The Buzz Bissinger mess, in addition to producing a wave of posts that show how out of touch Buzz Bissinger is, has also caused introspection and, in some cases, further personal revelation in an effort to identify this shadowy crowd known as "bloggers." (That's with two Gs, Buzz.)
In fairness, EDSBS' Orson Swindle had already done a reveal last year. And the idea has been rolling around in C&F's head ever since. After all, there is a certain threshold of identification that C&F must cross in his day job; why not in the blogosphere?
After all, it's not like he's Spider-Man, right? [Awkward silence.]
Alas, the day job does create a certain amount of hesitance on C&F's part to completely unveil himself. So here's as much as he feels comfortable doing, all in the first person:
My first name is Brandon. That's all you get. Not because of privacy concerns; I actually used to have my entire name up at my first site. But two things happened: First, I got in trouble for blogging at work. I promised not to do so again -- and I haven't since -- but the experience was a "small world" epiphany.
Second, I found myself making more and more political references -- more on that in a minute -- and I think it's wise to hold back on the last name.
Why? Because my day job is as a politics and government writer for an Atlanta-based media organization. Again, all you get, though I will say it's not the AJC or CNN.
The political references have made fun of people I agree with or like and people I disagree with or dislike. I'm not in any way telegraphing my political views, which fit squarely in no party or ideology -- conservative, liberal, moderate, Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, etc.
But in the interest of making sure I do nothing that would impugn my objectivity or integrity, I keep the name off. That way, no one wanders by, see that I've made fun of George W. Bush, misses where I've made fun of Obama, and assumes that I am a member of the liberalpinkocommie media conspiracy.
If something I write bothers someone, there's a way to reach me -- garnet and black attack ((at)) gmail ((dot)) com. I'm not hiding.
I live about 30 miles north of Atlanta, in an area best labeled North Cobb, because nothing north of Marietta is in any way distinguishable from anything else north of Marietta. I've lived here for four years now.
I was born and mostly raised in Huntsville, Ala. At 16, I moved to Boiling Springs, S.C. -- a suburb of Spartanburg -- and from there went to the University of South Carolina, graduating in 2002. So my college career coincided with the Brad Scott 1-10 debacle, the 0-11 season I've purged from my memories, and the glorious second and third Holtz years.
I am a Christian, but I'm not going to beat you upside the head with a Bible here -- this is, after all, a sports blog. Denominations don't, for the most part, matter too much to me, and I disagree with mine often enough so that revealing it would give you all sorts of misconceptions about who I am.
In the summer of 2006, I decided that I liked EDSBS, SMQ, and a few other blogs so much that I should try my own hand at it. I'm not nearly as good as either of those guys, but I like to think I'll get their some day. I found few viable, continually operating Gamecock-centric blogs -- never saw Left Over Hot Dog until after I started blogging -- so why not?
Last summer, Peter at BON asked me to join SB Nation. After a few question, I accepted, and I've been here ever since. Great network, great blogs, great people.
As far as sports go, there are two greats -- MLB (my first love) and college football. The NFL and college baseball are okay, and non-tourney college basketball will do in a pinch. (I do like the tournament.) So when I'm not banging my head on the table because of the Gamecocks' ability to self-destruct, I'm usually banging my head on the table because of the Cubs' ability to self-destruct.
That is, to my thinking, what's important about who I am and what you need to know to at least somewhat understand me and where I'm coming from. Any other questions -- aside from the ones I've already ruled out -- can be addressed to me via e-mail or the comments, and I'll be more than glad to answer.
Enough about me. Now it's time to talk more about the Gamecocks and the great sports they play.