Big Lead Sports Bar

12/22/2006

State of the Mondesi Address

This week has been an interesting one to say the least. As many of you know, in my non-Mondesi time, I run my own business, which always gets incredibly busy this time of year. I have now experienced 15 Christmas seasons in my field, but for some reason, this one felt especially hectic. Why this year? I honestly don't know. Was it the fact that Christmas falls on a Monday? Possibly. But one thing I can say---it was incredibly stressful. And it is just about over.
The funny thing is, I'm usually working long hours on a regular basis. But I always made time to write some daily thoughts for Mondesi's House. Not as much as I would always like, but enough to capture what was on my mind that day.
With the increased tempo of this week, my time was severely compromised. I was unable to write any lengthy pieces once we got past the weekend. For that matter, I was up until 3 AM Sunday night putting the finishing touches on Monday Morning Wrapup. But I considered that "the weekend", so I let it fly...and paid for it when I had to wake up a few hours later.
The point is that I really enjoy writing the articles and finding the interesting/useful/bizarre links for Mondesi's House, and I greatly missed having the time to do so the past few days. While I still had an abbreviated presence, we all know the volume of content was not up to my normal levels. I have very high standards for the quality and consistency of Mondesi's House, so I was not happy with this development. I was thinking worst-case scenario, that I would lose some of the audience that has followed me so faithfully ever since I launched in late June, 2006.
But what happened was the complete opposite. Not only did the traffic stay consistent, but I had an e-mail box full of great fan mail to boot. In fact, it was the most Mondesi-related email I've ever received in one week. I had an idea of how many people read on a regular basis, but I've never personally heard from so many individuals within the span of a few days. I don't know what caused the flood of emails, but it was really encouraging to hear the connection I make with many of you on a daily basis. The Mondesi audience turned my stressful week into a very satisfying one. I know some people may tire of me constantly thanking my audience and prefer I stick to just reporting on sports, but that's my style. I like to have a close connection with my readers. I know that they are telling their friends and forwarding articles all the time. You are who I write for. Without my readers, it's just me talking to myself.
So to dismiss any thoughts you may have about what was going on this week, no, I am not quitting or losing my zest for Mondesi's House. Just a little matter of time constraints. But you can expect the site to be back at its sarcastic best very shortly.
Going forward, I have some really exciting things planned for 2007. If you've noticed, the style has changed a bit. I think the silly picture/silly caption angle was a lot of fun, but it has been completely overdone in the blogosphere. Like any artist, I want to stay fresh and relevant and not be like all the others. So watch for some new angles in the way I report in the coming year.
The site has never been healthier. Just last week, we had over 15,000 visitors, which I was truly excited with. I know there are sites that generate greater numbers, but I am very proud to come so far in just six months.
There are some other opportunities that have developed as a result of Mondesi's House, so we'll see what develops in that area. I've had some interesting offers, but with my schedule, it's extremely hard to add any other projects at this point. I'm very flattered by the interest, and would not rule out anything for the future.
2007 will be a busy year...the ongoing saga that is the Pittsburgh Penguins, a Pittsburgh Steeler team that may have a new coach for the first time since 1992, and a Pirate team that hasn't won since the Steelers hired a new coach. There's the Pitt basketball team, who looks to take that next step...and the Pitt football team, which looks to take any step in the right direction. And on the national scene, which I've started to tackle more in recent months, there's never a shortage of juicy storylines. And oh, those wacko links. Always fun to cleanse the palate in between courses.
I look forward to being that voice of reason, that voice of sarcasm, that voice that makes you think. I look forward to hearing your thoughts in greater detail as well. I know of a great number of people who read but don't have the time to drop in with their thoughts. Hopefully a few more of you will choose to jump into the discussion. I'm sure Louis Lipps is My Homeboy and Cecil from Cecil will already be there, leading the way.
In closing, I say Go Steelers, Stay Penguins, and Go Away, McNutting. And as always, thanks for reading!