Content Creation Presents Challenges for Authors, Bills Fans

It’s no secret this time of year is the deadest of the dead period for the NFL off season. This presents challenges for content creators in print media, fan podcasters and even professional media. The only news is usually bad news regarding a player arrest, sexual assault charge or some other bad behavior on the part of players blowing off steam before training camp starts.

Furthermore, times have changed regarding content creation. Prior to the age of the Internet, Buffalo Bills fans could only get information about their team from local sports journalists covering the team for the big three networks and eventually ESPN. Those of us living in far-flung places lived for the week-late edition of Shout! magazine to come in the mail. Hard to believe Chris ‘Brownie’ and I go way back to his days cranking out the absolute best content about the Bills at the time. Brownie is truly an under-appreciated treasure.

Fast forward to the era of social media and the ability for virtually anyone to set up a podcast and crank out Bills content from all ends of the earth. We have numerous podcast networks, national media podcasts, local journalists’ podcasts and podcasts about other people’s podcasts. I even co-host a weekly podcast with my dear friend Tiffany when the spirit moves us.

However, is it time to ask the question whether we have too much of a good thing going on?

I begin to wonder about that question, especially when I see people sniping at each other on social media about the lack of ‘good’ content out there this time of year. To those griping I ask… how about you tell us what you think makes quality content this time of year?

I listen to Joe Marino’s Locked On Bills podcast and the Bruce Exclusive podcast with the same intensity in July as I do in the middle of the regular season. Why? Because they almost always have a solid analysis to share. They obviously have a great understanding of the game. Joe Buscaglia is another person whose analysis I admire. Bruce Nolan. Cover One. They all put out terrific content regardless of the time of year. So much high quality year-round content to choose from. What a happy problem for fans of Buffalo sports.

The purpose of my blabber here is to ask you to respond in the comments about what topics you would like to see addressed during July before training camp. I see a lot of people complaining about too much ‘frilly’ content. I’d rather not post at all than spew a bunch of garbage just to get something out on the blog.

So here’s a challenge for you. Keep in mind I don’t have a press credential and I live in Wyoming so I don’t have the kind of access others do with respect to players on the team. The power this blog provides in terms of “getting the word out” is mighty though, so I’m trying to think of topics or ways we can use this resource more productively during the dead part of the NFL season.

I’ve often thought about writing more about topics that go more depth about the behavioral aspects of the game and how I see the game evolving with respect to the ‘intangibles’. How much more does behavioral science play role in the draft selection process, or even with free agent acquisition?

Those of you reading this who have read my blabber since the early 2000s on the official Buffalo Bills Message Board know I’ve been ahead of the curve with respect to mental health issues and how they impact a player/team in the NFL. I’d be happy to write more about this if there is any interest.

Please use the comment section below if you have some serious input you’d like to share about how best to use our blog resource during the dead time in the NFL. Some of the rude comments I saw on my timeline on ‘Xwitter’ over the last week lead me to believe we may have reached a saturation point with content creation about the Buffalo Bills.

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

Robyn Mundy, Editor-in-Chief
BuffaloFAMbase blog