Over the years and especially during this past summer following the publication of the Washington Post article, we have been asked in form or substance whether The Cornell Basketball Blog considers itself a journalistic website and member of the media community or merely just a fan/booster blog.We believe the answer is a hybrid-- we are both journalists and fans.
Our primary mission is to provide FREE in-depth coverage of Cornell Basketball. This is after all, THE Cornell Basketball Blog. We believe our mission is accomplished on a daily basis as we cover the program more extensively than any other media or internet source on the planet.
We spend hours on a daily basis keeping the site up to date with fresh content. Make no mistake about it, this site is a full time job, but it is certainly not our only full time job.
We are also a fully independent site with no affiliation to Cornell University, the Cornell Athletics Department and/or the Cornell Men's Basketball Program. They give us no funding, assistance or support. In fact, some of what we publish even might be viewed as negative to those entities or to their disadvantage, especially in the area of recruiting. (No coach ever wants to see his list of recruiting prospects broadcast over cyberspace while opposing schools cherry-pick information off the list) Finally, because we are independent, we operate our site in the manner and fashion that we perceive to be of interest to our spectrum of readers.
Our secondary mission is to provide general coverage of the balance of the Ivy League's basketball programs. In this regard, we believe we cover the other programs more extensively and in-depth than any other source. While our "slant or perspective" on Ivy League Basketball happenings may come from what one reader called, "a rogue Cornellian view"-- we know we still add substantial value in the information we provide to alumni and fans from other Ivy League schools. And we know they appreciate and are intrigued by our content as the The Cornell Basketball Blog's readership has increased each and every month since we started back in early 2007.
Our readership is indeed widespread. It extends far beyond alumni and the casual sofa fans. It includes the coaching staffs of all eight schools in the Ivy League, as well as to coaching staffs of schools in other conferences and at all levels of college and high school. Our readership includes current Ivy League players and their families, former players, members of the media, and yes, even prospective recruits, which leads us to our last point.
Because we are Cornell alumni, we have no interest in placing the University in any type of potential, real or perceived risk. We pride ourselves on following a morale code of ethics and comply with all NCAA regulations, even though those regulations have no legal bearing or jurisdiction over our website. Thus, when it comes to NCAA compliance issues, we err on the side of caution and conduct ourselves "as if" we were considered "boosters" of a college program.
The term "booster" has been widely defined by the NCAA and has often been interpreted to include alumni. NCAA rules explicitly state that boosters of college teams cannot communicate with recruits or recruits' families or aid in the process of recruiting. Even if a booster is a proprietor of a website, blog and/or message board, the booster cannot use such a site as a veil for impermissible direct contact with recruits. Accordingly, here at The Cornell Basketball Blog, we are in full compliance with all NCAA rules. We do not communicate (either directly or indirectly, verbally or in writing) with prospective Cornell athletes or members of their family.
Lastly, we also do not defame or disparage any particular person or college program on this website. While we engage in spirited debates and may call into question certain recruiting activities at other schools-- such posts are clearly not a causes of disparagement.
The Cornell Basketball Blog is starting our third full season. We thank all of our readers and contributors as we head into yet another enjoyable year of Cornell Big Red Basketball!
Here is what some readers are saying about The Cornell Basketball Blog...
"[T]he best source for news about our team, the cornellbasketball.blogspot.com...We [the team] always joke how comprehensive that site is, and how they probably know what we eat for breakfast everyday. That is a great site and it's always interesting to see what the media puts out about our team."- Khaliq Gant, guard, Cornell Basketball '09
"[The] unbelievably in depth blog [The Cornell Basketball Blog] that somehow knows more about Cornell basketball than I do." - Jon Jaques, forward, Cornell Basketball '10
"I think it's great what [The Cornell Basketball Blog] do[es] not only for Cornell, but for the entire Ivy League."-Anonymous (non-Cornell) Division I assistant coach
"There are a lot of coaches inside and outside of the Ivy League reading the site [The Cornell Basketball Blog]."-Anonymous (non-Cornell) Division I assistant coach
"I want to compliment you on the wonderful [Cornell Basketball Blog] and thank you for the tons of effort it must take to do this so well."-Anonymous Cornell University Administrator
"I just bookmarked [The Cornell Basketball Blog]!"-Anonymous Cornell Professor
"Love the blog. Thank you so much for all the work in hosting it. " -Anonymous Cornell Administrator
"The Cornell BB Blog is amazing."-Garry Munson, Cornell Basketball '65
"Keep Spreading the Red!" Whit Watson, Sun Sports & Fox Sports Net Florida
"Before I call games, I often check out the [Cornell Basketball] Blog.-" Barry Leonard, WPIE/WVBR/ESPN Radio /Redcast Audio
"Tireless work [by The Cornell Basketball Blog.]."- Brian Delaney, The Ithaca Journal
"[The Cornell Basketball Blog has done] a great job with the continuing coverage." Harrison D. Sanford, Cornell '09, Sports Editor, Cornell Daily Sun
"We love the [The Cornell Basketball Blog] over at [Cornell's] Slope Media, thanks for keeping us up to date with everything Cornell Men's Basketball." - Sam Aleinikoff, Slope Media Group
"We like the site [The Cornell Basketball Blog] a lot. Nice write-ups about the players. Up-to-date Cornell BB news. Keep up the good work!"- A current Cornell Basketball player's parent.
"[W]e've enjoyed reading [The Cornell Basketball Blog]"- A current Cornell Basketball player's parent.
"[We] like [The Cornell Basketball Blog]. Not too many other Ivy Leaguers representing their alma maters on the world wide web."-TheSportsWatchers.com
"The Cornell Basketball Blog] was very helpful in our NCAA tournament preview." -CuttingDownTheNets.com
"[K]eep up the good work!"- RushTheCourt.com
"We love [The Cornell Basketball Blog] over at STF."- Storming the Floor.com
"[We are] enjoying [The Cornell Basketball Blog] site." -RockMNation.com (a Missouri Tigers blog)
"Just wanted to say you do a great job on your blog!" -SienaHoops.com
"When it comes to the Big Red, you have to turn to The Cornell Basketball Blog for the answers." SBNation.com/NunesMagician.com (The Syracuse Orange Blog).
And on the comical side...
"[Cornell's Louis] Dale’s impressive 274 career made foul shots were taken away. The NCAA found that Dale used excessive force with his elbow to push off, yet somehow the refs looked the other way each time. It was later revealed that ad sales from the Cornell Basketball Blog were responsible for paying off said refs."-The Daily Pennsylvanian (April Fools Edition)
"The Cornell Basketball Blog is reporting that the Big Red will open against St. John's in the Whatever the Preseason NIT is Called These Days... How the heck did Glazer get beat on this one?"- Neil Best, Newsday (New York)
"I know there are Cornell folks who post anything I say about the Big Red on the 'internet' and complain when I repeat myself." -Kyle Whelliston, MidMajority.com/ESPN.com
"Iceland - that's what I should have named the Cornell blog"- Kale Beers, Director of Athletic Communications/Voice of the Explorers, La Salle Athletics Department
Here is a list of some websites that provide permanent links on their web pages to The Cornell Basketball Blog. We appreciate their directing traffic in our direction.
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