With Saturday’s 36-35 overtime victory over Cal Poly, the regular season for the Wisconsin Badgers is over.
So, too, is the career of sophomore center John Moffitt.
Well, his blogging career, that is.
Since August, Moffitt has written a weekly blog on UWBadgers.com. The Athletic Communications office contacted him before the season began with the idea of writing a total of three blog entries. It started, he explained, as a way to keep fans up to speed with what was going on in the fall camp.
But it turned into something much bigger.
“It started to take off. I started throwing some funny stuff in there,” Moffitt said. “I think camp was getting a hold of my mind. I was going a little stir crazy. They liked it, so we kind of kept it going.”
The blog quickly garnered a fan following, and soon even members of the media — I’m not the only guilty one, apparently — peppered Moffitt with questions about his newfound hobby.
“People talk to me about the blog more than football stuff,” Moffitt said. “It’s crazy.”
He even wrote a story on SI.com titled “An athlete’s guide to blogging,” in which he offered tips for other athletes to dipping their feet in the blogosphere.
What did the other guys on his team thing about his writing?
“Some guys say, ‘I like your blog.’ Other guys are like, ‘You’re blog’s awful,'” Moffitt said. “I don’t really care. I just do it. It’s fun. You don’t have to read it — it’s free.”
For those who haven’t read Moffitt’s stuff, you should. The guy’s got a sense of humor, and it definitely comes through in the blog. In one post he made fun of coach Bielema’s “next man in” philosophy by pointing out some eerie similarities in the appearances of several teammates.
In another, he laid out the “Ten Commandments of Offensive Linemen” — my favorites are “V: Thou shalt always be blamed… even if it’s the defense’s fault,” and X: Thou shalt only get pity dates or blind dates.”
In his final blog, Moffitt actually got a little serious. He reflected on the senior offensive linemen — Kraig Urbik, Erik Vanden Heuvel and Andy Kemp — and how he’s going to miss them. He also discussed what he took away from the blog.
One of those things he learned is just how tough it is to come up with original content week in and week out, especially with the monotony of practices.
“Football — it’s scheduled. Everything is the same every week,” Moffitt said. “It’s hard to try to find things that stick out to you.”
So his solution to the problem was to write about the subject he knows best: himself. In one entry, he told readers about his plans for his upcoming 22nd birthday — which involved eating half a sheet cake — and about why he’s so old for a sophomore.
“I feel like if you make fun of yourself, no one’s going to get upset or offended. It’s what you can take,” Moffitt said. “I think that’s one of the safest bets. But I’ve got nothing left to say about myself. I’ve torn myself apart.”
After talking with the 6-foot-4, 323-pound sociology major about his blogging, I had to ask him how a hack like him could get his writing published by Sports Illustrated when most sports writers — myself included — may never get that glory.
“I don’t think I’m a great writer or anything like that,” Moffitt said. “I have no clue. Your guess is as good as mine.”
As much as Moffitt has enjoyed the blog and everything that’s come with it, he said he’s pulling the plug on it all. One season was enough.
“I’ve enjoyed it. I don’t even know if I can keep going with it because I don’t even know what to say anymore,” he said. “I’m not looking to be a blogger for the rest of my life. It really was fun while it lasted, but I think this is probably going to be the end of it.”
Tyler is a senior majoring in journalism. Were you a frequent reader of John Moffitt’s blog? Share your thoughts on it with Tyler at [email protected].
