KSR Acquires Cats Illustrated, Consolidating 30 Years of Fan Communities

Key Quotes

"For many years, there were all these different sites. Then, starting in the late 2000s, like 2007, 2008, 2009, things started to consolidate. Some of those sites I just mentioned went away. Cats' Pause became the official Rivals site, and that was the major site for a long time. I had Kentucky Sports Radio, and that kind of became the second major site. Then there was a site called Kentucky Scout.com. That one's gone over the years. It was kind of me and the Cats' Pause, me and the Cats' Pause."

The author, Matt Jones, explains the historical consolidation of Kentucky sports fan websites. He notes how various independent sites began to merge or disappear, leaving a few dominant platforms like Rivals (which housed Cats' Pause) and his own Kentucky Sports Radio. This illustrates the evolving landscape of online sports media and how successful platforms adapt or absorb competitors.

"My point is to say now Cats Illustrated is joining KSR, and what I think is exciting is 30 years of Kentucky fan interaction online, literally 30 years, going back to the UK America Online forum all the way through the various iterations. There have been more; I mentioned some of the big ones, but there were many, many others. They all kind of condensed into these two entities that are now one entity."

Matt Jones highlights the significance of the merger between Cats Illustrated and KSR as a culmination of three decades of online fan community development. He emphasizes that this consolidation represents the merging of numerous past fan forums and websites into a single, dominant entity, signifying a major shift in the digital space for Kentucky sports fans.

"When I started, it was really about business. I mean, it was initially about fun, and then slowly became about business, and I realized, 'Look, there are all these sites where you have to pay. We'll be free.' That made a big difference. We'll be free, and at the time, the economic model of the internet, it worked. People spent a lot of money on internet advertising, and we were able to flourish, and everyone else, we kind of left everybody else in the dust."

Matt Jones discusses the initial business strategy of Kentucky Sports Radio, which was to offer free content while competitors charged subscriptions. He explains that this "free" model, combined with the prevailing internet advertising economics of the time, allowed KSR to thrive and surpass other sites that relied on paid access. This demonstrates how a strategic pricing model can be a significant competitive advantage in a digital market.

"People didn't think we'd be there very long. We're still here and still growing. I used to call you guys 'frap boy journalism.' You were that, and it was kind of like him whining about the woman in Jacksonville. I'm sure Ryan secretly didn't like you guys. Of course, he didn't like us. He was a real news guy, not you guys. He was a real news guy, and I remember, listen, when I first started, there were 50 people at every press conference. They didn't think I should be there. It was very controversial the first time I got a press credential. People were very mad. They said, 'You are not a journalist. You should not be here. What's a blogger? Why are they giving him a credential?'"

Matt Jones recounts the initial skepticism and resistance he faced when starting Kentucky Sports Radio, particularly from established media figures who questioned the legitimacy of "blogging" and online journalism. He notes that many doubted KSR's longevity, yet the platform has endured and grown, highlighting the challenges of breaking into traditional media spaces with new formats.

"So, I'm not going to do to them what people did to us. We had a couple of them just attack us on Friday, and I got mad, and then I also thought, 'Well, I probably would have done that back in the day.' So instead, I wrote them private notes and was like, 'Hey, just so you know, I'm here to help you. I'm not trying to fight with you.' But it's funny how it comes full circle from me typing in 'mcgloire52' and from Jeff Drummond logging into AOL in 1995, and now you get to this right now."

Matt Jones reflects on how he chooses to respond to criticism from newer media personalities, contrasting his approach with the resistance he faced early in his career. He explains that instead of engaging in public conflict, he opts for private communication, offering support and guidance. This demonstrates a mature perspective on media rivalries and a desire to foster a more collaborative environment, acknowledging the cyclical nature of media evolution.

"So the question is, is that because Lowe was not out there? I think it was happening anyway, but I think that just exacerbated it even more. There are people who will tell you that when we started shooting poorly at the beginning of the year, the staff became convinced, 'We have to run a different offense because we can't shoot,' and it just didn't work for the personnel that they had. Now they're going back and saying, 'Probably we're going to have to run the offense we were going to run, and we better hope we learned to shoot.'"

The speaker discusses a potential shift in the Kentucky basketball team's offensive strategy, suggesting that the absence of a player like Lowe might have influenced the team's approach. They propose that the coaching staff may have initially altered the offense due to poor shooting, but are now returning to their original plan, emphasizing the importance of player execution and skill development over tactical changes. This highlights the interplay between personnel, strategy, and performance in team sports.