Kottke Redesigns
Kottke's new look.
NYC-based blogger Jason Kottke has been one of the Internet's best for years, and he's been a daily read for me since sometime around 2000.
What's his blog about? Well, that's sorta tough to explain. Kottke acts as a filter for all of the vast information available on the Web, linking each day to the stories, tidbits and oddities he things are most interesting.
A keen eye, consumption of vast volumes of information, humility, and good taste seem to be Kottke's keys to success. He's also not afraid to take risks.
Today Kottke's trademark yellow-themed site was offline for a while. The placeholder posted on his site said he was making some changes to the site's backend.
The site has returned, and he did a whole lot more than change the backend. Gone is the yellow and the font he developed. Instead, the site has a graded-blue border, a subduded, Frontline-esque logo, a larger, consistent font, and posts that aren't clearly separated.
When reading any individual post, the larger font and framing blue gradient create a strong feeling that you're reading an individual page -- a piece of paper -- instead of a website or blog post. Scrolling through posts, however, feels more constrained and muddy -- the frame feels smaller, and there are no longer any clear separating elements between posts.
All told, the new look was a shock. In a couple months I'm sure I'll love the new look and think of the former design as passe. For now, I'll need to adjust. Bold change, nice move. Not that he's asking, but I'm impressed.
True Hoop + Bread City + Simmons + SLAM = Basketball
Danny Granger, all heart.
One of my least favorite aspects of the NBA is that it's nearly impossible to follow if you don't get cable.* Before Christmas, when the NBA on ABC kicks off, the only way to see a game is to tune in to Telemundo for the Saturday game. Even the local games are on Fox Sports, so it's the radio or nothing. Here in San Francisco, we have a great pair of commentators for the Warriors, but I'm sure that fans of other teams aren't so lucky. Thank goodness (or Al Gore?) for the Internet.
(1) SLAM Online. I've been reading SLAM for over a decade. Back when most writing on sports was in print, SLAM was a breath of fresh air and hoops reason amid noxious clouds of reporting aimed at the corporate, luxury box patrons filling the coffers of the NBA. Lang Whittaker kept up the great work with The Links, where he continues to publish daily articles on the NBA.
(2) True Hoop. Henry Abbot's True Hoop is the definitive source for insightful writing about the NBA. The stories you can find here will be better than anything you can find anywhere else.
(3) The Sports Guy. Bill Simmons is one of the last, great, true NBA fans left. Sure, he's heavily biased towards his home town Celtics, but he loves the game more than even his team. A gutsy owner would hire Simmons to be his GM, or at least to be involved in personnel decisions. He knows the game and would work cheap. I know his fans would be irate if he stopped writing, but I'm still going to say it: hire the man!
(4) Bread City. I only started reading this blog today (thank you Waxin' & Milkin'), but I already love what I've seen. For example, check this post: about the above photo:
It was a hell of a hustle play. He pressured Pierce, got a deflection and dove face first to get the ball. I went to congratulate him and he smiled at me and I saw what happened. It’s ironic that’s a play made by a guy who just signed a long term deal and wants to help us get back in the playoffs.
- Coach Jim O’Brien on Danny Granger shattering his two front teeth against the Celtics, 11/1/08.
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(5) NBA Off-Season 2009: Chronicling The Waiting Period Before The Next Season Begins. Another great recommendation from Waxin' & Milkin', this blog has the news you need plus the gossip and humor you want. Dominant.
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All excellent. For more, see the following:
- Hoops Hype
- Rotoworld
- Need 4 Sheed
- Tim Kawakami (the best of the Bay)
*Yes, I know. I'm in the bottom 15% and live in the stone ages.