The one where I figure out how to use Blogger again

I'll just say it.

Far, far less people will be reading this.

I'm very, very OK with that.

After some 18 months running the Chicago Sun-Times' most Erin Andrews-heavy blog, I made a somewhat big -- well, to me it was -- decision to pull the plug on the very vehicle that often times made my job worth doing.

And now I'm back on Blogger.

From the outhouse to the penthouse and back to the outhouse.

Except this time, I brought a proverbial magazine.

The reasons behind the decision aren't too personal to share, but they are probably best left between myself and the company (don't worry there are no Jayson Blair-like hijinx afoot).

There have been countless good things to come out of the Sports Pros(e) expansion, but a few of the negative aspects factored mightily into the call.

First, people are absolutely brutal. While we routinely turned in monthly page-view totals in the hundreds of thousands, we were never able to get a good core group of commenters. Because a vast majority of the traffic came from Google and other search engines, we got a lot of one-and-doners.

Anyone who has ever combed the comment section of news sites knows that there is a good deal of venom and vitriol swirling about. In my experience, the comments on blogs are even worse than print articles.

I like to think the best of people, but some of the hateful and ignorant garbage can really take a toll day in and day out. If you've read one way-off-topic diatribe against something, you've read them all.

This, of course, isn't the only reason.

Another is that my writing has suffered. It's gotten short, choppy and far too easy to consume -- like a crouton. Some people might not notice, but for people who care about their craft, seeing it suffer is a big, fucking deal. Hopefully, I can get back to where I want to be in that arena.

I'll continue to write daily, both here and more frequently in print.

I really want to thank those who have made stopping by Sports Pros(e) part of their day, those who have weighed in, and those who've shared kind words with me. I truly, truly appreciate your time.