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dairedevil
01-01-2010, 11:15 AM
I can't believe that I would be the first to comment on the article about the changes in DBR. While an extremely infrequent poster, I have been a constant part of DBR since I first stumbled across the site - it must have been near the beginning (A part of me still misses seeing that old hardwood floor background!) Thank you for all that you (J,B & J) put in to making this such a wonderful community for those who love Duke and Duke basketball. Over the years I have checked out other college sports sites and forums. It has only made me appreciate more the effort that you have put in to making this a place I can come back to again and again and be proud that I am a Duke fan. Differing opinions may be argued and debated, but as long as civility is maintained, it doesn't matter if you are a Duke fan or not...even a few admitted Carolina fans are tolerated and treated with respect by this community.

I've asked a few questions on the off-topic board, and have received some thoughtful responses and suggestions. I've enjoyed learning about topics as differing as what electronics to purchase, what books to read, what movies/tv shows to watch, what to eat and drink (Ymmm, ....), what Tiger is up to....

And, although I didn't read it much, I learned a few things from the Public Policy board - and I understand why it no longer exists as it became to difficult to maintain the standard that DBR held for itself.

Of course, I can't forget the BBQ discussions, either.

So, thanks for keeping this going yourselves for as long as it was feasible. You've done a wonderful job. It sounds as though you've put a great deal of thought into the decision to sell, and have tried to protect your vision and the DBR community as much as you possibly can.

I will expect DBR to change...but, as I tell myself often " change doesn't HAVE to mean bad!"

james
01-01-2010, 11:32 AM
I can't believe that I would be the first to comment on the article about the changes in DBR. While an extremely infrequent poster, I have been a constant part of DBR since I first stumbled across the site - it must have been near the beginning (A part of me still misses seeing that old hardwood floor background!) Thank you for all that you (J,B & J) put in to making this such a wonderful community for those who love Duke and Duke basketball. Over the years I have checked out other college sports sites and forums. It has only made me appreciate more the effort that you have put in to making this a place I can come back to again and again and be proud that I am a Duke fan. Differing opinions may be argued and debated, but as long as civility is maintained, it doesn't matter if you are a Duke fan or not...even a few admitted Carolina fans are tolerated and treated with respect by this community.

I've asked a few questions on the off-topic board, and have received some thoughtful responses and suggestions. I've enjoyed learning about topics as differing as what electronics to purchase, what books to read, what movies/tv shows to watch, what to eat and drink (Ymmm, ....), what Tiger is up to....

And, although I didn't read it much, I learned a few things from the Public Policy board - and I understand why it no longer exists as it became to difficult to maintain the standard that DBR held for itself.

Of course, I can't forget the BBQ discussions, either.

So, thanks for keeping this going yourselves for as long as it was feasible. You've done a wonderful job. It sounds as though you've put a great deal of thought into the decision to sell, and have tried to protect your vision and the DBR community as much as you possibly can.

I will expect DBR to change...but, as I tell myself often " change doesn't HAVE to mean bad!"

Many thanks, As you may or may not know, I remained a 1/3 owner of DBR after stepping aside from day-to-day duties, so was aware of and involved with the sale. I had asked Julio to post my thanks with the announcement, but they may not have arrived in time, so I will put them here.


I wish Julio the best of luck in the future going forward with DBR the Sports Blogs. It has been my pleasure and privilege to work with Julio and Boswell to make DBR the best site on the net.

Of course, it wasn't just the three of us, a site like this really benefits from the contributions of others. Three contributors stand out in my memory:


Ryan Breen contributed with an archive of the old bulletin board site and with a Duke specific chat site, Thank You!
Rob Clough, before moving on to dwhoops.com, provided expert commentary on the women's team, Thank You!
Mike Rosenberg provided us with daily updates of Duke players in the NBA before nba.com provided their widgets, Thank You!

And, of course, a very big Thank You to you, the readers. Without you, none of this would have been possible. Thank you, it has been a wonderful ride!

OZZIE4DUKE
01-01-2010, 11:36 AM
Yes, a surprise but not really given today's economic realities.

I saw Julio before yesterday's game. We exchanged pleasantries and good wishes - he's a good man and a good friend. I'm glad he and Boswell (also a good man and a good friend) are cashing in on all their hard work - they deserve it. I know they really hope DBR gets better and that they expect to maintain editorial control.

I also don't want to leave out James (again also a good man and a good friend), whose programming skills, technical resources and editorial mandates for civility were a huge part of what the Duke Basketball Report became and is today.

To the future - may it be as bright as the past! :cool:

Ah! James posted his reply while I was typing mine. I'm glad he reaps part of the bounty too!

Jfrosh
01-01-2010, 11:50 AM
Change is always difficult. But clearly with the economic realities it was necessary. While this is the biggest change ever to the only site I visit several times daily, we have seen smaller changes. Certainly the bulletin Board change was significant, making it easier and opening up to a broader community, which had it's good and bad sides. The addition of advertising and banners was only a minor annoyance. I am so greatful that DBR did not sell out to the big fan sites that annoy us all. We always (well usually) have a high level of discourse here, and I really hope that continues. Thanks guys for all the years you have helped serve the Duke community.

dukestheheat
01-01-2010, 11:57 AM
I read the Main Page article with a lump in my throat (yes, I visit DBR a couple times a day and it's a big part of my life) and I am relieved that we're going to still be up and running.

Whew!

Happy new Year,

dth.

stillcrazie
01-01-2010, 12:38 PM
I regularly follow a St. Louis Cardinals blog on SB Nation (Viva El Birdos) and could see DBR fitting into that format pretty well. Usually there is only one main article posted along with one main discussion thread, with minor topics posted on the side of the screen. I'll be interested to see how the multiple articles with multiple discussion threads format of DBR translates on the SBN site.

There is a minimum amount of trolling on that site, although I would expect a bit more on a Duke basketball site since the board will be linked in with other basketball sites.

In any case, many thanks to all those responsible for the daily maintenance of DBR. I've enjoyed it and appreciate all your great work.

-jk
01-01-2010, 12:45 PM
I don't know what'll happen with the boards yet, but for now we'll try keep them functioning pretty much as is.

-jk

Neals384
01-01-2010, 12:49 PM
This is an appropriate time for me to say a big "thank you" to everyone behind the scenes at DBR. As a Duke fan in Oregon, it would be very difficult to stay current on Duke basketball without DBR. Thanks!

Neal

OZZIE4DUKE
01-01-2010, 12:59 PM
I don't know what'll happen with the boards yet, but for now we'll try keep them functioning pretty much as is.

-jk
We were wondering. Thanks.

CameronBornAndBred
01-01-2010, 01:13 PM
Congrats on reaping the fruits of your labor, hopefully any changes coming will not be too drastic and help to further improve the site. Happy to hear that editorial control will be maintained, I enjoy reading the front page, both the linked stories and editorials.

Lulu
01-01-2010, 01:57 PM
Ugh. Ugh. Have any of you visited SB Nation in the past? Wish I knew how much it really cost to keep a site like this running. Or maybe it was more about the offer.

Faustus
01-01-2010, 01:59 PM
As with many others, I rarely post on the forum, but am a constant reader throughout the year. Here in Virginia the DBR has been a lifeline for me. May it continue for many, many seasons. Happy New Year to everyone here as well.

airowe
01-01-2010, 04:48 PM
A big thanks from me as well to the operators and moderators of this site. Intelligent discussion of any topic is hard to find on any topic online, much less something as dynamic and polarizing as Duke Basketball. Thank you for sacrificing possible money from previous buyouts in order to keep the standards of this site as you envisioned it should be. That kind of integrity is not seen anywhere in life very often and it speaks to the character of those who made the decisions.

Wheat/"/"/"
01-01-2010, 07:32 PM
Yes, a surprise but not really given today's economic realities.


Ozzie-The only thing that was surprising to me about this announcement was that the guys were able to hold out so long. I can only imagine the hours they have put into it basicly as a labor of love.

I've been around since '96, probably found the site just a few months after the launch. I immediately felt welcomed by the majority of the community, even tho I've always had to walk a tightwire as a rival fan.

Since the very beginning, there has not been a better site for following a college basketball team, any team. They have represented the Duke fan base with integtity. It's our good fortune that these guys had a passion and commitment for a team that we have great interest in.

We've all seen some big changes in the internet landscape and we all know they could have cashed in on any number of occaisions, but to their credit, they never did. Their daily commitment was humbling to those of us who struggled to just find time to post a thought now and then.

For some of you who might have come to the party late, the comments in the announcement about the sense of community and their attention to take into consideration the readers of the site before a sale was not lip service. The guys have always been about the community and fostering a loyal following to share not only their love of Duke basketball, but the ACC too.

The most important thing I gathered from the announcement was this comment..."We made sure that we could protect the sense of DBR, that it would remain open, that we would maintain editorial control..."

I was dreading opening the announcement link, but when I read that, I felt like things going forward would be OK. And I actually had the thought..."good for them, I hope they were rewarded for all the years of hard work".

I have always liked their judgement of what's a story, what's of interest to the community today and their daily attention to keeping things fresh. The links out are always informative. I especially respect their own editorial comments, which were always well written and thoughtful, even when I disagreed.

In the wild west of internet message boards, this one is a rowdy town saloon. But thankfully it's not "Deadwood", it's "Dodge City" with a steady Matt Dillon, (the guys), riding shotgun and seeing to it that everyone has a good time without getting out of hand. Tough to do when recruiting battles, rivalries, and tight, hard fought games take the place of whiskey.

Congratulations and thanks guys...oh, and keep it up!

diveonthefloor
01-01-2010, 07:56 PM
I am a very infrequent poster, but have benefited from access to DBR since its inception.

You guys have done a fabulous job and I hope you're able to continue your vision even after the SBNation transition. I, like many of you, have gone to the SB site out of curiosity. It looks like a solid collection of blogs from across the sports world. Hopefully you guys will no longer have to worry about where the next dime is coming from to keep the site going! Congratulations on your accomplishment and best of luck in the future.

P.S., do you think the web address will remain the same? My fingers have built in muscle memory!! haha

MChambers
01-01-2010, 08:18 PM
A big thanks from me as well to the operators and moderators of this site. Intelligent discussion of any topic is hard to find on any topic online, much less something as dynamic and polarizing as Duke Basketball. Thank you for sacrificing possible money from previous buyouts in order to keep the standards of this site as you envisioned it should be. That kind of integrity is not seen anywhere in life very often and it speaks to the character of those who made the decisions.

I'll second all of this. There aren't many places where one can have such intelligent discussions, and we owe you quite a bit.

duketaylor
01-01-2010, 08:52 PM
I also wish all three of you the best and thank you. I briefly said hello to Julio at the game last night, not knowing this was ongoing. I hope Bos is well and look forward to dining with James the next time we can. Good luck to all of you from a long-timer.

Wheat/"/"/"
01-01-2010, 09:08 PM
Here's a good look at some early DBR history (http://www.dukemagazine.duke.edu/dukemag/issues/070804/cyber1.html) written back in '04 for those who might have missed it.

bdeviled11
01-01-2010, 09:21 PM
I don't post much at all, but I will say this is a very informative site with a very high standard. Just because you are going to sb nation doesn't mean that will change for anyone that is concerned out there. I follow 'fieldgulls' (seattle seahawks) on there and it is a much keener, smarter, and sometimes edgier website than any sports website I've seen. Sometimes they do have to be shills but please reference this post

http://www.fieldgulls.com/2009/9/30/1062380/comcast-pays-sbn-me

In fact DBR is very similar. People shouldn't have a lot of concern out there. If the person's running the website don't change, then I fully expect everyone to be just as satisfied has they are now. This isn't going to be bleacher report part II.

The only real difference is you won't get a lot of topics about other schools on the website. If anything the regular posters on here are probably going to have to step up there game.

Congratulations DBR you are about to get a lot more popular and hated all at the same time.

Indoor66
01-01-2010, 09:22 PM
Here's a good look at some early DBR history (http://www.dukemagazine.duke.edu/dukemag/issues/070804/cyber1.html) written back in '04 for those who might have missed it.

Thanks, Wheat. That was great. I am not sure why I had never seen that before.

Wheat/"/"/"
01-01-2010, 10:18 PM
The only real difference is you won't get a lot of topics about other schools on the website. If anything the regular posters on here are probably going to have to step up there game.

Congratulations DBR you are about to get a lot more popular and hated all at the same time.

Not sure how you come to those conclusions.

I just took a look at the UNC, Maryland, N.C. State, Clemson and Wake sites there, and all the boards were pretty much dead. They sucked to be blunt. I didn't bother to even look at the rest.

I knew nothing of SBNation until today, and I spend way more time than I should on a computer. For my first impression, I'd say they are counting on DBR readers to lift their profile and inject some life around there, which hopefully can be good. I'm all for anything that grows college hoops.

cbfx3
01-01-2010, 10:43 PM
I remember when I first loaded one of those free 50 hrs AOL disks and got online... one of the first things I did was search for "Duke Basketball" and ended up here. Seems like it was the year the year that Carrawell and Chappell commited. Been checking here daily since then. Congrats to DBR and hope things work out for the best!

WiJoe
01-01-2010, 11:41 PM
When does the switch take effect?


:(

Exiled_Devil
01-02-2010, 12:33 AM
Are they bringing back codes?

I kid.

My guess is that this will be traumatic, but less so than the interim period between the old boards and this new set-up. This community will stay strong if it keeps its moderation ethos and the editorial principles of the articles.

ricks68
01-02-2010, 02:01 AM
You guys deserve the very best. It has always been so obvious that you have poured your hearts into this thing for a very long time, and at considerable cost and time consuming effort. You have certainly contributed to my well-being by providing me many daily hours of pleasant diversion throughout the years.

(Also good to hear from James again. I still owe James some BBQ. At least I still have not forgotten.)

All I can hope for is for DBR to still remain DBR. Anything less would be so disappointing after all these years. I hope you will continue to be given the opportunity to influence the structure and tone that you so masterfully accomplished. I believe, as a representative of your loyal following, that DBR has no peer on the internet, or in any other medium. Thanks for all that you have done to make DBR what it has been over the years, and hopefully, what it can still accomplish.:)

ricks

greybeard
01-02-2010, 02:17 AM
Couldn't have dreamt that there'd be a place like this. Congrats and thanks.

NSDukeFan
01-02-2010, 08:51 AM
Here's a good look at some early DBR history (http://www.dukemagazine.duke.edu/dukemag/issues/070804/cyber1.html) written back in '04 for those who might have missed it.

Thanks as well for this post. Interesting article. Also, thanks to Julian, Mark, and James, and all the best. Hope you are able to keep the site meeting your standards.

Devilsfan
01-02-2010, 09:54 AM
How long do you think it will take before they bring in their own people and start controling their financial investment?

PumpkinFunk
01-02-2010, 10:43 AM
How long do you think it will take before they bring in their own people and start controling their financial investment?

SBNation doesn't bring their own people in, they let the original owners keep control and choose who is permitted to make a front-page news post versus a fanpost or something else.

Honestly, my fear with a switch to SBNation is the same issue that I see on the Redskins blog which I follow there, which is spam, trolling, and stupidity from either opposing fans/Duke haters or even from the Duke fans. While you have a fair amount of control as an editor, there are limits to how much you can do. I've had a much better experience with the cycling blog there because it's a less well-known sport and so it's a bit under-the-radar. The community itself has to have a lot of control and do a lot to keep it intelligent and respectful, and that is a hard amount of self-policing to do, and needs to be something we're all ready to do there.

sagegrouse
01-02-2010, 10:53 AM
How long do you think it will take before they bring in their own people and start controling their financial investment?

If the SBNation folks have half a brain, they would understand that the best return on their "financial investment" is to keep DBR the way it is and use its superior marketing power to increase revenue on the site.

With something as intangible as a Web site/blog/message list, the investor is invariably betting on the management team and its track record as a leader in Duke basketball commentary.

And, of course, it would be good if Julio has additional resources to run the site.

sagegrouse

Onlyduke
01-02-2010, 11:50 AM
I hardly ever post, but DBR has been my homepage for years. I read DBR every day and I hope it doesn't change much. Thanks for all the good reads and I hope they continue for a long, long time!

jimsumner
01-02-2010, 11:59 AM
"Honestly, my fear with a switch to SBNation is the same issue that I see on the Redskins blog which I follow there, which is spam, trolling, and stupidity from either opposing fans/Duke haters or even from the Duke fans"

Ah, spam, trolling and stupidity. The trinity of the internet.

But folks, if you think DBR sometimes gets a bit snarky, then you haven't seen anything. Compared to some of the Wild West sites out there, DBR is Miss Manners.

And that's because the gang has worked very hard to keep it that way.

Lord Ash
01-02-2010, 12:20 PM
DBR is the least snarky place on the internet. I swear, that is why I have been so upset seeing the PPB go... it was the ONLY place I've ever seen that had both A) intelligent conversation and B) manners.

I am sure that any new forums will be policed just as diligently as the current ones are now.

PaIronDuke
01-02-2010, 02:04 PM
My few personal encounters with Julian-via e-mail-have shown him to be as delightful in that context as in his DBR capacity. Possibly he may underrate the many thousands of us who rarely comment but who eagerly visit the site daily and enjoy its tone and literacy and the continuing feeling of connection with our beloved university.

Although I suspect the great coverage of Duke basketball will continue, I hope the widely-dispersed choice of topics will continue also, as this often more clearly demonstrates the class of the moderators and posters than anything else.

We have something worth protecting here, and count on me to do anything reasonable-including financial-to ensure its continuance as is.

DevilHorse
01-02-2010, 02:12 PM
My best wishes to Julio, Boswell, and James on this next stage in the metamorphosis this DBR.

When I left campus in the mid 80s, email was in its infancy. I relied on some old friends in the lab to keep me updated on any big developments (The Chronicle was delivered only about 2 weeks late). Orin Day became my liaison at one point, and pointed me to juliovision.com.

I've enjoyed growing with the site over the years.

DBR is holy ground for many Duke basketball (and other sports) fans who can't be on campus and share directly with other like minded fans.

Transplanting hold ground is not a simple or sure thing. DBR was formed by its people and molded by its founders and moderators. With luck the move to SB Nation will continue to capture the same essence.

Larry
DevilHorse

gep
01-02-2010, 07:32 PM
I also want to add my sincere THANK YOU to Julio, Boswell, and James for all of their time and efforts to keep and maintain DBR. I've been on DBR since the "old DBR" posting codes days, and visit DBR multiple times every day to get updates, not only for Duke basketball and athletics, but all sports news, in addition to all message board discussions. When I had problems or questions, they were quick to respond, and were very courteous and helpful. They really make me feel a part of DBR. I will continue with DBR after the transition, as I'm sure many in the DBR community will do also.

Some questions... Will there be a "timetable" when the switch happens? Will we actually notice the change? Will the URL change?