Again, this one is really high. Maybe too high. So part of this may just be me being excited. Part of it was delayed based on whether I could get a basketball signed. But part of it is actual excitement about this community. Excitement I hope you have too.
I love the game threads. I dig the humor. I enjoy the insight. I revel in the celebrating and need it for the crying. This year though we are taking the "comment of the game thread" to a whole new level. Last year, when the threads were not too long and I was not too angry to read them all, I picked one that stood out above all the rest and ended the game recaps with it.
I enjoyed it. I hope you did, but this is a new season. New things need to happen. Shoot, new things already are happening. Last year, 150 comments was big for a game thread. We had that in our first televised preseason game. And that contest was over after 30 minutes of action. The community is growing. The comments are flying. And I love it but sifting through each remark might get a little more difficult. And I wanted to push the limits this season, not cut back. I wanted to take "comment of the game thread" to a new level. Not quit because I am lazy.
So I came up with an idea. A season long contest. The person with the most "comments of the game threads" wins a signed basketball by the team. Not the biggest of prizes but if you are coming here anyway might as well take home some memorabilia for your trouble. And just think about the prestige. Hello resume!
Here is how it will work. On SBNation, all the posts, every fanshot, each one of the comments can be "recommended" by any user. We don't use the feature that much at Peachtree Hoops, but a lot of sights rec anything and everything. For this contest, to be in the running, your comment will have to be recommended by the community at least three times (if it is, a thumbs up will come up next to your contest). The person with the most recs will win. If there is more than one comment with three recs and they are tied, I will make the tiebreaker. I (Hawksdawgs) can win a comment of the game thread but not the contest.
The person with the most winners at the end of the season will win the signed basketball.
I hope it turns out to be a fun thing. I assume people will not go rec'ing themselves and things like that. And if people get in to rec'ing post and we keep commenting in game threads, the competition could be nice little competition to keep 82 games fresh.
In the end, I am just excited about having a place to talk Hawks during games. As a fan, having real expectations. Rooting for a team people want to talk about. We are the hardcores of the team people want to like, and I am excited. I hope you are excited too.