Dear friends,
The time has come. After writing about the Braves for 8 seasons, I am closing the blog at the end of the 2014 season.
When I started writing about Braves baseball, I wanted to meet more fans like me. I was tired of the message boards, full of guys who didn’t find value in my point of view because it didn’t match theirs. (As I've learned several times in my life, I rarely fit into anyone’s mold.) Luckily I did find Braves friends, and some have turned into close, real-life friends.
I had low expectations. I’d written a couple of blogs before based on other topics but they didn't gain much of a following. I never guessed I would meet wonderful people, make professional connections with people inside the Braves organization and media outlets, or have so many opportunities for behind-the-scenes sneak peeks. I never imagined the possibility of Braves players recognizing me, hearing my voice on NPR, or having thousands of readers a day. But I was grateful. I am grateful.
Do you remember the song Video Killed the Radio Star? Well, social media killed the blog. Almost all blogs, really, not just mine. When I started Braves Love, many of the things I blogged are things I share on social media today. And everyone is sharing similar things; it’s not unique anymore.
The internet has changed since 2007. How we consume information has changed. And social media has basically made my blog obsolete. People want real time info and stories and photos, not to wait several days after a game to see some not-great pictures that may or may not include their fave Brave.
Thank you all for reading. Thank you Meagan, for inspiring and encouraging me. Thank you Phillip, for volunteering your time and expertise during and after the conversion from blog to website. Thank you Alison and Michelle, for proofreading posts and helping me streamline. There are many others I should thank, but most of all, thank you to those who have shared with me and stuck with me. I’m glad to have met you, and I love you all.
If you would like to contact me in the future, I will still be on Twitter (@BravesLove) or I can be reached at lovemybravos at gmail. I’ll still be watching all the games and cheering for my boys.
Love, and go Braves!
Lauren
