DENVER -- We will cover Pitt as never before.
Please join all of us at DK Pittsburgh Sports in welcoming Corey Crisan, formerly of the Toledo Blade, to our full-time staff for the full-time purpose of covering the University of Pittsburgh's athletics in a way that'll be wholly unprecedented for us.
That's not to lay it on Corey. I'll let his work as a beat reporter speak for itself. It'll obviously take a little time to get up to speed but, if everything I've seen, heard and experienced from this young man are indications, he'll probably require more slowing down than speeding up. He's ... excitable. And energetic. And eager.
But no, when I promise a level of coverage in this tone, I'm laying it on the company. Corey's going to be full-travel on the beat, on both football and men's basketball. We'll be one of only two entities making that commitment, along with the Post-Gazette. Corey's also going to move about campus, seeking out stories in any sport in any form. And yes, for those who've pushed us on this, that'll include the rising programs in women's volleyball, wrestling, baseball and, of course, women's hoops.
At the Blade, which, by the way, is the Post-Gazette's sister newspaper in Ohio, Corey did some of everything but with a heavy, intensive focus on Bowling Green State University. (I've learned so much more about Bowling Green State University sports than anyone could ever hope to absorb these past couple weeks!) In our interview process, he expressed pride in being the reporter fans of those programs sought out for information, features and analysis. And that'll be the ultimate goal here.
It's been no picnic for us, this beat. It's been a money-loser at times, and I've personally made some dubious choices at times. But I feel strongly that, with the Panthers' football program fresh off an ACC championship and the hoops with ... uh, nowhere to go but up, plus all the positive things that've happened to our own business, the timing's never been better to go all-in.
When I get stubborn about something, I tend to carry it to extremes. It's really more of a flaw than a virtue, but hey.
We will do this right. And let me say this just as plainly: We will need your readership, participation and support.
Here's more on Corey, who'll get going with us this coming week with on-location coverage of the ACC Kickoff media event in Charlotte, N.C.
And I'll be in comments, as ever, for any questions you might have on this or any of our college beats.
CELEBRATE NEXT WEEKEND!
We've always kinda had two anniversary dates. That's because, on July 22, 2014, we launched our actual website at around 10 p.m. But it wasn't until the next day that we announced that launch, which is why we go with July 23, 2014, on any relevant literature.
As a result, we're now celebrating both in this, our eighth anniversary!
Which means ... next week!
Everyone's invited to the Downtown HQ/shop on both Friday and Saturday, when we'll have a bunch of our staff on hand, at least as many as our regular duties will allow. I'll be there both days, for sure. Dali's concocting some cool freebies she plans to give out. We'll pipe up the music and keep it all light and fun and, of course, sports-y.
Eight's not a super-dramatic anniversary figure, but I've got to say it again: We've never had a year like this one. Not financially. Not in terms of just an uplifting feel. Not in terms of the energy and connection brought to us by some of the new staffers. So it's definitely special to us.
Come on down!
Oh, and feel free to bring friends and family!
INSIDE THE WORKS
• I've spent a big chunk of the past few days attempting to acquire a state-of-the-art statistical service that'll ... well, let's just wait. The objective is to make the app experience that much more satisfying, and I'm very confident it will.
• I'm up here a mile high covering baseball, but I'm not the only one on the beat. Alex Stumpf's flying overhead to L.A. for both the MLB Draft and the All-Star Game. With the Pirates holding the No. 4 overall pick, we felt it was worthwhile to do the draft in person for the first time.
• Open up our menu on the site or app, tap on 'Our staff,' and you'll now find all our smiling faces. New head shots, too.
• Dale Lolley's back from vacation Monday, in plenty of time for the opening of the Steelers' training camp in Latrobe a week later. What we'll be doing at Saint Vincent, as a team, will be unprecedented in quantity and, ideally, quality.
• Taylor Haase will be taking her vacation in a couple weeks, as well.
• For the first time in this site's history, I'm taking an honest-to-gosh vacation of my own. It'll be in early August, it'll be overseas -- Serbia and England -- with my son, Marko, and I'm already under orders to do zero work in the week we're over there. Can't begin to tell you how excited we both are about this.
