We live to write. We write to be read.

OK, so my whole initiative to become an Internet marketing magnate is off to a slow start. Daniel Snyder I am not.

The payoffs for most bloggers are hits and linkbacks. Like writers of every media, bloggers write to be read.

Writing For The Web

After writing for blogs, starting with this one in 2004, I've learned a few things about writing for the web, all of it can be reduced to two sentences.

Use short sentences. Use little words.

They Aren't Reading You, Anyway

A writer named Jakob Neilsen reported way back in 1997 that web (blog) visitors don't read a web page. They scan it.

It may surprise you to know that the more literate the reader, the more likely they are to scan the page. Says Neilsen: "On the average Web page, users have time to read at most 28% of the words during an average visit; 20% is more likely."

That's indirect confirmation of something I observed at Hog Heaven and here on Running Redskins. Most Web visitors make a stay-or-go decision within 10 seconds of hitting the page.

Hungry For More?

• See Jakob Neilsen's excellent post Be Succinct (Writing For The Web) on http://www.useit.com/, March 15, 1997.
• See Writer's Tips on bleacherreport.com.

This was an exercise in web writing where every paragraph contained two sentences. If you liked it, link back to it.

Please. I write to be scanned.

Football Outsiders

Skin Patrol at Hogs Haven touts these guys all the time. Greg Trippiedi's recent post at Hog Heaven finally convinces me. I've got to pay more attention to those wonks at Football Outsiders.

There are "lies, damned lies and statistics." The origin of that phrase is open to argument, but I can tell you that it was me after looking at exam grades for my undergrad stat classes. I just couldn't grasp it, despite the valiant effort of the cute blond grad assistant who took me through the concepts while using little words. I was distressed to be informed that I would have to retake statistics in grad school. I no longer recall exactly what the prof said, but one day in that hated classroom in Madison, Wisconsin, a light bulb came on. I not only understood everything the prof was saying, but everything the other prof said in those undergraduate statistics classes that remain anchors on my GPA. Although I nailed three out of four grad level stat exams, the whole experience left an emotional scar about statistics buried deep in my easily bruised psyche.

Football Outsiders apply statistical concepts to challenge conventional wisdom about about pro football teams and their performance. They developed measures like Defense-adjusted Value Over Average, or DVOA, to analyze individual players and squads. Trippiedi's article assessing the Redskins O-line was an example of applying the stats to reach logical conclusions. I can see that I'll have to overcome my fear and loathing of statistics and pay attention to DVOA and the other measures at Football Outsiders. (another example of the artist suffering for his art.).

So, dear reader, in this lull before training camp, I'll be spending time at the FO site to understand what the numbers say about about the Redskins and the NFC East. I'm only posting about once a week anyway.

Football Outsiders is now added to the Running Redskins blogroll. Also added are those funny, irreverent writers at Kissing Suzy Kolber.

Why the Redskins are like soap opera

You can skip a week and come back to find the same dialog as the last time.

I'm coming up for air after taking a week off and find the Washington Redskin conversation is pretty much the same as when I left. CP is laying low, thanks to knee tendinitis and foot-in-mouth. Michael Vick is still in deep doo-doo with allegations of dog fighting. Things are so slow in the Redskins doldrums that even Curly Ben is reduced to posting a Vick story or two.

Thankfully, the Redskins full team mini-camp begins in two weeks. That's a ripe opportunity to magnify the trivial to sharpen those writing skills for the season. Here's what you can expect: unknown rookie hopeful signed to a contract; another unknown rookie hopeful cut. Signing and cutting unknown rookie hopefuls signifies nothing since the Skins are auditioning as many of these guys as possible. Some may make it on the practice squad; one might make the team.

Covering The Redskins points out that coaches are concerned about injuries to unknown rookie hopefuls who won't make the team. Aside from the expense, coaches have gone through the drill. More than a few of them lost their own playing dreams to injury. I think they are sympathetic to the hopeful unknowns, even as they are about to cut their butts.

And the hopefuls? If they don't make it with Washington, they can try out for another team. Being cut early is no tragedy. Time is still on your side for this season. Being the last is the unkindest cut of all.

Does anyone believe in the Redskins front office?

No.

In two years of blogging, reading a lot of football analysts and reporters, and scanning the views of a many, MANY excellent blogging Redskinologists, I have yet to see anyone knowledgeable, anywhere who endorsed the Redskins' "win now" approach to team development. Cindy Boren's guest blog on today's Redskins Insiders is only the latest salvo. Ben Folson's three part blast on The Curly R is another. Here at Running Redskins, six posts in April alone attacked various aspects of the Redskins' philosophy.

Ms. Boren fills in for Jason LaCanfora who is on vacation. Her story, titled The Danger of Kool-Aid.....without a GM, takes diehard fans to task. She starts with "I have seen a lot of people who seem to be blogging under the influence and I want to bring us all back to reality a little bit."

She goes on

only 6 of our 22 starters are above-average players. I'm a realist, I understand it's simply not possible to have the best players at every position. However, our biggest deficits are at the most important positions.

And more

"Our best young lineman left via FA and I understand he would have cost a mint this year, but how often do you see teams like the Patriots, Eagles, and Ravens let good young talent ever reach unrestricted free agency? [Emphasis mine] Any good GM would have seen that Dockery had started for us from day 1 of his career and that agile, young, durable, 335- pound linemen don't grow on trees and would have re-signed him before last season to a good extension for a reasonable figure. And let's not forget the utter lack of depth behind our starters for the last 3 years and the still lack of good young lineman being groomed to start one day."

Boren could have added that even if Dockery can be replaced by the likes of Todd Wade, we are(I am) invested in Dockery. He grew up on the team. We saw him grow. Doc's our guard. He belongs here. Why couldn't some of Brandon Lloyd's money have been thrown his way two years ago?

Boren concludes with

I cannot say it any simpler, we are a below average team and it is time we set our expectations accordingly. I am hoping for an 8-8 or 9-7 season.

Blah, blah, blah and yada yada yada. Excellent points, if a tad pessimistic, made many times before and falling on deaf ears where it counts.

The fan base hoped that Joe Gibbs would turn that wrong-headed approach around. He brought in some stalwarts in 2004 via the draft (Sean Taylor), free agents (Marcus Washington) and trade (Clinton Portis). In 2005, he traded for Santana Moss - a big hit that was - and drafted Jason Campbell and Carlos Rogers. But, 2006 brought excesses too painful to recall; evidence that Gibbs bit the fruit of the poisoned tree.

This year, in explaining why the Redskins did not draft a defensive lineman, the presidential coach said something about how better coverage would improve the pass rush by forcing the quarterback to hold the ball longer. That shows how much I know. I thought the idea was to pressure the QB to throw the ball sooner, before he was ready, to force mistakes. Give a QB more time, and they will make a big play. With today's timed offenses, maybe holding the ball longer is what you want. We'll see.

I'll tell you this. Gibb's "hold the ball longer" statement is Nixonian and Clintonesque in its breadth. You know the drill, "I am not a crook" and "I did not sleep with that woman." If Landry and Smoot and Fletcher-Baker don't lead to an improved pass rush this season, Gibbs could be another president hounded from office by a phrase.

Gibbs stands in good with The Lord. God, I hope that doesn't happen to him.

Photo: The Washington Post

M4C to skip voluntary blogging OTAs next week

It's the slow season of blogging the Washington Redskins when writers like me do our best to make something of nothing. I personally am blogging the latest on Sanjaya and puppy killers (for that's what Michael Vick will be tagged if there really is video tape of him attending dog fights.)

The Redskins are reporting that Marcus Washington has resumed practice (relief), but that Clinton Portis has developed tendinitis (uh-oh). This could be big news or non-news. We don't and won't know until the Redskins start playing some games.

With the Redskins' suck-your-money-fest coming up in Virginia Beach this weekend, and Ben at The Curly R back online, this is a good time for Master4caster to take a break. So I'm going to skip next week's OTAs in the run-up to Memorial Day. Heck, it's all voluntary anyway and I want a new contract from the Redskins to continue to perform at this level.

While I look for Drew Rosenhaus' phone number, you guys check the Redskins news scroll and excellent blogrollers to your right.

He said Dr. Z was clueless

Don't know much about this blog, but the latest post at Turn Off ESPN is a winner. Gtripp lambastes Sports Illustrated's Paul Zimmerman for deciding now that Randy Moss will never get his vote for the NFL Hall of Fame. Although Moss is at mid-career with a potential resurgence in New England, Z feels that Moss has character issues and doesn't deserve the honor. That didn't stop Z-man for voting Michael Irvin in the Hall. Character doesn't encourage Z to vote for Art Monk.

Gtripp closes with the priceless lines

"And that, in a nutshell, is why they play the games. So dudes like Dr. Z come out looking completely and utterly clueless time and time again."

Like I said. Priceless.

Photo: AFP/Getty Images/Brian Bahr found here.

Redskins respond to the blogosphere

The Washington Redskins, specifically Mark Steven, a guest blogger at ExtremeSkins.com, official fan board of the Washington Redskins, responded to rants and opinions of mock draftkateers and football bloggers leading up to the 2007 Draft.

You can read the article at Redskins.com.

So there.

Image: www.redskins.com

More Washington Redskins draft moves

With teams hiding their intent in the run-up to the draft, there's little for bloggers to do, but write about what others are writing. In the blogosphere, that's called "conversation."

Don Pierson wrote a story for MSNBC Trading down in NFL draft not so easy. He makes the case that it's generally tough to trade down because the other team must swallow a huge a contract for an unproven rookie. It's a risk not many general managers are willing to take. As an example, Pierson quotes Bears GM Jerry Angelo on the Redskins trade offer for Lance Briggs.

"We have to digest what it is from a cap standpoint," general manager Jerry Angelo said. "The sixth pick is an inordinate amount of money and there are cap issues in terms of our plan."

Pierson points out that the difference between last year's sixth and 31st draft pick was about $15 Million in total contract, of which $10 Million was guaranteed.

That's one reason the Oakland Raiders at No. 1 and the Detroit Lions at No. 2 in this year's draft aren't overwhelmed by offers from teams willing to risk big bucks on prospects who find it difficult to live up to the increasing hype and pressure.

Pierson doesn't come out and say it, but a team would be well advised to put some of that first round contract money on an upgraded scouting department and make better picks in the middle round of the draft. (Hint, hint)

Tom Kowalski's story at www.mlive.com says that a deal for the Detroit Lions' number two pick hinges on who the Oakland Raiders take with their number one pick. The consensus is that the Raiders will select JaMarcus Russell. That could prompt up to four teams, including Washington, to offer the Lions trade up deals for a shot at Calvin Johnson. However, Kowalski points out

The Redskins are going to have trouble making a deal for the same reason they couldn't work out a trade with the Lions for cornerback Dre Bly (now with Denver): they don't have enough ammunition. The Redskins don't have a second-round pick because they dealt it away -- and that's going to cripple their chances of competing with other teams.

Oakland will blow up this scenario if they take Johnson instead of Russell.

Skin Patrol at Hogs Haven touched on this in his story Redskins want the Lions pick. He closes the story by cataloging how the Skins frittered away their middle round picks in the Snyder/Gibbs era.

In another sign of football news drought, Patrol beat me to Kowolski's story by an hour or so. Usually there are so many team stories published, and rumors whispered, that everyone can take a different facet of the news and create unique content around it. For the next ten days, bloggers will pounce on every news snippet to be first to comment. If you are third or fourth with a post, you start asking "is there anything I can add to this story, or will this just be another me-too entry?"

There's always the option of a hiatus. The Redskins Report was on one. They are waking up in time for the draft. (TRR was my muse and inspiration when I started this blog.) The Curly R is focusing more on W, its baseball site. Skinsaphrenia was traumatized by last season. They went into hibernation in December, only recently awakening. War Cry is still active. The Warpath and ExtremeSkins message boards are still engaged, but most posts are the hypothetical "should we take . . . " variety. Hogs Haven, if you didn't know, is one of the top five blogs listed on Fair Catch. Check out my other friends in the blogroll to your right.

Running Redskins is hanging in for the run up the draft and a few weeks thereafter, then will wind down until training camp. Summer is coming. The Bay is near, and the boat needs attention.
________________________
Michael Vick is donating $10,000 through the United Way to help the families of the Virginia Tech victims. Mike gets bashed a lot, including by me. He deserves props for this, so I want to acknowledge his concern and generosity.

So, what's your blog worth?

It's the slow period before the draft when teams go quiet to hide their intent. I don't expect to see big NFL news until draft day, or just before the draft. Time to muse.

For serious football bloggers, this is a difficult time. You work to build a following. You blog frequently because readers demand new content. My Running Redskins readers spend two minutes or less per visit. Story frequency keeps them coming back. So it hurts when teams aren't generating news for bloggers to over-analyze. Curse you, off-season.

So, what's the value of a blog anyway, especially when it's non-commercial? It turns out that people who think about those things value web logs on the basis of links. The more others link to you, the more valuable your blog. Technorati calls it "authority," and they use it to rank search results. Call it the "50 million monkeys can't be wrong" theory. If a lot of people link to a post, then that post must be relevant to the topic. Relevance gets you promoted to the top of the search list.

Other thinkers put a theoretical value on a blog based on the number and value of incoming links, whose value is similarly assigned by the value their incoming links. That adds a financial element to the evaluation. Your blog is more valuable when high value blogs link to you. (That's a lot of computing power by somebody to track all that.)

There are a couple of sites that figure this out for you. At Dane Carlson's Business Opportunities Weblog, you put in the URL for a blog and it will calculate its theoretical worth based on the link-to-value ratio underlying the 2005 AOL-WeblogsInc deal. According to them, Running Redskins is worth $7339.02. I think of myself as small, but influential.

The more engaging way is to go to Blogshares and search your blog. Better yet, join the Blogshares marketplace and play the game. With a little time and practice, you can become a high stakes market manipulator of the blogosphere.

Blogshares is a hypothetical stock market that treats blogs as businesses, post as products, and use incoming and outgoing links to calculate intrinsic value. But, in the game, you (anyone) buy and sell shares in the blogs. The frequency of buy-sell activity affect market price, and your portfolio value. The supply-demand feature is where the fun happens. On Blogshares, Running Redskins is valued at $4462.78, with a share price of $122.15. (Blogshares says I'm over valued. Hurmph!). Blogshares always under counts the number of links on Running Redskins. I suppose that affects value.

Fortunately, I get to buy and sell other blogs and invest in commodities. My Blogshares net worth is B$60,683,388.65. That's all funny money, I hasten to add. Serious players get into tools that allow market manipulation and hostile takeovers. I'm not a serious player, but have been hostilely bought out of blogs at outrageous profit. That's all funny money, too.

Fellow bloggers should know this is all a game. Nothing about Blogshares affects real ownership of blogs. Owners can claim their blog in Blogshares by registering and placing some HTML code on their site. That adds the Blogshares badge to their site so Blogshares' spider will recognize the claim.

No more time for this. I'm going over to Blogshares and buy controlling interests in Hogs Haven and DC Sports Kid, while waiting for football news.

Redskin blogger rookies

I love it and hate it when a new blog featuring competent writing shows up. I welcome the addition to the ethereal conversation that is the blogosphere. And I hate the competition, too. It's not as if there is a dearth of outstanding Redskins writers around here (see the blogroll to the right).

I've come across two new blogs that cause me to nod my head in approval. Winning the Turnover Battle is brand new. Hank posted a reaction to the rumored Lance Briggs trade that's as good as anything I've read on Hogs Haven or The Curly R. I wished I wrote some of those things. I'm going to shamelessly borrow his logic. As Steve Jobs once said, "Good artists create. Great artists steal."

First there was DC Sports Blog. Then, DC Sports Chick. Get ready for DC Sports Kid, created by an 11 year old prodigy who follows DC area sports teams (not just the Redskins), and he does it quite well. All bloggers go on hiatus when real life intrudes. I've never read a better excuse than at DC Sports Kid, "There haven't been any new posts for a while because I was punished." Don't worry about it kid. It happens to us all, sooner or later. And then it happens again.

Budding sports writer, that kid.

As your bonus, Ted Leonsis has a blog, cleverly named Ted's Take. He received a mass mailer offering premium seats to Redskins games and wonders why, if the Redskins are sold out, are they doing mass mailings? For anyone else, that would be idle curiosity. I'm sure Ted's taking notes.