A New Morning For The Line

Our unique virtual sports bar charts new waters

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Mobsters:

I’m just going to lay it out there, because that’s how we do things here:

I’m launching a paid subscription option.

Before I explain what that means, I’d like to say a few things.

I’m very proud of the community we’ve established. I’m beyond grateful that all of you have contributed your intelligence, thoughtfulness and, most of all, civility. This has always been a place you can go to talk, without fear of being ridiculed or shouted down. Our unique virtual sports bar is only as good as its patrons. Youse are the best.

I started the Morning Line in February 2006, from Oahu, where I was covering the Pro Bowl. The first post was about Willie Anderson wanting more money from the Men, and about my hike up Diamond Head. That’s how it’s been ever since, a mix of sports and leisure. I’ve tried every day to bring something that strikes a chord with the audience, whether it’s sports, music, beer, bourbon, cigars, travel, TV, movies, cigars, my cheapness frugality and whatever else I think we might have in common. The Friday Hemingway contributions have been stellar; so have the weekly drinking/things to do columns from my valued experts.

We get a lot done here. The plan is to do a little more.

Live chats. In-game Bengals conversation. Bonus posts. Mobster outings, maybe. Take the “virtual’’ out of it every so often. I’ve met friends through TML. Very good friends. It’s very cool to put faces to names. We have a lot in common.

My responsibility to you won’t wane because you’re paying me. It’ll grow.

How are you going to do this, Doc?

There will always be a free component. I’d never abandon folks who don’t want to pay. You people will still get a chunk of what now appears on TML. For those wanting to go deeper in support of what we do in This Space, there will be a subscriber option.

As of this writing, 190 of you have pledged more than $17,000 in paid subscriptions. Thank you. Your support and generosity are very much appreciated.

Why should we pay for something we’ve been getting for free?

I can’t answer that without sounding completely self serving. Because I’m me. LOL.

I will say this: I’ve doing TML on this platform almost exactly a year now. All gratis. Unless my 4,000 free subscribers are all doing volunteer work, I suspect youse want to be paid for the time you put in. This is no different. I’m not busting bricks here, but I do put in several hours a day, five days a week.

Maybe look at it this way: What else can you get for eight bucks a month?

Two cups of overhyped coffee with stupid names. TML, or caramel macchi-something?

One OK cigar. Not even a six-pack of craft beer. One craft draft at your favorite establishment.

A couple hours of garage parking downtown.

Not even a parking spot on Bengals game days.

A newspaper subscription?

An Uber ride down your block.

And back.

A Big Mac Meal.

You get the drift. What’s the going rate for a smile on your face or a thought in your head? I’m not bragging on me. The wonder of TML is it’s your spot. I’m just the proprietor. I can offer the conversation, but you folks further it, make it dynamic.

OK, enough. The Morning Line isn’t Renaissance painting. As literature, it’s cave-wall scratchings. But it’s ours. It’s unique to this region, it’s where journalism in general is headed. It’s not that different from cutting the cable TV cord. You’re just choosing from an a la carte reading menu.

I’m grateful for our success. Let’s keep the bar open.

doc