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InsideCorner, R.I.P.

Posted on November 3rd, 2009 11:16am by Tim Rogers
Filed under Uncategorized

It really was magic. When we launched InsideCorner at the beginning of the baseball season, it was an opportunistic move made possible by the Morning News‘ shortsightedness. They had on their staff the best baseball beat writer in Texas, Evan Grant, and they decided to make him cover football (a move forced by their content-sharing agreement with the Star-Telegram). So, with the support of some visionary advertisers (Dr Pepper, Pappas Bros., Texas Rangers), we were able to make a home for Evan in our humble digital outpost. You know what happened after that: the Rangers had one of their best seasons in club history as a direct result of Evan’s comprehensive, insightful coverage (along with the fine work of Mike Hindman and Jeff Miller, it should be noted). Then, at the end of the baseball season, the News got its shortsighted vision corrected by ESPN and hired Evan back.

Meantime, we’d brought along some other writers to round out the coverage on InsideCorner, most notably Bob Sturm, he of Ticket fame. Bob broke down the Cowboys for us in the way that only he can. And Gina Miller of TXA 21 has been pitching in on the Mavs front. Zac and Eric threw up a few posts, too, from beyond the arc.

Here’s what we struggled with: we had this great baseball blog run by a full-time employee whose job was to feed and care for the thing more or less around the clock. Then we had this parentless sports blog that was getting passed around from babysitter to babysitter, each of whom gave the thing good care when they had the time but each of whom also had a full-time job (in Zac’s case, keeping Twitter in business; in Eric’s case, breaking necks and cashing checks; in Bob’s case, mediating on-air fights between his broadcasting partner and his producer on BaD Radio; in Gina’s case, keeping Derek Harper’s six-button suits in check on Mavs broadcasts; in Mike Hindman’s case, lawyering; in Jeff Miller’s case, writing books). This is no way to raise a child. A kid needs stability. Rules. An engaged parent.

So. We’ve decided to give our baby to a better home. Or, more accurately, we’ve decided to put the baby down. And not just for nap.

On Monday, we’re pulling the plug on InsideCorner. Its content will still live on the interubes should you ever want to search for a bit of information you remember reading, but there won’t be any links to it on our site. Thank you to everyone who was a part of the magic while it lasted. Thank you especially for your forbearance as we’ve figured out the right course of action.

God bless us all.

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40 Comments to “InsideCorner, R.I.P.”
  • John @ November 3rd, 2009 at 11:27 am

    This sucks! Bob Sturm had some of the best stuff about the Cowboys on the web. It was must read after the game and through the week. Damn it!!!!!!

  • Jason @ November 3rd, 2009 at 12:07 pm

    Great, now I have to find a 12 step program to break me of my Sturm Cowboys analysis addiction.

  • Scottus @ November 3rd, 2009 at 12:31 pm

    Evan did an AWESOME job of creating a forum and facilitating many memorable “in game” depots for us all. Thank you to Evan, Bob Sturm and all others for many hours of enjoyed reading, education, banter, and sport rooting.

    Bob, will your analysis live on somewhere? Ticket.com maybe?

  • Daniel @ November 3rd, 2009 at 12:58 pm

    Sturm’s analysis is at his blog at sturminator.blogspot.com

  • Jake @ November 3rd, 2009 at 1:25 pm

    The change to InsideCorner was a beating coming from Sturminator’s blog earlier in the year. Guess I’ll add it back to my favorites.

    Two words to keep this site active – guest bloggers.

    Peace.

  • James @ November 3rd, 2009 at 1:36 pm

    Saw this coming before the end of the Rangers season after Evan left and there was no game post for a weekend game.

  • Cates @ November 3rd, 2009 at 2:06 pm

    I detect the hand of Wick Allison behind this decision. And, like a lot of his work, it’s very short-sighted.

  • cameron @ November 3rd, 2009 at 2:12 pm

    Evan did a fabulous job and made InsideCorner THE place to get Rangers information this year. Thanks to all for making this a great place to be for the season.

  • Chris @ November 3rd, 2009 at 2:43 pm

    Good, hopefully sturminator.blogspot.com will ramp up like it was before. This was quite a downgrade from what Bob’s daily blogging was before.

  • KevinJ @ November 3rd, 2009 at 2:45 pm

    RIP. I’ll raise a glass for a toast.

  • Dylan @ November 3rd, 2009 at 2:53 pm

    So why not hire someone full time to do it again? I get that the person may not be Evan Grant, but it seems to me that the rationale given in this post isn’t the real one (which is most likely lack of advertising).

    The thing is: That answer would be just fine. If, after Evan left, the advertisers lost faith and D Magazine couldn’t afford to throw good money after uncertain money, then fine. But to say that it’s because there was no one left to care for it full time just means that no one tried to find someone to take care of it full time.

    And that’s a problem, because a great community (which is a commodity that will now be wasted) sprung up here. If you’d given someone else some time to try to continue on, who knows what would have happened?

    I’m just saying: Who the hell were Jamey Newberg or Adam Morris before they became Jamey “Newberg Report” Newberg and Adam “Lone Star Ball” Morris? Evan brought something special here for sure, but someone else could have kept it going and, over time, built something good again. It’s a damn shame that no one is being given the chance.

  • MM @ November 3rd, 2009 at 4:43 pm

    Hey I have an idea, yall could hire cowboy Cole, he just about finished the LonestarDugout……………..and will be looking for work.

  • chuck Dallas @ November 3rd, 2009 at 6:18 pm

    what a give up

  • Brandt @ November 3rd, 2009 at 8:04 pm

    wow…

  • DWC @ November 3rd, 2009 at 8:56 pm

    dammit!

  • Tom B @ November 3rd, 2009 at 10:42 pm

    It was an ‘Odd Couple’ from the beginning. The concept never fit the vehicle. It wasn’t going to work for long with anyone because the revenue stream was not there. It’s like that teen age summer spent at the beach as a cabana boy. That wasn’t permanent just a diversion for a moment in time. I think it contributed greatly to Rangers Baseball and some of the social events and promotions were over the top. It was fun. Let’s do it again. I’ll always drive by and remember…leave a shade pulled when you’re ready. Maybe one more time for old time sake?

  • Joel @ November 3rd, 2009 at 11:33 pm

    Shame man. This was my favorite place to go during Ranger games. I’ll miss it next year. Bad memories of DMN blog have kept me away from Evan’s new home.

  • Heard It Through the OMG DIRK SCORED 29 POINTS IN THE FOURTH QUARTER Grapevine » The Two Man Game @ November 4th, 2009 at 2:46 pm

    [...] InsideCorner, D Magazine’s sports blog, is no longer with us. Frown town. [...]

  • Bobby in Bryan @ November 4th, 2009 at 9:58 pm

    Thanks to ‘D’ magazine for bringing us Evan last season. I really enjoyed reading and posting about the Rangers. In addition to Evan though, the thing that made this a great blog were the insightful and generally respectful comments by the fans. I’ve tryed the DMN blog since Evan went back, but it’s got some folks who do show much respect for people. I think that this site could be resurrected, however, if somebody like Jamey Newberg took it over for baseball. Thank’s for helping to make it a great season for Rangers fans, ‘D’!

  • badspellr @ November 5th, 2009 at 7:51 am

    Ahead of its time, I think.

  • Ranger_Rick @ November 5th, 2009 at 9:54 am

    Was a great place while it lasted. You had the fan support and interest and some great writers so I think had you gotten another full time parent you could have made a go of it. Well, now I won’t have much place to go and talk Rangers… don’t really like the way some treat others on DMN and not really much else out there.
    Thanks for the memories though.

  • nlsn in SD @ November 5th, 2009 at 10:12 am

    Thanks for all the great reads. Will miss having it in my rotation.

  • Fred @ November 5th, 2009 at 1:11 pm

    Evan was a full time employee??

  • Brandon @ November 5th, 2009 at 2:00 pm

    http://www.lonestarball.com is the place to go for ranger talk

  • Chris @ November 5th, 2009 at 3:52 pm

    and that’s why today doesnt suck

  • Lamar in PA @ November 5th, 2009 at 6:34 pm

    What a shame. As many others have mentioned, this place was amazing while it lasted, and it’s really spoiled me for the likes of the Lone Star Ball and Newberg Report forums, where jerks run wild and most of the discussion keeps leading back to hatred and the worship of nonsense stats. There were pretty much no jerks at all here and people actually liked to talk about the games themselves. RIP, indeed.

  • JustSaying @ November 5th, 2009 at 9:30 pm

    this is really depressing especially after padilla got shot……….what’s the world coming to……..

  • Tom B @ November 5th, 2009 at 10:24 pm

    Thank You, Lamar, May I use your nearly all inclusive comment as a reference? All of these old familiar names keep popping up with, obviously, no where to go. It’s hot stove league time and the season’s last pitch has been thrown and all we have is the Rangers mail in our inbox stating they have Spring Training trips to Surprise, AZ for groups and individuals. No Baseball and Hope Springs eternal. We again have a chance for a playoff berth. Our pitchers look great. The new hitting instructor still commands respect. There is that small thing about paying the bills. Tom is working on that. No one reads Evan WHO anymore. “D’s” name expresses it’s final grade for the season. She was a one trick pony and the rodeo just left town. Put away the ball and glove no one wants a band of baseball outcasts. Our baseball place is returning to the Rug Merchants. “Tell me it ain’t so, Joe.”

  • Ryan @ November 6th, 2009 at 8:23 am

    Thank you for giving Evan Grant a home for 2009. I was devastating to hear the DMN stopped baseball coverage and that he would not be covering the Rangers. It was a great day when I found out about this place and I will miss it.

  • Fred @ November 6th, 2009 at 4:25 pm

    Indeed, Inside Corner was a Camelot. I doubt it will be repeated.
    I’ll give Richard Durrett the benefit of the doubt at espn.dallas. He’s a good guy and works hard, but he doesn’t have Evans depth of experience and knowledge. Plus, if espn keeps double shifting Rangers/Stars and Cowboys/Mavs writers during season overlaps, it gets that much harder. But I’ll try him.
    espn looks like they are drawing Cowboys/Mavs traffic from DMN, but the game coverage seems to be more Q&A and blogger obsevations (altho good), vs. the interaction we had here.
    I think Newberg and Lucas are good. They understand the game. I’ve never read the comments there, though.
    I only go to Lonestar for the links (which are usually good). I find the rest of the content to usually not reflect much real baseball knowledge and lack maturity (often, apparently trying to justify a previously taken position). I made the mistake of looking at the comments there a few years ago and won’t do it again. I guess I’ve watched too much baseball and not enuf sitcoms.
    Evan seems to have his hands full with his new readers. Feeding sirloin to the pigs. I wish him luck.
    And I wish what we had here could be reincarnated …somewhere.

  • oz @ November 8th, 2009 at 4:59 am

    i’ll miss the hell out of this site. got used to checking this twice a day, hope it gets revived for next season. can’t imagine trolling through those comments again over at the dmn

  • Dylan @ November 9th, 2009 at 12:03 pm

    It doesn’t have to be this way, D Magazine. It’s not too late to bring Inside Corner back.

  • Juboon @ November 9th, 2009 at 1:09 pm

    (sigh) Well, file this one under “Damn Frickin’ Shame.”

    Bye, guys (Evan first, and the community here second); thanks for increasing my understanding of baseball and my enjoyment of last season. I miss it today and will surely miss it even more when March rolls around.

  • Teps @ November 9th, 2009 at 1:46 pm

    Bye – and thanks for the memories

  • Jp @ November 10th, 2009 at 7:22 am

    It was fun. This was the best mobile site for Dallas sports.

  • A. Stephens, Raleigh NC @ November 14th, 2009 at 3:24 pm

    For the short time it existed “Inside Corner” became my “go to” site for Rangers content. Big loss.

    Could not disagree more with Brandon above. For a flavor of what that site is all about look no further than the “Will Carroll calls out Josey Wales” thread. That is who they are. More power to em, I prefer grownup discourse.

    Newberg. “Il Padrino”

    DMN, oy, my head hurts

    “Baseball Time in Arlington”, the calm, deliberative approach to all things Rangers. Young Mr. Matschulat has firmly placed himself as a rising blog-star in the new media world. Give him a look, he deserves the traffic.

  • cynthia @ December 22nd, 2009 at 11:15 am
  • Buck @ January 14th, 2010 at 12:15 am

    It was awesome while it lasted. Evan is still Evan, but this forum was great. The summer of 2009 was one I will remember.

  • Tom B @ January 18th, 2010 at 9:58 am

    Arguably, You made Evan a Star or repeat as “TX Sportswriter of the Year.” Made me want to lite a cigar but I choked on Cowboys loss. I do wish I had not told friends and colleagues that I was going to gift 50 ‘D’ Mag annual subscriptions for holidays. They’re snickering and my only refrain is “They Dumped Evan.” Nobody likes to see grown men cry so I don’t say much anymore.
    They’ll get over it in time….I may not!

  • Dylan @ April 5th, 2010 at 2:01 pm

    Just saying hello to everyone who came here today wishing they could follow a gameday thread.