Maybe you’re a regular… a repeat reader of Belly Up Sports. Maybe this is your very first Belly Up article. Either way, there’s a message to be sent. Important people are getting fired. Big name guys are getting hurt. Writers are lying through their teeth. Through it all, we stand as an LLC committed to bringing you the latest and greatest in the world of sports. BUT, we aren’t doing it the same way everyone else does.
As I rolled out of bed this morning, I climbed into the shower. Now, pretty much everyone knows the shower is the best place for brainstorming. Why? I don’t know, ask a scientist. What I DO know, is that the shower inspired me to expose Belly Up for what it is. So, here it goes.
Be Bold, Stand Out
The motto is not exclusive to the writer. Nor is it exclusive to the reader. It’s a way of life for anyone trying not to get lost in the crowd. Listen, I’m not your average Saturday tailgater. I’m not waking up on a Saturday morning and immediately shotgunning 5 beers (although I can’t say I never have). I’m not raging at the club with different professional athletes throughout the week.
As a matter of fact, most, if not all of us writers here, have a regular job we grind through during the week. We’re not all that different from the people you see on a day to day basis, in the hustle and bustle of the city. I am currently writing this in my two bedroom apartment in suburban [redacted for safety reasons], eating Captain Crunch, and wondering what I want to drink today. I am not all that different. That doesn’t mean we can’t be bold. It doesn’t mean we can’t stand out.
All we’ve done is simply decide that in our off time, we want to offer the people a fun, easygoing way to enjoy sports news. We have no agenda. There is no power struggle between what content, or what idea makes the most money. Sure, we have our behind-the-scenes rivals, but even some of them will take it to the public for everyone to see (*cough* @BellyUp_KJ, @BellyUpZachMac *cough*). We aren’t trying to be the richest company in the world (although I’m sure the execs would love that), we’re just trying to be the most down-to-earth way to get your sports info.
The Belly Up Takeover
With all that being said, we have some of the most avid sports writers on our crew. You may see our apparel at games from time to time. We like to get out to as many events as we can. We do it because we love it, not because we are given free tickets in order to advertise for a sponsor. If you see us, please don’t be shy. We love nothing more than a Belly Up fan approaching us. You got ideas? Let me know! Hell, I dont know about the rest of em, but I’ll sit with ya all game if you can come find me.
Tell ya what, I am going to run a contest, and only the people who read this article will know about it. We have guys walking around sporting events wearing these shirts:
If you come across someone wearing this shirt, you would need to take a selfie with them. If you post that selfie on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, and use the #BellyUpTakeover, we will enter you in a drawing for a chance to win one for yourself. That way, if you win one, people will start approaching you, asking to take a selfie with you. The rookie becomes the vet.
The #BellyUpTakeover is more than just littering sporting events with our shirts, though. It’s about all of us being bold, standing out. In our own way. It doesn’t mean be an asshole to other fans. Actually, it’s quite the opposite. There’s too much of that going on. You have no shot convincing a non-sports fan to embrace athletics if all they see is two fans going at each other’s throats. Be Bold. Stand Out. But also, be innovative in the manner in which you do so. Oh Lord, help the souls that root for the Blackhawks. But, if I see a fan hanging his head because the Blackhawks are what get his spirits up after a long, shitty day at work, and their current seven game losing streak is killing him inside, I’ll be damned if I’m not trying to pick him up. That’s being bold. That’s standing out.
The Belly Up Fans
Now, it’s easy enough for me to say all those things about Belly Up and what we are trying to accomplish. What isn’t so easy in life, is living up to your word, especially when you declare you can successfully accomplish things differently than everyone else. That is a responsibility we take very seriously at Belly Up, but that doesn’t mean we don’t need your help from time to time.
Belly Up Sports has the best fans and followers in the world. There is no doubt in my mind. It can be as little as a typo on a tweet, y’all are letting us know. You want us to be better, and we get that. We work tirelessly, day in and day out, to be better every minute. Every hour. And we’re growing. Have you checked out our new NHL twitter page? How about our Podcast Network twitter page? Fantasy football twitter page? I bet you probably have seen them. If you haven’t, please check them out. Not for my sake, but for your desire to know and learn more about anything you want to in the sports universe. Tell us how we can improve on these. What more do you want to hear or see?
I can’t speak for everyone in this organization when it comes to what motivates us to push content into the world. What I can do, is express my own self. Belly Up has created such an amazing environment to be a part of. At least for me, I can write when I’m inspired. Sometimes I’m only feeling it once in an entire week, sometimes I have the juice three or four times in a week. If writing about sports is second nature to you, Belly Up is where it’s at, and Belly Up is where it’s going to be for some time to come.
Belly Up – The Paradox
Contrary to the name of our company, Belly Up Sports is going to be around for a while. It’s not going belly up anytime soon. What I do hope, is that you have a more concise understanding of how we operate. There are no skeletons in the closet, there are no secrets from the fans. We work our ass off to be bold and stand out, and we want to see you do the same. This world has too many Steelers and Cowboys fans for you to be going along with the crowd (I joke, I joke, simmer down now).
We have smart guys, too. I can’t tell you how many times an article within our organization has been so perfectly timed, or won me a fantasy game, or even won me some money! It’s not just the attitude of these writers, it’s their brains too. We are able to do all of this, brainstorm together, get genius ideas on to paper and into the world, and let writers share their knowledge – all without a headquarters. We all work remotely, yet we offer on the spot, knowledgeable information as soon as we humanly can. That is our dedication to the fans and followers, not to the popularity of the brand. Imagine what we will be able to offer the fans when we have our minds in the same room.
Final Comments
Folks, I could honestly talk all day about what we have going on, I am THAT inspired. But to spare your time and squinting eyes, I’ll leave you with some final thoughts. I can’t stress it enough, be bold and stand out. That doesn’t mean get yourself on the news by any means possible. It means be different than everyone you see on the news. Someone will notice you. And if they don’t, eventually Belly Up will. It’s what we do. We attract and we find those who are bold.
Finally, I want to ask you, the people, what you would like to see from Belly Up in the near or far future? This is your one and only chance to see Belly Up for what it is in its most raw form. I am not going to sit down and expose those who give me this brilliant opportunity ever again. I just felt it needed be done at least once. So tell us what you’d like to see, and we’ll do our best to give it to you.
All in all, as always, stay tuned for more big things to come as well as daily sports news and updates.
