Why is the huddle so dead anymore?

oldfart67 · (#1)

Its like no one talks football anymore that's not just on here but every site

MrBob · (#2)

It will start picking up as scrimmages start and the season gets closer

sportster4321 · (#3)

Sure hope so. It's been dead here for a while and August is almost here.

Lancelot Link · (#4)

They charged a yearly fee for a while............drove people off...........

hrspeedmerchant · (#5)

Lancelot Link is undoubtedly correct. The fact it's the football off season has little to do with the low activity. All of us long time posters could name five, ten, even fifteen people who left when the Huddle became a pay site and never came back now that it's free.

High school football will generate more posts, but I have doubts it will ever be as it once was.

Lancer '65 · (#6)

I think that all of the preceding posts are true to one degree or another but I also think that it is a little bit early for the casual fan who usually jumps in a little later than the rabid football fans do. I am still planning on offering the NLL Poll this season if there is no one else who wishes to jump in and conduct that poll. I think the interest regarding high school football is very big and we seem to get a very good response on the Huddle each season. it would be nice if we had some of the other leagues doing polls but I think the other reason that the traffic isn't quite as high any more has to do with the time it takes folks to actually keep a poll together for an entire season. I really don't know why the talk about other levels of football seems to be down from previous years. I hope it isn't because of the pay-no play issue. It would seem to me that if a person likes to talk about football, he or she should go ahead and do it. I think those of us who have been unhappy about that particular issue are no longer really proving anything by placing this self inflicted ban on football. The same can be said for all the other sports.

Let's play ball!

1iluvfootball · (#7)

Dause, dumebody sot BuckWheat.

Adidas · (#8)

I bolted when they got greedy and started charging. Just recently visited and saw that it was free again.

K_n_i_g_h_t_s · (#9)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adidas

I bolted when they got greedy and started charging. Just recently visited and saw that it was free again.

I am not sure greed would be the right word. I am sure a lot of hard work goes into making this site what it is.

Respectfully, I did not feel a dollar was asking too much!
It's a great site for sports!

roll_red_roll · (#10)

They might as well remove all forums except high school football. Take it back to what it was all about.

MrBob · (#11)

Quote:

Originally Posted by roll_red_roll

They might as well remove all forums except high school football. Take it back to what it was all about.

I agree with that! Also it was only ten bucks a year, I think that might have helped keep some of the BS and A Holes off the site! Now you can create numerous ID names and let the BS flow for free!

irish_buffalo · (#12)

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrBob

I agree with that! Also it was only ten bucks a year, I think that might have helped keep some of the BS and A Holes off the site! Now you can create numerous ID names and let the BS flow for free!

This here is exactly why the huddle has changed.

I was a member back in 1999 (different username) when they had one forum. Anything went but it was mostly football and the discussion involved was great. I remember going back and forth with coaches and former players about the best way to defend the wing-t or spread from the 50 or 4-3. It was great.

As time went on and the popularity grew it became every kid, dad, mom, obnoxious uncle, drumming up ink for their loved one. The 'discussions' soon ended and it quickly became hijacked threads.

Folks got sick of it which is sad because guys like scipio and YTOWN amongst many others really brought some great insight (and stories - I'll never forget the YTOWN Mike Diniro[spl?] story). On top of all else, even those who used screenames never hid from who they really were. Today there is WAY too many posters hiding behind screenames so they can dog people.

1iluvfootball · (#13)

Quote:

Originally Posted by K_n_i_g_h_t_s

I am not sure greed would be the right word. I am sure a lot of hard work goes into making this site what it is.

Respectfully, I did not feel a dollar was asking too much!
It's a great site for sports!

Here, Here. I greatfully paid my dues to JJHuddle. The hard copy Magazine was a gift, in my eyes.

Daywalker1957 · (#14)

********** isn't all that great either.....Long Live Huddle!

rider_town · (#15)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adidas

I bolted when they got greedy and started charging. Just recently visited and saw that it was free again.

Its was only 12 dollars a year I dont think they got greedy I think you are just to cheap.

DoverArmy · (#16)

I sure hope it picks up. I first joined in 2007. Left for awhile, paid my dues and am back. I can't believe we are 43 days from kickoff and things are soooo slow.

lmavcch3 · (#17)

Is anyone still getting charged the $1.00/month? Just noticed my paypal account had taken out $1.00 the last 3 months.

gamauter · (#18)

You have to canx that. You are paying for the plus package.

scipio · (#19)

Money was not the issue for me.
I had a lot of fun on this site from the beginning. In the early days, under the old format...buckeye bill and I helped JJ monitor the site. We would actually have to approve posts before they would post!
The posts would show up in a que and we had to read them first and submit.

JJ always wanted a clean site that didn't bash kids and coaches and was civil. Of course there were huge disagreements, debates and personality conflicts...but JJ wasn't afraid to boot people off the site if they didn't follow the rules. Some of those people carry grudges about being booted off "unfairly" even to this day.
However, I think this was a key reason it grew so fast. Most people didn't want a "no holds barred" forum approach to HS Sports.
Another reason JJ's was successful was that you had some incredibly knowledgeable, passionate people with a great sense of humor frequenting the board.
One reason I stopped posting as much was because I was burned out debating the same issues over and over. Where the state finals should be held, which was the best conference, etc.. It got to a point where everything that I wanted to discuss had already been debated a hundred times. But as new people come on, they want to discuss the same subjects and many of us would just ignore it because we had already done it so many times. Then there was a period where the moderation was very lax and I was appalled at what was being said about coaches and kids. So that turned me off for awhile.
All that being said, I have made a lot of friends and acquaintances here, and the laughs have been incalculable. I have learned much here over the years and still read the board regularly to check Ytowns facts...and keep Buckeye Bill and Radcard in line.

EastYoungstown · (#20)

Why was 12 bucks such a big deal to folks? The talk on here was worth it.