Introducing Detroit OnLion

Welcome family members and twitter followers! A special "hello" goes out to the random one or two people who accidentally stumbled upon this page while looking for a strange fetish website.  One day your dream blog will come to fruition.

I have never read the inaugural post of any blog ever, so forgive me if I don't abide by the conventional standards.  Let me tell you a little about who I am, and what to expect of this blog in the future.  I am going to go about this in the most tacky way possible: going through the "Wh" questions.

Who: 

My name is Jeremy Reisman.  I am a 25 year old male living in Los Angeles.  My hometown is a suburb of Detroit, where I lived for the first 23 years of my life.  I graduated from the University of Michigan where I received a BA in psychology and an irreversible sense of superiority (or so I'm told by my lesser MSU "friends" *).

Now that the okcupid profile stuff is out of the way, let me tell you who I actually am.  I am a die-hard Detroit Lions fan (emphasis on die).  My father instilled this in me, as we have had season tickets to games since I was the age of 5.  It is something I will never forgive him for, but will never stop thanking him for.  Unfortunately, my move to California and his typical elderly pilgrimage to Florida (yes, I am taking a cheap shot at the one person I am sure will be reading this) has put an end to the tradition.

Those of you who have been around the Lions blogosphere, specifically PrideOfDetroit.com, may know me as the guy who writes the "On Paper" previews.  If you've been stalking me, you may also recall my year as the Lions blogger for www.studyofsports.com in 2008.  Well it's true.  I have decided to reveal my secret identity and step out into the limelight.  Please, out of respect for me and my family, do not flood my inbox with fan letters, and try not to stalk me on the streets of Hollywood.

What:

Here's what you can expect from Detroit OnLion:

1. My opinion and analysis on Detroit Lions news and games.
2. My "On Paper" previews will continue, and I am currently working on a cool way to analyze game results.
3. At least once a year, a report from an away Lions game.  Last year, I attended both games at Tampa Bay and Miami.  It was a phenomenal experience and I promise to make a trip every year.  This year, I am heading to Oakland, where I have already procured tickets inside the Black Hole.  I fully expect to be swallowed up and never seen again.
4. An occasional dip into other forms of entertainment including, but not limited to, other Detroit sports (my hierarchy goes: Lions > Wings > Wolverines > Tigers > Pistons), TV shows (current favorites include "Community", "30 Rock", and "Breaking Bad"). 
5. If I draw enough interest, I'd love to give you all a chance to contribute.  Whether it be through live chats, a weekly emails feature, or a "best of..." comments post every week, I haven't decided yet.  But feedback is always welcome.  I promise to answer any email (even especially if its hate mail).

I know that one of the no-no's of blog writing is an non-narrowed focus, but what I've noticed from Lions fans (and sports fans in general) is that we enjoy many of the same things outside of the world of football, so why not talk about them?

Here's what I WON'T be writing about here:

1. Fantasy football.  I hate it and the culture it created.  What used to be my favorite day of the week when I get to watch my favorite sport with friends has turned into a forum where everyone complains about their "unique" injustices that the fantasy Gods have placed upon them.  In other words, despite being quite knowledgeable about football and the NFL, I suck at fantasy football and the frustration of being destroyed by people who just draft players they've heard of ("Tiki Barber is good, right?") has caused me to ignore its existence.
2. Wrap ups of Detroit Lions news.  There are already plenty of blogs that summarize the daily happenings of everything Detroit Lions and there's no real way to be superior in the posting of other articles.  (If you are looking for those sorts of sites, I suggest PrideofDetroit and SideLion Report for their "Scanning the Savanna" series)
3. Extensive pre-draft coverage.  On draft day, I am as excited as anyone else in the football community.  However, I don't get caught up in all of the pre-draft ruckus.  Once again, there are plenty of other outlets for that and a lot of it seems to be a waste of time.  You can expect maybe one mock draft (though I doubt it) and a profile or two on a player I'd like to see the Lions target.  Offseason coverage will be more directed towards assessing the current roster and analyzing the previous season. 

Where:

Obviously here at www.DetroitOnLion.blogspot.com but you can also follow me on twitter @DetroitOnLion.  I am quite active on twitter, and that will likely be the quickest way to interact with me, if you're into that.  You can also guarantee a response by emailing me at detroitonlion@gmail.com.  

When:

My current goal during the offseason is to write at least two articles per week.  Obviously, this number will go up during the actual NFL season.  During the regular season, you can expect, at the very least, a preview posted on Friday and an analysis article the following Monday (obviously the Thanksgiving game and MNF game will be exceptions).  I would like to follow a predictable schdule that is admittedly modeled after mgoblog.  Friday: preview; Monday: summary; Midweek: in-depth analysis.

Why:

Living in Los Angeles, I only have a handful of friends to share this passion with.  Sure there's twitter and other blogs I can contribute to, but I'm egotistical and I want to be able to control the discourse of discussion on some level, no matter how small it is.  

As a reader, here's why you should continue to read.  I am trying to create something to compliment an already-strong Lions blogging community.   I'm trying to model myself as a middle-ground between my two favorite Lions blogs: The Lions in Winter and Armchair Linebacker. Ideally, I'd like to create a mix between entertainment and information (not to say that these two blogs don't effectively do both).  Planned non-football related posts include: How "Community" is like "South Park", but better; Why sports movies are almost always terrible; and why you should attend a college hockey game before you die.  

If any or all of that interests you, I suggest you stay for awhile.  Things may be a little rough in the beginning, as I'm still getting used to Blogger and still developing some post ideas.  You may see me mess with the design a little here or there.  Think of it this way: you either get to be one of those people that can say "I was reading Jeremy's stuff when his dad was the only other commenter" (unlikely) or you get to witness a downward spiral that will likely end in some sort of psychotic breakdown where I blame Matt Millen for all of my personal problems in life (likely, and probably more entertaining).

It is an exciting time to be a Detroit Lions fan, and I'm looking forward to connecting back with my brethren in Michigan.  With that out of the way, let the real content begin...  

*joke, please don't jump ship, Sparty**
**Just because I added a footnote doesn't mean I think all MSU fans can't get jokes.  I've never, ever thought that in my life.  Please like me.