So much of my time over the last 10+ years was spent in the dark. Literally.
Late nights, staying up watching basketball games both a world a way and still seemingly right at home, writing all sorts of pieces from film dives and analytical pieces to the fluffiest of fluff features, traversing through all the different levels of sports fandom. Over 1,800 pieces of content, dedicated to one team from my years writing and podcasting for SB Nation’s Grizzly Bear Blues. In May of this past year, I left that site so their new Site Manager Parker Fleming (physically on the ground in Memphis, whereas I am in the Richmond, VA area) and company could take GBB to the next level.
But writing - and the Grizzlies - are hard to quit.
Before long (like, a week) I started doing freelance contributing about the NBA at large in addition to later on taking on the role as a co-host of the Locked On Grizzlies Podcast. But between those two gigs, I couldn’t fully marry what got me started on this Memphis Grizzlies journey together - the team themselves, specifically, and writing. National outlets focus on the other 29 squads in the NBA as well (often times much more than Memphis) and the podcast with Damichael Cole of the Commercial Appeal is a blast, but is spoken word. I missed typing out thoughts about the Grizzlies Conveying emotion and digging through data via key stroke - I wanted that combination back.
Enter Written in the Dark - my Substack. Inspired by Grizzlies star Ja Morant’s “Welcome to the Dark” (and the book that inspired it) alongside all those evenings with my Memphis mistress that is a professional basketball team keeping me company, this will be my space where I am able to rekindle my Grizzlies writing embers. If you enjoyed my work at GBB, chances are you’ll like what you find here. I will be doing one free post every Monday morning for all subscribers as a summary of the weekend that was for the Grizzlies, with additional analytical/feature/recap and preview posts beyond that for those that choose the paid subscription option ($5 a month, or $50 for an entire year - a $10 savings over the monthly subscription).
Part of the proceeds each month starting in January will be donated to a local Memphis charity, in the name of the paid subscriber who suggested the charity.
From the ultimate guide to being a Grizzlies fan in 2013 to my farewell to GBB in 2022, I have found a passion that I didn’t know I had through writing about the Grizzlies and their city of Memphis. Now, that labor of love continues. I hope you’ll join me on the journey.