The 100th Article: What I Have Learned And Cherished In My Time at B/R

As we are past the midpoint in the month of July, I did not think I would have this moment this early in my Bleacher Report career: the great 100th article.

As expected with everything I do, when I find an activity that is enjoyed deeply with a lot of dedication, it is hard for me to give up.

I found BleacherReport.com in early March via word of mouth, and decided to check it out myself.

As I first heard it, I assumed it was simply another blogger site, where you can express your thoughts that a few people can see.

However, when I took the first glance at the site, I was amazed on the media-like atmosphere and the articles on the front page. Heck, even the first article I ever read was outstanding (of course, it was one on the Oakland Raiders).

I wrote my first article on fantasy baseball, which surprisingly led to my first fan on Bleacher Report: a man we all know very well in Bob Warja.

My first Bulletin Board conversation was made with the man Ron Johnson, who at the time was C/L of the Wrestling Community, along with being a front page writer.

From that point on, I continued to write and write until I found the section that was meant for me: the NFL community.

From there, I began to realize my pieces were getting more page views and comments. Still being a young member, I felt this was the best decision to make for me.

To this day, I do not regret that decision, now being the 26th best NFL writer on BleacherReport.com

In the early going, I fell to a columnist named Leroy Watson. A man who wrote some nice pieces, I gave him a new fan and started publishing my work to his.

Little did I know at the time, however, would he grow into an icon here at Bleacher Report, along with becoming very close with the God Father of the Memphis Tigers, and the Three E's Of B/R.

In the college basketball season, I encountered Jameson Fleming, who in my opinion is the top college basketball writer on the site. As Leroy did, I learned from my mistakes from his edits, and made adjustments when heading to my next pieces.

Over my time at B/R, I have learned from the best: Bryn Swartz, Cody Swartz, Heartbeat Of The Bronx, Bob Warja, L.J Burgess, Andrew Nuschler, Ron Johnson, Richard Marsh. The list does not stop there, as there are thousands of writers I have met and followed during my tenure here.

When I first saw Zander and found out he ran B/R, I read his bio. To this day, I always remember this line:

"They studied the games they enjoyed like a Rhodes scholar studies schoolbooks. They learned from their mistakes and listened to the advice of those who tried to help them improve their work. They practiced their craft—over and over again—then practiced some more. They never gave up in the face of criticism."

From reading hundreds of these writer's pieces, I have learned from the best, and even at a young age, I begin to pass it on to the rookie writers as well.

Even with these great times, I experienced the few difficult ones.

I was kept up to date with the split of the Wrestling Community when a new Community Leader was wanted.

I was also asked to comment on the outpour of people on the Bleacher Report rankings, who many have continued to feel is "flawed."

I did face disagreements, but never caused a stint. However, I talked to the seniors in the house, and took their advice.

As I look back in my early Bleacher Report career, I can't be disappointed.

In the early going, when I argued with those Steelers fans, I have learned to respect them and their work, with them returning the same favor, as well.

I have taken advantage of my writing ability, which has led me to articles of 1,000+ views, including one making the front page of CBSSports.com.

Luckily, many supporters endure my writing. 135 people have me listed as a fan, while many others continue to enjoy my effort that is brought to the table each and every article.

However, the job is nowhere near complete. I still need to step up my game in order to reach the elite senior writer status, along with tacking the top-50 writers list.

The experience at B/R has led me to new jobs as an NFL writer at NFLDraftBible.com and FanHuddle.com.

100 articles on Bleacher Report are in the books, all which have led to the strong and defying times in the open source network.