Thanks Skins86 and Cleve. Everyone really.
There are things that I've put in the programmers queue that are really incredibly exciting to me. Above and beyond what I've discussed with anyone. Some of them are concepts that people have suggested before, some my own ideas, but all are going to bring a level of interaction on a pure football discussion level that I'm not aware of anything else.
So if you all imagine a day when a current or former coach or player can come on, and not only talk about the intricacies of a specific play, but also draw it up in real time right in front of us, and save a snapshot of it right into a thread. And I know some of you do, because it was a concept talked about some months back -- I can tell you that while I can't promise the coach or player, I can promise the functionality in time.
The goal here isn't to have an ultracomplicated behemoth that no one (including me) knows how to use. It's to have a wide range of easy to use tools that promote interaction, and the very sort of football talk, analysis and debate that so many of us like(d).
Anyway, we're still a work in progress, but I'm excited about the path we're on.
Cleve - Data is the one area that I have quite a bit of concern. I have a lot from OSU, but it amounts to photocopies of a lot of media guides, some typed data from a ways back, and just generally a hodgepodge of information. There's a lot there, and a lot to work with, but it's nowhere near what I'm going to need.
Somewhere, OSU *must* have play-by-play data, and detailed rosters, going all the way back. That's what I need. Or at least need to be able to get to in some form.
The AD's and football offices have been friendly, helpful and cooperative -- but either they're not aware of where the real records are kept, or they haven't been excited about dealing with someone gaining access to it all.
Anyway, the point here is I need data. What's disturbing is that I've done some sniffing around to see how easy or hard it would be to get the same from other schools if I decided down the road to branch out with sister sites for the rest of the Big Ten, and it seems like (and this is just my luck) that OSU is going to be the most difficult. Fitting since it's obviously the only one I actually care about. lol.
So I would love any help *anyone* can provide trying to locate the info I need. If I have to pay a temp (or more likely provoke my brother to handle it) to get in somewhere and spend a couple days copying documents, or sitting somewhere dusty with a laptop doing enough direct data entry that their fingers end up shorter for the effort -- lol, I'm all for that.
But I can't believe there wasn't a member of the staff (at least) sitting somewhere taking game stats with a pencil and piece of paper back in 1923 (for example). It all has to be out there somewhere. Extra eyes and ears looking for it can only help.
Also, and this is out to everyone, people have their own little projects. I kept pretty detailed track of pro-Buckeyes for a while. That's slipped as of late, but it was the type of thing that when I posted it to Bucknuts once or twice a year, the response was pretty positive. Oh8ch put together that class and year schollie breakdown by position, and that's up now and it's terrific. There are 'little' (not always little at all) projects some of us have and do that are fueled by our own interest (dare I say 'obsession'?
). I'm a huge fan of putting some of those out there for all to see. I'm not looking to usurp a project from someone, I just think there's a ton of room for community driven content and information. So if you all have interesting things out there on your hard drives, squirreled away like a little treasure, lol, now or soon might be the time to consider putting it out there for others to see.
:gobucks3: :gobucks4: :osu4: