NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- I'm going to write more columns than ever.
And by that, I mean more than ever.
I've rarely done more than three a week, whether here or at newspapers, as that's pretty much the industry norm for a reason: Columns take a ton of time, thought, energy, everything. But beginning this coming week, I'll publish a new Grind every Monday through Thursday, after which I'll get out of the way every Friday for one of Tom Reed's excellent In-Depth enterprise pieces. So that's four columns and a five-star feature filling up the five weekdays.
These past few months have been tough. Not going to lie. On top of what we've had to do to push through the pandemic, like all small businesses, we've been focused -- no, obsessed -- with the new app/site from the tech standpoint. Truth be told, we still are. And when I say we, I mostly mean Dali, who had two literal sleepless nights this week alone in working to get the subscription and ad platforms rolling. (More on that below.)
It's been tough at times to breathe, let alone put what I expect of myself into reporting and writing, though I was still coming up with the same amount I always had in the past.
Well, suffice it to say that's not enough. Some changes behind the scenes will free me up to do that much more from the creative standpoint, as you'll see.
Three other changes:
• You'll now see a regular Monday-Friday rotation for our weekly features, meaning, in order: Mound Visit, Carter's Classroom, Ramon Foster's On The Line, Drive to the Net and, of course, our Point Park University Friday Insider. One each day, with prominent display.
• My Live Qs at 5 will move from Saturday to the middle of the week. Just works out better on my end. (Today's is still today, of course.)
• And ... and ... eh, I'm not ready to share this one yet.
These aren't exactly radical, as you can tell. Our longtime readers can attest that, when we've changed up content in the past, it's been way more about reaffirming our foundation. None of those features is new. My writing columns is hardly new. It's just more about being the best version of ourselves.
ABOUT DKPS+ MARKER
We still have a few folks getting confused about this, so please read: If you see the new DKPS+ marker on content, and you're already a subscriber, you're good to go. The DKPS+ thing is just another name for being a subscriber. You're either a subscriber or you aren't. If you are, you get absolutely everything.
So, if you have trouble logging in for whatever reason, it's only because you're having a login issue. In which case, just email us at Help@DKPittsburghSports.com
ACCOUNT ACCESS NOW
You now have access to your subscription account. Just go to your profile, meaning your avatar at the top left of the app or site, and look around.
Also, if you've requested a military membership, those are now available, too: Open the menu. Under DKPS+ memberships, tap Military subscription. Log in to your old account. (Or create a new one, if you're new here.) Follow the simple steps to receive a code that you can redeem on the spot to claim your military subscription.
Same place and same process, by the way, if you're a senior or a student looking to join our community. You can claim a 50% discount code.
Finally, for those who've been asking, you can now update your credit card right from your profile in the Manage Account section.
As always, email us at Help@DKPittsburghSports.com if you get stuck.
PENN STATE? DUQUESNE?
As part of resuming full coverage of Penn State football and Duquesne basketball in 2020, we're making the full commitment. That means travel and everything. That's why Jarrod Prugar is in Bloomington, Ind., right now for today's opener for the Nittany Lions.
We need help on these, and I won't hide that. Eventually, that'll involve our subscribers coming through, primarily through reading and sharing but also, very soon, buying gift subscriptions we'll attach to each school. From there, it'll involve getting support from a sponsor for each one.
Who'll step up for Penn State?
Who'll step up for Duquesne?
Here's hoping that's your business. If it is, reach out directly to She Who Is Boss at Dali@DKPittsburghSports.com
MILITARY UPDATE
So, our Moon Golf Club Military Drive to 1,500 is at 1,190 as we approach Veterans Day on Nov. 11. We've got 310 to go, obviously.
If you'd like to contribute to veterans seeking a free annual subscription -- we take care of all active-duty ourselves -- those are $19.99 per veteran, or half-price. The only way to get those is to email me directly at DK@DKPittsburghSports.com
BACK TO BUSINESS
• Our daily page views, averaged out over the past week, were 114,290, down 16% from the previous week. Our most-read original article was my Grind from the Steelers beating the Browns, at 14,398. Broken down by team, we had 184,987 for Steelers, 122,472 views for Penguins, 53,910 for Pirates, 10,760 for Pitt, 3,841 for Penn State, 1,212 for Duquesne.
• Our podcast downloads for DK Sports Radio original content were 51,118, up 6% from the previous week.
• We're at 37,598 (+48) followers on Twitter, we're at 36,826 (+20) followers on Facebook, we're at 14,743 (-7) followers on Instagram. These figures are just for our official company account on each platform, not for us as individuals.
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