Happy Birthday, Athletics Nation!!!

by Tyler Bleszinski on Nov 6, 2008 8:08 AM PST Comment 54 comments

Can you believe that you're already five years old today? I mean, seriously, that's probably like a teenager in terms of a blog lifespan, right? So do I have to worry about AN going out and using drugs with some unsavory friends now? Or maybe caving into peer pressure and playing beer pong?

Seriously though, thank you to everyone who frequents this site and to the few of you who have been around nearly that long. It seems like just yesterday I was starting up a blog on typepad called Athletics Nation and then when it asked me for a subhead, I called it "baseball country". Remember that campaign? Wow that was terrible and what was I thinking?

I also want to say thanks to Nico, baseballgirl (excellent piece on Yankee Stadium yesterday), monkeyball, louismg, Brad Ziegler, Taj Adib, notsellingjeans, grover, devo and salb for being a part of providing great content on a very consistent basis. I still love AN as though it's my child, more than 10 million visits, more than a million comments and about 35 million page views later. Now go do your homework or you won't get into a great college!

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Unsavory friends?

Dude, we’re right here.

Children, until we have taught them better, will be perfectly happy with a seasonal round of games in which conkers succeeds hopscotch.

by salb918 on Nov 6, 2008 8:14 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Hey I don't go talking behind people's backs

I’m all up in your grill with it. ;-)

by Tyler Bleszinski on Nov 6, 2008 8:18 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

You're welcome.

Oh wait. That came out wrong.

by mikev on Nov 6, 2008 8:19 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Five year old

blogblogblogblogblogblogblog!

"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL

by oblique on Nov 6, 2008 8:34 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Does this mean I can ask AN out on a date?

Please disregard the above ramblings as those of a clearly delusional fan.

www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com

by TwistNHook on Nov 6, 2008 8:38 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Hey now

I AM an overprotective parent and would likely answer the door with shotgun in hand.

by Tyler Bleszinski on Nov 6, 2008 9:03 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Just wait until AN gets to college in a year and a half. Its gonna go crazy!

Please disregard the above ramblings as those of a clearly delusional fan.

www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com

by TwistNHook on Nov 6, 2008 11:26 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Thank you so much Blez for your work that you have done for us;

not only as Athletics fans but also as bloggers…

We owe you and thank you again!!!!

"What do we do with Crosby? Well, in my neighborhood, trash goes out on Mondays." ~ Nico

by MMunoz33 on Nov 6, 2008 2:00 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

My pleasure, man

This has been the hardest I’ve ever worked on anything, but I’ve never loved a job as much as this one.

by Tyler Bleszinski on Nov 6, 2008 3:13 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Not this?

Last of the Ninth - Photography Site / jamesvenes.com - Blog

by Flashfire on Nov 7, 2008 12:36 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks to Paul Thomas

for his in-depth baseball statistical analysis of our team and opponents…

"What do we do with Crosby? Well, in my neighborhood, trash goes out on Mondays." ~ Nico

by MMunoz33 on Nov 6, 2008 8:44 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

+1.

I like PT too.

And thanks to Poppy, Jennifer, 67M, 74mk, FSU, and countless others who are also draws for this site. Even in the offseason, I’m a lurker just to catch the funny stuff that goes on here.

"No matter what I talk about, I always get back to baseball." -- Connie Mack

by GreenSocks on Nov 6, 2008 9:28 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm here to talk about the past.

by 67MARQUEZ on Nov 6, 2008 8:50 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

There's no crying in baseball!

by gigglingone on Nov 6, 2008 9:09 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

I’d argue that 5 years in blog time is heading towards middle aged.

So, basically, you gotta Go Bears!

by ragnarok on Nov 6, 2008 9:18 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Thing is we don't really know

We don’t really have a precedent for the lifespan of blogs. Maybe they’re immortal like the Highlander and AN needs its head chopped off in order to die.

Who wants to live forever when love must die?

by Tyler Bleszinski on Nov 6, 2008 1:33 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Cake for everyone!

by whiteshoes40 on Nov 6, 2008 9:37 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Now THAT is a cake!

"RIP: UserID: 553"

by Masaryk on Nov 6, 2008 9:52 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

cake time!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WOO HOO! AN’S BIRTHDAY!! EXCUSE FOR MAD CELEBRATION!!!

Awww… Unicorn's optimistic. And a cheeseball. That’s cute. ~Whiteshoes40

by #14fan on Nov 6, 2008 11:24 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Piggy back rides!

I'm here to talk about the past.

by 67MARQUEZ on Nov 6, 2008 11:34 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

wooooo!

Happy congratulations! How you’ve grown in just five years.

I'm one of four guys who built SB Nation 2.0. Please enjoy.

by sixfoot6 on Nov 6, 2008 12:25 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

how many unique accounts are registered?

"It's like déjà vu all over again." -yogi berra

by Cheezombie on Nov 6, 2008 12:33 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

only 5

There’s Blez, BBG, Paul Thomas, salb918, and all the rest are Nico

There's no crying in baseball!

by gigglingone on Nov 6, 2008 12:42 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

qotm

Did you overpay for those eggs? @('.')@

by monkeyball on Nov 6, 2008 2:08 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

there i go again

qotm-ing myself.

Save Rajai Davis

by oakinboston on Nov 6, 2008 5:32 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

QOTM

"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL

by oblique on Nov 6, 2008 9:50 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

So I'm a figment of Cindi's imagination?

That’s so freaking depressing.

The monster at the end of this blog.

by grover on Nov 6, 2008 11:28 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Could be worse, you could be a figment of Monkeyball's

It’s crowded in here!

by adragon on Nov 7, 2008 7:34 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

YAY!!!!!

-Cindi

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Nov 7, 2008 9:25 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Thankyou so much everyone

When I joined this site I was pretty confident I knew more about baseball than most people.

Now it’s a fact.

www.punditpolitics.com - Political IQ Tests, Pundit Blog, News and Opinion.

by ChadGod on Nov 6, 2008 1:32 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Man

I feel the same way.

Happy B-Day AN

by HRH on Nov 7, 2008 9:54 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Aww yay happy birthday, AN!

by drmmerchk on Nov 6, 2008 1:50 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Teenager, ha!

With all those baby blogs running around the SB Nation, either AN is quite the promiscuous teenage blog or you’re lying about your age like a Dominican baseball prospect.

Many happy returns, for you and all your progeny!

by GoA's on Nov 6, 2008 2:03 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Um,

(happy birthday)

I see a deranged rabbit, on fire, cowering away from a vagina. I await the results of the Rorschaschererer. -Nico

by Leopold Bloom on Nov 6, 2008 2:51 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

FIRE MACHA NOW!

"Who's this Seagon guy? Is he in A-ball or something?" - Billy Beane

by pickinmachine on Nov 6, 2008 2:59 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!!

by whiteshoes40 on Nov 6, 2008 3:49 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

AHHHHHHH!!!!

by FormerHuntsvilleStar on Nov 6, 2008 5:07 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

AN, Reducing Work Productivity since 2003!

They're called RUNS for a reason.

by connie mack on Nov 6, 2008 3:24 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

I think I just found my new signature

Thank’s connie mack

"AN, Reducing Work Productivity since 2003", connie mack 11/06/08

by adragon on Nov 7, 2008 7:38 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 5 years is VERY impressive for a blog…but I am not shocked this IS the best site on the web!!! I can’t help but visit the site atleast 5 times a day…ok, I can admit, I have an addiction and I love it! Happy birthday!

by ilovegregsmith on Nov 6, 2008 3:32 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Five years. Wow, time flies ...why it just

seems like yesterday that I was recovering from what bear_88 dubbed the “great playoff miss of 2004”.

So anyway, five years. I think Nico’s contract is up for arbitration now?

alaska A residing in colorado.

by ak_A on Nov 6, 2008 4:20 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

I was non-tendered

That’s not true, actually – I’m very tender.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Nov 7, 2008 9:26 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs