"To the general public, I'm a basketball player who has become marginally well-known because I wrote a blog while playing for the Phoenix Suns." - book author Paul Shirley on his MySpace homepage.
While in the kitchen I usually listen to our local sports talk radio station. Today on The Jim Rome Show I heard Paul Shirley promoting his book, Can I Keep My Jersey?
What's the writer/blogging connection?
During the interview Jim Rome mentioned Paul Shirley's blog a few times. Shirley said it was cathartic for him to write his blog and his book. Naturally, my ears perked up at the word blog in a conversation with an author. Being a basketball fan and blog fan, and because the interview was entertaining, I wanted to check out Shirley's blog and book.
After a bit of googling the only active blog I found was on MySpace. (You have to be his friend to use it.) So, he doesn't currently have an easily accessible public blog.
I did find a few archived blogs:
My So Called Career - His basketball journal on ESPN.com. The last entry was in July 24, 2006 and required a subscription.
There are two Phoenix Suns playoff blog, both from 2005:
Road Ramblings, last entry March 2005.
The Paul Shirley Show, last entry June 2005.
According to the intro on his Suns' blogs, Shirley's online diaries
"caused quite the stir among media members, who were equally surprised and entertained by his unique and honest insight into life in the NBA. Shirley's daily blog was mentioned on ESPN's "Cold Pizza" and on ESPN.com, and was covered in several newspapers around the country, including USA Today."
There's an example of a blog getting noticed by the MSM. Of course it doesn't hurt that the blogger is a pro-basketball player. There's a built in platform for an author, albeit he's an admitted basketball vagabond, not an All-Star, but even a 12th man on an NBA roster gets attention simply by his profession.
For those of us who aren't professional athletes, it's still a testament to the possibility of blogging for writers and for publicity. After all, can you name the 12th man on any of the other NBA teams?
Now, go get your blog on.
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