THIS is a debut.

Okay. So, yeah. This would be the “official” debut I alluded to before the holiday break. If you are reading this text right now, it’s likely because I personally sent you a link to do so. Which means that you, gentle reader, already know the function of this blog. Still, if you’re anything like me, a repeat is always helpful when other forces are constantly threatening to erode what few memory cells remain. For those with their heads in the clouds, and others who are still in the dark, I’ll try to briefly sum up my goals with this site and describe the type of content/format you will be feasting on.

First, I need to make it abundantly clear that this will not be a “Michigan Blog” (for great examples of those, see the sidebar to the right). Yes, the first thing you see is a gorgeous Michigan Football banner-shot. Yes, there are tons of links to Michigan sites/blogs/articles. Yes, there will be a definite Michigan bent in a lot of what you find here. But all that has more to do with my irrepressible love for all-things-Michigan and should not be confused with any overarching “function” of this site. [ed. note: I had to start somewhere, so things will be a bit Michigan-heavy for the time being]

I also want to be careful not to box myself in by declaring any specific “purpose” in this undertaking. I like sports and I like to write. I started a blog as an outlet for both. Simple enough. The guiding momentum will be sports, with a slight emphasis on the collegiate level, but nothing will be off-limits. Accordingly, I hope to provide some amalgam the following (accompanied by my very special brand of commentary/reaction/criticism, of course):

• Random news & sports stories (some postings will be pure aggregation, others will simply use excerpts or quotes).
  
• Photos, photoshopped images, video clips, and other media bytes I feel like sharing or reacting to.
  
• Stories, conversations, and interesting encounters drawn from my personal life.
  
• Hasty reactions (Often, I’ll be watching TV or surfing the internet and come across something far too precious to reserve commentary. In such cases, I will likely post a quick response just to get my thoughts out in the open.)
  
• Regularly updated link feed of articles and blog posts of interest, in the form of my “THIS JUST IN…” section (see sidebar).
  
• Link feed of “Must-Read” articles or stories (see sidebar).
  
• Permanent links to sports sites, sports blogs, and various other worthy sites.
  
• Contributions from you, gentle reader (I welcome suggestions and content submissions, and highly encourage you to use the “Comments” section below each post to leave a reply or reaction of your own—I will likely respond within the Comment thread as well).

Now, that list is pretty wide-open and also a bit vague. Which is good. I simply want to set the stage so that I may avoid future complaints wondering why I decided to write about Maxwell Caulfield or Eastern European body hair or whatever. This is The Effrontery, so you’re just going to have to suspend disbelief at times and go along for the ride. Some days, posting may be heavy. On others, it may be sporadic or even nonexistent. All will be determined by my real-life schedule and the amount of relevant material available for me to draw from.

Anyway, thank you for stopping by and for bearing with me as things begin to take shape. Check back early and often for new content (hopefully) arriving soon.

Cheers.