Site News of the "We Need to Talk" Variety

by KJ@theonlycolors on Mar 7, 2011 4:07 PM CST in Michigan State Spartans News Roundup

To avoid any excess of melodrama, I'll get right to it: Effective with the end of the NCAA Tournament, I will be stepping away from blogging on an indefinite basis and, therefore, stepping down as a site manager and contributor to The Only Colors.

This is primarily a function of time. Growing responsibilities and pursuits in other areas of my life just aren't leaving as much time for blogging. There's also an element of burnout here. This is the fourth basketball season through which I've blogged, and the creative spark has waned. (I couldn't dream up a single new statistic this season.)

Starting Spartans Weblog and then helping to build TOC has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, but this has always fallen under the category of "hobby." And, at times during the last several months, it's felt more like work. (The way this season has gone obviously hasn't helped, but I had tentatively made this decision late last year, before things really went south.) I don't rule out writing about MSU basketball again at some point in the future, but for now I really need to disengage entirely and focus on other things.

Thankfully, TOC will remain in good hands--and plenty of them. Pete will be taking over as the official SBN site manager, and the other guys intend to continue making their contributions.

I don't want to dwell on this--there's still at least two weeks of MSU basketball remaining--but I did want to give the TOC community a heads up on the pending change. I'll have a few more words to say when I sign off from the site early next month. I very well may turn on the melodrama then.

Tweet Comment 61 comments | 2 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Enjoy post-blogging life!

Bless You Boys.com

by Kurt Mensching on Mar 7, 2011 4:13 PM CST reply actions

boooooo

as a MICH fan i say: you will be missed. I read your posts on the regular.

by Jaamal Berry on Mar 7, 2011 4:17 PM CST reply actions

Same

Good luck in your future endeavors, but CBB is losing a great blogger.

@thewhitetiger16

Maize-Colored Glasses: BTT Preview: Analyzing Outcome Probabilities

by Alex Cook on Mar 7, 2011 5:16 PM CST up reply actions

Another Michigan fan/grad here

And while Pete et al are undoubtedly up to the task, the CBB blogging community at large is losing a giant. This is by far the best MSU site on the web. Good luck in the future, but don’t be a stranger.

Detroit4Lyfe

by Rob Rogacki on Mar 7, 2011 6:21 PM CST up reply actions

Bummer

I will join the other UM grads here in wishing you good luck. For some reason there has been quite a bit of recent talk about “class”, but this site has always been a great example that rivals’ viewpoints can be accepted without getting into a pissing match. I have just as much respect for the community you built as for your excellent analysis. You will be missed and are leaving some big shoes to fill…

by tbliggins on Mar 7, 2011 9:28 PM CST up reply actions

Let the melodrama commence!

KJ,
You’re the person who introduced me to MSU blogging, first as a long-time fan/reader and then with the opportunity to be a contributor myself. Thank you so much for that and everything else you’ve contributed to fans’ joy in and appreciation of MSU athletics. I can’t say ‘thanks’ enough. You will be sincerely missed on here.

"And how much are intangibles worth? 10%? 20%?" - kj@theonlycolors

by intrpdtrvlr on Mar 7, 2011 4:26 PM CST reply actions

Shame

KJ, you are easily the best MSU blogger ever, and will be sincerly missed from the blogosphere.

by Maceo Baston on Mar 7, 2011 4:41 PM CST reply actions 1 recs

+1

Not to disparge any of the other writers on the site of course. But KJ is as Maceo says he is.

by Loneytunes on Mar 7, 2011 6:04 PM CST up reply actions

Will another improbable Final Four run

keep you around? You will be missed, KJ.

by TMadison25 on Mar 7, 2011 4:52 PM CST reply actions

You will be missed

Discovering your weblog introduced me to your thoughtful commentary. I wish you the best in your other pursuits. Everything is impermanent. I feel a sense of remorse similar to how I felt when Izzo was flirting with the Cavs. If enough folks gathered outside the Breslin Center and put signs on their lawns, is there a chance you’d reconsider?

Hope you’ll drop in and offer your perspective from time to time.

by donaldo on Mar 7, 2011 4:53 PM CST reply actions

Only if there's a private plane in the deal :)

Fight for The Only Colors: Green and White!

by KJ@theonlycolors on Mar 7, 2011 5:38 PM CST up reply actions

Thank You

You’ve opened lots of eyes to great basketball writing and statistics. I’ve always been amazed that a blog (and blogger) this good focused specifically on a team I follow so much. Enjoy your post-blogging life and there will always be an audience out there for your writing.

Now, the real question: Does this this open up a scholarship for Gary Harris?

by SpartanBoiler on Mar 7, 2011 4:59 PM CST reply actions

We'll have to talk to Pete about giving Mr. Harris contributor status.

"And how much are intangibles worth? 10%? 20%?" - kj@theonlycolors

by intrpdtrvlr on Mar 7, 2011 5:10 PM CST up reply actions

No room yet unless someone transfers

Let that be a note to ALL of you. cracks whip

The Only Colors - SBNation's Michigan State University Community

by Pete Rossman on Mar 7, 2011 5:18 PM CST up reply actions

Even if I offer to pay my own way in 2012?

"And how much are intangibles worth? 10%? 20%?" - kj@theonlycolors

by intrpdtrvlr on Mar 7, 2011 5:37 PM CST up reply actions

This...but...no, wait...

Appropriate words fail me. It has been a joy to have you as a statistical guru, a clever writer, a fellow Spartan fan. All the best to you in all your endeavors.

by njd on Mar 7, 2011 5:03 PM CST reply actions

You've created a hell of a site

Enjoy your break and I hope to see you back soon.

A futile crusade to prevent mass ignorance

HammerAndRails, SBNation's Boilermaker Blog

by BoilerTMill on Mar 7, 2011 5:09 PM CST reply actions

I obviously never commented much

but I always enjoyed reading your takes. Not only were you a smart writer, but a very gifted and creative one as well.

College Hockey!

by fetch9 on Mar 7, 2011 5:13 PM CST reply actions

Been following you since Day one....

Always impressed how you actually took over where the Wonk left off and actually significantly improved the MSU blogging world. I, for one, am greatly appreciative of the years of work you’ve done and insightful/fun to read analysis you’ve given us all.

Thanks and enjoy your time away from blogging :-).

by MooTheKow on Mar 7, 2011 5:25 PM CST reply actions

Thanks, everyone

They say quitters never win, but it sure is good for the old ego in this case.

Fight for The Only Colors: Green and White!

by KJ@theonlycolors on Mar 7, 2011 5:39 PM CST reply actions

Anyone who's read your analyses

is unquestionably better off for it. I trust all is well and wish you the best!

Tonight's going to be a good night.

by Spartalytical on Mar 7, 2011 5:46 PM CST reply actions

Wish you the best, but hate to see you go.

You and the Wonk got me (more) interested in advanced basketball stats in the first place, and (here and at the old site) you’ve built the best Spartan fan community on the web.

I've got this terrible pain in all the diodes down my left-hand side.
Bradley-Terry rankings for college football and basketball: because there aren't enough computer rankings already.

by SpartanDan on Mar 7, 2011 6:08 PM CST reply actions

Thanks KJ.

Like Kurt said above, may your post-blogging life (continue to) be fantastic.

I will say that I never had the privilege of discovering Spartans Weblog, but followed you guys from day 1 here on SBN and in doing so, you guys absolutely re-sparked my enjoyment in college basketball.

Me Elsewhere:

Bless You Boys (Tigers Blog) / Beyond the Boxscore / My Michigan State (and Big Ten) Baseball Blog. / Western Michigan University Hoops / my Last.fm account.

by Mike Rogers on Mar 7, 2011 6:08 PM CST reply actions

Ah...phooey

The only thing better than reading your stuff was checking to see if you been able to put up more of it. Many thanks and best of luck!

by spartanbballfan on Mar 7, 2011 6:17 PM CST reply actions

Sadly, all good things must come to an end,

however, it has been a great ride! Thanks for your insight and passion.

by MSU1978 on Mar 7, 2011 6:18 PM CST reply actions

Sad to see you go...

While I’ve only been following MSU sports blogs for the past year or so, theonlycolors quickly became my favorite one to read. You always had interesting articles that brought unique statistics into play that I was unable to find on any other blogs. I appreciate the time spent on this “hobby” and hope to see you back on here soon. Best of luck in the future. GO GREEN!

by SpartyParty on Mar 7, 2011 6:42 PM CST reply actions

you will be missed, KJ

always looked forward to your posts

by Loretta8 on Mar 7, 2011 6:49 PM CST reply actions

I've never

left a comment on TOC before, but I have read the articles and analysis day in and day out for years. I wanted to say thank you for all of your contributions and work you put into the blogs, I always found your articles to be incredibly enjoyable to read. Hopefully we’ll see you around the site in the future leaving a few comments and (crosses fingers) a few articles?

Thanks again KJ you’re work is the best.

by anotherspartan on Mar 7, 2011 6:52 PM CST reply actions

no edit, but I am a terrible proof reader...

it’s supposed to be “your” and not “you’re” in the final sentence… ugh.

by anotherspartan on Mar 7, 2011 6:54 PM CST up reply actions

Good luck KJ

loved reading your stuff

Follow me on Twitter @hoopsmarinara for Wisconsin hoops news, insight and recruiting.

by Phil Mitten on Mar 7, 2011 6:54 PM CST reply actions

Sad news.

Major loss. Hope to see you around on the comments, sir. Best of luck and thanks.

by rook34 on Mar 7, 2011 7:06 PM CST reply actions

Where does this nightmare end

What else is going to go wrong?
Every time I think this season can’t get any worse, something like this happens.
I hope we didn’t run you off KJ.
Thanks for birthing this baby. And thanks for your work in Spartan Tipoff too.
I’m an addict so I’ll stick around but it won’t be the same without you.

"the game is out there, and it's play or get played. That simple" - Omar

by spartyball on Mar 7, 2011 7:09 PM CST reply actions

He'd mentioned to the rest of us that he was planning this

well before the season went south. So I don’t think that had anything to do with it.

I've got this terrible pain in all the diodes down my left-hand side.
Bradley-Terry rankings for college football and basketball: because there aren't enough computer rankings already.

by SpartanDan on Mar 7, 2011 11:20 PM CST up reply actions

Say it isn't so!

Please tell me this is a ploy to get the guys to make a run to Houston so they can dedicate it to you…

Thanks for all the hard work.

by eriksmithdotcom on Mar 7, 2011 7:11 PM CST reply actions

Sorry to hear this.

I’m a Purdue fan, but I enjoy coming here both for the quality analysis and the quality of the commenting. Aside from Hammer & Rails of course, this is my favorite Big Ten SBNation blog. Great work! And enjoy a well-deserved rest.

by septimusharding on Mar 7, 2011 7:35 PM CST reply actions

Best wishes!

I hope everything goes well for you. I began reading your stuff the year before the start of TOC and I’ve always enjoyed it. This site is one of the first I check every morning when I turn my computer on.

I hope to see you commenting occasionally in the future like a lot of the other regulars I’m used to seeing here (many of whom have commented above).

by wbrianr on Mar 7, 2011 7:42 PM CST reply actions

Thank you Mrs KJ

for four great years of sharing the talent that is Mr. KJ….I’ll miss the great writing, insight, measured passion and respect for the reader. Mostly gone in today’s media, but still found here at TOC.

Again, thank you for letting KJ get out of the house these past few years…us married guys know where the power lies, and who to thank when thing go right. A tip O’ my hat to you.

by SFSpartan on Mar 7, 2011 7:54 PM CST reply actions

+1

Thanks, Mrs. KJ! :)

by CEO on Mar 7, 2011 8:15 PM CST up reply actions

Mrs. KJ says

likewise, she’s sure!

Fight for The Only Colors: Green and White!

by KJ@theonlycolors on Mar 7, 2011 11:01 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

Never subscribed to a blog...ever

But I just did for the sole purpose of telling you how much I’ve enjoyed this one. I’m usually just an observer, but read this one obsesssively enough that it was time to join. KJ, you will be missed, but I hope TOC continues for a long time. Tough being a hardcore Spartan in Madison, but you guys rock. Go Green!

by StickyGreen on Mar 7, 2011 8:11 PM CST reply actions

A few years ago I had a blog read by 12 people

One of whom was “KJ.” I know because that’s how he signed his emails — missives that without fail were really perceptive and insightful.

Fast-forward a few years and the hoops world at large has the same feeling I had every time I opened one of those emails. We’re all a little smarter about the game we love because this guy saw fit to tap the keyboard for as long as he did.

“Did”? Oy, Day-Day, I’m speaking in the past tense. I have a better idea. How many games does Michigan State have to win from here on out for KJ to stick around another season? I put it to you that if Tom Izzo can guide a team that was outscored by 0.04 points per trip in Big Ten play to the Sweet 16, that should suffice as a sign from Heathcote that KJ needs to stay on another year. Fair enough?

by John Gasaway on Mar 7, 2011 8:42 PM CST reply actions 2 recs

Hear, hear!

by septimusharding on Mar 7, 2011 9:17 PM CST up reply actions

To recycle a Spartans Weblog acronym

TAFKATBTW nails it again with that second paragraph.

KJ – I can’t tell you how much MSU fans have appreciated your contributions over the last few years. The statistics, humor, and style of your writing is worthy of emulation by future Spartan bloggers.

It’s been a great run. Best of luck offline.

by Stuka on Mar 7, 2011 10:18 PM CST up reply actions

Dang, praise doesn't come from much more legit sources than that.

by rcpratt on Mar 7, 2011 10:23 PM CST up reply actions

Now I'm getting a little verklempt

Thank you, sir.

Fight for The Only Colors: Green and White!

by KJ@theonlycolors on Mar 7, 2011 11:04 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

A send off from John Gasaway!

What higher honor could a college basketball blogger ask for? I still miss Big Ten Wonk, which was my intro to tempo free basketball metrics. I like BP but the national focus = less space for the teams I care most about.

by TheCrestedHelm on Mar 8, 2011 9:36 AM CST up reply actions

Wow

Sad to see you leaving TOC, but grateful for all the work & time you invested in this site to help further build & strengthen the Spartan community.

Cheers to KJ!

by MSUDersh on Mar 7, 2011 9:34 PM CST via mobile reply actions

Aww, too bad.

I’m a Purdue fan, although some of you probably know me from BYB. But ever since I started wasting hours each week reading college basketball blogs throughout the internet, ToC has had the best analysis and has been incredibly entertaining. Cheers to you, and good luck with whatever you bring your focus to next. And good luck picking up the slack to those that remain :)

by rcpratt on Mar 7, 2011 9:47 PM CST reply actions

Thank you KJ

I’ve always enjoyed reading your articles. Fare well and best of luck in all your future endeavors.

The sideline is always greener at MSU.

by Green 96 on Mar 7, 2011 10:48 PM CST reply actions

Thank You

I’ve only recently discovered TOC (within the past year) but it was one of the only bookmarked sites I read daily.

If I had known stats like this existed when I was in high school maybe I would have paid more attention in math class. Think about all the kids whose futures you’re ruining! You’re not quitting to become some janitor at M.I.T are you?

Thank you for the time you’ve given to developing TOC into a great Spartan blog, and best of luck to you in your future endeavors.

by msuduster on Mar 7, 2011 11:11 PM CST reply actions

Nooooooooo!

No offense to the other guys but your content is why I read this blog. Your writing is as superb as your analysis.

Hope we can find your stuff somewhere else if not here.

by carpe171 on Mar 7, 2011 11:39 PM CST reply actions

Been a pleasure.

Wish you all the best.

by steinfi2 on Mar 8, 2011 12:47 AM CST reply actions

Sorry to see you go.

I was a regular reader of Spartans Weblog and followed you over to TOC, which is now a daily visit. Thanks for the introduction to tempo-free stats and the insight they can offer to college hoops.

by Gym_Rat on Mar 8, 2011 5:31 AM CST reply actions

Thanks for building...

…the excellent site we see before us. I’ve always appreciated the standards of intelligence you’ve set for writing and thinking here.

Take care and fare thee well.

by witless chum on Mar 8, 2011 5:33 AM CST reply actions

Twitter?

I take it tweeting will be out of the question? Only kidding. You will be missed KJ and I’m sure the other guys are up to the task.

by RickTheBloggerMartel on Mar 8, 2011 7:46 AM CST reply actions

Pretty sure I can't break that addiction

Fight for The Only Colors: Green and White!

by KJ@theonlycolors on Mar 8, 2011 8:22 AM CST up reply actions

It's all been said

But I will add my own thanks and best wishes anyway. Stumbling on TOC during the 2009 football season was a revelation and I am so grateful for the work you guys have done. Congrats on helping build a great site that attracts a great group of readers and commenters. You will be missed.

"You can look at the dinosaur that weighs you down or you can look at the big pot of gold (and) try to say, 'You know what? I'm going to try to live up to expectations.' " -Tom Izzo, Iron Mountain Philosopher

by Ducking Delvon on Mar 8, 2011 8:12 AM CST reply actions

Best of luck to you in the future KJ

You’ve developed a great blog here and you’ll be missed.

by Stones1981 on Mar 8, 2011 8:38 AM CST reply actions

Thanks KJ

You have always been a great read and were a true pioneer in college basketball blogging. When you launched the Spartans Weblog there were few, if any, tempo free college basketball blogs dedicated to a single program. This is still one of the best out there.

I could never figure out how you found enough time to generate as much content as you did given that this was just a hobby. I hope you stop by as a guest blogger when the mood strikes. You will definitely be missed.

by TheCrestedHelm on Mar 8, 2011 9:40 AM CST reply actions