bengals football this season. We asked him if he would not mind writing up a short piece talking about why he did this. Mercogliano, who just took second place writing award in District 8 for general features in the Fred S. Stabley, Sr. Writing Contest, sponsored by the College Sports Information Directors of America, graciously accepted the invitation.

Why did I credential a blogsite? Well, in my opinion, most folks just lump all blogs into each other like a bowl of oatmeal. Idaho Sports Zone has shown that they are interested in covering events, and they just do so with a little bit of an irreverent spin on things at times.

Basically, I look at a blog site in the context of are they putting their name behind their page, and are they serious about covering the game, or some aspect of the event? IdahoSportsZone wanted to produce a photo gallery of the Idaho State-North Dakota game, they abided by the rules for credentialed media, and they have their name behind their product, and in my mind, that’s not any different than a newspaper. In my personal opinion, most folks fear blogs because you can’t control them, and to a degree, I think they are right. However, the fallacy is since you can’t control them, ignore them, and that’s a poor way to do business.

Much in the same vein of “keep your friends close, and your enemies closer”, by reaching out to blog sites, it can help legitimize them in a way, and it allows them to see my side on certain issues. I joked around during a CoSIDA panel that I helped moderate that that blog postings and message boards are like luggage and herpes…they last forever. I think that’s what scares people, but blogs are a new type of column in my opinion….just less structured and with unlimited room to write.

Not all great writers work at newspapers…we should always remember that.

Editor's Note: Sometimes things come together in a serendipitous way. Little did I know that as I was posting this guest column, Keith Thibault of the Sports Media Journal blog would be writing about his experience as a "Blogger on the Beat" for the Pawtucket Red Sox. This is a perfect example of what Frank is talking about above.

Related Link(s)

Media Relations Staffer Honored with Award in Fred S. Stabley Sr. Writing Contest
Frank Mercogliano's Blog: The Bengal Blog
IdahoSportsZone