Coming soon
A newsletter for you, the diehard consumer of all things Pelicans
The sports media sphere is continuing to evolve, and I believe there is a lane for everyone looking to get involved. I have been fortunate enough to dip my toes into a few different spaces over the years and that has allowed me expand both my voice and audience in different ways. It has also allowed me time to figure out what I am good at and where I provide value relative to the growing media environment. More importantly, I have been able to figure out what I am NOT.
WHAT I AM NOT
I am NOT a reporter. While I may get the occasional minor scoop, I do not exist to report on things regarding the Pelicans or the NBA. My friends Andrew Lopez, Christian Clark, and Will Guillory work tirelessly in this space and provide excellent year round coverage of the team. I could not hope to replicate their work, nor is it my desire to. Once upon a time the state of coverage surrounding New Orleans sports used to be in dire need of improvement. This is no longer the case with our excellent local beat writers (national actually - shout out Lopez and Guillory for tremendous playoff coverage this season).
I am NOT a content farm. Content mills are growing and evolving. From slideshow style blogs to drive clicks, to the pivot into video content - companies have tried to capitalize on sports fandom to generate ad revenue. I think these platforms are viable ways to break into the industry and some of the best content creators have gotten their starts as part of a larger media network. This type of content distribution is not for me. For as long as I have done this, it has never been about the money. I want to have the freedom to deliver content on my own terms and simply do not want to play the CPM game.
I am NOT for everybody. Obviously, I invite everyone to read and consume my content. However my content isn’t designed to please everyone. I think the one of the strongest things I have learned while covering the Pelicans is that you absolutely cannot please everyone. Frankly, I will not be trying to. This space will hopefully be one where consumers can perhaps walk away with a line of thought they may not have had before. Some of it will involve “uncomfortable” conversations around team building and the state of the organization. If that isn’t your cup of coffee - that’s okay!
WHAT I AM
I AM an analyst. I exist in-between the lines of things left unsaid by my reporter colleagues, and often outside of them. To put it bluntly - I have the freedom to say stupid shit online. Sometimes it is indeed stupid, but sometimes I am able to touch on topics in a way others can’t. There’s a grey area in which I can operate that I think (perhaps wrongly) provides value in a way that accents the reported media.
After the Pelicans' season ended, I had a lot of time to think about the direction in which I wanted to take my content. I had to think about what my goals were, and while I’ve already touched upon independence, the one thing I kept coming back to was community. It’s cliché, but the most valuable part of my journey has been the connections and friends I have been able to make. The driving goal behind creating this substack was to find away to maintain the relationships independent of Twitter. This may totally fail - who knows, but substack allows me a way to deliver content directly to you while giving us an avenue to continue to connect.
WHAT THIS IS
It’s because of the importance of these connections that this substack will be completely FREE. I do not want to charge people for my content. All you have to do is sign up with your email. There will be ways to support me monetarily if that is your wish, and I will be working with sponsors and partners as a part of this newsletter. More details on that to come. For now, here are some of things you can expect out of this subscription:
Detailed analysis of the Pelicans in every aspect - draft, free agency, cap and CBA, X’s and O’s, trades and more
Insider knowledge and intel discussion
Exclusive interviews and quotes
League analysis
Live events, watch parties, and Q&A access
Promotions and discounts with sponsors
For those worried about the future of the podcast and videos - fret not. Those will continue and eventually be rehomed here. You can already access old In The N.O. episodes on this substack.
This whole project is currently under construction. I expect it to look different over the next few months as I learn about what works and doesn’t work in this space. The goal is to try and be as regular as possible with the content delivery - but no promises there. Especially during the dreaded dead period in August. However, during the season I will try to deliver on at least a weekly basis, with frequency increasing around larger events and key dates.
While the digital aspect of this venture is being fleshed out, a major goal will be to construct spaces for us and other fans to interact in person. I truly believe the Pelicans community is one of a kind and we deserve more tangible opportunities to hang out and watch games together. I was there when Bourbon Street Shots hosted watch parties during the Dell Demps and Anthony Davis era and the demand for these type of events has only grown. Over the next few weeks, we’ll slowly be unveiling plans that have been brewing for sometime that will make this all possible.
Until then, please enjoy the content that is to come. I appreciate y’all.
Shamit